Thursday, March 23, 2017

Oliphant Tittleman's Crest Tequila-barrel aged black ale

Oliphant Brewing Tittleman's Crest.  Black Ale aged in tequila barrels. 8% ABV.

Solid blackness (though still a liquid), with a thin, brown head.

In the nose: Barrel rich. Deep and oaky. Portentous malt content, with barrel character creeping out. Chocolate and booze. Dark and massive, is what I want to say. Tequila notes haven't emerged yet, they've blended with the beer fairly well.

Now, to drink: Thick, lush, dark and delicious. Flat out delicious. Some of the tequila notes are popping up, but they're fairly covered, even smothered, by the richness of the malt. Medium-bodied, long, malty finish. Richness upon richness.

I'm skeptical of tequila barrel-aging. Not a big tequila fan. But, it worked this time. One of the tastiest beers I've had in a while.

I had to figure out where the name comes from, and it seems to be a throwaway reference to some cosmological phenomenon from a "Tim & Eric" sketch. One of many references from that show over the years.

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