The very dark brown beer has a red cast to it that looks pretty nice in the thinner parts of the glass. The head is pretty sedate, and it doesn't seem to want to stay. I don't even get the ring around the edges of the glass from this one, and that is exactly what I expect from a bourbon barrel aged beer. The aroma is rich, sweet, and boozy with the wood definitely asserting itself above a thick molasses.First sip is all in the nose. What I expected to be a thick beverage is actually very light, but it's still really complex. It is all spices, alcohol, and even the maple and molasses aren't weighing anything down. It's a strange sensation, and the wood at the back end doesn't seem to be doing much more than adding to the flavor and then vacating the space. The sip, I have to say, seems pretty good.
Tip-in is molasses, earth, wood, and a carbonation tingle that flows everywhere the beverage touches, but it is exceptionally light. The middle spreads out into a smooth slurry of wood, molasses, dark fruit, alcohol, maple, and earth with the same tingling carbonation throughout. The finish is a sudden downturn of bitter espresso, but it's not a lot on top of the maple and wood before the wood trails off.
Bottom Line: Rich and smooth. This is a keeper.
4.5/5
