Oregon Trail Bourbon Barrel Porter

Brewed by Oregon Trail Brewery
Style: Imperial/Strong Porter
Corvallis, Oregon USA

Bomber, Batch #2 (9.1%). Poured cola brown with an easily-resuscitated cap of oaky head. The aroma found sweet bourbon and sour oak upfront, taking some breathing time before the porter came out.. chocolate and molasses gave a wonderful impression when they showed.. whatever bourbon they used gave a wonderful impression! The flavor opened with tangy bourbon, oak, and vanilla preceding the base porter.. sweeter candy bar-like chocolates (3 Musketeers?) and coconut on the middle.. finished with more bourbon, fudge, coconut, and vanilla. Heavier-bodied and syrupy on the palate with carbonation just lightly accenting the prickly oak.. warm in the aftertaste, remniscent of finishing a glass of bourbon. Excellent stuff!

Tasted 10/9/08. 22oz bomber. Pittch brown hue with a khaki ring of head. Cocoa and woody, vanilla aromas. Smokey Bourbon aromas. Good amount of alcohol in the nostrils. Peat and vanilla. Interesting nose. Almost more Bourbon barrel than malty beer. Tight alcohol aroma. Fully bodied with a great vanilla flavor. Lotta oak supported by sweet malts. Slight coffee acidity, but the barrel aspect overshadows everything else! Solid base porter. Notes of cookies and fudge. Bourbon barrel makes this beer! Wonderful usage of the wood!

Bottle. Thin watery mouthfeel. Bourbon dominates with the porter taste hidden. Disappointed by this one.

22oz bottle - pretty sure its an 07. Darker brown color with a light head. Aroma is quite nice and woody with bourbon/vanilla undertones and a bit of chocolate. Flavor is dominated by a smooth bourbon/wood/vanilla mix that is just pure Bourbon barrel. I’ve certainly had better BA beers, but none that captured the "essence" of the barrel so well. Tasty, interesting - glad I have a few more.

Bomber with an ass load of wax on it. The bottle said 9.5% but if its 11%, ok. Shared with my gf cyn, this came via trade, with who I have no clue. Pours black with a 1 finger tan head. Bourbon Vanilla nose. Taste is roasty with big notes of bourbon. Overall pretty good.

Ah my wife. My lovey wife. Never did I mention this beer to her, never did I say "I have my eye on it." Never did I utter a sound. And yet, she knew I wanted it. One of her Father’s Day beers. She reads my beer mind. Vanilla. Oak. Bourbon. All the flavors float there for awhile in your nose before you drink. And when you drink, lovely. Like my wife.

(2006 batch #3 - 11% AVB) - Deep dark brown color - almost opaque - with a thin light-brown head. Aroma is lightly bourbon, hints of black cherries and chocolate. Flavor is alcoholic, a bit sharp - not near as good as I remember from a year ago when it came out. Age has not been kind to this beer, but more time might (hopefully) change it for the gbetter, as I still have a few bottles. Flavors of chocolate, molasses, raisins and bourbon are now veiled behind an alcoholic/twangy tartness. Too bad.

Bomber. Pours hazy dark brown with ruby lights and a lacy off-white head. Aroma and taste of sweet oaky vanilla, brown sugar, chocolate, bourbon, figs.