Bourbon Barrel Quad - Smokestack Series

Tasted Wednesday afternoon while waiting in the tasting room for the red to filter and the other tank of red to carbonate. Thanks to Greg Dutra for bringing this over! This beer was bottle 1618 out of a total 11248 bottles.

Appearance: Coppered bronze with a rubied hue. There isn't much to the clarity, especially when there is a high flocculation, with even a layer of yeast and sediment settling on the bottom. Nothing really to the head, only consisting of a light bubbly ring. No carbonation to the looks of it.
Aroma: Dark fruit and spices with a bit of tartness to the nostrils. Oaked and woody with an undertone of caramel. Lactobacillus fermentates are also present, along side that citric acid. Earthiness. As the beer warms, there is a undertone of nail-polish or a strong phenolic character
Taste: Taste is very fruity but very well incorporated into the overall flavor. Vanilla isn't very prominent in the flavor. Woody and oaked lignan like characteristics with a bit of a toasted wood note as well. It isn't hot for a quadrupel, but still has a nice strong burn to the afterbreath. Sweetness is mostly of Belgian candied sugar and I even get notes of raisins. Caramel remains as an overtoned note against the high octane and cherried tartness. The warmth of the beer exposes more alcohol, while the lactobacillus tended to settle out.
Mouthfeel: Heavier bodied in the beginning, but when the carbonation hits, it bubbles up a bit, exposing a lot of the vapored complexities, and softening the texture with a subtle bubbled fizz. Not drying, but has a nice finish.
Overall Impression: A very well made high octane barrel aged beer. The alcohol, lacto-tartness, and wood play a prominent role in the flavor complex. The aroma is well expressed with vanilla and cherries with an undertone of wood. Each minute sip amplifies these flavors to a very enjoyable and long lasting flavor. Certainly a beer to be shared with several beer snobbing individuals.


87/100