What Our Panel Thought
Aroma: “The expected sweet malt notes are complemented by cleansing alcohol notes. Malts share the stage with notes of toffee and turbinado. Rich toasty and slightly caramelized notes. Moderate oak and vanilla with moderate alcohol.”
Flavor: “Malt sweetness is slightly sticky, but does not overpower the other elements of the beer. Hops bitterness is medium strong and cuts some of the malt sweetness. The barrel comes in later with notes of bourbon and coconut. Noticeable alcoholic heat. Nice blend of toast and caramel characters with a touch of oak peeking through.”
Overall: “A gooey sweet, malty bar- leywine that is contrasted by a hearty hoppiness. A few years of age could improve this beer, moderating some of the tannins. Satisfying bourbon-barrel aroma and avor.”
What the Brewers Say
"A barleywine ale aged for a full year on used bourbon barrels, this beer has avors of dark fruits and wood, winner of the Gold Medal at the 2009 Great American Beer Festival.”
