Upstream Barrel-Aged Belgian Brown

Appearance: Pours a hazed, walnut brown body with a thin, short-lived, off-white head. Smell: Rich-smelling aroma that’s simply alive with notes of caramel, chocolate, jammy red wine, soil-covered wood, plums, and discarded cherry skins. Mmm-mm! Taste: Pleasant initial maltiness tasting of heavily toasted bread crusts smothered in dark caramel and bittersweet chocolate with a medium-low sweetness. Then up springs a lightly tart, lightly tannic red wine character blanketed in a rich woody earthiness. A touch lactic throughout. Towards the end, the beer gets an injection of fruitiness and rebounding tastes of caramel and cocoa. Finishes modestly dry. Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium-low carbonation. Drinkability: Excellent stuff, this BA-BB. It’s one of the most compelling wine barrel-aged beers you’ll likely find and one, sadly, I doubt more than a handful of people will get to experience. Hopefully Upstream will consider revisiting this one from time to time. **210 days and it still breaks my heart I’m the only guy on here to have tried this.**