Sprecher Bourbon Barrel Scotch Style Ale

The color is dark cherrywood copper red. Smooth puffy head that slowly dwindles. Cloudy like dark cherry juice. Really impressive look. The smell is a sweetish but grainy malt, as if sauteed over wood chips. There is a bit of a musty funnk. Could be a little stronger. The flavor is a major smoky chipotle tanginess. A second-sip blast of sweet caramel and bitter coffee. Smoky and tangy and pungent. Mellows a ton as it warms, but real real good. Feel is thick and chewy. It’s milky but smooth and nicely bodied. Leaves a lasting mark. It’s sweet and yet bitter. Smoky and caramel. An excellent brew.

One liter bottle via trade with tytoanderso some time ago - Pours a clear brown color with a 3/4 finger thick light tan head. Light cabonation and lacing. Aroma is toasted malt, dark esters, and oak. Flavor is much of the same with the addition of some vanilla. The esters linger on the palate along with a little oak/bourbon. Mouthfeel is a little thinner than I expected. I probably should have drank this last year. Oh well, it’s still good. Thanks Tyler.

2007 Vintage

10/03/2009: Sprecher Scotch-Style Ale aged in Oak Bourbon Barrels... Aroma: Caramel with more than a tinge of something sour or similar to green apple; I am a bit worried... Appearance: Deep, cloudy amber color; frothy and creamy deep beige crown, lasting. Flavor: Hmmm... This is a hint of oak with the underlying flavors of the regular Pipers peaking out here and there, but an unusually sweet but strange blend of sour/apple/cheese seems to dominate; not much finish as the beer drops off quite quickly right after swallowing; I don’t get any of the sweet caramel malts and deeply caramelized smokiness that should be found in a Scotch Ale. Palate: Medium-full to full; thick, but very smooth and creamy; seems to thin out a bit as it breathes. Overall: Very disappoininting; not sure if this beer was never very good or just didn’t age well (was there a bug or something in the barrel that has now ruined this beer 2+ years later?); the regular Sprecher Pipers Scotch-Style Ale is tons better, cheaper, and somewhat easier to find...

1 liter flip-top bottle (9.5% Alc. by Vol.) from Jungle Jim’s International Market in Fairfield, Ohio. Rating #92 for this beer.

Blind tasting at Papsø’s
Hazy dark amber color. Malty aroma, with vanilla oak. Woody caramel flavor, dryish, but mostly alcoholic, with an underlying sourness. The final is quite dry, still with traces of vanilla, with a lightly astringency. A bit too chaotic.

Bottle 100cl. @ Papsoes blindtasting. [ Bottle #5. ]
Hazy medium to dark amber color with a small to average, creamy to frothy, fair lacing, fully diminishing, off-white to beige head. Aroma is moderate to heavy malty, caramel, vintage malt, dark berry, raisin, wood, bourbon - alcohol, light licorice. Flavor is moderate to heavy sweet and bitter with a long duration. Body is medium, texture is oily to watery, carbonation is soft, finish feel is moderate alcoholic. [20090612]

#05 - Amerikaner Blind-Smagning 12-Jun-2009 hos Papsoe. Bottle. Clear red/brown - whhite head. Caramel, sweetness, kareklud, fruity, roasted, raisins, sharpness, carrot, butterscotch, light sourness, rubber, light smokey notes, alcoholic.

Bottled. An unclear brown beer with a thin orangey head. The aroma is malty combined with notes of over ripe fruits, alcohol, and berries. The flavor is sweet with notes of malt, over ripe fruits, and alcohol. Thanks Papsoe for sharing.