Tennessee Brew Works - City Winery Pinot Noir Barrel Aged Ale

This was made in conjunction with a winery. So, the tag I use for pretty much anything that is aged in a barrel - Bourbon Barrel - doesn't technically fit perfectly, but I think the very essence of being aged in barrels is the same. The big difference is that this will have remnants of wine. I don't normally drink wine, and I don't normally drink bourbon, so this may not really be much of a difference to me.

The tanned leather-colored beer starts with a head, but where it went, I may never know. Instead, there is the impression of a wisp of bubbles in the middle of the beer, and nothing else indicates that this is a carbonated beverage. This isn't too strange for a barrel-aged beer, and this sure is one, given the aroma. The smell is wood and wine without a doubt. The grapes smell almost like a jelly has been added - and that includes the natural sweetness.

First sip is dry and wine-like. There are grains from the beer in here, but I don't know what kind of ale this started out as (it says Belgian, but I don't taste yeast). It definitely doesn't have a heap of hops to throw at me, so it's just laid back like a lager (or maybe a wheat beer) and accepted that the wine will be driving for the night. So, it's time to kick back and ride along.
Tip-in is bland alter wine that has been a bit too watered down by the priest with that grain (I think barley) backing it up just a little. The middle swings by with dryness, a light yeast, and more grains. As the finish intrudes, the tongue almost gets numb with the grapes imparting too much dryness for the mouth to deal with.

Bottom Line: Maybe like the bourbon barrel beers, I need to drink enough of these to like them.

1.25/5