Valley Brew Bourbon Barrel Old Inventory Barley Wine

Brewed by Valley Brewing Company
Style: Barley Wine
Stockton, California USA

Draught at Bistro’s Barrel Aged Festival ’09. Orange-amber with some haze and a small head. The aroma is a total bourbon bomb but is very smooth and pleasing. Some sweet toffee and vanilla round it out. This beer pretty much nails how you can get a great aroma from a bourbon barrel. Very smooth blending of the barrel and base beer. The flavor is full and malty with lots of toffee and caramel, but is actually pretty restrained in sweetness (having the sample relatively cold was actually nice as this made the barrel pop more against the malt). Just enough balancing bitterness in the finish with a little oak. Very smooth overall. full bodied but not really thick. Great stuff.

On tap at the Bistro Barrel Aged Fest in Hayward, CA. Hazy, somewhat dark reddish amber color with a small off-white head. Aroma is caramel, toffee, bourbon, and fruity esters. Flavor is nice and mildly bourbony with caramel malt, toffee, wood, vanilla, slight sherry oxidative notes, and just a bit of alcohol. Medium-full body with a nice smooth mouthfeel and well-hidden ABV. Very good.

On tap at Bistro BA Fest poured a clear dfark amber with a small lingering amber head. Aromas of bourbon, oak, toffee, fruittiness and pepper. Palate was medium bodied and smooth with a dry finish. Flavors of bourbon, oak, toffee, fruittiness and light vanilla with a smooth dry lingering oak finish.

Draft at Bistro’s BA Fest! Thanks for th great beers Steve! Nose of toffee, light bourbon, caramel, and wheat toast. Clear brown with a medium tan head. Flavor is oaky vanilla and toffee. Alcohol is totally covered.

On tap at Bistro Barrel Aged Fest. Pours dark brown with a thin beige head and a sour malt aroma. There is a vinegar-like sour oak and caramel flavor with a large bourbon presence.

Draft @ Bistro Barrel Aged Festival. Pours a murky, orangish-brown color; light tan head with decent retention and patchy, fine-bubbled lacing. Slightly resigned aroma: caramel, soft creamy bourbon notes, hints of toast and paper; pleasant but not quite forward enough. Way heavier presence in the mouth: loads of charred wood, viscous tempered bourbon, nicely presented bitterness and hop character; citrus, earthy; flavorful, generous barleywine with a slightly muted approach. Lasting, lightly sweet finish of caramel, light toasty barrel, and pleasant toastiness.

(Growler, courtesy of KrausenJockey) Pours an amber-brown body with a small beige head. Aroma of vanilla, cherry, caramel, bourbon, and toffee. Flavor of caramel, roastiness, toffee, vanilla, and bourbon with some oak on the finish. Good stuff!

Tasted from the barrel at brewery. Thanks, Steve. A nice copper reddish brown with a big nose of bourbon and vanilla. Tastes of caramel, vanilla, toffee, and oak. Quite nice.