It seems to be bourbon-barrel barley-wine season around here. Allow me to explain.
Let's see. It was barrel-aged week at Town Hall two weeks ago, and I have a growler of Twisted Trace, the Twisted Reality barley-wine aged in Buffalo Trace barrels, waiting in the fridge. I bought a 4-pack of 12 ounce bottles of the Central Waters Bourbon-barrel BW, which I tackled in the last entry. And guess what? A fine friend who I don't believe that I've ever met, who goes by "LiquorBarrel" on BeerAdvocate, responded to a thread last fall where I was looking for a trade for North Carolina beers, well, he had one for me. It was one that my traders already provided for me, but his was a year older. Score! And, better, and more generously, he also added Pelican's Mother of all Storms. Whoa! Watch for that one, soon. And these gifts finally arrived at my doorstep. Boy, do I owe him.
So, it occurs to me, man, would that make a great tasting vertical or something. Except that I can't write about beers and host a tasting. I have to have them in my lonesome, hogging them by myself for the whole sensory experience. Tastings are great, but anathema to reviews. At least for me.
So, the other OH IW BW will be saved for some future tasting. And the 2011 given to me by Mr. Liquor Barrel, that was cracked open today. And here. Come. The. Notes.
There's a story about my particular procurement of this bottle of beer…and I already told it. If there's more to the story, I'll get to it later. But, about that beer:
Burgundy-coloring, plummy, a beautiful crimson-brown. Thin, cocoa-tinged head, with a lonely island of froth in the middle. Although, on further pours, I get a rich, full tapioca-like topping. Pour right, men and ladies.
Aroma screams out of the glass from the start, blowing out bourbon-y beauty. Caramel, chocolate, vanilla. Deep oaky attributes. Cherry, plum, and raisin. Bright and bountiful. There's a rich, vast barley-wine under this blanket of bourbon barrel.
Taste: The palate is dominated from the start by a dazzling affront, a charge of fantastic flavors. Incredible malt flavors, a mix of dark fruit, and generous bourbon trappings. The vanilla and cherry, the wood and the whiskey. It's a beneficial blend, an unmoored mixing of absolute deliciousness. Major mouthfeel, fullness of body, immensity of taste. Continually sweet, but never too, always on, excellent integration.
I'll read the label now: "Irish Walker is brewed with six different malts and a blend of four classic hops. A long slow fermentation {???} and cold aging makes Irish Walker a well rounded, complex Barley Wine Ale. Irish Walker exhibits malty sweetness, fruity esters, and hoppy balance. This ale will age well for years to come, or just enjoy now in good company. Cheers!"
So, this one was aged one year plus, no thanks to me, and not enjoyed in company, thanks to me, just so I could write these words.
What more can I say?They are correct, it is a model of balance. Not too sweet, nor too hoppy, not too anything at all. Chocolate is rising into the flavor profile, to match the dark fruits, the wood, the barrel-agement, all of that. Was it the time on the bottle that tempered it? Maybe so, and if so, the 2012 bottle in my possession is going to get stashed away.
Much thanks. Mucho Gracias. More of this, and plenty more, thanks.
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