Anderson Valley Salted Caramel Bourbon Barrel Aged Porter

The other Anderson Valley beers were pretty good, but they all seemed to lack the punch of a great beer. Maybe this beer, with its added flavor, will be able to cut past the wateriness and bring the flavor density needed by the amber ale, for instance. This being a porter instead of the stout may actually work in its favor from that perspective.

Another black beer, but this one, unlike the stout, has a decent froth that has big, novelty-sized bubbles in the light tan head. There's very little lacing, however, so I has a bit of a sad about that. The aroma is sweet caramel and nuts. My mouth is watering just sniffing this, so I go in.

First sip is somewhat similar to the stout in that it sports a few flavors, but the overall drink is watery as heck. With that is caramel, vanilla, nuts, and bourbon. Again, it is not a bad taste, but it's a bit too mild during the sip.

Tip-in is light vanilla, sweet caramel, and nuts with a very light carbonation tingle. The middle is smoke and wood. The wood is a bit grainy, but it's not too bad. The finish is bourbon alcohol, some toffee, and more wood.

Bottom Line: This beer is pretty good. I want it to be better.

3.5/5