Noir Bourbon Barrel-aged Black Belgian Barleywine
Sand Creek Brewing Company

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From:
Sand Creek Brewing Company
 
Wisconsin, United States
Style:
American Barleywine
ABV:
Not listed
Score:
89
Avg:
4 | pDev: 10.25%
Reviews:
3
Ratings:
13
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Jul 07, 2015
Added:
Feb 05, 2014
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  1
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by smartassboiler:
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Rated by smartassboiler from Illinois

4/5  rDev 0%

Apr 19, 2014
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.37 by aubzachsyd from Iowa

Jul 07, 2015
 
Rated: 4 by kenzilka007 from Minnesota

Aug 02, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by Mdodge8837 from Minnesota

Jul 20, 2014
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Reviewed by DarthGuitarHero from Minnesota

4.14/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Dark, almost black, appearance with a nice bubbly tan head. Looks more stout than barleywine. The smell is all alcohol hotness with a hint of chocolate, vanilla, and caramel. I was worried at the smell that this would be one-dimensional, and that I opened it way too soon. The taste was a pleasant surprise. A well-balanced blend of everything I like about a barleywine and a stout. Good caramel, very malt-forward, roasty and chocolately. There is a prominent alcohol burn, but IMHO it compliments the flavors rather than detracts. I also like the mouthfeel quite a bit. Too thin for a stout, but if you think of it as a barleywine with stout flavors, the mouthfeel is spot on. If this was from a better-known, more acclaimed brewery, people would rave about it.
Jul 14, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by jakea from Wisconsin

Jun 01, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by jnich2424 from Wisconsin

Apr 26, 2014
 
Rated: 3 by Can_if_you_can from Minnesota

Apr 23, 2014
Photo of Fcolle2
Reviewed by Fcolle2 from Illinois

3.63/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.25
Pours a dark roasted brown that remains sligtly see through with some sedum are floating around. Head is tan and fizzy with decent retention.

Smell is really great. Lots of charred barrel and somewhat creamy rich smell from the bourbon. Malt smells of sweet caramel that works nicely with the toasted barrel and bourbon aroma.

Taste is defiantly malt forward with a really big booze bite over an otherwise nices charred malt and oak flavor. Bourbon comes off more as alcohol then anything else. There are some hints of vanilla and caramel malt but the booze leaves it A little unbalanced and sharp. A few years in a cellar might help smooth this out and make it a great beer.

Mouthfeel is good. Thick sticky malt is balanced with a mild herbal hop bitterness and a slight charred bitterness. Dry finish from the barrel.
Mar 19, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by CCutch from Minnesota

Feb 26, 2014
 
Rated: 4.75 by rudabegga9 from Georgia

Feb 17, 2014
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Reviewed by crewfan16 from Minnesota

3.56/5  rDev -11%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
picked this last week when I was in the eau claire area. I didnt realize this was the bourbon barrel version until I got home. it was a nice surprise. hopefully I can find a few more to throw in the cellar and see how they age.

a- if i didnt know it was a barleywine, I would say it looked like a stout. poured a deep ruby brown with just a slightly off-white head that rises about an inch then fades quickly. looks fine, but hard to say it fits the "style"...whatever that is.

s- lots of bourbon character. oak, vanilla and booze. there is some piney hop behind the booze. just maybe some belgian yeast, but im probably reaching. dont detect much of any Belgian type quality otherwise

t- very interesting and has nice complexities. the barrel qualities are still up front with the booze and some vanilla. hiding behind that is some nice hope presence. finishes with some nice dark maltiness with some chocolate and maybe a bit of coffee and dark fruit. still dont get much of what i would immediately think as "belgian"

m- booze is definately forward in this beer but doesnt quite overpower it. just a light tingle of alcohol on the tongue. i wanted it to be a bit thicker for some reason. carbonation is low, but i like it like that in this type of beer.

overall, a pretty good beer but if I have a criticism, it is the name/style of this guy. with the word belgian in it, i expect some belgian yeast or more fruitiness or something like that. still very tasty and complex. going to go out and search for some more soon to throw in the cellar as i think this could age a bit and still be very interesting.
Feb 08, 2014
 
Rated: 4.3 by Gotti311 from Wisconsin

Feb 05, 2014
Noir Bourbon Barrel-aged Black Belgian Barleywine from Sand Creek Brewing Company
Beer rating: 89 out of 100 with 13 ratings