North Coast Old Stock Cellar Reserve Bourbon Barrel

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

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.

Appearance: Pours a clouded, dark brown body with a bubbly beige head. Smell: Aroma drenched in bourbon with notes of caramel, oak, dark brown sugar, vanilla, fruit, and a puff of smoke. Taste: Ah, rich caramel with a candylike sweetness you’d find in a dessert-minded liqueur. Macerated dark fruits. Full bourbon flavor with the essential hints of vanilla, wood, and brown sugar. Finishes bourbony with an alcoholic sear of success in the aftertaste. Mouthfeel: Medium-full body. Medium carbonation. Lush mouthfeel. Drinkability: A great beer and a fine offspring of the Old Stock Ale, but I gotta say the Brandy Barrel version just barely beats it out.

Bottle… O-Town Christmas Gathering ‘07… This beer rocks!... Murky caramel-colored ale with a small, fizzy, khaki head. The aroma is a rich coming together of vanilla, caramel, wood, dark fruits and tobacco with a mention of coconut and big-time, warming ethanol. Full-bodied and chewy with ticklish carbonation. Lots of bourbon heat and moderate alcohol bitterness underneath robust, caramel malt sweetness. World class beer! Thanks to DragonStout for sharing his bottle with us!

Courtesy DragonStout. Pours a hazy, muddy, golden brown color with virtually no head or lacing. The aroma is boozy, with bourbon showing strong over notes of nougat, caramel, dark fruits and vanilla. The flavor follows suit, with bourbon being the common overtone, and caramel malts laying the baseline. Oaky vanilla and indistinguishable fruits add depth and complexity. Finishes warm, but not uncommonly hot for a barleywine. The medium-full body is smooth and incredibly drinkable, despite the huge ABV. This is indeed an awesome brew.

Courtesy DragonStout. Pours cloudy brown with no head at all. Strong alcohol aroma with caramel malt, oak barrel and vanilla. Taste is warm and alcoholic, vanilla, bourbon, and hints of caramel. Very smooth, really outstanding.

Thanx to AlohaC for sending this.Wow Old Stock taken up a notch.pours a dirty brown color.Big boozy nose with caramel, wood and sweetness.Flavor was sweet with bourbon and caramel.Lots of heat on this one.Definately a good warming going down.very good fresh but can’t wait till the mellows in few years.

Courtesy DragonStout. Poured a dead cloudy dark brown. A ton of bourbon and alcohol on the nose - wipes out everything else save for a little oakiness. A taste gives light sweet caramel followed by a huge smack of heat, oak, bourbon, vanilla, more heat. The burn lasts a long time and some tannic flavors come out in the finish also. Crazy hot and will be interesting to see if it mellows out.

Dark brown/amber color with no head. Aroma of sweet caramel, wood, alcohol, and BOURBON. The taste was the same but with vanilla notes and massive BOURBON alcohol burn. Good stuff, glad I have other bottles for those special occasions.