Fitgers Blue Label Grande Reserve - Pinot Noir Barrel Aged

[Growler] graciously shared by OSLO and Guerde. Pours mahogany with a medium off white head. Aroma is pinot noir, caramel and raisins. Flavor is of warming alcohol, wine, and oak. The mouthfeel is slightly thin and quite dry, presumably from the wine characteristics and finishes a little tart. Overall a very nice beer, but the flavor doesn’t quite hold up to the nose.

Thanks to OSLO and Guerde for sharing the growler. Pours a ruby caramel color, with thin tan foam. When chilled oak and malt were the dominate aroma and flavor. As it warmed raisin and plum began to be detectable. The 10% alcohol was very well hidden. If you like the taste of oak, but not bourbon this beer is a must try.

Thanks to Oslo for sharing. I enjoyed this but not quite as much as the other guys. To begin, I would describe this as more of a barleywine than a Belgian strong. The palate is far too thin for a Belgian strong. The aroma has sugar and sweet, fermenting fruit. Flavor is a little sour, with dried fruit, oak, some alcohol. I didn’t pick up on the grapes or pinot. Very full flavored, but it might benefit form the addition of a little more malt.

Huge thanks to Oslo and Guerde for bringing this one back. Dark brown or reddish color. Wonderful aroma of sweet barley, wine and grapes, and a bit of French oak towards the end. The flavors are just outstanding. Plenty of sweet malt and barley. Woody and French oak vanilla. A little berry and raisin. Not much Belgian yeast character. Out-friggin-standing.

(growler) Pours out light brown with a soapy white head. The aroma of this beer is incredibly complex. When colder the oak really asserts itself, and is a lot more sharp, with some hints of pepper, but there’s also some raisin that makes its presence known as well. Upon warming, the aroma really rounds out, with a lot of fruit coming through, (notably blueberry along with plum), with a lot of vinous smells too. Being 10%, there is only a subtle whiff of alcohol in the nose. The taste is very good with raisin, light caramel and plum, along with a lot of Pinot taste as well. The finish is really great with plenty of tannins, slight pepper, and just a hint of baker’s chocolate. The oaky finish and earthiness just lasts forever on this beer. Medium mouthfeel that really does coat the mouth. This is a great beer, and the barrel has been superbly integrated, very well done.

[Growler] Pours dark reddish-brown with a small white head. Aroma is big on the pinot, with raisin, blueberry (as Guerde pointed out), a touch of brown sugar and some grape. Taste is fairly bitter, especially when chilled, but it really opens up after awhile with raisin, light sourness, a little chocolate and some malt. A bit of alcohol is detectable after awhile also. Medium mouthfeel with a long finish. At first I wasn’t overly impressed, but it really grew on me and overall it is a very, very nice beer.
Update, January 09: This is one of only a handful of beers that I regularly crave. I’m going to have to bump it up a point and hope that I can try it again.

Growler. Initial aroma of dark fruit esters. Plums and raisins. Light chocolate. Spicy and creamy esters. Plenty of grape tannin with a touch of blueberry essence. Very nice, that continues to develop as the beer opens. Pours afairly standard hazy amber/brown. Flavor has lots of plenty of tart grape tannin. Big Pinot barrel prenece. Sweeter esters develop into lush grape skin tartness. Lush body. Tongue coating texture with a very pleasant tannic finish. There’s the smallest hint of btiter bakers chocolate on the finish as well. Excellent use of barrel aging. Thanks Alister and Andy!

Poured from a growler, courtesy of Alister and Andy’s mystery mule. Thanks! Ruby brown pour lightly hazed. Aroma is tannic, musty, and dark; all wet wood, wine opened to the air, heavy molasses bread and pit fruits. Bit of heat, but not to such strength as indicated; lagered fruitiness lending smoothness and polished character. Flavor is dry and very tannic with the tangy, ebullient bursts common in Pinot still evident despite this bitter nuttiness and aged attic quality that seems more prevalent. Tart cherry and pomegrante wisps. Palate is medium to full with a firm, whisking earthy texture that dries out heavily with some spiciness in the finish. A generous, unconventional, well executed warmer; plenty of erudition in this blanketing sipper.