North Coast Old Stock Cellar Reserve Bourbon Barrel

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

A brown and hazy pour with tan head and lace. Aroma of bourbon flavored raisin juice. Solid flavor of dates and raisins cured in bourbon. Full palate and solid carbonation. A beer I would trade my next born child for.

375 ml bottle via trade with cloudskipper. Thanks for this one man, wow! Pours dark brown almost black with a tiny beige head that didn’t last long. Nose of sweet malts and bourbon. Flavor was big on alcohol, molasses, spice, dark fruit and vanilla. The only that keeps this beer from being spectacular was the abundance of alcohol, it was over powering, still a great Barley Wine.

Bottle (375ml) shared with HogTownHarry & garthicus -- courtesy of HogTownHarry. Pours a hazy dark reddish-brown with a small diminishing fizzy off-white head. Big malty aroma along with alcohol, spices, lots of bourbon and vanilla, oak, dark fruit and light hops. Flavour’s also quite malty, along with vanilla, oak, bourbon, dark fruit, spices and a good amount of alcohol. Very nice stuff but definitely a sipper -- and a little goes a long way.

2005 375 ml bottle via trade - Pours a hazy brown color with a 1/2 finger thick light tan head that faded pretty quick. Little carbonation and virtually no lacing. The aroma is big oak/bourbon up front. As the beer warms the toasted malt, dark esters, and vanilla becomes noticeable. Flavor is esters, oak/bourbon, lightly sweetened toasted malt, and vanilla. The beer seems a little thin and somewhat fizzy on the palate. Alcohol is noticeable but doesn’t take much away from the beer. It definately get better as it warms. A very nice BW. Thanks John.

Bottle. [After party @ Papsoe, thanks buddy] Average beige bubbly head that mostly diminished. Spare display of lacework. Somewhat cloudy dark amber color. Aroma of bourbon, wood, grain, dried fruit. Over the palate came heavy notes of wood, vanilla, bourbon, spice, bread, and toasted malt. Full bodied with a soft carbonation and thick alcoholic texture. Heavy sweet flavor with some counter bitterness. Lingering sweet bourbon finish. 8 / 3 / 8 / 5 / 18

Bottle (375ml - green, corked & caged). Shared with blankboy and garthicus via trade with Irishboy - thanks, Richard - again!. Deep reddish-brown pour, frothy off-white head. Medium alcohol aroma, solid sweet bourbon, but not cloying - thin oak, solid caramel malt and some candied fruit. Taste is big sweet vanilla bourbon alcohol up front, smooth as a baby’s butt, but quite warming. Fairly lively mouthfeel, slick and thick, long boozy finish; this is powerful stuff - not quite as good as the brandy barrel, but good f’in stuff - thanks again, Richard!!

37.5 cL bottle. Pours hazy brown with a lacing off-white head. Alcohol dense malt aroma, spiced too. Flavour is dense malt and solid to burning alcohol. Holds a sharp burn into the finish. Warming alcohol finish with a lingering malt note. Has somewhat of a burn into the far finish. Way too alcohol dense for my liking.

(Bottle 37,5 cl) Courtesy of fordest. Pours a slightly hazy dark amber golden with a small, off-white head. Distinct boozy aroma but also pleasant overripe fruit. Full-bodied with a smooth carbonation, loads of overripe fruit, oak and vanilla - everything bourbony is there. Also very boozy finish - just how we like it. 200608