21 Anniversary Ale
Heavy Seas Beer

22oz bottle into Tulip
2016 vintage (16251)
Pours a murky brown with tan head
Caramel, oak, booze, bourbon, sherry
Taste is first dry and bitter and then opens up to a spicy rye boozy finish
Feel is light-to-medium and dry, 10.5% well hidden
Overall this is a real solid beer, that is obviously very unique in that It imperializes a session beer and then barrel ages it, but it was pulled off, great job Heavy Seas!

 

Poured from a bomber into a tulip glass. Cloudy brown with a decent head and nice lacing. Strong rye whiskey smell with a bit of vanilla. These carry to the tastes which is certainly boozey. Enjoyed it on a cold (for Texas!) night so this fit well! Good beer!

 

 

 

Bottled 9/8/16
22 oz. bottle poured into a nonic style pint glass.

The body is a dark tarnished copper that at first looks rather murky but upon closer inspection is actually quite clear. A conservative pour yields one inch of bone white, fine foam that quickly dissipates to just a thin crown leaving only thin lines of lacing. The appearance is rich though not exciting but is very much to style.

Subdued, the nose is a bit disappointing. However, the attendant aromas, caramel malt, a sweet note that is not quite dark fruit but probably sugar and the slightly boozy whiskey barrel combine for an inviting introduction to a fantastic taste. The tang of white oak soaked in whiskey provides a nice balance to the sweet caramel, toffee and sugar. The hop character that is missing from the nose, most likely due to the age of this bottle is present in the mild bitterness that is well balanced with the sweet malty flavors. The finish is fairly short with a light bitter, woody aftertaste. Some heat is present but less than you would expect for 10.5% ABV.
As far as body goes this is on the low side of medium. The carbonation is mild but seems to unite with the also mild bitterness and booziness to give a bit of tongue bite at the finish. Otherwise the mouth feel is smooth and light.

This reminds me of a lighter version of the Olde Ale style, particularly Founders Curmudgeon or North Coast's Old Stock Ale. The sweet booziness but generally lighter. I'm sure the hop character has faded as this bottle is 318 days old. I'm not sure whether this the perfect age or if it just my preference or possibly both. Either way this was a memorable beer for me.

 

22 ounce bottle into snifter, bottled on 9/7/2016. Pours crystal clear medium ruby red/copper color with a 1-2 finger fairly dense and fluffy light khaki head with good 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 caramel, brown sugar, toffee, brown bread, vanilla, spicy rye, whiskey, toasted oak, biscuit, and nuttiness; with lighter notes of coconut, roast, raisin, plum, fig, pear, apple, herbal, grass, light pepper, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of dark/bready/rye malt, rye whiskey barrel, and light-moderate fruity yeast/earthy hop notes; with great strength. Taste of big caramel, brown sugar, toffee, brown bread, vanilla, spicy rye, whiskey, toasted oak, biscuit, and nuttiness; with lighter notes of coconut, roast, raisin, plum, fig, pear, apple, herbal, grass, light pepper, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness. Light-moderate herbal/peppery hop and rye/whiskey/oak spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of caramel, brown sugar, toffee, brown bread, vanilla, spicy rye, whiskey, toasted oak, biscuit, nuttiness, herbal, grass, pepper, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Great complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready/rye malt, rye whiskey barrel, and light-moderate fruity yeast/earthy hop flavors; with a great malt/bitter/spiciness balance, and zero astringent hop/rye/barrel flavors after the finish. Light-moderate dryness from bitter/spiciness, increasing through the glass. Medium carbonation and medium-plus body; with a very smooth, moderately creamy/bready, and fairly sticky/tannic balanced mouthfeel that is great. Alcohol is fairly well hidden; a pleasant warmth with minimal barrel booziness lingering after the finish. Overall this is a great barrel aged imperial ESB style. All around great complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready/rye malt, rye whiskey barrel, and light-moderate fruity yeast/earthy hop flavors; very smooth and easy to sip on for the big ABV. Feels more hoppy, tannic, and barrel influenced than last year’s similar style; but was just as impressive. A very enjoyable offering.

 

 

 

 

 

nicely amber colored beer with small to medium head. Went down very smooth for a beer that was aged in whiskey barrels. Did have like a strong bourbony taste to it, but very enjoyable

 

It's a deep, clear ruby-Amber with about a half finger of creamy tan head. It has good retention and leaves some nice streaks of lacing as it slides down the glass. The aroma is rich, dark fruits, caramel, and earth. The taste is more whiskey up front with the aroma qualities playing more of a backing role. The body is lighter and slick, with subtle carbonation.

 

 

From the 22 oz bottle and enjoyed in a snifter. This excellent ESB pours a
luminous and clear dark mahogany with an excellent head of off white foam
that subsides to a thick ring, thing light pool, and sports some light sudsy lacing.
Nose of bourbon, vanilla, oak, booze, light spicy rye notes, and rich caramel malts.
Flavors exceed the nose by presence alone with muted rye whiskey and rye notes
touched with light breaded malts, vanilla, booze, and oak that walk the plank into a
sea of caramel and brown sugars with a warming finish. Very nice mouth feel; rich,
smooth, lightly dry, low carbonation, and a medium body. Overall and excellent
imperial with the 3 best parts of any brew---BALANCE, BALANCE, and last
but not least----BALANCE.

Excellent!

Cheers