Holy Sheet (Brandy Barrel)
Heavy Seas Beer

From notes 6/9/13: Pours a murky, pale prune juice brown producing no more than a single finger (subsequent pours as the brew warms produce lager heads, up to 3 fingers) of foamy, dense, beige, short-lived head that leaves a streaky, webby coating of lace. Aroma is Belgian candy sugar with dark malt, caramel, molasses, dark fruit, wood and alcohol that increases dramatically as the brew warms. Taste is dark malts, sugary dark bread, caramel and molasses, fruity with dried fig, prune, raisins, dark cherries and wood; alcohol heavy with lots of lively pepper spice especially from mid-sip through the lightly bitter finish. Aftertaste is woody and sweet with an alcohol prominence that fades to a faint bitter astringency. Mouthfeel is very full bodied with lively carbonation, spicy and peppery, warming and creamy. Alcohol prominence, which seems to be higher than the stated, is detracting to the point of making this unpleasant. Best served as a 4-6 ounce nightcap pour before the fire on a cold or stormy evening.

 

 

 

Minus the barrel aging, this already a pretty good dubbel. Barrels add just the right amount, woody, slightly sour, smoky. Aroma is yeasty, herbal, taste brings in some molasses sweetness. This would probably be a decent dubbel without the aging, so the added accents are a nice touch.

 

 

Brewed in the style of a Belgian Dubbel, aged in Brandy Barrels. Released as part of the Uncharted Waters series in 22 oz. bottles and on limited draft.

Poured from a 22 oz. bottle to a snifter glass. Served above 63 degrees Fahrenheit.

(Appearance) Pours a frothy foam head of a caramel cream color over a vivaciously carbonated body of cherry cola and mahogany, ample sediment. Retention is good and lacing is light and spotty. 3.5

(Smell) Caramel bread, crystal grains, moderately toasted candied sugars, spicy yeast, light phenols and slight esters. Saturated, moist, toasted oak wood with slight undertones of brandy remnant. Potency is moderate. 3.75

(Taste) Toasted candy sugar, light caramel syrup, spicy and fruity yeast notes, light nip of alcohol. Mild impact of brandy oak barrels generates a subtle dryness. Nicely balanced flavor profile overall with lots of character. 4

(Mouthfeel) Texture is slick, silky, smooth, lightly viscous, moderately dry. Carbonation is mild, generating a modest frothiness and a mildly crisp finish. Body is medium for the style, medium+ overall. Balance is nearly even sweet malt to spicy and phenol yeast character. Alcohol presence was modest, and there are no off characters to note. 3.75

(Overall) A noteworthy Belgian-style Dubbel. Perhaps my biggest complaint comes from there not being enough Oak Barrel character in the beer, but the base recipe stands solid with plenty of malt and yeast character to make for a flavorful and satisfying ale. I notice this beer may have been replaced with something else for 2015, but I recommend any bottled release within the Uncharted Waters series (2013, 2014), as they are both exceptional. 4

Heavy Seas Beer's
Holy Sheet Belgian Style Abbey Ale Aged in Brandy Barrels
3.89/5.00

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A: Pours a crystal clear dark cola brown in color with moderate amounts of active visible carbonation rising quickly from the bottom of the glass and crimson highlights. The beer has a finger tall creamy foamy tan head that reduces to very large patch of medium thick film covering the majority of the surface of the beer and a medium thick ring at the edges of the glass. Moderate to heavy amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Moderate aromas of dark fruits (plum, raisin, and fig), dark malts, spices (clove and pepper), and distinctive Belgian yeast. Light to moderate aromas of rum and oak barrels.

T: Upfront there is a moderate flavor of dark malts with dark fruit sweetness including plum, fig, and raisin. That is followed by flavors of spices including clove and pepper, distinctive Belgian yeast, and rum + oak barrel. Light amounts of bitterness in the finish which fades quickly and a light amount of rum/alcohol flavors which lingers.

M: Medium bodied with a moderate amount of carbonation. Light to moderate amounts of alcohol warming in the finish.

O: I found this to be a very enjoyable barrel aging on a dubbel - not a combination that I have had a lot of times. I chose the rum barrel aged beer on this cold evening because rum reminds me of the Caribbean and I needed some warm thoughts...and the alcohol warming as well.