The Bruery Bois

I sort of yawned through the last couple bourbon barrel beers I tried. Can one from The Bruery continue with this trend? I sure hope not. Let's find out.

The Bruery Bois, (pronounced: "Bwah")Anno 2013 Anniversary, 100% Ale Aged in Bourbon Barrels. CONTAINS ALCOHOL. (Good to know.) The Bruery, Placentia, CA. Orange County, CA. Alc. 15% by Vol. (Eeep!) And a lot of teeny, teeny type. I'll try to read it later.

We have a murky magenta look here, muddy, dusky brown that nears purplish. Slim tan head that slips down swiftly.

Let's smell it, already. Whiskey wakes you right up with this one. But there's lots of complexity below. Much richness. Vanilla and cherry, with cocoa tints and some molasses. Sweetness, a whiff of smoke, plenty of wood character, and a ton of balance. Starts intense and forceful, but begins to mellow in the mouth.

Let's taste this sucker: Big-time bourbon flavoring in this massive ale. Here'a a beer that needs a water back. Large showing of fig, date, raisin, other dark fruits. Fullest body, low bitterness, moderate sweetness, woody character. Some charcoal,

"This sturdy beer marks our fifth anniversary and we are grateful for the outpouring of community. Together may our supporters, our brewery, and this beer grow in complexity and refinement over the years."

Lovely sentiment, but that didn't tell me all that much. The back label copy doesn't deliver on the details, either, except that it calls it an "old ale." Well, there's something. One big-ass, bourbon-y old ale. Yum-alicious, I says.

This one does buck that trend, as there is great flavor and complexity beyond the effects of the barrel.