Bo & Luke - Scotch Barrel
Against The Grain Brewery

 

A green waxed 750ml bottle with no clear bottled on or best before date, but should be 2016 vintage. Poured into a snifter glass.

Appearance: Dark dark brown to black in colour with a one finger tanned head that had decent retention and left nice spotty lacing.

Aroma: Peat, whisky, bandaid, medicinal, smoked meat, with notes of chocolate and roast hidden in all that peat.

Taste: Scotch, peat, lots of peat, smoke, char, medicinal, with notes of chocolate and dried dark fruit.

Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied with soft carbonation.

Overall: I knew before I opened it, that it was Scotch barrel aged, but little did I know, that it was an Islay barrel. Full on peat in the aroma and taste does overwhelm pretty much everything else, so for sure, this is only for those that like peat. Luckily, I love Islay whisky, so this is right up my alley.

 

2016 green wax top 750ml bottle poured into a tulip

A- pours a deep black color with a one-finger foamy khaki colored head that reduces to a ring around the edge of the glass

S- Holy peat! I can't find what distillery the barrels come from, but I'd be willing to bet that they are from Islay. Layers of campfire smoke, brine, smoked meat, bandaids, earth, along with some medicinal qualities. Undertones of the base beer struggle to pop through, with aromas of roasted malt, chocolate & dark dried fruits

T- waves of smoke flow across the palate up front, giving notes of campfire ash, brine, earthy peat and smoked pork. Mid-palate brings out the sweet and malty qualities of the base beer, adding notes of dark chocolate, fig & raisin and a hint of caramel. The finish gives more smoke and lingers of charred malt and more medicinal notes

M- medium body with moderate carbonation leads to a slightly foamy mouthfeel that turns into a bit of a creamy finish, abv is quite mellow

O- this one will only appeal to the peated scotch drinker, which I happen to be. The barrel compliments the base beer very well, good stuff

 

 

 

 

 

2016 release, 750ml bottle with a knife-dullingly thick green wax seal. Bo & Luke is already one of the smokiest beers around, so ageing it in a scotch barrel is just asking for a wild ride. This delivers.

I originally asked my server at Against the Grain if he knew what distillery the scotch barrel was sourced from, as obviously that could make a huge difference. He claimed that they didn't know that themselves, having obtained the barrels from a broker with names scratched off or blacked over. It must be a peaty bastard of a scotch, however. This takes the smokey essence of the base beer and turns it up to 11, with peaty, smokey phenols dropping a sphagnum bomb right into my teku glass.

As a result, this is going to appeal to an even more niche audience. It's a one note beer, but it hits that note loud and clear and true. In keeping with other variants, it looks deceptively light and thin in the glass but delivers an exceptionally smooth, moderately full mouthfeel.