Livery Barrel Aged Belgian Amber

Brewed by The Livery
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Benton Harbor, Michigan USA

Date: 02/23/2008
Mode: Hand Bottled
Source: Tasting, Cellar Party

Appearance: hazy amber, scant head,
Aroma: sweet fruity aroma with lots of apple character, vanilla sweetness brings out even more fruity character,
Flavor: sweet caramel and vanilla flavor, nice fruity character, light oak and spicyness adds some balance but lets the sweet fruityness rule, touch of alcohol does not interfer,

Aroma: 8/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 16/20
Rating: 3.8/5.0
Drinkability: 8/10
Score: **4

(Draught) Pours a cloudy amber body with a small off-white head. Aroma of oak, herbs, light sour, pear, vanilla, and apple. Flavor of some sour fruit, caramel malt, and oak.

Hand bottle... March 08 Tampa Bay Tasting... Hazy amber ale with a small, white head. The nose is restrained and a bit watered down, but I’m picking up traces of bourbon-soaked pear wedges. Medium-bodied and watery with tingly carbonation. Dangerously session-like, despite the high ABV. Pale malts and fruits. Restrained sourmash. Lengthy, sweet, woodsy, then dry finish.

Handbottle thanks to BBB63: Pours a transparent amber copper with a spotty lacing white head. Aroma of woodsy oak and sweet toffee with a touch of light fruity esters. Body starts fairly full with a mild caramel sweetness, some smoky notes, buttered toast and earthy oak. Finishes bittersweet, slightly grassy and peaty with a hint of funk. An interesting, pretty well-balanced brew.

On tap and enjoyed at Steve’s Birthday bash, snifter: Crimson and brown hue with no head to speak of nor lacing (again this needs more time to carbonate). The aroma has big fruity esters (apple, pear, grape), sugar, caramel, toast, and herbal hop, This is phenolic and lightly alcoholic, sort of like an apple brandy (but much less than Captain Lawrence Golden Delicious).

The taste starts with yummy fruit and spice with a constant yeast driven background. Mild pale malting are counter balanced by a tannic wood presence. A hint of fusel alcohol and vinous. The mouth feel is soft and lush with a slight warming trend. A powerful but clean barrel influenced beer. (no bourbon stuff here!)

Big thanks to BBB63 for bringing this beer down to Degarth’s the Tampa tasting. It pours clear copper with thin white head. Big aroma of musty crushed diced prunes, ripe cherries, brown sugar, woody oakiness and a bit of mild heat. The taste is very similar with cherries, dates, plums, raisins all mixed with nice woodiness. Yum. I get notes of the Belgian yeasty spiciness along with faint bubble gum, banana and spice.

Appearance: Pours a clear, garnet-hued body with no head, but this is a handbottle, so it’s to be expected. Smell: Fruity aroma of young apples, purple-colored cotton candy, and a stick or two or JuicyFruit with a dusting of menthol. Taste: Sweet, syrupy caramel maltiness. Slight herbaceousness. Light oak component. Banana and grape-like fruit flavors. Slight yeastiness. Fruity, sweetish finish. Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Quite still and quite warming. Drinkability: Spot-on tastiness!

Courtesy BBB63. Handbottle. Pours a fairly clear amber, with a light bubbly head. Smells of big oak, caramel, and sweet fruit. Lovely blended mixture. The flavor is of sweet caramel, and some sweet fruits, grapes, and apples. Got some Belgian yeast in there too. Pretty good amber brew. Had some barley wine characters to it, and was very flavorful. Liked it.