Maltika - Bourbon Barrel-Aged
BarrieHaus Beer Co - Tampa

 

No bottling date (released mid-12/2020, so presumably bottled around that time); consumed on 7/18/21

Pours a clean, black body with jet-brown accents revealing a steady effervescence at the surface; two fingers of rich, dark khaki/caramel-hued foam hold steadily, eventually receding to a thin, chunky layer of cap, a moderate, creamy collar, and near-comprehensive smattering of dense, webby lacing canvassing the walls of the glass.

Aroma introduces a boozy barrel char with a more lush, underlying yet impenetrable roast, at times ashy though warming to express cacao husk and distant, aromatic coffee beans; melted caramel and smoked toffee come to unified fruition over time as oak barrel fades comfortably to the background; wisps of apple brandy, cherry, and hints of raisin offer dark fruit contrasts to softly toasted vanilla bean evolving intermittently on the back end.

Taste features spent coffee grounds and 100% dark cacao upfront, a distant raisin and malt husk accent cutting through the heavier, bittering tones; bittersweet earth reminiscent of unprocessed cacao powder peaks against wisps of bourbon into the back end, where a now content, beautifully balanced barrel embraces a more forward yet deft malt char through the finish.

Mouthfeel brings a medium body paired with a fluffy, effortless moderate-high carbonation, leaving an attenuated char to prickle the palate from afar as it eases with consistency over the mid-palate; a tinge of grit hinting toward a brightening acridity remains composed through a refined balance of texture into a pseudo-bitterness complimenting a moderately dry finish.

At a time of barrel dominance and adjunct saturation, this fortified lager features neither; instead Barriehaus opts for a gentler touch, with a hint of spirit ensconced within a simple, confident malt profile, at its peak imparting a lithe sensation of malt purity.