The Bruery Melange #3

Brewed by The Bruery
Style: American Strong Ale
Placentia, California USA

Draught at The Bruery’s anniversary. Dark brown with a small beige head. Rich wood, bourbony, burnt sugars, creme brulee, caramel, and light alcohol aromas. Flavors of chocolate, molasses, burnt sugar, caramel, light wood, bourbon, smooth alcohol and light berry fruitiness, with a rich boozy and sweet finish. Full bodied and sticky with smooth carbonation. For how big this is, it drinks very smoothly, a trait it shares with most of their big beers. Still a bit too sweet for me to love. While it is intense and complex, it just lacked a certain cohesiveness.

on tap at EBF. Dark brown in color with a small tan head. Strong aroma of bourbon, chocolate, dark fruit, alcohol. Taste has chocolate, dark fruit, bourbon, oak, molasses, brown sugar, raisins. Alcohol is prevalent in the finish. Big and coating, this was a nice strong ale.

Growler, via puzzl. Pours a very dark brown body with a bit of a reddish tinge. Nice tight bubbled creamy brown head that retained as a thin covering. The nose is a battle between the dark fruits and bourbon. Stewed prunes, roast, vanilla, bourbon, raisins, a touch of alcohol, lots of complexity here. Same with the flavor, sweet and raisiny with a roasty balance, noticeable but not overpowering alcohol, lots of vanilla, oak tannins, plum, and candied fruits. Long lingering finish. Mouthfeel is full and thick with light prickly carbonation that cuts the sticky texture some. It does get a bit clingy on the finish. This stuff was scary drinkable for this high of an ABV. I had no idea when I started drinking this that it was 15%, I drank 2/3 of a growler before I looked here and saw it. I don’t remember deciding to go to bed that night! This beer might be the cure for Imperial Stout lovers that are burnt out on Imperial Stouts.

On tap at the Bruery. I wish I could try the other two melanges, but oh well, this is 3 beers in one. What a great aroma. Thick dark figgy fruits, malts, molasses. Thick creamy tan head. Lots of alcohol that blends prefectly with the sweetness. Very, very good, but a sample is plenty for me...Now onto more Cuvee Juene.

On tap at the brewpub. Noses strong fresh ruby bourbon and bridled with a bit of carameled apple sugar. A certain depth of darker sugars develops fast, but fades quickly. Wafting. Pours a dark black-brown and a fringe in brown, not much head. Flavor is strong, strong. There’s a ton of fresh, bright bourbon, followed with a ton of oak char, heavy barrel and dry woody oak. Then a soft, potentially complex sugar develops. I can’t draw much from it, because I feel the toothpick, dry-woody oak tannins really overriding the beer. Too much alcohol and just too strong. I can’t get into any of the blended malt complexity with some much harsh, nasal-burning oak alcohols overriding. Not my favorite.

Incredible beer. Beautiful notes of bourbon, vanilla, chocolate, molasses and caramelized sugar. The flavor follows suit and is incredibly complex and balanced. Dark fruits. Rich, but easy to drink. The wheatwine part of the blend seems to really soften the body and mellow this rich, strong beer. Way too easy to drink for 15%. You can taste the alcohol, but it integrates very well with everything else that is going on. One of the best beers I’ve had for a while. Highly recommended.

Poured at the Bruery tasting room. Aroma: Strong whiffs of bourbon, molasses, caramel, brown sugar and turbinado sugar. Appearance: Rootbeer brown,no head. Flavor: Heavenly flavors of brown sugar, roasted malts, chocolate, bourbon, graham chracker crust. Palate: Thick yet not as thick as others of the same caliber, Overall: Blows away even Bourbon County Stout.

Draft @ BSAF 2009. Pours dark brown with a small tan head. Aromas of whiskey, over the top bourbon, oak, caramel, vanilla and coconut. Flavors of sweet whiskey and malts up front, fruits, caramel, toffee, and oak. Good stuff and one of my favorites of the night.