Goodwood Bourbon Barrel Stout

So far, their wood may be good, but I haven't been that impressed with their beer. Presumably, they named the brewery after the wood that they used to age the beers. Well, I have found a proper appreciation for beers that age themselves in barrels, despite my first batch just not working out, so let's see if we can find the balance here.

The black beer has some white specks settling on the bottom of the glass, and that's how I know it isn't completely opaque. It is topped with a light tan head that is quite voluminous and takes a while to descend; this is quite odd for a beer from a barrel, as I have found that most of these can't retain a head worth a darn. The aroma is a slight bit of bourbon with a caramel and toffee malt.

Firs sip is very restrained and quite nice. Normally, these barrel aged beers are heavy with liquor and tend to be a bit overwhelming, but this is very easy to sip. It has brown bread, toffee, caramel, earth, and that lingering bourbon that isn't too much. I like it already, and I may really like a swig.

Tip-in is brown sugar, toffee, bourbon, and carbonation burn. The middle presents the brown bread malt with toffee and brown sugar while the carbonation stabs at the roof of the mouth and bourbon lingers quietly underneath. The finish is a flash of carbonation whiteness and the bourbon trails off with earth in tow.

Bottom Line: Relaxed and strong at the same time - this is a keeper.

4.0/5