Brandy Barrel-Aged Spiced Winter Lager
Lakefront Brewery, Inc.

 

 

12 ounce bottle, bottled on 28 SEP 2017. Served in a snifter, the beer pours a reddish/copper color with about an inch light tan head. Head retention and lacing are both decent enough. Aroma is nice and sweet, the brew smells like brandy, orange peel, cinnamon, ginger, honey and nutmeg. Taste is similar to the aroma, but with the addition of some clove, oak and candied orange flavors. Mouthfeel/body is medium/full, it's coating and a bit chewy with a moderate amount of carbonation. 13.9% ABV is hidden well enough, not as boozy as I was expecting it to be! If you're into spiced Christmas/winter warmer beers, then I recommend this one. I liked this a lot, thanks to Jon for this good brew!

 

Amazing beer. Didn't realize it was 13.9 ABV until it hit me. Most high abv beers taste like alcohol. Not this one! Super good beer around Christmas to deal with your family!

 

 

 

 

Poured 12oz bottle into small tasting glass. It is a mahogany brown with a thin light tan head. Thin ring, minimal lacing, on the glass. Wonderful aroma of brandy, caramel, honey and spice. Flavor is rich and decadent with a wide range of flavors that include: caramel, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, orange rind along with a candied brandy finish. I did not find this to be too hot even though it was bottled a little over a moth ago. Feel is medium to thin but it has a creaminess to it. A truly warming beer to enjoy on the coldest of winter nights.

Had on tap. Mostly clear clear super dark brown with a wispy tan head. Brandy and cherry sweetness is married to cinnamon, earth, tobacco, and rustic oak, great contrasting aromas in harmony. Taste is not as highly defined but does attempt to build on the nose flavors though muddled, in addition get some dark fruit and orange zest in the middle, finish has some baking spices. Feel is very smooth, especially given the abv, warm and boozy but doesn't overwhelm the lager body, spices are textures present but could be defined a touch more since the style usually stars them

Perfect beer for a cold Wisconsin night.

Lakefront Brandy Barrel Aged Spiced Winter Lager, 13.9% ABV. Pours deep brown with a half finger off-white head. Nose is honey, nutmeg, and vanilla. Taste follows, a bit sweet, not much bitterness, plus brandy warming. Excellent mouthfeel, overall outstanding.

 

 

 

Aroma is a very complex raisin/dark fruit/fruit bread. The flavor is malts, dark fruit/raisins and a mix of warming/slightly biting alcohol and mild sour in the finish.

 

This beer is NOT one to be taken lightly!
I poured some of this beer from a 12 oz bottle into a sampling glass. It poured a brown/dark amber color with a thin off-white head that left some lacing and lingered for some time before dissipating. The smell was boozy and sweet, and reminded me of Captain Morgan's spiced rum, but it was milder. The taste was quite boozy but at the same time reminiscent of gingersnap cookies. This is definitely a sipping beer. The beer has an extremely boozy, chewy, and full body with plenty of carbonation.
Overall, this beer is quite boozy but you can still taste the spices. However, DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE THIS BEER! Being 13.9% ABV, it WILL creep up on you quickly!

 

 

 

 

Pours a brownish copper color with a thin layer of head. The nose brings out a trace of wood and brandy. The brandy is stronger in the flavor profile than the nose. The brandy and honey meld together and along with the huge malt bill make for a punch upfront that might be a bit too sweet. However, this offering balances out well and actually ends up finishing semi-dry. The alcohol is clearly present but not obtrusive considering the high ABV.

There is no doubt that I need to get some more of this offering and cellar it for at least one year - maybe two.

Update December 2017: Sampled a 2016 bottle and found the sweetness to be less overwhelming. The year of age has definitely done this offering some good. I still have one more 2016 bottle which I am going to save for Christmas 2018.

Update December 2018: Sampled a two year old bottle on Christmas Eve. The flavor is still full and the brandy notes remain potent. This beer is definitely one for aging. Going to search out a four pack this year and keep two for one year and the other two for two years out.

 

 

After sampling the Pumpkin Brandy I can't imagine this being worth such a lower rating even if it is 13% ABV. Into a pint glass.
A - Wow for 13% I got about a 1/4 inch of frothy head that sticks around longer than I type! Beer is a deep amber brown color with tons of carbonation in the glass.
S - Smells of slight cherry, cinnamon and oak notes rounded with some nutmeg and honey sweetness.
T - Kind of muddled but smooth taste I got oak, cherry, then some sherry and hops. Warming alcohol in this honey like semi sweet finish. Slightly bitter than the other brandy beers.
M - Rather smooth for 13% not going to say what it drinks like but for a winter warmer it's doing it's job.

Overall just like the pumpkin or cherry its quite well crafted for lagers. If I had to choose though I would go for more pumpkin since even though the spices have faded it just works better for the ABV of 13%