Olde Hickory Bardstown Brand Ale Aged in Bourbon Barrels

Brewed by Olde Hickory Brewery
Style: Barley Wine
Hickory, North Carolina USA

650 ml, 2007 vintage. Deep ruby-copper with a small creamy head that lasts and leaves some lacing. Aroma is luscious caramel, chocolate, vanilla, oak and bread pudding. Flavors start similarly, with a hint of cherry but becomes nearly overpowered by much more apparent whiskey and oak. Medium body is mostly smooth, a little to the dry side and alcohol warming. Good, but maybe the "long maturation" should be shortened a bit to offer other than strong bourbon and oak flavors. Not worth $17/bottle.

A roseish plum colored pour with almost no head or lace. Raisins and bourbon dominate the nose. Very fruity with abv coming through a tad. Just right for me. A tad thin but overall a pretty damn good bw.

(22oz bottle, thanks wilkie) Small beige head atop clear dark amber body. Aroma is moderately sweet, caramel, raisin, some Bourbon/vanilla. Taste is moderately sweet, caramel, raisin, some Bourbon/alcohol, light smoke. Medium-full body.

Bottle shared by goldtwins. Pours a clear amber with a very minimal head. Pleasant aroma of bourbon, vanilla, caramel, and vegetable greens. The flavor is completely dominated by bourbon, which masks anything else that might be going on with this beer. Strong alcohol burn rises at the finish and lingers well beyond the swallow.

Bomber shared by Wilkie! Pours a nice clear ruby amber with a thin head. Aroma is bourbony sweet, with earthy hints, spice, tons of sweet refined malts, caramel and toffee lots of oak and a bit boozy but not overly so. More super refined sweetness in the flavor, but doesnt get overly cloying, the bourbon barrles dry it out a bit- syrupy, molasses, yet clean, and a nice astringent and moderate bitter finihs. Pretty straightforward BA barleywine that wasnt outstanding but nothign bad here.

Bottle. Aroma of sweet fruits, sugary bourbon, and, yes, those bourbony vegeteables. Flavor was sweet. Syrupy sweet on the tongue. Not good.

Bottle shared by goldtwins. Pours brown with no head. Aroma of bourbony vegetables. Flavor of squash, sweet potato, and heavy bourbon. Thick, syrupy, and ick. Drainpour. Nasty.

22oz bottle, sampled at the 1st Annual Shenandoah Beer Throwdown, courtesy of wilkie. Thanks, Chris! Nice brown sugary, oak, vanilla, and caramel in the nose. Flavor is more of the same with the bourbon nicely balanced with the base beer. Some alcohol is present, but it doesn’t detract from my enjoyment of the beer. Overall, very well done.