Drakes 15th Anniversary Bourbon Barrel Lager

Formerly brewed at Drakes Brewing Company
Style: European Strong Lager
San Leandro, California USA

(6 oz. bottle via trade with IrishBoy, thanks Richard!) Pour is a hazy darkish honey-brown with a small soft biege head that recedes to about 1/8" and stays. Aroma is magnificent - new cut wood, whisky, fresh honey, vanilla ice cream, figs, dates, prunes, molasses and brown sugar. No lacing to speak of. Palate is smooth, very soft, a little syrupy and sticky at finish. Flavor is hot and smooth - malty, lots of bourbon, lots of vanilla and plenty of alcohol to warm your palate and innards. Felt at times like a spiked French vanilla milk shake but of course there’s a little more to it than that. Great stuff, if I had one complaint it would be the high alcohol profile.

6oz. bottle. Slightly hazy deep red-orange. A pittance of bubbles and a ribbon of light tan head. Sherry, alcohol, figs, dates, and biscuity malt aromatics. Musty dark fruit up front, with caramel and syrupy malt flavors. Doughy raisinbread in the finish, with vanilla and alcohol. Mouthfeel is thick, nearly flat, rather hot.

Bottle thanks to tever: Nice little gem that got tucked in as an extra. I thought I had just gotten an extra Bourbon Barleywine untill I looked a little closer. Poured brown with a very small head. Aroma had some spices, malts, caramel, a bit of bourbon, and some alcohol. Flavor was molassas, caramel, some more spice, bourbon and a nice bitterness that cut the through the heavy malts nicely. This was still a little hot, and will probably do well with some more age on it. Really good stuff though.

Poured with a sparse off-white head. This dark brown lager exhibits sherry-like characteristics that are enhanced by a warming bourbon sensation, followed by caramel and vanilla notes. Tastes more like a liquor than a beer, but serves as a good after-diinner drink, calling for a nice cigar.

Bottle shared courtesy of egajdzis. Poured a deep and hazy amber color with a small sized off white head. Aromas of bourbon, caramel, vanilla, oak and light alcohol. Tastes of caramel, vanilla, wood and bourbon. Medium alcohol burn in the finish.

Thanks to egajdzis for this... Appears a light hazy amber with a small light tan head that quickly fades out. Spotty lacing is left around the glass. Smell is of bourbon, oak, with a touch of caramel and vanilla standing out. Taste is of the same aromas with the oaky bourbon sticking to the palate and the tongue. Mouthfeel...there is a slight alcohol burn that is warming, slightly sweet, with a mildly burning finish.

Thanks to egajdzis for bringing this rare treat to an after work tasting. Pours a hazy goldend brown with a smaller bubbly off white head. Aroma was sweet and malty, vanilla, dark fruits, oak, bourbon, caramel and alcohol. Flavor of vanilla, caramel, alcohol, slight roast, dark fruits and rather creamy.

Poured a hazy, reddish amber color with a small, light tan head that quickly diminished, leaving spotty, sticky, lacing on the glass. Aroma of vanilla oak, bourbon, caramel malts, honey and sharp alcohol as well. Taste of nuts, more caramel malts, vanilla, charred wood and a fair amount of alcohol in the finish.