Oskar Blues Gordon (Whiskey Barrel)

Brewed by Oskar Blues Grill & Brew
Style: Imperial/Double IPA
Lyons, Colorado USA

GABF 2007. A hazy pale golden beer with a thick beige head. The aroma is sweet with primary notes of whiskey, but also lighter notes of over ripe fruit. The flavor is sweet malt with lots og whiskey and alcohol, the latter burning slightly and warming the cheeks, it also has notes of caramel.

Draught at the brewpub. Hazy orange coloureed with a medium sized off white ehad. Aroma of malts, caramel, dried fruits and whisky with notes of hops. Fruity flavour of caramel, dried fruits and bourbon with notes of cocoa and alcohol. Warming alcoholic finish of whisky.

Name: Gordon, Oak Aged
Date: March 10, 2007
Mode: Draft
Source: Brick Store Pub
Appearance: opaque orange, lasting creamy cream colored head, thick lace
Aroma: sweet grapefruit aroma arives before you pick up the glass, a hint of vanilla brings out the sweetness in the citrus, as it warms the oak aroma blossoms
Body: creamy body
Flavor: very creamy and smooth sweet caramel malt flavor with an abundance of hop flavor, an oaky aspect blends in nicely with the hop flavor and lasts through a long bitter finish, just a hint of vanilla in the background, the oak really complements the normal sticky sweetness to bring it in balance with the hops while still retaining some of the stickyness, perfect bitterness level

Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 8/10; Flavor: 8/10; Palate: 7/10; Overall: 17/20
Rating: 4/5.0
Drinkability: 8/10
Score: **4

Name: Gordon, Bourbon
Date: June 19, 2007
Mode: Hand Bottled
Source: Brick Store Pub
Appearance: opaque rusty brown
Aroma: sweet caramel malt aroma with lots of sweet hops and light oak
Body: sticky sweet body
Flavor: the caramel and bourbon combine to create a perfectly balanced sweet malt flavor base, lots of sticky sweet pine blends with the malt, a hint of vinally brings out more sweetness
Overall: a pleasant surprise as I expected a bourbon IPA to be overwhelmed by the bourbon but this one balances nicely

Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 8/10; Palate: 9/10; Overall: 16/20
Rating: 4/5.0
Drinkability: 8/10
Score: **4

Name: Gordon, Whiskey
Date: November 02, 2008
Mode: Draft
Source: Bric

On Tap at the Oskar Blues Brewery, Longmont 23/09/2009 Whisky and vanilla aromas. Some carbonation. Amber coloured strong in alcohol and smooth on the palate with a little bitterness and dryness in a full malt finish.

(Draught) Pours a hazy amber body with a medium off-white head. Aroma of oak, vanilla, citrus, and caramel. Flavor of bourbon, oak, citrusy hops, and lightly toasted malt.

On tap. Poured a deeper and cloudy / muddy amberish color with an averaged sized frothy off white head. Aromas of whiskey, woody, pine, vanilla, and some caramel. Tastes of whiskey, wood/oak, vanilla, citrus, sugary, and caramel. I liked this one.

On tap at the Brick Store on 3/8/07 (Oak-Aged Gordon): Pours a transparent deep copper orange with a large, well-lacing frothy off-white head. Big, fresh, piny hoppy aroma has some sweet caramel malty notes with a nice, fresh, earthy, woody oaky presence with a touch of vanilla. Body starts with a nice light malty sweetness, good resiny hop flavor and the perfect balance of oak flavor with a slight hint of vanilla bourbon. Very drinkable with nice complexity. Finishes drier, crisp and bittersweet and hides the alcohol well. Much better than the regular version.

Draft at Max’s. Slightly cloudy golden orange colored body with a 1-inch off-white (almost pink) head. Fruity and sugary hops tasted, mostly in the back since up front it’s this doughy, bready buttery whiskey flavor that doesn’t really do anything for me. However, the whiskey qualities are quite light, same as in the whisky Ten FIDY. A little too buttery in the nose, and of course the whisky-flavored butter notes only get more pronounced as the glass reaches room temperature. Can’t say I was impressed by this one.