Barrel Aged Porter
Copper Furrow Brewing

from a beer standpoint, this was probably my favorite place in town, they have some clever beers, and what i tasted was very well executed, a level of professional quality ahead of most of the other beer i had in helena. this is an interesting one, a barrel aged porter, but at a really modest alcohol level, more approachable than the higher ones, but with all the richness and character you would expect from the barrel, and an excellent beer overall i reckon. its not overly viscous, deep brown in color with a short lived head, silky looking with some shine. it smells like whiskey, vanilla bean, charred oak and charcoal, milk chocolate sweetness and molasses from the grain, and even a light almost english bready element from the yeast, the barrel is obvious but not overpowering, and thats the case with the flavor too. its sweet throughout, and a little less bubbly than i want, which is to say its close to still, dont need a super carbonated porter, but i want a bit more life than this. that said, its real smooth and mellow in feel, woody richness with a sweet linger, but no sign of the alcohol at all, i like this being lower than most that have seen barrel time. lots of chocolate to this, a raisin note, some good bitter roast too, and just the right amount of whiskey flavor through the finish. not perfectly well refined, but a creative and delicious beer, more drinkable than a lot of these types of brews, impressive!