North Coast Old Stock Cellar Reserve Bourbon Barrel

Formerly brewed at North Coast Brewing Company
Style: Barley Wine
Fort Bragg, California USA

Multiple samples provided by kmweaver and mj. Clear dark amber body with a tiny off-white head. The nose is bourbon, toffee, dark fruits and vanilla. The flavor is moderately sweet, lightly bitter with toffee, bourbon, vanilla, light coconut, alcohol and prunes. Full body is soft and sticky with moderate carbonation and a hot finish.

I actually liked this better then the brandy aged one. Aroma was its weak spot with a very one dimensional bourbon vanilla nose. But upon drinking this guy some new flavors really added to its complexity. The alcohol was there but in a good way, not too hot, but close. Vanilla, oak, malt, caramel. Smooth as can be going down. Fantastic brew.

15 DEC 07, Southeast YeHa. Medium deep brown. Aroma of sweet vanilla, alcohol. Vanilla and straight Whiskey. Big alcohol burn, I feel like a scotch drinker now. The Brandy Barrel Old Stock is just a hair better, although this beer is the best of the best. Thanks KP!

bottle thanks to devon at An Evening w/ Pantanap #2.....pours a deep medium brown with a thin white head.....nose of assertive bourbon, vanilla and caramel notes. a heavy emphasis on the barrel aging with this one....flavors that were a little hot and boozy. caramel malt and heavy on the bourbon....not as good as the brandy and could def. use a little aging for other flavors to evolve around the barrel forwardness.

Sampled at "An evening with Pantanap #2". Hazy brown with small brown head. Aroma is big alc with lots of bourbon, smoke, light antiseptic, very hot. Sharp alc flavor that is very barrel forward, barrel fruits, plum. Medium bodied and syrupy. Overall it is hot, but I could see this improving with age.

Pours mahogany with fizzy tan head that disappears quickly. (just like the Brandy barrelled, but this one sticks around a bit longer.) Nose is dominantly bourbon, with hints of toffee and caramel. The flavor is much more influenced by the bourbon than the brandied version, unfortunately drowning out the complexities. I am a huge fan of bourbon barreled ales, so this is a nice compliment to the original, but I can see how this one rates lower than the brandy barreled. The mouthfeel isn’t as creamy either. Not as good as the Brandy barreled, but still a darn good ale.RERATE: Age has improved this one dramatically! Smoother and creamier with much more subtlety and all flavors blending beautifully. 2/10th bump.

sampled at "An evening with Pantanap #2". 375ml bottle, 2005 vintage. thanks to xnoxhatex. We sampled this next to the Brandy and the 07 original. Pours a clear brown mahoganny. Bourbon, toffee, caramels, bready, red fruit in the nose. Lots of bourbon here. Bourbon all over the flavor too. Sweet fruit, toffee, caramels, dark fruit, butter with a very present alcohol. The bourbon was their on the pour and seemed to take over this brew as it warmed. Decent, but really hot. The bourbon isn’t melding with the beer much yet, give this one a year or two.

sampled at "An evening with Pantanap #2". 375ml bottle, 2005 vintage. thanks to xnoxhatex for this one. sampled next to brandy old stock 05. pours brown with no head. aroma has big bourbon notes, butter. flavor is sharp bourbon, oak, buttery, dark fruits, alcoholy finish and bite. harsh. this needs lots of time, hopefully.