Marin Old Dipsea Bourbon Barrel Aged Barleywine Style Ale

22oz bottle from Joey. Orange label with no bottle number... Pours a mostly opaque muddled caramel brown with a quickly dissipating light beige head... Aroma of semi-assertive bourbon and wood with added notes of caramel/toffee... Flavors are of a similar tone. Sweet overall with a light spicy bitterness in the finish. Mouthfeel and body has somewhat thinned out. Still pretty solid overall albeit somewhat boozy.

On tap at Taps grand opening. This ’06 aged brew was one of the best, perhaps the best, I’ve had. Excellent, excellent palate to go with a smooth malt base and solid hops. Amazing.

Heaven Hills version from a generous person. Pours dark brown with a small head. Aroma is caramel, bourbon, wood and fruity. Flavor is wood, caramel, oak, leather and booze. Medium bodied and fairly easy to drink but a bit hot.

22 oz bottle. I think this was the Heaven Hill version. Foggy brown with a ring and a dot of foam. Nose is caramel, cardamon, orange peel, ginger and whiskey; beautifully integrated. Soft and milky with a slight tang and alcohol warming. Taste is bourbon, raisin, caramel and a touch of brown sugar. Smooth, dry finish with vanilla, wood and grass.

Thanks Mike for sharing! Bottle pours dark amber color with off white head. Aroma is booze, caramel, and oak. Viscous mouthfeel. Flavor is ash,wood, bourbon, the caramel was like it was made by a candy maker, and finished with the bourbon flavor. I liked the finish the best. I got a sense of the bourbon and what it tasted like as it melded with the other flavors. Just brilliant!

650ml bottle
Thanks to Mike I think for cracking this open though it could have been someone else. This is my first experience with Marin and hopefully not my last. While bourbon barrel aging big beers is not novel when done right the results are fantastic. This is no exception though I might place it just short of world class.

Aroma / Appearance - Ruby red with little carbonation the body is a rich blend of bourbon, vanilla, and oak. I picked up a bit of something a bit off that came through despite the heat of the alcohol and barrel.

Flavor / Palate - Tasting like warm caramel icing followed by a rinse of bourbon this is big and complex. The hops have taken a back seat to other aspects including in the warm but smooth finish. A decent example of how to properly age a barleywine I think this one has potential to make a name for itself.

Bottle… This beer rocks!… Pours a murky caramel-color with a small, creamy, white head. Hurricane-like, swirling retention. The nose is an intoxicating swirl of oak, whiskey, caramel, vanilla and coconut. Full-bodied with tingly carbonation. The tangy, sweet flavor offers caramel, bourbon and a rumor of oak. There is a lot of bourbon flavor without a lot of bourbon heat. The lengthy finish is sweet and tangy and bequeaths lingering, rich notes of brown sugar and whiskey. Big time thanks to daknole for sharing his bottle of this world class beer!

Bottle 65 cl. Pours a cloudy opaque dark brown with a creamy, beige head. Aroma has lots overripe fruit, bourbon and licorice allsorts. Quite full-bodied, again lots of caramel and overripe fruit. Sweet caramel and a warming alcohol in the finish. Absolutely no bitterness. 110709