Americas Bourbon Barrel Scottish Ale

Bottled at FoBAB, aged for 26 months! Poured medium caramelly-amber with a long-lived cap of beige head. The aroma picked up sweet smoky caramel and bourbon upfront with vanilla and candied caramel behind. The flavor had sweeter aged caramel and toffee surrounded by vanilla and sweet bourbon notes (entirely complementary).. sweet butterscotch and vanilla on the warm finish.. tasty! Medium-bodied with adequate carbonation on the palate.. near-perfect barrel integration. Great brew.

FoBAB 2007: Coppery brown with a small head poured from a bottle. The aroma has notes of vanilla, oak, peat, smoke, grassy and herbal, phenolic. The taste has a sharp boozy start with a caramel malt base. It also has an "old ale" characteristic that I found pleasurable. Smoky and woody upon the finish. This sharp and lush beer was yet again another surprise from this brewer. I need to try more of the beers Mike brews. Bravo!

Wonderful barrel-aged entry by this brewer...with it’s upfront smokiness/peaty maltiness/and bourbony alcohol notes...I could drink these all night!

Americas certainly impressed me with their three offerings at the Festival of Wood and Barrel Aged Beers in Chicago. This hazy brown body with a faint beige head brought a complex nose of the expected bourbon and word from the casks and notes of vanilla, toffee, and a touch of smoke. Medium bodied with a gentle carbonation. The flavor featured the bourbon warmth tempered with the smooth sweetness of the toffee and vanilla. Must plan some trips to Americas.

FoBAB ’05- Pours out a light murky brownish color with a brim for a head. The nose is where its at with this brew, wonderful bourbon aroma that mixes in with the wood flavor very well. Caramel, some toffee, and a slight hint of smoke. Flavor is solid also, bringing the alcohol out a bit more working wonders with the toffee making for a real nice treat.

This is an exquisite beer, and I want to thank braumeister Mike Rybinski for treating me to this excellent ale. Not much too look at, a golden brown body with a white film in lieu of a head, it treats in every other category. The aroma is a masterful blend between a dominant bourbon, peat-smoked malt, vanilla, hardwood, and alcohol. Very thick and incredibley smooth, it drinks like a fine liquer. Hot with alcohol, the Bourbon and Scotch blend continue to delight along with rich toffee, smoke, vanilla, and an earthy woodiness. It finishes on a sticky, hot, smokey sweet alcoholic note. This should be in bottles!

Note to brewpub owners: Stop forcing your brewmasters to pander to the BMC crowd who won’t appreciate your cole efforts anyway. Let the brewers loose to create great beers like this.

<font size=-4><a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/Places/ShowPlace.asp?PlaceID=3856>America’s Brewpub, Aurora, IL<font size=-1>