 doubleo (728), San Diego, California, USA
Feb 2, 2008
Vintage 2004, Bottle #205 of 234. This is my personal experience with this bottle and this vintage, but this beer was almost totally flat when I poured it. I got it from a source I trust to have stored it properly. I’m wondering if maybe this bottle happened to be capped by the same machine that capped their IPA in the last year or so and did not make a tight seal. I am sure there are posts here on RB about all that mess. If you wish to inquire PM me.
Pours a dark caramelly brown, with barely enough bubbles to cover the top of the beer in the glass. Beautiful smells of bourbon and wood and vanilla. Alcohol as well. Tastes just as good as it smells. Bourbon and dark fruits up front, caramel and alcohol on the finish. As many other reviewers have said, the Wee Heavy base is pretty well covered by the flavors from the barrel.
Thick and full palate. I am very sad that the carbonation is gone. With even a minimal amount of carbonation this brew would have been perfect in this category. Even though its flat, this brew is the second best barrel aged beer that I have ever had. Behind only the BA Decadence.
eli723 (8), USA
does not count  Aug 21, 2008 Way too Heavy for me. The reviews here do it justice but it just isn’t for me. My impression was that it tasted like scotch but way thicker. GOt 2 bottles for my uncle who loves it.
blankboy (2563), Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Aug 20, 2008 Bottle (750ml) shared with HogTownHarry, GregClow, tupalev, jerc & garthicus -- courtesy of HogTownHarry. (No idea what number or vintage as the writing from the sharpie was all smudged) Pours a deep impenetrable reddish-brown with a small diminishing frothy off-white head. Sweet aroma of bourbon, brown sugar, light smoke, hops, spices and alcohol. Big bourbon barrel flavour, quite malty, along with brown sugar, dark fruit, light smoke and caramel. Woody, boozy, bitter finish. Medium bodied. Very good and pretty Impressive stuff. Thanks again to IrishBoy!
JMFG (1086), Florida, USA
Aug 19, 2008 RBSG. Sampled from 05 and 06 bottles, courtesy Vac. Dark amber pour, sparse bits of soapy white head. Sweet bourbon and caramel aroma, backed by oak, vanilla, and rich malts. Rich sweet alcoholic taste, the rich malt base fights through the barrel character towards the end, but overall, for the 06 vintage, the barrel dominates. The 05 vintage less so, and this definitely made a more rounded brew. The regular WH is a masterpiece in it’s own right, but the BA versions are still phenomenal brews. Thanks again Vac!
jerc (3103), Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Aug 15, 2008 2008-08-15. Very dark brown body with a very small beige head. (3+) Aroma is very sweet and boozy. Bourbon sweetness over sweet malts, but vanilla kissed bourbon reigns. (7+) Flavour is sweet and boozy, sugary malt wants to come out but can’t quite break apart from the bourbon. Smooth medium bodied palate. (3+)> Pretty good but to be honest I’d rather have the non-barrel aged version. Bottle shared by HogTownHarry
"Music was better during the Barrel Ages..." - Tupalev
HogTownHarry (3175), Toronto (Harbourfront), Ontario, Canada
Aug 14, 2008 Bottle (750ml). Shared with blankboy, garthicus, GregClow and jerc - thanks again to Irishboy for the . Deep mahogany pour, smallish frothy beige head. Woody, oak/vanilla aroma, mild sweet roast, floral and herbal-sweet. Taste - same - roasty sweet, vanilla/oak woodiness, borderline carbonized - quite different from the regular Wee Heavy. Average slick body, astringent, alcoholic and somewhat burnt - excellent stuff.
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