Tag Archives: bourbon barrel aged

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Stout - Imperial, The Bruery, USA

The Bruery So Happens It’s Tuesday

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Brewery: The Bruery
Country: USA
ABV: 14.6%
Style: Stout – Imperial
Other Notes: Imperial Stout aged in bourbon barrels. A dark and delicious display of rich malt, toasty oak flavors and vanilla-like notes from extended aging in bourbon barrels

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Our infamous Black Tuesday® stout is named in honor of the great stock market crash of 1929. So Happens It’s Tuesday™ is similarly dark and delicious, but in a more affable format, reminding us that there is always a bit of good to be found within the bad. Things happen, life goes on. This beer can be enjoyed in all of those moments and seasons.

My rating: 4+
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.46
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.4

Intro: A 750ml bottle, with no clear bottled on or best before date. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Black in colour with a thin tanned head that had decent retention but settled to a ring around the glass while leaving some spotty lacing.
Aroma: Chocolate, cocoa, vanilla, oak, bourbon, with notes of prunes and other dark fruits.
Taste: As you’d expect from the aroma, lightly sweet, chocolate, cocoa, bourbon, vanilla, oak, dark fruit, prunes.
Mouthfeel: Smooth, medium to full bodied, with low carbonation.
Overall: It’s well balanced and dangerously drinkable at 14.6% ABV. As temperatures drop again, this was an enjoyable sipper that provides a comfortable warming feeling.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Deschutes Brewery, Porter - Imperial, USA

Deschutes Black Butte XXIX

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Brewery: Deschutes Brewery
Country: USA
ABV: 12.2%
Style: Porter – Imperial
Other Notes: 29th Birthday Reserve. Porter brewed with Dutched cocoa, Saigon cinnamon, and cayenne, 50% aged in Bourbon and Rum barrels

Brewer Description: (from bottle) In celebration of our 29th anniversary this year’s Imperial Porter delivers notes of dark chocolate and cinnamon spice with hints of coconut, vanilla, and dried fruit finished by a warm dash of cayenne.

My rating: 4+
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.33
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.2

Intro: A 22 fl. oz. black waxed bomber, 29th birthday reserve, bottled on 12th June 2017. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Dark dark brown in colour with a thin khaki head that had dissipated fairly quickly to a ring around the glass while leaving spotty lacing.
Aroma: Light roast, dark chocolate, cayenne, vanilla, rum, dark fruit, plum, raisin, with a hint of cinnamon.
Taste: Roasted malts, dark chocolate, cocoa, vanilla, cinnamon, rum, dark fruit, plum, raisin, with a very light hint of chili spice.
Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: A very enjoyable sipper with adjuncts that work very well together.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Deschutes Brewery, Porter - Imperial, USA

Deschutes Black Butte XXVIII

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Brewery: Deschutes Brewery
Country: USA
ABV: 11.6%
Style: Porter – Imperial
Other Notes: 28th Birthday Reserve. Imperial Porter brewed with cocoa, vanilla, peated malt and sweet orange peel with 50% aged in bourbon and scotch barrels

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Cocoa, vanilla, peated malt, and sweet orange peel. 50% barrel aged in bourbon and scotch barrels. The result is our 28th Anniversary Imperial Porter with bright orange and vanilla aroma, layers of roasty chocolate and a warm, smokey finish.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.19
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.1

Intro: A 22 fl. oz. black waxed bomber, 28th birthday reserve, bottled on 13th June 2016. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Dark brown in colour with a thin khaki head that dissipates quickly to a ring around the glass, while leaving spotty lacing.
Aroma: Dark fruit, raisin, prunes, orange peel, chocolate, bourbon, vanilla, with a hint of peat.
Taste: Lightly sweet, light roast, chocolate, vanilla, orange peel, bourbon, dark fruit, raisins, prunes.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with soft to moderate carbonation.
Overall: A very nice sipper with lots of dark fruit, chocolate, orange and bourbon.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Deschutes Brewery, Porter - Imperial, USA

Deschutes Black Butte XXVII

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Brewery: Deschutes Brewery
Country: USA
ABV: 11.6%
Style: Porter – Imperial
Other Notes: 27th Birthday Reserve. Ale brewed with rose water with 50% aged in bourbon barrels blended with ale with apricot puree, cocoa nibs, pomegranate molasses and spices

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Our 27th Anniversary Imperial Porter was brewed with Theo’s cocoa nibs, pomegranate molasses and select spices, blended with apricot puree, and then aged in bourbon barrels. The result is a truly exquisite ale with bold chocolate character, inspired flavors of fruit, and just a pinch of spice. The perfect way for us to celebrate our golden birthday with you!

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.03
My ratebeer.com rating: 4

Intro: A 22 fl. oz. black waxed bomber, 27th birthday reserve, with a best after date of 20th July 2016. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Dark brown with an orange hue, and a thin khaki head that dissipated quickly, while leaving some sparse spotty lacing.
Aroma: Roasty, cocoa nibs, chocolate, fruity, tangy, dried apricot, orange, with soft bourbon notes.
Taste: Moderately roasty, chocolate, cocoa nibs, vanilla, lightly sweet, molasses, fruity, dried apricot, orange marmalade, pomegranate, and a hint of bourbon.
Mouthfeel: Creamy, medium to full bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: Interesting series of adjuncts that I wouldn’t have put together, but results in an interesting and pretty enjoyable sipper.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, England, Mills Brewing, Wild Ale

Mills Running Beer

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Brewery: Mills Brewing
Country: England
ABV: 5.5%
Style: Wild Ale
Other Notes: Mills Brewing make beer with minimal modern intervention, relying on local wild yeast cultures and the influence of nature to ferment

Brewer Description: (from bottle) This beer is a blend of four brews produced in November 2018, January/March 2019 and May 2020. The worts were made using malted rye and aged hops. They fermented and matured in a mixture of oak barrels previously used by French Burgundy wine and American Bourbon whiskey producers. Running beer was the first recipe we designed for Mills Brewing. This is blend eight.

We still have no set recipe for Running Beer, but blend to a similar flavour profile each time. We produce a variety of worts and welcome the natural variation we are given by the barrels.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.82
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.7

Intro: A 750ml corked and capped bottle, blend eight, bottled in November 2021, with a best before date of November 2031. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A lightly hazy golden colour, with a two finger white head that had good retention and settled to a nice thin cap and good lacing.
Aroma: Funky, farmhouse, wood, apple, lemon zest, and slight whisky notes.
Taste: Tart, lightly sour, funky, musty, green apple, lemon zest, lightly vinous, oak.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate to soft carbonation.
Overall: Interesting aroma and flavours, maybe not my favourite, but it does work.