Arcadia Pappy’s Big Dick Bourbon Barrel Olde Ale

Many thanks to Steve for the handbottle!.. I don’t think he could’ve filled it any higher.. poured clear garnety-amber with a two-fingered, creamy cap of beige head. The aroma picked up toasted whiskey, oak, and dark fruit on a sour impression over more fruit and some honey.. a little vinegary. The flavor was just delightful.. tangy whiskey and oak opened again, with warm caramel, toffee, and fruity character rolling onto the middle.. a second wash of vanilla and toasty oak followed, then it finished warm and tart with a nice array of malts and tasty barrel. Medium-plus bodied with low-moderate carbonation on the palate.. it didn’t quite flow great, but it was solid.. very glad to have tried it!

On tap at MBG Summer Festival. Poured reddish brown with a light brown head. Aroma consisted mainly of sweet barley. Flavor began sweet but the bourbon flavor added in an interesting sour note as the beer finished.

Hand bottled from growler by Hopdog and sent fresh, thanks! Pours a fresh looking and smelling treat, its like I’m at the brewpub. Beige colour, little head. Above average mouthfeel, smooth drinking for bourbon, and notes were whiskeyish, and not heavy. Taste was like a "young" olde ale.

I had this on tap at MBGSF 09. It was a translucent dark brown color with a small off white head. It’s aroma was malty sweet, but also nutty and there was some bourbon in there as well. It had a medium mouth feel and was very sweet. Unfortunately I had this after a truly epic beer experience, so it was overshadowed. A decent beer but not really worth too much hype.

On tap at MSBF. Semihazy amber with creamy, beige, pancake head. Aroma is barrel forward, alc, dough, toasted malt, sweet. Flavor is also very barrel forward and alc with big vanilla, maple syrup, toast, caramel malt, tasty. Medium and highly carbonated. Solid and more balanced than the regular dicks, surprsingly.

Courtesy of hopdog. Pours mahogany with a white head. Smells of oak, boozy, sweet, earthy. Tastes of caramel, bourbon, honey, earth. Enjoyable.

On draft at Capones. Pours a cloudy dark caramel with a medium beige head. Aroma of light bourbon, vanilla and dark fruit. Taste of light bourbon, vanilla, oak wood and dark fruit.

On tap at Ashleys in Ann Arbor. Pours dark brown glowing red with a small white head. Aroma.....whoa bourbon, crazy amounts of it, well see if it continues in the flavor. Also on the nose is sweet black cherries and dark malts, nice fruitiness and alcohol. Flavor, whoa again. The bourbon is just crazy, a little much. I love the flavor of bourbon but it really kicks the heck out of the other flavors of malt and nuts caramel and wood. Finishes like bourbon thats been sitting on the rocks for awhile. Medium to full body and an almost non existent carbonation. I like bourbon so this was an interesting taste but the beer side of me wanted more balance. Fun to drink though