UPDATED: SEP 13, 2022 Procured at El Cerrito Liquor from Corona, California for $16.99, Mac Fanny Baw is a barrel aged rauchbier brewed by Against The Grain Brewery from Louisville, Kentucky. The smell of peat, bourbon, and dark fruit are noted as you drink. The appearance is an orange bronze that pours a low white head with some circular retention left and similar lacing. When held up to light, the color shifts to a golden amber, and reveals a clear body. The alcohol content is 8.5%. Bourbon fairly boozes the drink, and imparts caramel and vanilla notes to the complexion. Peat malt is moderately rich to the bourbon, followed by a honey like Beechwood malt. Oak administers a charred hue to the bourbon and peat tandem. Munich malt renders a toffee flavor that compliments the bourbon and honey combination. Alderwood smoked salt gives off a soft brine sensation to the bourbon and toffee combination. Dates applies a raisin and cane sugar tint to the bourbon, peat, and Munich malt body. Figs are sensed during the relatively dry, bourbon finish. Mac Fanny Baw is an alluring bourbon barrel aged rauchbier. Peat, beechwood, and Munich malts, bourbon, oak, alderwood smoked salt, dates, and figs merge into a marvelous craft beer. Bourbon makes it easy to drink this strong libation while the peat malt smokes it, and the toffee like Munich malt and honey like beechwood malt colors the caramel complexion. The malty body fairly weighs the body, which is deepened by the char note of American oak and dates. Bourbon, peat, toffee, and figs leaves a lasting impression upon the relatively dry finish. I treasured each drink, and mesmerized by the caramel, peat, vanilla, and salty mixture to this brew. Cheers. Prost. Drink for the love of beer. For more beer reviews, visit and like my blog “Drink For the Love of Beer.”

UPDATED: MAR 12, 2019 04-Jul-14 (22-oz bottle with army green wax: Purchased 04-Jul-14 for $17.99 at The Bine & Vine Bottle Shop in San Diego, CA)
This beer pours a very hazy, dark-amber body with an inch of off-white head that settles very slowly. The highly aromatic nose shows a ton of campfire smoke, peat, iodine, caramely malt, dried apricot, and sweet orange, with background aromas of coconut, funk, and a very vague note of bourbon. On the palate, again, the smoked malt is quite prominent, as is the sweet, caramely malt. There's plenty of fruitiness too, mostly a dried fruit character in the entry, and there's a touch of that funk present, but the finish shows a somewhat biscuity after taste. Bourbon and oak have some influence here, mostly a well-toasted oak quality with a mere suggestion of bourbon. The beer is full bodied and chewy, but isn't too sweet or cloying, and carbonation is medium but very soft and fine on the tongue. Overall, I love smoked beers and this is a good one. But it's surprising these days to come across a bourbon barrel aged beer where the barrel is this far in the background. Not a knock, just an observation; I appreciate that it doesn't dominate.

On tap at brewery in downtown Louisville, Kentucky, while visiting there. Pours clear copper with zero head and lacing. Aroma: medicinal -- like penicillin, moldy bread, vinegar and sugar. Flavor: Fisherman's Friend cough drops, Nyquil, charred peat moss, caramel. Mouthfeel: full-bodied, oily finish.

Slightly sour, moderately smoked. Cloudy golden color with small big white head. Gusher. Woody, smoked, light peat and fruit, grapes. Medium body, lively carbonation. Peaty, whiskey aftertaste. //bottle from Svijet Piva

from Erzbierschof - massive gusher ... quite clear orange-bronze beer with a persistent beige foam left; light peated; quite woody with notes of molasses, oranges and cherries; fairly sweet, full-bodied, solid yet subtle carbonation, quite dry with long woody and peated notes and hints of Bourbon as well

Color anaranjado, ligeramente turbio, con capa de espuma blanca de tres dedos de grosor y buena retención. Carbonatación excesiva de inicio, luego se relaja y es más coherente. Textura acuosa y efervescente de inicio, luego un ligero chispeo en boca. Aroma fuerte a turba, malta ahumada, barbacoa, chimenea, yodo. En boca hay turba, carbón, bacon, yodo, alga marina. No suelo dedicarme a lamer chimeneas una vez que el fuego se ha extinguido, pero supongo que el sabor será similar, con un toque marino de yodo. Algo de fruta difusa también se capta en boca, pero es una simple nota por debajo de lo demás, no sé si será cosa de la barrica, para la cual no encuentro mucho fundamento, todo hay que decirlo. Final muy ahumado, con un postgusto estilo whiskies de Islay que mete miedo. Humo y madera ardiendo en boca entre trago y trago. No quiero volverme excesivamente poético... Muy bien como concepto y muy buena realización del concepto.

UPDATED: JAN 14, 2018 Bottle from Hop City Midtown. it was almost a gusher on opening but the wonderful wax covering kept the cap on for me. Pours out a murky orange color with a long-lasting khaki head. The aroma is straight barbecue and malt. The flavor is lightly sweet with tons of peat smoke. There is also a good streak of bourbon in it. Enjoyable.

Po otwarciu piana wylata gaszing. kolor mętne zlotu. Aromat bardzo przyjemna ogniskowa, kiełbasiana wędzonka, lekko dziko, bretowo, estry i nuty kwaskowe. Zapach złożony bardzo przyjemny. Smak tutaj wędzonka również wyraźna, są pozostałe smaki wyczute z aromatu, dochodzą taniny, dębina, lekko wanilia. Piwo pełne, gładkie, lekkie w odczuciu z ukrytym alkoholem wyczuwalnym wyższym nagazowaniem, Gaszing i wyższe nagazowanie jest chyba niezamierzonym działaniem dzikich drożdży ale uważam że to wzbogaciło smak tego piwa, leżakowanie pomogło. Jako całość Bardzo Dobre, złożona, smaki grają.

65cl Bottle @ Cervezalandia, Vall d'Uixo, Spain Dark amber colour with a thin white head. Aroma is malt, smoked bacon, bourbon. Taste is malt, smoked bacon, caramel, bourbon, oak. Medium to full body, average carbonation.

Tap @ Cardinal. More than less a clear, deep golden body under a small, tan head. Strong and distinct aroma of smoke and peat without being too overwhelming. Flavor is quite sweet malt, smoke, peat, cured meat, dry sausage and light bourbon at the end. Fine balanced body and long lasting aftertaste. Surprisingly pleasant after a few sips after the first impression. A solid, and nice sipper.