Tyranena Bourbon Barrel Spank Me Baby! Barley Wine

Brewed by Tyranena Brewing
Style: Barley Wine
Lake Mills, Wisconsin USA

Name: Spank Me Baby with Wood
Date: 08/07/2008
Mode: Draft
Source: Brewery

Appearance: muddy burnt orange, wispy dirty white head, streaks of drippy lace,
Aroma: sweet caramel and vanilla aroma, touch of bourbon, touch of fruityness,
Flavor: sweet dark caramel malt flavor, lots of oaky character balances the sweetness, light bitterness rises out of the oak, touch of hot caramel, sticky sweetness comes and goes, bourbon is present but not over the top, fatuges after a while,

Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 8/10; Palate: 7/10; Overall: 17/20
Rating: 4/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: ***+/4

On tap at the Great Taste of the Midwest (8/9/08): Clear copper bronze with a thin, wispy-lacing off-white head. Aroma of sweet caramely bourbon and a touch of butterscotch. Body starts fairly full and sweet with good assertive bourbon notes and sweet caramel balance. Well aged and enjoyable.

2006 version on tap at the brewery - Spank Me Baby with Wood. Dark golden to amber in color. Small tight head. Aromas of light fruit, caramel, oak, and mild bourbon vanilla. Full round sweet malt flavors in the front, with oak, bourbon, light fruit, and vanilla in the background. Hints of alcohol with a light warmth on the throat. A really nice barley wine. One meant to have on the porch on a cool evening or in front of a fire on a cold winter day. Age has smoothed this one.

On draught at the brewery’s taproom in Lake Mills, Wisconsin. Pours a hazy amber brew with a fast dissolving creamy beige head that quickly dissipates to a thin off-white head with some film swirl top. Aroma is quite complex of powdered caramel malt, sweet bourbon, dark pitted fruits, some raisins, brown sugar and a touch of coconut. Taste is extraordinary smooth and creamy, medium bodied with hardly no carbonation. Flavors is just as complex as its aroma with more chalky caramel flavors, vanilla, plenty of bourbon, brown sugar and even a little molasses. Finish has an alcohol warmness that is refreshing and enjoyable. Happy to have the chance to try this one fresh at the brewery.

Tap. Pours to a hazy amber mahogany body with a dense thin ring of white head. The aroma is sweet toffee, subtle green/yellow apples, aged malt, and light vanilla. The flavor is sweet malts, toffee, sweet yellow apples, notes of strawberries, lots of wood, and vanilla. The palate had a nice carbonation and warming back-end w/o the fusels. I was told this is 13%.

Draft @ Tyranena, 2006 vintage. Pours a murky, orange-brown color; light-tan head with fine-bubbled lacing. Very dense and generous aroma, showing chewy sweet bourbon notes, toasty vanilla, butterscotch, and maple syrup; reasonably soft edges on this, with earthy and citrus bitterness; solid, rounded nose. Medium-to-full mouthfeel: lots of chewy, toasty bourbon notes from the beginning: charred wood, dried dark fruits, with touches of butterscotch and sweet vanilla; well-hidden alcohol, with a solid perimeter of spicy, citrus hop bitterness; solid, softly-aged barrel beer; the earthiness and hops beneath remain apparent. Lengthy finish: long earthy and spicy bitterness, toasty, charred wood, with some dried orange peel present with vanilla at the far end.

on tap at GTMW ’08. pours murky amber no head. oxidized malt aroma, caramel, bourbon, rye. flavor is oxidized caramel, tobacco, bourbon, a bit sweet doughy. pretty good and a lot better than the regular version.

On tap at the Brewery. Served in a shaker for $4. Wow I was surprised to see this on tap. The brewer said they found this one in a back cooler and also it was limited to two glasses a day. I see why. Pours a murky red brown with a thin head that quickly fades. Nose is dominated by aged malts and fruits. Toffee, caramel, dark fruits, cherries, bourbon, brown sugar, and lots of plums. Smooth slightly creamy palate. The brown sugars and aged malts are the first flavors with a balancing act of the plums, cherries, dark fruit, bourbon, and toffee. Some alcohol and vanilla warms around the edges. Really tasty and really drinkable. Everything I like about an aged barleywine. Well done.