On Tap at Great Taste. Redish amber color. Smell of malt, light bluberries, little oak, vanilla and minor bourbon. This was one of the BA ones that had the weakest smell of bourbon all day! Taste of tart/sour bluberries, malt, oak, vanilla, toasted bread, cardboard and bourbon. It was sweet and actually refeshing as the Great Taste came to an end.

On tap at brewery

I hit Tyranena on a moderately busy Friday night to give this beer a try. I hope it makes an appearance at the Great Taste of the Midwest so more people can be exposed to it. It’s an interesting experiment in styles - part fruit beer and part brown ale.

Aroma / Appearance - The glass came filled with a deep brown body that was moderately transparent. A one finger head graced the top for a few minutes. Oak, blueberries and funk are the primary scents but a little concentration reveals the brown ale base. It’s subtle but evident, providing a nice compliment to the fruitiness.

Flavor / Palate - The first sip tastes much like a standard brown ale (simple and dry). Shortly after that the fruitiness begins to unfold in the form of oak and blueberries. The tart dryness of the ’lambic’ is offset by the tealike characteristics of the brown ale. It is very drinkable - you can either take your time or down it quickly, whichever is your preference. If Dogfish Head were to release this I’d expect them to call it "Brown and Blue". My overall impression is like a blend of iced tea and blueberry Izze.

On draught at the brewery’s taproom in Lake Mills, Wisconsin. Pours a clear dark cola caramel brew with a fast dissolving off-white head that leaves behind a bubbly ring. Aroma of spritzy sour cherry, sour berries, vanilla with a touch of brown sugar, and toasted malt. Taste is sweet, medium bodied, lots of carbonation, aged oak with a sweet bourbon secondary flavor. Finish is smooth, slightly tart with a sweet bourbon aftertaste. Brewmaster informed me that only two barrels were made and is available only at the brewery taproom.

On tap at Tyranena. Poured a deeper brownish / amber color with a small sized off white head. Aromas of funkiness, leather, wood, trace of vanilla, and blueberries. Tastes of wood, the same funkiness, and blueberries (some blueberry muffins). The blueberries where there, but not overpowering. Starts out lightly sweet and ends lightly tart. The barrel aging was done nicely (it wasn’t over powering and added to both the armoas and flavors nicely). I really liked this one and its a shame I couldn’t get a Growler of it!

Dark copper color with a hint of garnet. Small white head that settles quite quickly to a small ring of bubbles about the edge of the glass. Aromas of light dough, dry malts, faint oak, grape skins, mild blueberries and cherries. Lightly toasted malt flavors coupled with oak, and a sweet-sour zip. I don’t catch much bourbon, more oak than anything. Only a slight sourness that seems to remind me of peach pits. Certainly drinkable and light in feel. I’d have no problem with a few of these on a hot summer day.