Local's Stash Reserve Series: Bourbon Barrel-Aged Scotch Ale
Crazy Mountain Brewery

2017 vintage, bottle 296 of 700, a couple of years old now. it pours a deep syrupy mahogany color with a soy brown tone to it, and zero head, this is totally uncarbonated, leggy and dense in the glass, some gunky coagulated sediment in the bottom third or so of the bottle. the aroma is awesome, minimally oxidized with strong leather, molasses, and maple notes, the vanilla in the bourbon and an almost nougat character are present, and the booze hits the nostrils hard. the flavor has a nice baked depth on the malt side, a solid scotch ale underneath all the oak and whiskey for sure. its got plenty of bourbon, sweet and corny, smooth and oaken, mellow now with the age on it. some light soy character, an umami middle, but nice round sugars and wood to finish. subtle baking spices come out as it warms, as does a chocolate malt character deeper than its appearance, very wintery and festive to me. i do wish for some carbonation though, its already heavy and sweet, so being still slows it down even more, but its a unique sipper at this point, probably not going to improve much more in the cellar, so if you have one, now is likely the time. i have been a fan of this locals stash series, some clever beers in it, and this was a fun one to pass around, small doses only for me. tons of bourbon, malt weight, and booze, nice on a freezing weekday evening amongst friends!

From 750 bomber, bottled on 10/07/17, making this just over a year old.

No head, light cherry, deep dark malts, coffee, and chocolate. Insanely smooth throughout. Flavors are good, but not great.

Good.

A: The beer is clear reddish brown in color (black when viewed from afar). It poured with a collar of medium-sized bubbles around the edge of the glass.
S: Light to moderate aromas of bourbon from the barrel aging are present in the nose.
T: Similar to the smell, the taste is mostly dominated by flavors of bourbon from the barrel aging.
M: It feels medium-bodied on the palate and has a low amount of carbonation. There is some warming from the alcohol.
O: This is a really nice beer to sip if you like bourbon. It's a little light in body considering its strength, but it manages to hide its alcohol very well.

Serving type: bottle

On-draught @ the brewery.

Pretty standard fare for the intended style. Some gooey malty sweetness, a hint of bourbon warmth. No vanilla, coconut, or oak.

Drinkable for its ABV.

C / AVERAGE

 

Poured from 750 mL bottle into snifter. Bottled on Jan 25, 2017.
A: Pours a clear cola brown with essentially no head.
S: Hints of bourbon, raisin, and caramel malt. Not as much as I was expecting.
T: Sweet caramel malt, raisin, cherry, brown sugar, vanilla, bourbon, and hints of tobacco and chocolate.
M: Very smooth. Supple feel. Many layers of sweetness (fruit, dark notes, malt). Lingers and matures a bit on the palate too. Medium body with ABV very well hidden.
D: This one started slow, but turned it around the further I got into it. A nice brew, but not as good as some of the others in this series. Wish it had more depth and heft...and more impact from the barrel-aging.

 

The cage on the 750 was a pain. I had to bend it back and forth and break it. Bottled April 5th 2016.

Pours a super dark brown, almost black. A 1" head of foam at the most after a vigorous pour. Retention is okay.

The smell is malty, fruity, has nice Bourbon notes and a hint of smoke.

The taste agrees with my palate. Nothing overdone. Smooth tasty malt and Bourbon with light smoke and some dark fruits.

Lightish carbonation in a medium bodied Scotch Ale.

Far from being my favourite style, this one pleases in all ways except the price. +$22 a bottle.