Flying Mouflan - Bourbon Barrel-Aged
Tröegs Brewing Company
Beer Geek Stats:
| Print Shelf Talker
- Style:
- American Barleywine
Ranked #11 - ABV:
- 11.5%
- Score:
- 94
Ranked #1,127 - Avg:
- 4.33 | pDev: 10.39%
- Reviews:
- 33
- Ratings:
- From:
- Tröegs Brewing Company
- Pennsylvania, United States
- Avail:
- Rotating
- Wants
- 61
- Gots
- 48
SCORE
94
Outstanding
94
Outstanding
Notes:
Some beers just belong in barrels, and Flying Mouflan – a resiny, chocolatey giant of a barleywine ale – is one of them. We pour every drop we brew into bourbon barrels, taming the sharpness of the hops and uncovering layers of salted caramel, pecan pie and rum raisin.
2015 - 13.4% ABV
2016 - 11.7% ABV
2017 - 11.5% ABV
2015 - 13.4% ABV
2016 - 11.7% ABV
2017 - 11.5% ABV
Reviews: 33
| Ratings: 165
4.05/5 rDev -6.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
2017 version:
After a couple of years, the barrel notes on this one have started leaning towards the tart rather than the normal tang a barrel sometimes brings. The bourbon itself remains with a bit of a light spice and somewhat smokey note.
The nose on this near still beer brings rich barleywine notes of burnt toast, dark caramel, and some cherry (perhaps aided by the tartness). I'm pretty sure the base is an American barleywine as the caramel is not too sweet and there is a earthy to woodsy bitterness, the latter of which I am sure is accentuated by the aging.
I poured this a little on the cold side, and it took warming to cellar temps to start smoothing out and gelling. The carbonation is light, but a warming alcohol sting makes up for it. Toast, earth, dark fruit, red wine, leather, and an earthy to peaty bitterness with typical accents from the barrel.
I prefer the English variety of barleywine generally, especially in bourbon barrels. I am guessing this has mellowed in a couple years, and that is probably a good thing for me as it still has a good level of bitterness.
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look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
2017 version:
After a couple of years, the barrel notes on this one have started leaning towards the tart rather than the normal tang a barrel sometimes brings. The bourbon itself remains with a bit of a light spice and somewhat smokey note.
The nose on this near still beer brings rich barleywine notes of burnt toast, dark caramel, and some cherry (perhaps aided by the tartness). I'm pretty sure the base is an American barleywine as the caramel is not too sweet and there is a earthy to woodsy bitterness, the latter of which I am sure is accentuated by the aging.
I poured this a little on the cold side, and it took warming to cellar temps to start smoothing out and gelling. The carbonation is light, but a warming alcohol sting makes up for it. Toast, earth, dark fruit, red wine, leather, and an earthy to peaty bitterness with typical accents from the barrel.
I prefer the English variety of barleywine generally, especially in bourbon barrels. I am guessing this has mellowed in a couple years, and that is probably a good thing for me as it still has a good level of bitterness.
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4.25/5 rDev -1.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Purchased at the brewery. Taste a of rum raisins as well as some mild chocolate and caramel. Decent, but doesn’t shine a candle to bourbon country barley wine and some other great in this category.
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look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Purchased at the brewery. Taste a of rum raisins as well as some mild chocolate and caramel. Decent, but doesn’t shine a candle to bourbon country barley wine and some other great in this category.
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4.03/5 rDev -6.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
2017 Vintage
Pours a decent fizzy bubbly but smaller head that retains fairly well a little messy lacing and decent legs, super dark mahogany color opaque
Nose starts with nice base barleywine, lots of dark fruits, raisin, a little fig/date, even a little candied prune, dark toasted and caramelized malts, candy malt, some toffee and caramel, mild spicy hop in the background, barrels are really light with a little vanilla and butterscotch, bourbon eventually comes out a bit more as it warms
Taste comes on a bit sweet but not too much, candied flavors coming with more toffee and caramel, sweet perceived Maillard caramelized sugars, mild fruits but not as much as the nose, a little raisin, and fig/date notes, a bit of an aged slight oxidaized brandy character and touch of papery, barrel bringing mild vanilla and butterscotch again, and similar to the nose no real bourbon until it starts to warm it flashes in there, toasted biscuity malts, a hint of cocoa and darker malts, mild spicy hops, alcohol is hidden fairly well until it warms, mostly just on the throat, then as it warms a bit more alcohol on the mouth with the bourbon character, a drier but slightly sticky finish
Mouth is med to fuller bod, bright carbonation maybe a bit more than I wanted for a beer like this, not much alcohol until it warms, a touch sticky but not syrupy
Overall eh, base barleywine is nice, good malts, nice hops for American version, I do like the aging effects with brandy and dark fruits, but it did give a touch of paper, the biggest problem I have is lack of barrel, which adds mild characters from the barrel but very little bourbon
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look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
2017 Vintage
Pours a decent fizzy bubbly but smaller head that retains fairly well a little messy lacing and decent legs, super dark mahogany color opaque
Nose starts with nice base barleywine, lots of dark fruits, raisin, a little fig/date, even a little candied prune, dark toasted and caramelized malts, candy malt, some toffee and caramel, mild spicy hop in the background, barrels are really light with a little vanilla and butterscotch, bourbon eventually comes out a bit more as it warms
Taste comes on a bit sweet but not too much, candied flavors coming with more toffee and caramel, sweet perceived Maillard caramelized sugars, mild fruits but not as much as the nose, a little raisin, and fig/date notes, a bit of an aged slight oxidaized brandy character and touch of papery, barrel bringing mild vanilla and butterscotch again, and similar to the nose no real bourbon until it starts to warm it flashes in there, toasted biscuity malts, a hint of cocoa and darker malts, mild spicy hops, alcohol is hidden fairly well until it warms, mostly just on the throat, then as it warms a bit more alcohol on the mouth with the bourbon character, a drier but slightly sticky finish
Mouth is med to fuller bod, bright carbonation maybe a bit more than I wanted for a beer like this, not much alcohol until it warms, a touch sticky but not syrupy
Overall eh, base barleywine is nice, good malts, nice hops for American version, I do like the aging effects with brandy and dark fruits, but it did give a touch of paper, the biggest problem I have is lack of barrel, which adds mild characters from the barrel but very little bourbon
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4.74/5 rDev +9.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Poured a dark red/amber. There is some vanilla and bourbon aroma. The flavor is outstanding. Well balance of a host of flavors -- molasses, chocolate, vanilla and brown sugar. The bourbon is only slightly detectable but it works very well.
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look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Poured a dark red/amber. There is some vanilla and bourbon aroma. The flavor is outstanding. Well balance of a host of flavors -- molasses, chocolate, vanilla and brown sugar. The bourbon is only slightly detectable but it works very well.
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4.13/5 rDev -4.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
12.7oz corked & caged bottle into a tulip. bottled 11/8/17, so 6 months old.
dk red body with amber notes. small pale tan head with good carbonation.
very little in the aroma department, just a faint woodiness.
however, the taste department is very good indeed. slightly bitter, chewy, mild bourbon, molasses, slightly sweet. warm.
mouth between medium and full. finish a bittersweet warmth.
overall, very nice BBA American Barley Wine. no one element dominates, nicely balanced.
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look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
12.7oz corked & caged bottle into a tulip. bottled 11/8/17, so 6 months old.
dk red body with amber notes. small pale tan head with good carbonation.
very little in the aroma department, just a faint woodiness.
however, the taste department is very good indeed. slightly bitter, chewy, mild bourbon, molasses, slightly sweet. warm.
mouth between medium and full. finish a bittersweet warmth.
overall, very nice BBA American Barley Wine. no one element dominates, nicely balanced.
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4.34/5 rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
2017 bottle.
Moderate pour yields a 3/4 inch light tan head over a dark brown-mahogany body with some lacing. Nose of raisins, caramel, vanilla, and chocolate. Taste of chocolate, caramel, molasses, vanilla, and dark fruit. As it warms a sort of cherry liqueur flavor comes forward. Yum! Nice feel and overall, I really liked the base Flying Mouflan but this is next level. Cheers!
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look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
2017 bottle.
Moderate pour yields a 3/4 inch light tan head over a dark brown-mahogany body with some lacing. Nose of raisins, caramel, vanilla, and chocolate. Taste of chocolate, caramel, molasses, vanilla, and dark fruit. As it warms a sort of cherry liqueur flavor comes forward. Yum! Nice feel and overall, I really liked the base Flying Mouflan but this is next level. Cheers!
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1.9/5 rDev -56.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 1 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2
Pours a deep caramel, thin whispy lace, mild carbonation. Aroma is not good on this one - there are some wimpy notes of cheap bourbon, driftwood moss, sweet malt that clashes with the earthier aromas, viney hops. The result reminds me of an antibiotic I used to take as a kid but can’t remember the name of. Very disappointing.
The taste is a little better but still a misfire. Whatever barrels they used imparted a ton of wood flavor - if I had looked down & saw wood chips actually floating in the beer I wouldn’t have been surprised. The bourbon is low shelf, fusel and raw tasting. There are some hops too which add some musty cardboard flavors towards the back palate, along with some german malt that never comes to life. Finishes dry. I love base Flying Mouflan, and was a huge fan of the regular oak-aged version, so I was shocked how badly the bourbon version misses the mark. Troegs is consistently solid so maybe this was just a bad batch but it was a huge letdown in my opinion.
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look: 4.25 | smell: 1 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2
Pours a deep caramel, thin whispy lace, mild carbonation. Aroma is not good on this one - there are some wimpy notes of cheap bourbon, driftwood moss, sweet malt that clashes with the earthier aromas, viney hops. The result reminds me of an antibiotic I used to take as a kid but can’t remember the name of. Very disappointing.
The taste is a little better but still a misfire. Whatever barrels they used imparted a ton of wood flavor - if I had looked down & saw wood chips actually floating in the beer I wouldn’t have been surprised. The bourbon is low shelf, fusel and raw tasting. There are some hops too which add some musty cardboard flavors towards the back palate, along with some german malt that never comes to life. Finishes dry. I love base Flying Mouflan, and was a huge fan of the regular oak-aged version, so I was shocked how badly the bourbon version misses the mark. Troegs is consistently solid so maybe this was just a bad batch but it was a huge letdown in my opinion.
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4.06/5 rDev -6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
I picked up a 2017 vintage 12.7oz bottle at Tröegs on 01FEB18 while in the area for a Battle of the Bulge re-enactment. Weighs in at 11.50% ABV and set me back %13.00. Safely back home, time to give it a try....
Poured into a Smutty snifter, it was a clear but dense, chestnut/mahogany color. The color is really seen only at the edges and when backlit. Head is a scant covering of fine, beige bubbles, with light lacing. Nose has some caramel, toffee, charred brown sugar and dark fruit. The body is about a medium, perhaps a smidge more... And the feel is über smooth, with rather light prickle.
Flavor also has some brown sugar, caramel and toffee. Has a hint of dark fruit, rum, some tobacco, and earthy hopping. Bourbon action is barely detectable, as far as my palate can tell. Not bad... Nowhere near as good as the regular Mouflan, imo... Prosit!!
4.06/5 rDev -6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
1998
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look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
I picked up a 2017 vintage 12.7oz bottle at Tröegs on 01FEB18 while in the area for a Battle of the Bulge re-enactment. Weighs in at 11.50% ABV and set me back %13.00. Safely back home, time to give it a try....
Poured into a Smutty snifter, it was a clear but dense, chestnut/mahogany color. The color is really seen only at the edges and when backlit. Head is a scant covering of fine, beige bubbles, with light lacing. Nose has some caramel, toffee, charred brown sugar and dark fruit. The body is about a medium, perhaps a smidge more... And the feel is über smooth, with rather light prickle.
Flavor also has some brown sugar, caramel and toffee. Has a hint of dark fruit, rum, some tobacco, and earthy hopping. Bourbon action is barely detectable, as far as my palate can tell. Not bad... Nowhere near as good as the regular Mouflan, imo... Prosit!!
4.06/5 rDev -6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
1998
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4.43/5 rDev +2.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
2016 Vintage.
12.7 oz bottle poured into a snifter.
Appearance
Deep chestnut brown with ruby highlights. Short head dissipates quickly.
Nose
Toffee, caramel, tobacco, leather, earth, cocoa, oak, and vanilla.
Taste
Toffee, caramel cubes, vanilla ice cream, and white oak. Tobacco, leather, earth, and candy sugar. Hints of cocoa nib. There is an underlying orange cream and grapefruit juiciness that add a lot of character.
Mouthfeel
Medium-plus bodied, silky, smooth, and warming.
Overall
A excellent barrel aged Barleywine! The oak tastes fresh and adds a lot of vanilla bean flavor. I got this at the brewery for $4.50 / bottle in a mix pack. Excellent price!
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look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
2016 Vintage.
12.7 oz bottle poured into a snifter.
Appearance
Deep chestnut brown with ruby highlights. Short head dissipates quickly.
Nose
Toffee, caramel, tobacco, leather, earth, cocoa, oak, and vanilla.
Taste
Toffee, caramel cubes, vanilla ice cream, and white oak. Tobacco, leather, earth, and candy sugar. Hints of cocoa nib. There is an underlying orange cream and grapefruit juiciness that add a lot of character.
Mouthfeel
Medium-plus bodied, silky, smooth, and warming.
Overall
A excellent barrel aged Barleywine! The oak tastes fresh and adds a lot of vanilla bean flavor. I got this at the brewery for $4.50 / bottle in a mix pack. Excellent price!
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4.21/5 rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
cool to try the barrel aged version of this. i always sort of considered the original to be more of a huge imperial red than a barleywine in the traditional sense. it neve quite gets as deep and dark and layered as some of the classics, and there is definitely a nice hop to it, so it always seemed a bit of an oddity as a barleywine, at least to me. the bourbon barrel treatment here sort of brings it back into that more traditional barleywine realm, with the sweet and woody and vanilla and honey notes from the whiskey barrel adding a ton of depth to the already hearty and rich deep amber caramelized grain base. its dense now, more nuanced, sweeter, and plenty mature. lots of flavor here, dried fruit, brown sugar, molasses, a bready yeast and still a bit of hops. as much wood as whiskey here, surprisingly mellowing for a beer thats up over 13% abv, hard to imagine its so strong, drinks a whole lot easier. this must have spent a fair bit of time in the barrels, it has really transformed this. i have always loved troegs, but it seems like lately they have stepped their game up in a big way. this is really remarkable beer, suitable for indefinite ageing i am certain...
edit: this is ageing really well too, a little soy to it now, but an even mellower alcohol presence. its awesome stuff, just be sure to share, man this thing can put even seasoned beer drinkers to bed!
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look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
cool to try the barrel aged version of this. i always sort of considered the original to be more of a huge imperial red than a barleywine in the traditional sense. it neve quite gets as deep and dark and layered as some of the classics, and there is definitely a nice hop to it, so it always seemed a bit of an oddity as a barleywine, at least to me. the bourbon barrel treatment here sort of brings it back into that more traditional barleywine realm, with the sweet and woody and vanilla and honey notes from the whiskey barrel adding a ton of depth to the already hearty and rich deep amber caramelized grain base. its dense now, more nuanced, sweeter, and plenty mature. lots of flavor here, dried fruit, brown sugar, molasses, a bready yeast and still a bit of hops. as much wood as whiskey here, surprisingly mellowing for a beer thats up over 13% abv, hard to imagine its so strong, drinks a whole lot easier. this must have spent a fair bit of time in the barrels, it has really transformed this. i have always loved troegs, but it seems like lately they have stepped their game up in a big way. this is really remarkable beer, suitable for indefinite ageing i am certain...
edit: this is ageing really well too, a little soy to it now, but an even mellower alcohol presence. its awesome stuff, just be sure to share, man this thing can put even seasoned beer drinkers to bed!
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4.76/5 rDev +9.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
The beer comes in a ruby brown color with wonderful garnet hues.
The aroma smacks of sweet caramel surrounded by toasted oak, bourbon, vanilla, rich malty qualities, honey, toffee.
The flavor follows with rich malty sweetness, without being overly sweet or deserty as oak jumps in and dries out the beer with rich tannic oak. Bourbon heat jumps around the beer with its medium plus mouthfeel.
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look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
The beer comes in a ruby brown color with wonderful garnet hues.
The aroma smacks of sweet caramel surrounded by toasted oak, bourbon, vanilla, rich malty qualities, honey, toffee.
The flavor follows with rich malty sweetness, without being overly sweet or deserty as oak jumps in and dries out the beer with rich tannic oak. Bourbon heat jumps around the beer with its medium plus mouthfeel.
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4.32/5 rDev -0.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Poured into Troeg's Teku
L-brown mahogany, some red hue, murky, 1/2 inch amber head that gives way to a to a foam cap
S-first whiff.......bourbon barrel..........Caramel, brown sugar, vanilla, and toffee.........dark fruits, plum, fig
T-follows the nose......bourbon barrel is first to the show.....caramel, vanilla, wood, brown sugar, molasses......slight alcohol warmth
F-Medium bodied.......mild carbonation........nice warmth......very drinkable given the 13.4%.........sweet
O-a good beer that I would buy again
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look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Poured into Troeg's Teku
L-brown mahogany, some red hue, murky, 1/2 inch amber head that gives way to a to a foam cap
S-first whiff.......bourbon barrel..........Caramel, brown sugar, vanilla, and toffee.........dark fruits, plum, fig
T-follows the nose......bourbon barrel is first to the show.....caramel, vanilla, wood, brown sugar, molasses......slight alcohol warmth
F-Medium bodied.......mild carbonation........nice warmth......very drinkable given the 13.4%.........sweet
O-a good beer that I would buy again
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4.48/5 rDev +3.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Dark brown body with lighter brown highlights, no head. This really took well to the barrels, with the bourbon, oak, molasses and booziness coming out strong in the smell and taste, bonding well with the dark fruit, barley, brown sugar, and caramel of the base beer. It is a sweet sipper, booze very evident. Feel is warm, languid, and generally has a cognac like feel. Very well done!
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look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Dark brown body with lighter brown highlights, no head. This really took well to the barrels, with the bourbon, oak, molasses and booziness coming out strong in the smell and taste, bonding well with the dark fruit, barley, brown sugar, and caramel of the base beer. It is a sweet sipper, booze very evident. Feel is warm, languid, and generally has a cognac like feel. Very well done!
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4.09/5 rDev -5.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Been sitting on this since it was released
Brown in color with no head and moderate lacing as it drinks down.
Nose is oak, Bourbon, caramel, booze, dark fruit - maybe figs and raisins.
Taste is Bourbon, oak, raisins, vanilla, caramel, and booze.
Mouthful is medium and a bit thin but cloying surprisingly. Carbonation is low. Finish is warming.
Overall a decent beer. The high notes are the oak and Bourbon. The low note is the thin body. Note that it gets better as it warms. Personally I like the regular Mouflan better but would recommend trying both side by side.
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look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Been sitting on this since it was released
Brown in color with no head and moderate lacing as it drinks down.
Nose is oak, Bourbon, caramel, booze, dark fruit - maybe figs and raisins.
Taste is Bourbon, oak, raisins, vanilla, caramel, and booze.
Mouthful is medium and a bit thin but cloying surprisingly. Carbonation is low. Finish is warming.
Overall a decent beer. The high notes are the oak and Bourbon. The low note is the thin body. Note that it gets better as it warms. Personally I like the regular Mouflan better but would recommend trying both side by side.
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4.52/5 rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
375ml C&C bottle.
poured into HF wine stem.
Appearance: Dark brown bodied beer with a red hue when held up to light. Thick cap of khaki or off white colored head that slowly drops down to a ring around the glass. Noticeable legs on the side of the glass after each sip. Spotty lacing on the side of the glass as well.
Smell: Caramel, brown sugar, vanilla, and toffee. Barrel notes are strong without being harsh; premium bourbon with deep and developed wet oak character. Bitter cocoa nibs spring out in the aroma as well.
Taste: Starts off similar to the nose. A rich caramel / bourbon / vanilla / coconut combo imparting the majority of the sweetness of this beer; a huge oak note that is fairly earthy and woody. Next wave of flavor is cocoa nibs with a slightly bitter bite mixing with dark fruits (mostly raisins) in the middle with lingering oak that is starting to dry out the beer slightly... in the best possible way though. Finish is slightly chocolaty with slight lingering bitterness, still oak barrel remains with slight bourbon sweetness and a cola flavor is also present in the aftertaste. The flavor is delivered that the nose had promised with a little extra complexity to boot. Dare I say this is reminiscent of King Henry...well it is as far as the flavor profile is concerned.
Mouthfeel: medium bodied beer with low carbonation. Slightly thin mouthfeel and slightly boozey, but solid mouthfeel for sure. This beer did not get overly boozey during an hour drinking session. So it made it all the way to room temperature and did not become harsh in any way. It was very drinkable for the ABV.
Overall: This one really surprised me. This is a pretty fantastic and fairly underrated barrel aged barleywine. This is exactly what I really like in a well made barrel aged barleywine; concerning the aroma and flavor profiles. I also think that this leans towards the English barleywine spectrum after Flying Mouflan sees some time barrel aging. When Flying Mouflan is not aged in a barrel it is American barleywine all the way, but the barrel aging seems to completely obliterate the hops. I wish that bourbon county barleywine was this good... This honestly reminds me of King Henry with a thinner mouthfeel. Shout out to Dain for trading me the bottle when I was out in PA this past summer!
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look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
375ml C&C bottle.
poured into HF wine stem.
Appearance: Dark brown bodied beer with a red hue when held up to light. Thick cap of khaki or off white colored head that slowly drops down to a ring around the glass. Noticeable legs on the side of the glass after each sip. Spotty lacing on the side of the glass as well.
Smell: Caramel, brown sugar, vanilla, and toffee. Barrel notes are strong without being harsh; premium bourbon with deep and developed wet oak character. Bitter cocoa nibs spring out in the aroma as well.
Taste: Starts off similar to the nose. A rich caramel / bourbon / vanilla / coconut combo imparting the majority of the sweetness of this beer; a huge oak note that is fairly earthy and woody. Next wave of flavor is cocoa nibs with a slightly bitter bite mixing with dark fruits (mostly raisins) in the middle with lingering oak that is starting to dry out the beer slightly... in the best possible way though. Finish is slightly chocolaty with slight lingering bitterness, still oak barrel remains with slight bourbon sweetness and a cola flavor is also present in the aftertaste. The flavor is delivered that the nose had promised with a little extra complexity to boot. Dare I say this is reminiscent of King Henry...well it is as far as the flavor profile is concerned.
Mouthfeel: medium bodied beer with low carbonation. Slightly thin mouthfeel and slightly boozey, but solid mouthfeel for sure. This beer did not get overly boozey during an hour drinking session. So it made it all the way to room temperature and did not become harsh in any way. It was very drinkable for the ABV.
Overall: This one really surprised me. This is a pretty fantastic and fairly underrated barrel aged barleywine. This is exactly what I really like in a well made barrel aged barleywine; concerning the aroma and flavor profiles. I also think that this leans towards the English barleywine spectrum after Flying Mouflan sees some time barrel aging. When Flying Mouflan is not aged in a barrel it is American barleywine all the way, but the barrel aging seems to completely obliterate the hops. I wish that bourbon county barleywine was this good... This honestly reminds me of King Henry with a thinner mouthfeel. Shout out to Dain for trading me the bottle when I was out in PA this past summer!
2,315 characters
4.5/5 rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
Graciously sent my way in a recent trade.
The beer pours a very dark brown color with minimal head retention and light lacing. This beer has the look of a beer that has seen some considerable barrel aging (which I gather it has). On the nose, you know immediately you're in for a treat, as there is considerable bourbon, milk chocolate, vanilla, brown sugar and dark fruits. The flavor profile replicates the nose pretty closely in this excellent beer, and while fairly sweet, that sweetness is not over the top. Mouthfeel is just terrific. The beer is very full, with a long, soft, endless finish. Alcohol is very well integrated into the flavor profile, with nary a trace of heat or heaviness. You can certainly tell it's up there a bit, but I would not have guessed 13.4%!
Excellent beer. I have to say the barrel aging pretty much obliterates the base beer (hard to believe this started out in life as a fairly hoppy DIPA), but really, who cares. This is absolutely delicious, and I just wish I had more than the single bottle. Excellent stuff!
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look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
Graciously sent my way in a recent trade.
The beer pours a very dark brown color with minimal head retention and light lacing. This beer has the look of a beer that has seen some considerable barrel aging (which I gather it has). On the nose, you know immediately you're in for a treat, as there is considerable bourbon, milk chocolate, vanilla, brown sugar and dark fruits. The flavor profile replicates the nose pretty closely in this excellent beer, and while fairly sweet, that sweetness is not over the top. Mouthfeel is just terrific. The beer is very full, with a long, soft, endless finish. Alcohol is very well integrated into the flavor profile, with nary a trace of heat or heaviness. You can certainly tell it's up there a bit, but I would not have guessed 13.4%!
Excellent beer. I have to say the barrel aging pretty much obliterates the base beer (hard to believe this started out in life as a fairly hoppy DIPA), but really, who cares. This is absolutely delicious, and I just wish I had more than the single bottle. Excellent stuff!
1,062 characters
4.37/5 rDev +0.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Had this on 2015-09-27 in Columbia, PA from a 375ml cork and caged bottle, which is the 2014 batch. Had the 2016 release on 2016-07-18 and again on 2016-12-10 at the brewery on tap. Note the ABV is listed as 11.7, which is quite a bit lower than the original 13.4%. The 2016 IBUs are 75 although there's enough sweetness, there's no way to call this a bitter beer.
A - Opaque dark brown with a very short tan head, little lace, some alcohol legs.
S - Bourbon, vanilla, prunes, figs and dried cherries. Lots of molasses. Some roasted grain. Rich and complex. 2016 has some umami. Still Inviting.
T - Flavor is very much like the smell with a hint of chocolate. Not bitter. Not overly sweet and the sweetness is balanced with some nice tannins. Almost no alcohol burn, which is impressive for this ABV. Very rich and satisfying.
M - Medium-heavy body and light-medium carbonation. Syrupy but not cloying. It does dry out a bit. The residual mouth coating expresses the dried fruit and molasses flavors.
O - This is a winner. The time in the barrel and subsequent aging in the bottle since last year have served this beer well. My wife enjoyed this one too. She's not a fan of bitterness nor much alcohol so it is impressive to me that she enjoyed sipping this one. It's worth finding, trying and stashing if you get the chance.
Note: On 2016-07-18 I paid $4.50 for a 375 ml corked and caged bottle. This is one of the best deals available for a really good, bottled, bourbon barrel aged Barleywine. On 2016-12-10 I paid $19.00 for a 4-pack (with tax) at the brewery. Still a killer deal.
1,617 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Had this on 2015-09-27 in Columbia, PA from a 375ml cork and caged bottle, which is the 2014 batch. Had the 2016 release on 2016-07-18 and again on 2016-12-10 at the brewery on tap. Note the ABV is listed as 11.7, which is quite a bit lower than the original 13.4%. The 2016 IBUs are 75 although there's enough sweetness, there's no way to call this a bitter beer.
A - Opaque dark brown with a very short tan head, little lace, some alcohol legs.
S - Bourbon, vanilla, prunes, figs and dried cherries. Lots of molasses. Some roasted grain. Rich and complex. 2016 has some umami. Still Inviting.
T - Flavor is very much like the smell with a hint of chocolate. Not bitter. Not overly sweet and the sweetness is balanced with some nice tannins. Almost no alcohol burn, which is impressive for this ABV. Very rich and satisfying.
M - Medium-heavy body and light-medium carbonation. Syrupy but not cloying. It does dry out a bit. The residual mouth coating expresses the dried fruit and molasses flavors.
O - This is a winner. The time in the barrel and subsequent aging in the bottle since last year have served this beer well. My wife enjoyed this one too. She's not a fan of bitterness nor much alcohol so it is impressive to me that she enjoyed sipping this one. It's worth finding, trying and stashing if you get the chance.
Note: On 2016-07-18 I paid $4.50 for a 375 ml corked and caged bottle. This is one of the best deals available for a really good, bottled, bourbon barrel aged Barleywine. On 2016-12-10 I paid $19.00 for a 4-pack (with tax) at the brewery. Still a killer deal.
1,617 characters
3.92/5 rDev -9.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Thanks to lurpy1 for schlepping this bottle back from his much beloved job out east for the guy who got him hooked into all this madness. 375ML corked & caged, all to myself.
And corked is right. I can’t move the bloody thing with my Superman hands, & a utensil designed for the job snaps it in half. Out comes the corkscrew, which finally ends the blitzkrieg. I laugh at the “highly carbonated” description on the label, because there isn’t even a stage whisper when the cork tree finally releases its grip on the glass, & there’s barely any bubbles atop the dark, reddy liquid. The nose is bourbon-soaked Werther’s Original, with a bit of vanilla. Not very much of any of it, though.
Flying Mouflan – Barrel Aged is one of those beers where I’d prefer to head back to base camp. The brewer must have left a significant amount of bourbon in the old barrel, because there’s at least a couple teaspoons in my beer. Caramel fishtails in behind, towing vanilla, light bitterness from the hops, figgy, touch of smoke, big bellow of sweet cane sugar that takes over the finish. Nice & thick, like a girl holding a “don’t like this, don’t look” sign in the middle of a median somewhere. For a near-beer, this is killa drinkable.
Troegs has taken a world-class beer, tossed it into barrels, & summoned a beer that’s about three notches down the Thurstone scale from the original. Still a very good beer, but gimme shelter in the low-flying, non-barrel, straight-up Mouflan any day.
1,508 characters
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Thanks to lurpy1 for schlepping this bottle back from his much beloved job out east for the guy who got him hooked into all this madness. 375ML corked & caged, all to myself.
And corked is right. I can’t move the bloody thing with my Superman hands, & a utensil designed for the job snaps it in half. Out comes the corkscrew, which finally ends the blitzkrieg. I laugh at the “highly carbonated” description on the label, because there isn’t even a stage whisper when the cork tree finally releases its grip on the glass, & there’s barely any bubbles atop the dark, reddy liquid. The nose is bourbon-soaked Werther’s Original, with a bit of vanilla. Not very much of any of it, though.
Flying Mouflan – Barrel Aged is one of those beers where I’d prefer to head back to base camp. The brewer must have left a significant amount of bourbon in the old barrel, because there’s at least a couple teaspoons in my beer. Caramel fishtails in behind, towing vanilla, light bitterness from the hops, figgy, touch of smoke, big bellow of sweet cane sugar that takes over the finish. Nice & thick, like a girl holding a “don’t like this, don’t look” sign in the middle of a median somewhere. For a near-beer, this is killa drinkable.
Troegs has taken a world-class beer, tossed it into barrels, & summoned a beer that’s about three notches down the Thurstone scale from the original. Still a very good beer, but gimme shelter in the low-flying, non-barrel, straight-up Mouflan any day.
1,508 characters
4.58/5 rDev +5.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
375ml corked bottle. no date, but about a month after released
dark brown in color, thin white head. wonderful aroma of vanilla, raisins, spiced rum. taste has more of these flavors, but incredibly smooth for a 13% abv beer. no booze at all. silky mouthfeel, low carbonation. only improves as it warms
314 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
375ml corked bottle. no date, but about a month after released
dark brown in color, thin white head. wonderful aroma of vanilla, raisins, spiced rum. taste has more of these flavors, but incredibly smooth for a 13% abv beer. no booze at all. silky mouthfeel, low carbonation. only improves as it warms
314 characters
4.2/5 rDev -3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Very dark brown in color. Butterscotch, toffee, caramel, vanilla, sugared figs and dark fruits. Medium thickness. Lower carbed, smooth sipper. This is good.
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look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Very dark brown in color. Butterscotch, toffee, caramel, vanilla, sugared figs and dark fruits. Medium thickness. Lower carbed, smooth sipper. This is good.
156 characters
4.44/5 rDev +2.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
This is a beautiful beer. Pours dark with a hint of ruby. Nose of bourbon and vanilla. Light off white head that disipates quickly.
Taste:
Boozy. Hop presence that is SIGNIFICANTLY lowered by aging. Smooth with notes of bourbon, vanilla, toffee and plum.
It's a beautiful thing.
280 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
This is a beautiful beer. Pours dark with a hint of ruby. Nose of bourbon and vanilla. Light off white head that disipates quickly.
Taste:
Boozy. Hop presence that is SIGNIFICANTLY lowered by aging. Smooth with notes of bourbon, vanilla, toffee and plum.
It's a beautiful thing.
280 characters
4.86/5 rDev +12.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75
Bottle from Joe. Poured on 3/20/15 into my a Rapp tulip. Pours I dark brown and viscous with a small khaki head, creamy, that dissipates somewhat quickly. Huge aroma of vanilla, brown sugar, molasses, more brown sugar, bourbon, oak, marshmallow. Flavor follows with an incredibly smooth vanilla brown sugar, marshmallow, super mellow bourbon, oak, some molasses. Finishes with more explosions of vanilla left on the palate. Big and viscous, medium to medium low carbonation, just the perfect mouthfeel. Honestly one of the best, best, best Barleywines I have beer had. I am impressed.
584 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75
Bottle from Joe. Poured on 3/20/15 into my a Rapp tulip. Pours I dark brown and viscous with a small khaki head, creamy, that dissipates somewhat quickly. Huge aroma of vanilla, brown sugar, molasses, more brown sugar, bourbon, oak, marshmallow. Flavor follows with an incredibly smooth vanilla brown sugar, marshmallow, super mellow bourbon, oak, some molasses. Finishes with more explosions of vanilla left on the palate. Big and viscous, medium to medium low carbonation, just the perfect mouthfeel. Honestly one of the best, best, best Barleywines I have beer had. I am impressed.
584 characters
4.13/5 rDev -4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
I love the non ba version had to have this one. Definitely a good brew. Would have been great if the did 4 packs of this guy and released it like backwoods, but it's definitely a treat!
186 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
I love the non ba version had to have this one. Definitely a good brew. Would have been great if the did 4 packs of this guy and released it like backwoods, but it's definitely a treat!
186 characters
2.39/5 rDev -44.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.25
This is just an average barleywine. Hard to believe that Troegs is charging so much for this as it doesn't taste much different than regular mouflan. Troegs has gone downhill over the last few years.
201 characters
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.25
This is just an average barleywine. Hard to believe that Troegs is charging so much for this as it doesn't taste much different than regular mouflan. Troegs has gone downhill over the last few years.
201 characters
4.42/5 rDev +2.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Bottle shared by Curran tonight.
Pours a somewhat dark brown, with a quarter inch head, and no lacing.
Smells incredible, huge bourbon, caramel, toffee, chocolate, and toasted bread. Just so evocative and wonderful.
This also tastes good, but the aroma is a little better. All of the aforementioned aromas are in play here, with bourbon, oak, and caramel leading the way. The oak is really a big player here, lending a woody bitterness to the proceedings. This is balanced by sweet bourbon and sweet caramel malt.
This is medium bodied, slightly thin for the ABV, but not thin overall. This has a slightly astringent aftertaste that lingers, but other than that, doesn't feel too boozy on the mouthfeel. There's a lower level of carbonation.
I think regular Flying Mouflan is a little bit better, but that doesn't detract from how great this one is. Cheers, Troegs.
870 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Bottle shared by Curran tonight.
Pours a somewhat dark brown, with a quarter inch head, and no lacing.
Smells incredible, huge bourbon, caramel, toffee, chocolate, and toasted bread. Just so evocative and wonderful.
This also tastes good, but the aroma is a little better. All of the aforementioned aromas are in play here, with bourbon, oak, and caramel leading the way. The oak is really a big player here, lending a woody bitterness to the proceedings. This is balanced by sweet bourbon and sweet caramel malt.
This is medium bodied, slightly thin for the ABV, but not thin overall. This has a slightly astringent aftertaste that lingers, but other than that, doesn't feel too boozy on the mouthfeel. There's a lower level of carbonation.
I think regular Flying Mouflan is a little bit better, but that doesn't detract from how great this one is. Cheers, Troegs.
870 characters
Flying Mouflan - Bourbon Barrel-Aged from Tröegs Brewing Company
Beer rating:
94 out of
100 with
165 ratings
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