New Albanian Bobs 15B Bourbon Barrel Porter

Indiana Brewer’s Guild Festival, 2008. The beer was served in a port cask, and so if that merits a new entry on the site, I’m hoping someone will move this rating! First, I’m amazed to see here that the beer is only 5.5 ABV and have to imagine that this it is incorrect, as I would have guessed in the 8% range, although not because it was overly alcoholic. On the nose are notes of fig and brown sugar, leading into more on the palate, followed by vanilla and cinnamon. There was a decided chocolateness to the beer which paired well with the port sweetness. I imagine this is good on bourbon, but the chocolate and port cask seem ideal to me. Great stuff, and I’m glad I was able to try it.

Draft - holy cow, what a beer! My previous fav from the brewery was the Solidarity Porter, but this one may have surpassed it. Nice, deep chocolatey, malty aroma. Dark brown body with a fairly thin head. The flavor is phenomenal! A big, round chocolate porter with the now mellow bourbon following. It does not dominate the flavor like some, it complements it. I was amazed at how the beer got better and better the further I got into it. If you are any where near New Albany, GET HERE NOW!

Sampled at the Indiana Brewers Guild Brew Fest on 7/31/04. The line for this beer was huge, and the wait was worth it. It was pitch black with a huge aroma of roasted malt, chocolate, and a wonderful burbon presence. The flavor was very complex. Roasted malts were most present, and then in nearly equal parts I found chocolate and coffee malts as well as some oak, vanilla, and again the wonderful burbon flavor. This was really a great beer, my favorite at the fest, and that’s even with Three Floyd’s being present, and one of the best beers I’ve ever had.

(draft) Wow! The regular Bob’s 15B is decent, if a tad bland. The aging has transformed this into a fantastic beer. A dark brownish-red hue, very little head, some lacing. Very strong bourbon aroma at first that subsides about halfway though the glass. The thing I like most about this beer, aside from the wonderful aroma, is the nearly instantaneous finish. There is no aftertaste to taint the next sip.