Bluegrass Bourbon Barrel Scotch Ale

Brewed by Bluegrass Brewing Company
Style: Scotch Ale
Louisville, Kentucky USA

On draught @ The Party Source. Pours a dark copper color, small off white head. Definite nose of bourbon and sugar. Taste is sweet with hints of molasses, brown sugar and peat. Finishes rather smoky and smooth like a well made bourbon. Well done BBC.

Appropriate creamy, frothy head. Better on tap from the Taproom in Louisville than the bottle, though the difference is minimal. Still a best buy as far as bourbon ales are concerned.

Spectacular beer. Pours very dark with a soft off white froth-head. Tastes slightly of molasses. Strong and filling beer. I’m not a huge fan of the smell, but the taste is warm and wonderful, the two W’s of bourbon. Pick it up if you see it because it can be hard to find.

Had on draft at BBC in downtown Louisville. Pours a rich amber brown with thin tan head. Aroma is bourbon and malt. Notes of caramel, vanilla, and oak come out. On the palat, it feels a little dry, but smooth. The malts really come out in the flavor, which surprised me a bit, considering the aroma was so strong with bourbon. The finish is dry leaving an after taste of caramelized malts and bourbon in the back of the throat. Truely a good Scotch ale.

Draft at Shelbyville Road under the name Pitched Kilt. Poured clear dark brown color with a moderate light brown creamy head that mostly lasted with good lacing. Good caramel toasted malt aroma. Medium to full body with a smooth texture. Good well balanced bourbon and tart fruit malty flavor with a moderate smooth balanced finish of long duration. This is a standout brew.

Growler: Pours a deep red with a tan head. Aroma, vanilla, some spices, oak and caramel, molasses. Flavor, some roasted notes, oak, vanilla, spices, molasses and brown sugar. Pretty tasty.

7/03/2009: Bluegrass Bourbon Barrel Scotch Ale has a great aroma containing the fruity, rich maltiness typical in a Scotch Ale along with sweet bourbon, dark caramelized sugars, and hints of barrel char. It is brown in color with a smooth, but dense beige-colored head. There is substantial yet balanaced amount of bourbon in the flavor, peat-like smoke in the mid-palate, and plenty of caramelized sugars and malt throughout. This beer is warming with a bit of woozy alcohol in the finish, but it fits well with the style and other characteristics of this beer. It has a smooth and mellow texture. Overall this is a really good beer and BBC did a fine job pairing a Scotch Ale with bourbon barrel aging. However, it does seem to be lacking a bit of depth, richness, and complexity.

Draught (sample + partial growler fill) at Party Town in Florence, Kentucky. Rating #16 for this beer.

Name: BB Scotch Ale
Date: 04/21/2008
Mode: Growler
Source: Tasting, Cellar Party

Appearance: clear dark ruby red, wispy beige head,
Aroma: sweet dark caramel and vanilla aroma with a nice bourbon sweetness,
Flavor: sweet dark caramel flavor, lots of vanilla sweetness, light bourbon melds well with the malt character, light smokey character still comes through from the base scotch ale,

Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 7/10; Overall: 15/20
Rating: 3.7/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: **4