Oskar Blues Dales Pale Ale (Whiskey Barrel)

Brewed by Oskar Blues Grill & Brew
Style: American Pale Ale
Lyons, Colorado USA

Appearance: Clearish, darkened amber body with a rather small, bubbly, ivory-hued head. Smell: Most notably a very strong scent of caramel candy supported by slightly lesser notes of oak, light brown sugar, vanilla, and citrus. Taste: Full maltiness with crystal, pale, and caramel, with an overall strong taste of sweet, sweet candyish caramel. Very slackened hop character overall provides a touch of citrus zest and a very dull, muted amount of remaining bitterness. This allows for the barrel qualities of vanilla, brown sugar, and the oak with its thorny tannins to really come to the fore. Warming, drying finish. Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium-low carbonation. Drinkability: A curious choice for the whiskey barrel, but, as they have already done so with most of their lineup, why not the Dale’s Pale Ale, I suppose. The time away in the barrel has added the characteristic tastes as well as really mellowed (if not entirely squelched) the hops, so the brew lost as much as it gained, really. Having said all that, it’s still an enjoyable beer.

Sampled from the bottle courtesy of Smokepot23@AleSmith’s tasting bar: Rich golden-amber color with a small, fading off-white head. Aroma is sweet and hoppy with a hint of booze. Flavor starts caramel candy sweet followed by citrus and a light dry whiskey finish. Medium body is smooth with soft carbonation.

Bottle shared by Smokepot23, thanks Joey. Pours orange with a tan head. Nose is sweet and boozy. Taste is sweet, with whisky, boozy and smooth. Like whisky beer hybrid.

ummmm... all I can taste is barrel. A bit of nutty malt. Tasty, but, the barrel took over, less time next time guys.

On draft at Capones. Pours a light rusty amber with a medium beige head. Aroma of citrus, hops and caramel. Taste of citrus, caramel notes, light vanilla and oak.

Ah, whisky dick. Like the Gordon, the whisky kills most of the hops. Still interesting. Surprisingly more thin bodied than it’s daddy. More like beer-flavored whisky than anything. Not bad, but one pint of this is enough.

Golden color with some light bourbon and oak in an otherwise floral/citrus hoppy aroma. Flavor has some bourbon and vanilla with faded hops and sweet malt. Not bad, just not a great candidate for barrel aging.

Poured a lightly hazy, amber color with a small, off white head that left light lacing on the glass. Aroma of citrus fruits, pine, floral hops, vanilla, oak, bourbon, vanilla, and grass. Taste of pine, citrus fruits, caramel malts, grass, vanilla, and a grapefruit / alcohol finish.