Drakes Barley Wine Bourbon Barrel

Formerly brewed at Drakes Brewing Company
Style: Barley Wine
San Leandro, California USA

Bottled. A very hazy dark amber beer with a thin tan head. The aroma is very sweet with strong notes of alcohol, over ripe fruits, and wood. The flavor is also very sweet with strong notes of over ripe fruits and prunes, with a light burn from the alcohol to accompany it.

(Bottle 18 cl) Courtesy of aspidites. Pours a hazy, dark, orangey brown with an almost absent, off-white head. Aroma of caramel, nuts and....surprise, surprise....bourbon! This really pours thick and almost syrupy, almost flat. In the fore this appears a bit sticky and caramelish also with these saline accents that I also detected in the Brandy barrel version. But in the finish the great, oaky Bourbon notes shine through saving the whole deal. 280507

Name: Barleywine, Bourbon Barrel
Date: March 18, 2007
Mode: Bottle
Source: Tasting
Appearance: muddy brown, scant head
Aroma: sweet bourbon aroma with a blend of chocolate and sweet vanilla, a touch of ripe fruit, light alcohol
Flavor: rich chocolate flavor balanced by lots of bourbon, vanilla sweetness, lingering earthy bitterness

Name: Barleywine, Bourbon Barrel
Date: March 27, 2009
Mode: bottle
Source: tasting
Appearance: clear brown, scant head, legs
Aroma: caramal and bourbon aroma is drying out
Flavor: flavor is still rich with the bourbon and dark caramel, vanilla sweetness is drying out

Aroma: 8/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 8/10; Palate: 7/10; Overall: 16/20
Rating: 4/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: **4

<i>Bottle from Freakin’ Frog, Las Vegas; barrel aged for 12 months</i>
Despite the promises on the bottle, the bottle fermentation was not effective and it pours completely still and with no head; dark brown, almost black color. It has a very interesting aroma, with light phenol, caramel, oak and vanilla, chocolate, toffee, walnuts; fantastic! Oily mouthfeel, full bodied; strong caramel flavor, a bit sweet syrupy, with notes of vanilla and leather, very light sweet liquorice in the end; the final sees a mix of strong bitterness, with alcohol warming feeling, and caramel. Complex and excellent.

Brown with tiny beige head. Sweet aroma with roasted malt, port, caramel and overripe fruits. Sweet flavour with roasted malt, overripe fruits, caramel and warming alcohol notes.

(6oz bottle, thanks eclectic) Clear dark brown body with no head. Aroma is moderately sweet, plum/raisin, smoke/roast, some chocolate, light Bourbon. Taste is sweet, cherry/chocolate, some alcohol. Sticky full body with no carbonation. Decent sipping beer -- the nip bottle is the right size, as there’s no way you want more in a single sitting.

(6oz. bottle) Pours a mahogany body with a spare off-white ring of bubbles. Aroma of bourbon, caramel, cherry, ashes, and wood. Flavor of bourbon, wood, caramel malt, toffee, chocolate, and prunes.

Nip sized bottles (good thing we had a couple of these to share). Poured a dark and muddy brown color with a small sized off white head. Aromas of bourbon, vanilla, caramel, brown sugar, chocolate, wood, and tobacco. Tastes of bourbon, caramel, wood, dark cherries, brown sugar, and vanilla. Medium alcohol burn in the finish.