New Glarus Unplugged Bourbon Barrel Bock

Formerly brewed at New Glarus Brewing Company
Style: Doppelbock
New Glarus, Wisconsin USA

Poured a clear amber with virtually no head. Bizarre aroma of toffee, bourbon, oak, and charred lamb chops. Taste is somewhat smoky sweet malt with notes of dark fruits, bourbon, a bit of cherry sourness, some charcoal. The bizarreness of this beer takes me back to the smoked rye bock... only I liked that one. This one has a lot of things going on that I don’t think go together. The smokiness here seems unrefined, the bourbon makes it rough, and the brett seems lost with nowhere to go. I like this brewer a lot and I hope to get my hands on more of their experiments, but this one just didn’t sit well with me.

Pours a translucent, completely clear in color. Smell is toffee and some alcohol. Taste is some bourbon, toffee and more alcohol. Some sweetness in the flavor as well. Decent brew, but a sipper.

bottle shared at tasting courtesy of Humulone_Red. Thanks!
Pours a clear amber to copper color with a light and quickly diminishing sparse head. Smell is caramelly malt, perhaps very light bourbon, but mostly vanilla and oak. Taste is malty, rich sweetness, but mostly balanced. Oak is prevalent in the flavor as well as ample vanilla. Very mild bourbon character. Light carbonation and a slight bit warming as it goes down, but the alchol in the flavor is well hidden, whatever it is. Needs a touch more body and carbonation, but a very nice doppelbock for sure.

CARMEL IN COLOR 1/2 FIZZ HEAD SMELLS LIKE WISKEY RASIN FINISH AND TASTES OF BANNANNA BREAD

(Bottle, thanks to Ughsmash) Pours copper reddish brown with orange hints. The aroma holds oak/bourbon tones up front with notes of coco nut, vanilla and some butter. Malty with caramel and fudge as the strongest components but also some light notes of bread. Fruity undertones of ripe red apples, ripe cherries, oranges and some raisins. Just a whisper of mint and mild nutmeg. The whole blend reminds us of English fruit cake with a pina colada – quite strange. The flavour is malty and light fruity with tones of caramel, apples, oranges and some raisins. The bourbon starts to show up in the middle with tones of coco nut and vanilla alongside some dried, tart apricots. Fruits, oak, butter and peppery alcohol warmth ligers in the finish along with some tannins. The mouth feel is soft with a low carbonation. Light to medium sweet, light bitter with medium dry ending. Medium to full bodied. Nice but not the best Unplugged we have tried. .

July 2007 - Ruby orange color, ok head. Strong aroma of bourbon and oak. Flavor was bourbon and oak...very hard to discern the beer underneath, but what was discernable just didn’t seem to go with the bourbon at all. Hints of sharp sourness on the tongue, harsh and tons of alcohol. Quite a mess of a beer.

pours dark brown with no head. bourbon, fruit and vanilla in the nose. flavor is woody, boubony and vanilla-y with candy like sweetness showing up. the palate is a bit too sweet for me, even if there is a bourbony note to it.

Dark amber clear, thin head that quickly dissipates. Oak and vanilla aroma. Malts, bourbon, and vanilla. Another very fine effort from NG