Shorts Bourbon Barrel Sustenance Black Beer

Brewed by Shorts Brewing Co.
Style: Schwarzbier
Bellaire, Michigan USA

I didn’t find this especially compelling up against other great barrel aged beers. The palate is a bit thin--perhaps the choice of schwarzbier as against porters and stouts--and the flavors, while quite good, don’t have the same complexity. Bottle shared at RBSG 2009 grand tasting.

Pre MiBGF taste at northernbrews, thanks Jeff: Basically opaque with a creamy head and spotty lace. The aroma has notes of bourbon (oak, vanilla, alcohol), chocolate and heavy roasted black malts, hint of lactic acid and brett, nutty. The taste has a nice fruity start with toasty and nutty malt profile before heading off towards a acidic finish and oak undertones. The mouth feel is lush and oily, dry finish. Outstanding balance and complexity, show the Schwarzbier character without overpowering Bourbon flavors.

22oz bottle purchased at brewery 7/2/09-Pours a dark brown/light black with a small tan head. Aroma of bourbon, chocolate, and coffee. Taste of bourbon, chocolate, vanilla, and alcohol. This medium bodied beer starts off a bit bland then the flavors kick in making it a quite tasty beer.

Bottle shared by GoT @ otakudens Vero Beach Throwdown. Pours black with tan head. Aromas of roasted malts, vanilla, oak and a touch of boubon. Flavors of roasted malts, bourbon, vanilla and oak with a slight sourness. Full body with minimal carbonation.

Thanks to GoT. Dark brown color and tan head. Very big bourbon aroma. Also has a molasses character. Taste is of roasted malts and bourbon. Very nice.

RBSG09 bottle at the grand tasting. Pours dark amber brown with a beige head. Epic aroma, lots of bourbon obviously but also dark fruits, bananas, and chocolate. Flavor is roasty and chocolatey with some tart bourbon, vanilla, and a woody dry finish.

Courtesy GoT. Pours a dark brown almost cola like color with a small and foamy tan colored head. The aroma shows dark chocolate, spices, oak, and some sour mash bourbon. The flavor follow suit with the dark chocolate and spices up front then followed by a lot more sour mash bourbon. The oak imparts a nice vanilla flavor to round things out and smooth over the sour mash. The body is substantial with ample carbonation leading to a dry, cocoa finish. This is a really nice take on a schwarzbier.

Another bonus bottle from mbirder. Way to rep the MI, my man. Really strange beer, but Shwartzbiers certainly deserve barrel treatment as this one proves. Nose is probably the best scent I have come across in a BA selection: nice round bourbon, vanilla, fruity wood, spice, light banana from the base beer, roast. Flavors of the same with wheat and light grains showing up and milk chocolate. The finish is sudden and belies the thinness of the base beer which kind of separates the end from the big beginning. However, as roasty and fulfilling as most stouts in the world.