Nut Brown Ale - Whiskey Barrel Aged
Black Oak Brewing Co.

 

On tap at Black Oak's 11th Anniversary Party.

Dark brown with a cream coloured head that dies down to a thick head with some great lace. Nose has some whiskey (of some Jack Daniel's variation), oak, light vanilla notes. Some peach and peach pits too, which I think are derived from the interplay of the whiskey and nutty notes from the base beer. Taste has some watered-down Jack Daniels, nutty, vanilla and oak notes with a hint of stinkiness. Doesn't really detract from the beer, but isn't really the most pleasant either. Woody notes in the finish. Watery feel that's quite disappointing, and really feels like watered down JD. I think the barrel absolutely dominates the base beer here, but this isn't too bad really.

Sampled at Volo Cask Days. Cool experiment, poured a clear dark brown/red with a small off white head. Smell was rich, lots of oak, vanilla and a strong hit of bourbon, kind of sweet. Taste is heavy on the bourbon, oak, pretty sweet, vanilla. Mouthfeel was medium bodied with low carbonation. I thought it was a little too heavy on the bourbon, but fuck it, at least someone here is trying.

Wow. I could tell that the Black Oak Nut Brown is in there, but the whiskey cask really added to the experience. Vanilla, whiskey, and a woodiness were all present in the flavour and aroma in addition to the maltiness of the regular brew. It also seemed that there was just a bit more sweetness than normal, but this was very mild and subtle . Before trying it, I figured there was a good chance the whiskey barrel aging would overpower the nut brown, but I didn't need to worry. Everything was balanced very well making for an incredibly tasty and drinkable beer. Sampled at Volo Cask Days, for me this was definitely "best in show". Great work!

Volo Cask day, Oct. 22, 2005. From what I tasted, this was best-in-show!

Whiskey Barrel Aged, 5.5% ABV.

A: Dark brown/black, with a little head/lace.

S: Mmmm... Sweet whiskey with a complex malty aroma.

T: Truely exceptional. It reminds me of candied beer nuts. It's a little sweet, but not at all cloying. It has captured a VERY pleasant whiskey flavour, without any harshness. It's like candy! But it's really not sweet, it's nicely balanced with the roasted malt. Mmmm... nice roasty, nutty flavour... without any burnt/bitter harshness. Nice toffee, caramel & bready notes. It's like candy! (for adults).

M: A little more than a moderate body, lightly carbonated in cask form.

D: It's like candy!

Pure brown appearance, licorice aroma. Roast, medium mouthfeel. Easy drink. Completely different on cask. Nut, malt and caramel, chocolate malt.. Bit of grain. Natural carbonation. Whisky barrel adds immense dimension of burbon and vanilla flavour notes.