Blue Point Oak Barrel Aged ESB

From cask at Mahar’s Albany, NY. Copper color wih sweet bourbon smell. Nice balance of oaked aged malt and sweet bourbon flavored hop.

From a cask at pizza plant (walker center): Light copper color. Aroma is fairly fruity with some bready malts and a light hint of bourbon. Light hoppy bitterness, well balanced by hearty malts. Hints of wood and bourbon in the finish, as well as some grassy notes. This is a good example of barrel aging, not overdone but still noticeable. Interesting choice of style for the barrel also, but it certainly works for me.

A nice twist on their normally great ESB. The cask adds a nice, smooth experience. The bourbon adds some slightly sweet vanilla flavors, but it the alcohol taste is not too apparent at all. Very smooth and easy to drink, not as sharp as their regular version, as the flavors have blended well.

Cask at the brewery - I was sceptical about this brew (a bourbon aged esb sounds like a bad idea), but it turned out to be pretty decent - sadly, the nice hop bite and bready malt of the original are nearly gone, though - the overall impression is of a creamy, almost oak-flavored english pale ale - the bourbon flavor got a little out of hand at times, but in spite of my complaints, I really did enjoy drinking it.

Have to say I love BLUE Point- but not this one. Bourbon flavor is strong. I like bourbon - just not in my beer. ESB is really good - so is bourbon; together..........not so much