Bourbon-Barrel Aged Unearthed
Long Trail Brewing Co.

 

 

 

unearthered this from my cellar, ok, that was corny... but I did dig this out from the back of a bunch of other stuff, wondering how it will be, my basement maintains perfect temp all year round and this was on a shelf where certainly no light has even glanced the bottle, 2016 vintage here

eyes...
black, dark, you know absence of light type of stuff here, thin male pattern baldness of cocoa head, the head sticks around, rolling the beer around the glass reveals that this beer is clingy, looks like it should, nothing amazing

nose...
dripping with heavy vanilla notes, some cocoa notes, definite whiffs of moist oak barrel, so what I am trying (poorly) to say is that is smells like bourbon including the booze notes, as one who has been into bourbon more the past couple of years this is creating great anticipation for the introduction of this dark libation to the local com port of my digestive system, in simple terms I just drooled on myself

taste etc...
tricky weight, the feel is velvet which kind of hides the heft of the brew, but then you notice it as it slides on down the old food pipe, this straddles the vanilla/caramel line in terms of the big malt hit it delivers (and it does, this is malty as all get out), the booze certainly does not want to be left out and surely it 'announces it's presence with authority (ok meat?' - that's a famous movie line for those scratchin' their heads), nothing in this brew ever becomes too much, it walks right up to that line in every way but never goes over, it allows itself to be sipped in a good manner, never requiring a break like some brews that seem like motor oil (although they may be tasty as hell), this lingers, this really is just so well balanced, delicious

verdict?
get a shovel and unearth some! (yech... I know) seriously good stuff, I'm glad I have 3 more bottles of this vintage sitting back there in my catacombs. When I think Long Trail I think of the early IPA days and when I thought a Kolsch was something I had to go to a doctor to get rid of, I think of the Starship ale when the gondolas at Killington were launched, I think of Vermont, but this brew proves as yet again, Long Trail is a brewery and can pull off any style if they so choose.

 

 

 

 

Pours a dark brown color with a half finger of tan head. The nose is exquisite - sweet bourbon without a hint of harshness. The blend of bourbon flavor and roasted malt is nice! An excellent barrel aged stout.

 

 

 

2016 vintage poured into a pokal. Pours a very dark brown with a minimal head that quickly fades into a ring. Aroma is very boozy. As it warms, notes of cocoa, ash and toffee make themselves known. Good body, not much carbonation. I enjoy big boozy BA stouts and this is pretty damn good. A gift from Sharon in Connecticut.

 

2017 vintage

Pours a darker small fizzy head that fades semi quickly, a little lacing, decent legs, very black color

NOse loads of chocolate, dark chocolate, cocoa, fudgey, a little milk choc, a bit of roasty notes, little creamy lactose, some caramel, cookie dough notes, mild bitter roast and spicy hop, mild sweet bourbon and toasted vanilla oak

Taste brings fair sweet but dark malts, roasty and a bit of bitterness from the roast, plenty of chocolate again, dark chocolate, cocoa, milk chocolate and caramel fudge, mild spicy hop, fluffy nougat marshmallow like, cocoa powder candy bar and wafer cookie notes, hint of roasted coffee, a bit of bourbon but not a lot, mild barrel juice like bourbon, a bit of toasted woody oak, wood esters too I think. Finishes a bit drier mild sweetness, bit more roasty bitterness and spicy hop bitterness, lingering cocoa, fudge, mild bourbon, and a touch of a fruity flavor

Mouth is fuller bod, a bit creamy, mild carbonation but Ok, almost no alcohol though

Overall not bad, nice base stout, loads of chocolate, nice bitterness to malt sweet balance, really wish the bourbon and barrel was more.

 

The barrel-aged has an interesting sweetness, different from the regular Unearthed

2017 vintage
12oz bottle into Libbey Tulip
L- pours a thick dark black with dark brown head, lacing
S- bourbon, dark fruit, bananas, chocolate rum balls
T- sweet brown sugar, dark fruit, plenty of bourbon, touch of smokiness on the finish
F- thick, full-bodied, slight alcohol burn
Overall this is an amazing BBA stout, i realy live the dark fruit, adds a whole new dimension to the beer

Pours a dark brown color with a half finger of tan head. The nose is exquisite - sweet bourbon without a hint of harshness. The blend of bourbon flavor and roasted malt is nice but the roast could stand to be bolder. The body could also stand to be more hefty.