John Henry 3 Lick Spiker Ale
Cold Spring Brewing Co.

John Henry 3 Lick Spiker AleJohn Henry 3 Lick Spiker Ale
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From:
Cold Spring Brewing Co.
 
Minnesota, United States
Style:
American Strong Ale
ABV:
9.1%
Score:
84
Avg:
3.7 | pDev: 13.78%
Reviews:
175
Ratings:
417
Status:
Active
Rated:
Jul 06, 2019
Added:
Jan 02, 2009
Wants:
  16
Gots:
  36
Three Lick Spiker Ale is brewed with three different roasted malts creating chocolate flavors and full body taste. After fermentation has been completed with our top fermenting ale yeast we infuse our brew with bourbon oak aged chips and let the extended aging process take over. Hints of bourbon and vanilla from the oak come through the aroma and flavor.
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Ratings by SerialHiker:
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Reviewed by SerialHiker from Illinois

3.51/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
Appearance: Pours a very dark brown with caramel hues along the edges, not transparent at all…very little head formed or hangs around for the party…doesn’t really liven up much when I swirl it around…(3/5)

Smell: Bourbon oak aroma right off the bat, no doubting this spent some time maturing in a barrel…I’m also getting caramel, sweet fruit (cherry, strawberry), dark fruit (raisin, fig), alcohol heat, roasted malts, vanilla and some light chocolate notes playing delicately in the background…(3.75/5)

Taste: Hmm…lot’s going on here…there’s the obvious bourbon oak aged flavor, it’s very strong and right up front…sweet and dark fruits (cherry, strawberry, fig, raisin), alcohol, faint chocolate, vanilla, roasted malts, yeast, faint green apple...maybe the faintest hint of citrus hops…it’s roasted and sweet all at the same time…(3.5/5)

Mouthfeel: Light to medium body, light carbonation…no real bitterness to speak of…melts away to a bourbon/oak/vanilla after taste…it’s a little weak in this department…(3.25/5)

Overall: Classic good, not great…tons of roasted malts and bourbon flavor going on here and playing well, but there’s something missing that would take this ale to another level…for the higher ABV, it’s very drinkable and light…if it were a little chewier, more of a “sipper” style brew, I think it would be rated much higher…as it is, it’s alright, but nothing that stands out…(3.5/5)
Feb 06, 2013
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.69 by bongobeer from Alabama

Jul 06, 2019
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Reviewed by VoxRationis from New York

3.71/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Decanted from a 12 oz (355 ml) bottle into a conical pint glass; no production information therefore no idea how long this bottle has been sitting.
A: Pours a very dark brown to black color with a brief, quarter inch, tan head rapidly resolving to a rim leaving virtually no lacing.
S: Aromas of bourbon, vanilla, sweet coffee, and molasses predominate.
T: Sweet. Very boozy no doubt from bourbon barrels. Palate largely follows the nose. Relatively low bitterness creates a very limited counterpoise to the sweetness.
M: Full bodied with very little effervescence after decanting.
O: Fairly typical of a barrel aged, dark ales that have been allowed to remain in the bottle for a while. Certainly comparable to those and enjoyable enough given the style. Would not suggest with dinner, but rather with a rich dessert.
Jul 02, 2018
 
Rated: 4.14 by ummswimmin from New Jersey

Oct 15, 2017
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Reviewed by ScaryEd from New Hampshire

2.96/5  rDev -20%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3
Poured from a 12 oz bottle dated 04/03/13.

Pours a dark mahogany color with a finger of khaki head. The head is gone in a hurry, settling into a halo around the top of the beer. Leaves very little in the way of lacing.

The aroma is pretty much straight up bourbon. It's a solid aroma but not what I expect from a beer.

The taste has plenty of roasted malts, vanilla, and bourbon. That's about it.

The feel is medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Slightly watery but relatively smooth.

Overall, a pretty mediocre beer. I honestly wonder if this would be better fresh. It's basically just bourbon with slight hints of beer in it. Not something I'd try again.
Mar 22, 2017
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Rated by DucksFan16 from Tennessee

3.78/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75
11/27/2016
Nov 27, 2016
 
Rated: 3.5 by AD17 from New Jersey

Apr 26, 2016
 
Rated: 3.69 by skaboom420 from Pennsylvania

Mar 15, 2016
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Reviewed by scotorum from Massachusetts

3.97/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
COLD SPRING (MN) JOHN HENRY 3 LICK SPIKER ALE 2/11/16

Bought a fourpack of this Minnesota BBA brew at a local store on recommendation. First I've seen anything by Cold Spring in my state.

Bottled way back in 2013. Hoping there will still be some BBA flavor.

Poured from the 12 oz. bottle into a Unibroue Blanche de Chamblay flute.

a; Clear dark ruby with a finger thick offwhite head which receded to even surface foam and very dense lacing.

s: Bourbon.

t: Initially follows the nose along with some smoke. Dry finish with some mild dark fruit notes developing. 9.1 ABV is well covered. Bourbon flavor is less evident later, perhaps a result of the age on this.

m; Light to medium, ok body and above average carbonation tingle.

o: A pretty good BBA brew, which I'd call a porter despite the unusually high ABV, although I have no issue with it being called an American Strong Ale. Should enjoy the other three.
Feb 12, 2016
 
Rated: 3.63 by Gkruszewski from New York

Jan 20, 2016
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Reviewed by rodbeermunch from Nevada

2.58/5  rDev -30.3%
look: 2.75 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5
Comes out light brown and dark yellow, almost nothing for a head and what was there wasn't long for this life. Aroma was more alcohol than wood.

Taste again was driven by the alcohol. Doesn't seemlike it was barrel aged, moreso like they made a boilermaker. Too bitter, dark fruit, aged, impressions. You can look for all the nuances from the wood, but I just couldn't find them.
Dec 31, 2015
 
Rated: 3.71 by pkkosmatka from Minnesota

Dec 22, 2015
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Reviewed by dpgoblejr from New Hampshire

4.61/5  rDev +24.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
Bottled date of 04/03/13. Enjoyed on 11/13/15. Two and a half years old now. Must be the explanation for a $3 price tag on a 22oz bomber. Pours a very nice dark brown color with a tan, foamy, head. Aroma of vanilla, oak, and tannin rise up. Flavors of oak wood, vanilla, burnt sugar and molasses mix perfectly. Medium to full feel on the palate and just a hint of burn from the bourbon and abv. I'm perplexed by the overall low ratings on this well crafted and pretty balanced aged ale. If I ever saw this again I'd be game. Only wonder what it tastes like fresh but age sure has done it well!
Nov 14, 2015
 
Rated: 4.2 by iRun2Beer from Minnesota

Sep 01, 2015
 
Rated: 3.5 by hozersr from Pennsylvania

Jul 09, 2015
 
Rated: 3.77 by Hohnbaum from Kansas

Jul 03, 2015
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Reviewed by bushbeer75 from Michigan

3.59/5  rDev -3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
12 oz brown bottle with a hard to read "produced on" date of 7/24/12 ink jetted on the shoulder
.
John Henry 3 Lick Spiker Ale poured into my tulip glass a very dark brown and some might say black hue. A 1-finger tan head was produced and quickly shrank to a thin collar of foam with no lacing. The nose is of roasted malt with chocolate and smoke also noted. The smell of bourbon and oak was almost nonexistent. The taste like the nose was dominated by roasted malt and a stronger presence of chocolate and bourbon was noticed. Mouth feel is pretty smooth, a little chewy and medium bodied.

This ale is approximately 3-years old. As a result of its age I feel it has lost some of its bourbon and oak flavor, However, I have not had a fresh ale so I have nothing to compare it to.
Jun 22, 2015
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Rated by aussiebeer from Illinois

1/5  rDev -73%
look: 1 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1
This was a drain pour, but I can't remember why
Jun 19, 2015
 
Rated: 3.89 by Bonsall_Phil from California

May 01, 2015
John Henry 3 Lick Spiker Ale from Cold Spring Brewing Co.
Beer rating: 84 out of 100 with 417 ratings