Seven Devils | Olde Hickory Brewery
Brewed by:
Olde Hickory Brewery
North Carolina, United States
oldehickorybrewery.com
Style: Scotch Ale / Wee Heavy
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 8.00%
Availability: Limited (brewed once)
Notes / Commercial Description:
Brewed in honor of the poor souls who live in a part of the Blue Ridge Mountains said to be "as cold as seven devils".
Seven Devils is a Scottish-Style Ale aged in bourbon barrels to create an liberation to delight the soul. Rich, smooth malt blended with the complex flavors associated with bourbon. Perfect for the winter months.
Added by lanamj on 02-16-2012
This beer is retired; no longer brewed.
Ratings: 168 | Reviews: 46
4.41/5 rDev +10.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
First, thank you to @BeerMeFitz for the extra. As part of an IP over-the-top generous trade.
Bottle states to "enjoy me before" February 2013. I gladly disagree. Can't speak to what this was in 2013, but in April 2015 an aggressive pour yields almost no head - maybe a faint off-white. Aroma of cherries and barrel. Taste reveals tetering on the edge of cloying sweetness with next to nothing carbonation, but solid barrel characteristics. Medium bodied mouthfeel. Overall I was pleasantly surprised. An enjoyable experience. Wish I had another bottle.
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look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
First, thank you to @BeerMeFitz for the extra. As part of an IP over-the-top generous trade.
Bottle states to "enjoy me before" February 2013. I gladly disagree. Can't speak to what this was in 2013, but in April 2015 an aggressive pour yields almost no head - maybe a faint off-white. Aroma of cherries and barrel. Taste reveals tetering on the edge of cloying sweetness with next to nothing carbonation, but solid barrel characteristics. Medium bodied mouthfeel. Overall I was pleasantly surprised. An enjoyable experience. Wish I had another bottle.
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3.99/5 rDev 0%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
From BeerAdvocate Magazine #76 (May 2013):
Olde Hickory is experimenting with barrel aging again. An in-your-face type of brew, fresh barrels must have been used here, as you can pretty much taste the bourbon as if it had been poured from the cask. The brewer’s intention was for it to taste like a candy bar … perhaps an adult one is our thought.
STYLE: Scotch Ale
ABV: 8.0%
AVAILABILITY: Limited
LOOK: Dark brown, decent head
SMELL: Bourbon, brown sugar, dates, vanilla, wood, brown bread, ripe pineapple, walnuts
TASTE: Big body, creamy, slick, crisp, wood, barrel char, vanilla, boozy, bread crust, golden raisins, light hopping, sweet, bourbon, warmth; woody, semidry finish
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look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
From BeerAdvocate Magazine #76 (May 2013):
Olde Hickory is experimenting with barrel aging again. An in-your-face type of brew, fresh barrels must have been used here, as you can pretty much taste the bourbon as if it had been poured from the cask. The brewer’s intention was for it to taste like a candy bar … perhaps an adult one is our thought.
STYLE: Scotch Ale
ABV: 8.0%
AVAILABILITY: Limited
LOOK: Dark brown, decent head
SMELL: Bourbon, brown sugar, dates, vanilla, wood, brown bread, ripe pineapple, walnuts
TASTE: Big body, creamy, slick, crisp, wood, barrel char, vanilla, boozy, bread crust, golden raisins, light hopping, sweet, bourbon, warmth; woody, semidry finish
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4.15/5 rDev +4%
look: 3 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
2012 bottle, 22oz poured into a snifter
A- pours a deep murky brown color with a razor thin fizzy head that disappears almost immediately, leaving nothing behind
S- deep and malty aromas of caramel/toffee, brown bread, toasted walnuts, honey, vanilla cream and butterscotch. The barrel aromas complement the sweetness perfectly, adding some spicy barrel juice and charred barrel aromas. All of these aromas mesh brilliantly
T- the sweetness follows the nose with malty notes of brown fruit bread, toffee/caramel, earthy/herbal, and a hint of red cherry. Barrel juice and toasted oak with vanilla undertones, sweet finish with more bourbon on the linger
M- medium body with medium spritz carbonation leads to a foamy mouthfeel that continues into the finish.
O- very mellow after three years of cellaring, big, sweet and malty, as a scotch ale should be, with a nice bourbon kicker
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look: 3 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
2012 bottle, 22oz poured into a snifter
A- pours a deep murky brown color with a razor thin fizzy head that disappears almost immediately, leaving nothing behind
S- deep and malty aromas of caramel/toffee, brown bread, toasted walnuts, honey, vanilla cream and butterscotch. The barrel aromas complement the sweetness perfectly, adding some spicy barrel juice and charred barrel aromas. All of these aromas mesh brilliantly
T- the sweetness follows the nose with malty notes of brown fruit bread, toffee/caramel, earthy/herbal, and a hint of red cherry. Barrel juice and toasted oak with vanilla undertones, sweet finish with more bourbon on the linger
M- medium body with medium spritz carbonation leads to a foamy mouthfeel that continues into the finish.
O- very mellow after three years of cellaring, big, sweet and malty, as a scotch ale should be, with a nice bourbon kicker
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3.58/5 rDev -10.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
4.5/5 rDev +12.8%
This is one of the better beers Olde Hickory has put out. This thing has been cellared for nearly two years. I drank one fresh and honestly I had forgotten about this one. But I figured I would get it out of the way and if it had turned no harm no foul. But, to my amazement, this beer only gets better with age. Too bad I think it was a one off.
Color: Brown, typical garnet Wee Heavy colors. Very similar to Old Chub in the way it looks.
Nose: Wee Heavy, so you get some scotch flavors, but not really the peaty briny flavors in some scotches, floral, honey like scotches is where this one is. Almost a bourbon aroma in there too. Caramel and strong vanilla.
Taste: Sweet, but not overly cloying. It has a lot of vanilla and those same scotch-like flavors going on. There are also some yellow cake-like flavors in there as well. Custard would be a good way of putting it.
Overall: I am glad I rediscovered it, but I am also sad that its now gone. I wish I had bought more when I had the chance. As much as I love Old Chub, especially the new nitro, this beer is at the next level.
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This is one of the better beers Olde Hickory has put out. This thing has been cellared for nearly two years. I drank one fresh and honestly I had forgotten about this one. But I figured I would get it out of the way and if it had turned no harm no foul. But, to my amazement, this beer only gets better with age. Too bad I think it was a one off.
Color: Brown, typical garnet Wee Heavy colors. Very similar to Old Chub in the way it looks.
Nose: Wee Heavy, so you get some scotch flavors, but not really the peaty briny flavors in some scotches, floral, honey like scotches is where this one is. Almost a bourbon aroma in there too. Caramel and strong vanilla.
Taste: Sweet, but not overly cloying. It has a lot of vanilla and those same scotch-like flavors going on. There are also some yellow cake-like flavors in there as well. Custard would be a good way of putting it.
Overall: I am glad I rediscovered it, but I am also sad that its now gone. I wish I had bought more when I had the chance. As much as I love Old Chub, especially the new nitro, this beer is at the next level.
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3.91/5 rDev -2%
Poured a deep mahogany with minimal head. Tamed toffee, vanilla, raisins, with a hint of bourbon. Flavor is smooth with not a hint of alcohol. More buttery toffee with some peat, and a slight woody flavor. Wish the flavor was more bold, though. Mouthfeel is decent but could be improved upon. Still, this beer ages nicely. Good stuff.
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Poured a deep mahogany with minimal head. Tamed toffee, vanilla, raisins, with a hint of bourbon. Flavor is smooth with not a hint of alcohol. More buttery toffee with some peat, and a slight woody flavor. Wish the flavor was more bold, though. Mouthfeel is decent but could be improved upon. Still, this beer ages nicely. Good stuff.
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3.97/5 rDev -0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75
A: Dark brown, like a soda. There was a quickly dying head, again like a soda. The carbonation even looked super prickly, again again like a soda. It pretty much literally looked like I was drinking a coke.
S: Now this is where I loved the beer. The nose was so open and had everything you'd expect from a BBA scotch ale. Bourbon, chocolate, carmel, good bit of fruit, and vanilla.
T: Nose transferred pretty well along with a bit of oak to it as well.
M: Super super thin and light. I was pretty bummed about this part. It has such potential if it were more robust. Carbonation was surprisingly mild for how lively it looked in the glass. Unless you took just a tiny sip and let it sit, you can feel the prickly carbonation on the rim of what's in your mouth.
O: I really enjoyed this beer and would have another. Just wish there was more body to it and it didn't look like a soda the whole time.
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look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75
A: Dark brown, like a soda. There was a quickly dying head, again like a soda. The carbonation even looked super prickly, again again like a soda. It pretty much literally looked like I was drinking a coke.
S: Now this is where I loved the beer. The nose was so open and had everything you'd expect from a BBA scotch ale. Bourbon, chocolate, carmel, good bit of fruit, and vanilla.
T: Nose transferred pretty well along with a bit of oak to it as well.
M: Super super thin and light. I was pretty bummed about this part. It has such potential if it were more robust. Carbonation was surprisingly mild for how lively it looked in the glass. Unless you took just a tiny sip and let it sit, you can feel the prickly carbonation on the rim of what's in your mouth.
O: I really enjoyed this beer and would have another. Just wish there was more body to it and it didn't look like a soda the whole time.
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Seven Devils from Olde Hickory Brewery
3.99
out of 5
based on 168 ratings.
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
picked up a bottle at random at a shop last month, bought with confidence despite 'best buy feb 2013' on label due to Olde Hickory's great barrel program. lots of brown sugar, vanilla, and bourbon. Its the bourbon that steals the show here. Amazing find and fantastic lucky find. If you happen to see it despite its rarity...buy it!
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