Town Hall Double Oak Bruin

Town Hall Double Oak Bruin.
8.6 % ABV. Belgian Strong Dark Ale aged in bourbon and wine barrels.
Minneapolis Town Hall Brewery, Minneapolis, MN.

It was (still is) Barrel Aged Week again at Town Hall, and things went a little differently this time. Sure, there's still great new barrel-aged offerings along with the favorites of years past, but I'm thinking of the way growlers were sold. The tickets for growlers went on sale on the Sunday one week before the event began, not the morning of the day before. I'm not sure why that was, but when I stopped in on the Monday that the event began, this week, not a single beer had sold out. I went in on Friday, and only one had been completely spoken for. In all, I took home four growlers, probably the most I've ever bought in one week, all completely new beers to the Nib. Maybe I'll return for a few more, while we're at it? Why not, indeed.

But, let's kick it off with this beer, which I have not even sampled before.

Dark ebony shade, full opacity, short-lived whitish head.

In the nose: Bold, brash, funky and fruity. Wine barrel spilling out everywhere, with bourbon limping behind. Oak and vanilla touches. The Belgian brown hides in the background.

In the mouth: Red wine tannins blast the palate and splatter all about with tart fruity flavors. In time, other flavors emerge from beneath the fruit, chocolate and caramel come crawling from under. A little vanilla, a bit more oak. Getting stronger and sharper as go further. Cherries and maple are also popping up. The Belgian brown beneath holds it down with aplomb, but it's individual flavors are outshone by the barrel's contributions. At turns sweet, sharp, and tart, this effort from the barrel-aging masters keeps the palate twisting and turning. The alcohol rises, the feeling of well-being grows. Flavors of wine and bourbon take turns providing interplay. Cherry and grape, oak and whiskey, deep and sweet, rich and delicious. Nice one.

Inspired by the many wine cask finished bourbons in the market today, this is the perfect blend of both bourbon and wine barrel aged beers. Using two very different oak barrels creates a beer that offers aromas that may resemble fudge, chocolate, red berries, vanilla, buttery caramel, and maple sugar.