Tag Archives: cognac barrel aged

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgian Strong Dark Ale, Belgium, S.A. Bières de Chimay

Chimay Grande Réserve Vieillie en Barriques: Châtaignier neuf, Chêne, Cognac 15/03/2016

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Brewery: S.A. Bières de Chimay
Country: Belgium
ABV: 10.5%
Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale
Other Notes: 38% French oak, 22% American oak (second utilization), 22% new cognac barrels & 18% new chestnut

Brewer Description: (from bottle) The “Grande Réserve” barrel aged is an exceptional beer that benefits from triple fermentation and extended maturing in barrels. Unfiltered, unpasteurised, this beer has an incomparable rounded, wooden flavour.

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

Intro: A 750ml corked and caged bottle, bottled on 15th March 2016, with a best before date of end of 2021. Poured into a Chimay goblet glass.
Appearance: A dark amber brown colour, with a thin half finger beige head that dissipated fairly quickly to a ring around the glass, and a gently replenishing centre, while leaving some nice lacing.
Aroma: Light to moderately sweet dark fruit, plum, prunes, raisin, oak, with light toffee notes.
Taste: Sweet dark malt, dark fruit, plum, prunes, caramel, toffee, oak, cognac, light booze, and a touch bitter on the finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied with moderate to soft carbonation.
Overall: It’s a nice complex sipper, but my preference is still the base beer, which is just so good. Despite this, the barrel aged variants are still very interesting, and I would love to keep trying more.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Nøgne Ø, Norway, Stout - Imperial

Nøgne Ø Dark Horizon 7 Barrel Aged

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Brewery: Nøgne Ø
Country: Norway
ABV: 16%
Style: Stout – Imperial
Other Notes: Coffee, Chocolate, Licorice. Bottle# 0587/7750

Brewer Description: (from bottle) The Dark Horizon series from Nøgne Ø is unique. 15 years after we launched the first version in 2006, we are proud to present Dark Horizon 7. This barrel-aged version of Dark Horizon 7 has spent up to 3 years in barrels that have previously contained cognac, aquavit and whiskey respectively.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.27
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.1

Intro: A 330ml bottle in a nice looking circular metal case, bottle# 0587/7750, bottled on 25th August 2021, with a best before date of 4th July 2031. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Black in colour with a nice one finger brown head that had decent retention while leaving some nice lacing.
Aroma: Roasted malts, chocolate, dark fruit, licorice, brown sugar, whiskey, cognac, boozy, oak, with light notes of coffee.
Taste: Moderately sweet with a light bitterness, roasty, coffee, chocolate, licorice, whisky, cognac, boozy, brown sugar, oak, molasses.
Mouthfeel: Boozy, full bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: Definitely a sipper, but a good one. The booze is noticeable, and at 16%, it’s not surprising. Not too sweet, which is good, and on top of the alcohol, there’s lots of nice chocolate, coffee and licorice.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgian Strong Dark Ale, Belgium, De Struise Brouwers

De Struise Pannepot Grand Reserva Cognac BA

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Brewery: De Struise Brouwers
Country: Belgium
ABV: 10%
Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale
Other Notes: 27 IBUs. A Dark Strong Ale from Flanders

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Dark strong ale, Cognac barrel aged for 2 years.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.31
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.2

Intro: A 330ml bottle, 2018 vintage, bottled on 3rd November 2020, with a best before date of bottled date +5 years. Poured into a De Struise tulip glass.
Appearance: Dark brown in colour with a thin half finger beige head that had decent retention while leaving some sparse lacing.
Aroma: Sweet malt, cola, dark fruit, plum, licorice, clove, cognac, with slightly roasty chocolate and coffee in the background.
Taste: Moderate sweetness, cola, cognac, caramel, dark dried fruit, plum, prunes, raisin, dates, with light bitter chocolate notes on the finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with light to moderate carbonation.
Overall: The cognac barrel worked well to create a complex, nice and enjoyable sipper.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Denmark, Mikkeller ApS, Stout - Imperial

Mikkeller Beer Geek Brunch Weasel – Cognac BA

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Brewery: Mikkeller ApS
Country: Denmark
ABV: 10.9%
Style: American Imperial Stout
Other Notes: Brewed by Mikkeller at Lervig Aktiebryggeri, Norway

Brewer Description: Imperial Oatmeal Stout brewed with coffee & aged in cognac barrels.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.28
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.1

Intro: A 330ml silver/grey waxed bottle with no bottled on or best before date. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Black in colour with pretty much no head except for a ring around the glass, and no lacing.
Aroma: Whisky, cognac, dark fruit, light roast, coffee, chocolate, with oaky notes.
Taste: Sweet malt, cognac, bourbon, lightly roasty, coffee, chocolate, boozy, wood.
Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: A nice boozy sipper with cognac and bourbon flavours balanced with the light roast, coffee and chocolate.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, BrewDog, Scotland, Stout - Imperial

BrewDog Dog F

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Brewery: BrewDog
Country: Scotland
ABV: 17.5%
Style: American Imperial Stout
Other Notes: 10th Anniversary Imperial Stout

Brewer Description: (from bottle & box) Dog F is very special. Before you is our liquid anniversary marking 10 years of brewing. A Decade of Dog. To celebrate, we have done what we do best – brew an incredible beer and barrel-age it to the edge of existence. Dog F is a 17.5% imperial stout brewed with copious dark malts, pure cacao and coffee, balanced on a knife-edge of Habanero chili. Our hottest Dog to date also has layers of resonance from months spent in Cognac barrels. This beer will age with grace or be the centre of the party right now – it’s your call. Thank you for being part of our Decade of Dog. But you know we have a long way to go yet…

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.39
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.3

Intro: A 330ml boxed bottle, batch 170226, with a best before date of 1st April 2027. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Dark brown in colour with a thin beige head that dissipated quickly while leaving some sparse lacing.
Aroma: Light roast, cacao, dark chocolate, caramel, coffee, toffee, light boozy (maybe cognac), and a touch of herbal chili.
Taste: Chili spice, cognac booze, caramel, toffee, light roast, with touches of chocolate and hints of coffee.
Mouthfeel: Creamy, chili bite, full bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: Smooth, chili spice forward. Cognac booze is there, but less than I expected considering this is 17.5% abv. The spiciness balanced the caramel and toffee sweetness. Although there was less roast and chocolate for an Imperial Stout, it wasn’t as boozy as I thought it would be, and the spiciness was prominent, but very good.