One of the new trends in the beer world is to age beer in bourbon or whiskey barrels. Sometimes it works well. Sometimes it does not. Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale works.
It pours a deep copper color with a nice head but the head disappears rather quickly. The aroma is of oak and vanilla and rather enticing. There is a soft bourbon note as well. As you take your first sip you will taste the oak and vanilla followed by malt. It is sweet, dry, and deep with a slight bourbon finish.
The aftertaste is a little of bourbon and malt which can be pleasant. If you hold it on your tongue for a few second you get the taste of bourbon a little more than if you just sipped the beer. It doesn’t have a lot of carbonation. It is kind of a mellow carbonation that doesn’t overwhelm but is noticeable. It is a very dry carbonation, almost like a champagne finish as far as that dryness is concerned.
This is not a beer you start the night with and keep going. This is the kind of beer you would drink in a home library with mahogany walls and a leather chair while reading the classics. Okay, it isn’t that pretentious but it is a bit sophisticated. The vanilla and oak give this a sweet taste, almost like this should be paired with an almond cookie for dessert.
It should be known this beer comes with an 8.2% ABV and comes in four-packs. It is also fairly expensive with a four-pack running $11.99 at my local liquor store. This is definitely a beer you want to sip and enjoy the flavors. It also isn’t for every typical beer drinker. I enjoyed it though as I enjoy bourbon and beer.
You are either going to like this beer or you are going to hate it. Personally I fall under the former group and enjoy this beer, especially as a late-evening sipper. The sweet, dry, slightly carbonated beer is an excellent way to cap the night, or to relax by the fire, or sip while reading a good book.