Bluegrass Bourbon Barrel Big Brown

Growler… Clear ruby ale with an orange tinge and very little head. Wow, smells like bourbon and brown ale - the barrel aging provides some mild vanilla notes - but mostly, I get bourbon. Full-bodied with tickling carbonation. Lots of bourbon in the flavor along with some nice (but more subtle) nutty, chocolaty notes. Lengthy, boozy, warm finish. I dig bourbon and I dig brown ale. Works for me. Kudos to TheCheeseMan for providing the growler!

courtesy of the man himself "cheeseman". growler. Pours copper, flat. Aroma was just like smelling whiskey and coke with barrel all over it, some notes of vanilla added. Taste, lots and lots of bourbon, some light malts and caramel, vanilla notes and wood barrel. The brown notes of the beer is just covered with the bourbon. This is a love/hate beer. Either people will love the bourbon in it or hate it because it pretty much takes most of the base beer away.

sample at DLD ’09 poured from a growler by a guy in a kilt. poured a clear, golden brown, with a very thin tan head. aroma was heavy on the bourbon with notes of smokey wood, brown sugar, and a hint of vanilla. flavor was excellent with smooth, oakey bourbon up front that quickly mellowed with slightly sweet notes of brown sugar, dark fruits, nutty malts, and lingering vanilla finish. palate was very smooth for such a bold beer with a nice warming presence but no burn and solid carbonation. overall, a bourbon lovers beer.

5/10/2009: BBC Big Brown speaks softly but carries a big stick. The slightly sweet and muted bourbon aroma has a lot going on in it as undertones of vanilla, citrus, toasted malt, brown sugar, and lightly charred/roasted wood peak can all be found sneaking around . However, neither the aroma nor the flavor really let on to the true nature of this 11.5% beast. Don’t get me wrong, there is definitely great smooth, vanilla bourbon in flavor, but the anticipated alcohol burn is amazingly just not there. It is just so well blended that the alcohol gets lost behind the toasty and nutty maltiness, raw sugar, faint cocoa nibs, and soft citrus hop flavors. It finishes a bit more dry as some of the oakiness starts to come through. I would say that this beer has a medium to medium-full body with an extremely smooth and deceptively soft palate. This beer is dangerous. I goes down far too easily! Damn, I can’t believe that it’s almost all gone already! Oh, I almost forgot to mention the beautiful, sparkling, amber-brown appearance and thick ivory-beige head of this beer... Anyways, if there was such a style as and Imperial/Strong Brown Ale (and there probably should be at this point), then this beer is exactly what a beer of that style should be! Wow, this is a great beer and a wonderful example of bourbon barrel aging done right. They really paired the type of bourbon barrel with the characteristics of the beer well. Nicely done BBC; true barrel aging synergy! Actually, this beer must be great since my wife liked it and she hates bourbon!

Growler fill (draught) from Party Town in Florence, Kentucky. Rating #4 for this beer.

Poured from a growler at DLD 09 early on in the day. Poured a clear amber with a thin tan head. Aroma is really candied and fruity. Grain malt and surprisingly familiar note of hi-c punch. Lots of dark fruit, fresh fruit, bourbon malt and more of that candied sugarry malt that reminds me of hi-c. Slight earthy hoppiness near the finish. Odd beer, but decent.

Poured from a growler at DLD 09. Pours murky red with a tan head. Aroma is of cheap bourbon, malt, wood, and chocolate. Taste strats off with a nice bourbon flavor. Past the bourbon there is lots of wood, malt, chocolate, and dark fruit. After each sip, I was surprised that there was a huge and unexpected lingering vanilla taste. The bourbon wasn’t as present as I thought it would be, but it does blend in well. Mouthfeel was smooth with decent carbonation. I enjoyed it a lot.

Draft at St. Matthews. Poured clear brown color with an average frothy off-white head that mostly lasted with good lacing. Moderate nutty malt, bourbon and wood aroma. Medium body with a smooth texture with flat carbonation. Medium to heavy bourbon bittersweet flavor with a medium bittersweet finish of moderate to long duration. This is a standout brew.