Scotch Barrel Aged Scotch Silly
Brasserie de Silly S.A.

 

Fron Hipercor. In Teku glass. Playing Avadon 3. Fine scotch notes, but no trace of the promised whisky and an excessive amount of foam that forces multiple pours but dont affect feel much

 

 

750 ml bottle into snifter, bottled in fall 2017. Pours slightly hazy deep ruby red/brown color with a 1-2 finger fairly dense and fluffy light khaki head with great retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation retaining the cap. Aromas of big raisin, plum, cherry, fig, date, pear, apricot, sherry, red apple, caramel, brown sugar, brown bread, and toasted biscuit; with lighter notes of nuttiness, chocolate, pepper, peat smoke, leather, tobacco, vanilla, toffee, oak, herbal, grass, and yeast/toasted earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of fruity yeast, dark/bready malt, and light-moderate scotch barrel/earthy hop notes; with great strength. Taste of big raisin, plum, cherry, fig, date, pear, apricot, sherry, red apple, caramel, brown sugar, brown bread, and toasted biscuit; with lighter notes of nuttiness, chocolate, pepper, peat smoke, leather, tobacco, vanilla, toffee, oak, herbal, grass, and yeast/toasted earthiness. Light-moderate herbal/peppery hop bitterness and whiskey/oak tannin spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of dark fruits, cherry, pear, apricot, sherry, red apple, caramel, brown sugar, brown bread, toasted biscuit, nuttiness, pepper, peat smoke, leather, tobacco, vanilla, toffee, oak, herbal, grass, and yeast/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Awesome complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity yeast, dark/bready malt, and light-moderate scotch barrel/earthy hop flavors; with a great malt/bitterness and whiskey/oak spiciness balance; with zero cloying/astringent flavors after the finish. Lightly increasing dryness from bitterness and whiskey/oak spiciness. Medium carbonation and medium-full body; with a very smooth, creamy/bready, and fairly sticky/tannic balanced mouthfeel that is great. Mildly increasing warmth of 9%, with zero barrel booziness lingering after the finish. Overall this is an awesome barrel aged Scotch ale. All around great fruity yeast, dark/bready malt, and light-moderate scotch barrel/earthy hop flavors; very smooth and easy to sip on for the ABV with the mellowly bitter/drying finish. Was pretty much hoping for an Islay bomb here, but didn't get it. Likely a tamer type of scotch. Classic style taste with balanced fruity yeast and dark/bready malt complexity; with nice whiskey/oak presence that is well integrated. Never overwhelming or boozy. A really enjoyable offering, and spot on style example.