Rock Bottom Chicago Barrel-Aged Brown Bear Brown

Brewed by Rock Bottom Chicago
Style: Brown Ale
Chicago, Illinois USA

Had this on tap back in November at the brewery. Usually I like to rate from my notes fairly quickly but I never got around to this one. Here is what my notes said: Dark ruby that is clear, little to no head. Nose is strong with alcohol vapors some vanilla and cream. Taste is strong upfront with a big bourbon push with wod and som grains. Hops are present mostly in the back smothered in vanilla. Quite good.

On tap at Brewery. First I should admit that I am a huge sucker for any beer aged in bourbon barrels, so I’ll apologize ahead of time if the review is a little biased... Dark body with minimal head. Bourbon is very pronounced with wonderful cherry and vanilla notes. Not to overpowering, just very pleasant. The watery body carried well balanced, mild caramel malts and sweet chocolate noted before the bourbon alcohol bite hits, and stick til the finish. The brown-roasted malts mix in with the bourbon flavors until the beer is finished by a nice mix of bourbon and hops. I found this to be among the more complex of the bourbon-aged beers I have tasted.

A dark brown ale with a thin moka head. A wonderful aroma of wood, vanilla, chocolate and warming alcohol. In mout, a silky molasses and vanilla, warming alcohol, nuts, a bit lighter than expected, but overall, a nice offering. On tap at brewpub, May 17 2009.
Earlier Rating: 12/30/2005 Total Score: 3.3
Murky deep brown with a light moka head. Vanilla beans and light chocolate notes in aroma. In mouth, vanilla beans come out well, with woody nutty notes, and light hops. Light alcohol warmth comes out as beer warms up. Rather watery mouthfeel. On tap at RB, Nov. 12, 2005.

Fobab VI. As B to the 5. Pours a reddish brown with small offwhite head. Nose is particularly sweet, with a kiss of roastiness, not really coffee, but grain. Vanilla and chocolate jumps out as well. Compared to previous reviews, Pete must be doing something different because I found this one to use less of the bourbon character to build on and more of a strong base beer. A roastiness comes through and holds its own against the oak. Pretty nice stuff.

Chicago. Mostly opaque with some lighter mahogany accents. A creamy, thin tan head retracts to marshmallow lace. Creamy mocha wafts and Dutch chocolate frozen custard are accentuated by a vibrant Jim Beam edge. Some caramel ribbons curse through the nose along with toffee bars and cool milk chocolate. Flavor’s farce is somewhat separated, with the bourbon barrel riding it out. Cool, easy pass hits at a light mocha fluff, elevated to nearly a chocolate torte status. Modest carbonation, and, as it undergoes its temperature-warming sequence, the flavor pulls further away from the already distant chocolate covered hazelnuts and chocolate covered mocha beans. Separated, thinning finish with trace elements of mocha chocolate chips. The barrel is the beer.

sample on tap. brown with good head. mild hop aroma with nice sweet malts and brown sugar. taste of nice candied dark fruits, clean hop presense, and good finish. pretty good.

Draught at the brew pub. Dark brown, nearly opaque, with orange around the edges. Head was off white and laced the snifter it was served in. Smelled mostly of oak and bourbon with some chocolate in the background. Medium bodied with milk chocolate, bourbon, and oak flavors. Bourbon dominated. Thick and rich with a kick.

FoBAB 2006: Dark Brown in color with a small off-white head. Sweet chocolate and bourbon in the aroma. Sweet flavors as well chocolate roasted, bourbon, oaky and earthy. Balanced a little better than I would have expected, but still just because you put something in a bourbon barrel doesn’t mean you have a great beer.