Port Brewing Older Viscosity

Brewed by Port Brewing/Lost Abbey
Style: American Strong Ale
San Marcos, California USA

Bottle from JohnC. Pour was pitch black-brown, even a little choco colored thin head on the top that fizzled quickly but left behind a nice ring, regenerable with a swirl, active carbonation in the mouthfeel later. The aroma was oaky wood, chocolate, maple, bourbon. The flavor was all of that, some molasses and licorice under there, just a wonderful BA brew, the best one I’ve had in a while, beer was actually there. Mouthfeel had a nice tingle from the carbonation and alcohol, yet this thing was a beer. Man, that finish was outstanding, perfect highlight to the whole experience. Great stuff, and thanks to John for this one! Top 50, no doubt.

375 ml bottle, from Lost Abbey with an assist by Darkelf. Pours black, opaque and thick with a smallish tan head. The aroma is roasty, with dark fruits, licorice, molasses, woody bourbon notes, vanilla, chocolate and alcohol noticible. Flavor also shows dark fruits and roasty malts, fig, fudge chocolate, bourbon, alcohol, oak, light spice and herbs - it seems a little hot still. Full body, little to no carbonation. Quite good, and I’m looking forward to seeing how this one is in a year or so.

Thanks to durhambeer for allowing this to be tasted next to my Old Viscosity. Pours a black brew that allows some light. Not as thick or cloudy as Old Vis. Coaxed a brown film of a head. The nose is very strong bourbon and oak, alcohol, sweet. The flavor was dominated by bourbon and oak, some vanilla, alcohol, sweet. I definitely enjoyed this but man it is bourbon aged and thats that. Nice warming palate.

Beyond beer... Tasted side-by-side with Old Viscosity. This is dark as hell but not nearly as murky as the Old Viscosity was and had no yeast on the bottom. Smells strongly of bourbon. Nice and sour aroma. Strong flavors of bourbon, molasses, musty oak, chocolate and vanilla. Overpowering. I split a 33oz bottle three ways and my share was almost more than I can drink. A novelty, but a good one. THANKS, rallison, for the trade!

Good...Lord... It’s not even beer anymore. This is a strange low alcohol liquor. Almost no carbonation, bourbon taste, and the extra viscous old viscosity... This is certainly a sipper...

Aroma: red wine tannins, oak barrels, some vanilla, strong alcohol notes, citrus and cherry, bourbon, butterscotch candies, maple syrup
Appearance: dark brown-->black, tan head, lacing
Flavor: coco, strong alcohol, bourbon, butterscotch, vanilla bean, dark chocolates, oak barrels, minerals, earthiness, mustiness, coffee truffle (filled candies)
Palate: very savory, nice coco/coffee truffle aftertaste. Complicatedly lovely!

375ml bottle. Pours dark brown with nearly no carbonation released, so it looks oily, vinuous, flat, etc, but after a few seconds a firm but short brown head forms and we’re back where we should be. Hugely inviting nose that balances some of the fruity malt qualities (plum, oranges, cherry tobacco) with the wood and bourbon (on the sweeter side, but not overly sweet). Flavor is the same: sweet, nearly-peppery bourbon and oak wood, with some sweet, fruity plum, brandy, lemon, orange, leafy greens (arugula?), finishing with a prickly, sweet, musky, rich, tannic and dry bourbon barrel/wood note, lasting for minutes it seems. A really, really good beer, but sweeter than it needs to be at times, and I think if were drier it would be the bee’s knees.

Bottle. Pours with a nice fluffy brown head and pitch black color. Wonderful bourbon aromas with malts in the background. Flavors are great with drak fruit, cacao and of course the bourbon that is quite strong in this one. Great smoothness, nice bitter finish offset by some of the bourbon hotness. Great beer.