750 mL corked & caged affair, many thanks to Lance for the opportunity to share this one. Got together with a few beer lovers at the Brick Store on a Friday afternoon.
Pour is essentially black with a nice mocha head. Has a RIS appearance, but the head is not well retained. Rich looking body.
Aroma is certainly attractive, with a mild bourbon type smell that again offers a rich character.
Taste is largely a smooth, light whisky from the oak but frankly not much else. I’m not a massive fan of oak, but it IS tasty as long as it is in small doses. I had about 8oz of the this beer and I wouldn’t want to drink much more in any one sitting. The alcohol was pretty much well hidden, and the hit for me was the mouthfeel – just about as rich as a beer can be with out being a stout. Plenty of silkiness in the mouth, and very smooth.
The problem with oaked beers is that the taste can be overwhelmed by the oak and this, whilst still under control, offered little fo r me outside of the liquor presence. Not really reminiscent of a strong ale, if you like oak you’ll probably LOVE this big, smooth beer. For me it’s strictly a one-off tasting.