Ommegang Double Barrel Dubbel

Ommegang Double Barrel Dubbel. "Velvety. Smooth. Majestic." Belgian-style dubbel ale brewed with spices. Aged in brandy and bourbon barrels. 

9.9% ABV. 20 IBU. Brewery Ommegang, Cooperstown, NY. 

Clouded, burgundy hued, slim, brief, magenta-toned head.

In the nose: Boom! Wow! Fruit at first, then the barrels, brandy takes hold, bourbon creeps in, cherries, vanilla, oak, caramel, and a dubbel lurks below. Mmm. Ah.

In the mouth: Grape, berries, cocoa, caramel, bittersweet. Alcohol starts in early and stays strong. Boom, boom, boom, boom! A few more sips in and the dubbel below (how I miss Ommegang Abbey Ale!) reveals itself, that special Special B malt character that I adore. Fruity, nutty, chocolatey, and all things Belgian, all at once. Bit of molasses. The very definition of Yum a Dum Dum. Rich, luxurious, delicious, complex, and ...just, damn. 

Unfortunately, this is my last bottle. I may have to leave the safety of the retail store where I currently work and look for some establishment that still has some. It's just the best. Wow meets wow. 

This luxurious brew begins with a big, beautiful Abbey Dubbel which then heads to our cellar, where it's gracefully aged for six months in a mix of bourbon and brandy casks. This blend of barrels adds an additional layer of flavor and complexity to what is already an incredibly layered drinking experience. The result is a beer worthy of slow-sipping, and deep contemplation. A beautiful fusion of dark fruit, caramel, molasses, and bourbon. Sip and enjoy, but be warned, Double Barrel Dubbel may result in a spiritual awakening. 

Sisyphus Brandy Barrel-aged Weeliam Wallace Wee Heavy

Sisyphus Brandy Barrel-aged Weeliam Wallace Wee Heavy.
9 % ABV. Sisyphus Brewing, Minneapolis, MN.

Rich, mahogany-hued, slim head.

In the nose: the brandy and the booze comes spilling out. Barrel business covers over everything else.

In the mouth: Bigness upon bigness. Sweetness, thick maltiness, flavors upon flavors. Big bad brandy barrel smothers all, covering an otherwise big beer. Caramel and toffee all over the place. Altogether delicious. Mmm, mmm, mmm.

Needless to say, I'm liking this immensely.

O'so Goldilock's Revenge Brandy Barrel Imperial Stout

O'so Goldilock's Revenge Brandy Barrel Imperial Stout. 10.8 % ABV. O'so Brewing, Plover, WI. Smoked Imperial Stout aged in Oak Brandy Barrels.

O'so Brewing has not appeared here in the Nib in seven years. When I visit Wisconsin to buy beer, I must be passing them over for other things. But now they are self-distributing to Minnesota, and I got some samples, all totally new to me. According to the rep, they're only bringing out the best stuff, not the cores. Sound fine by me. Let's start with this one.

Absolute blackness in the glass, complete opacity, slim brown ring on top.

In the nose: Brandy barrel's busting out all over. Big-boned and boozy. Substantial sweetness. Rich and alcoholic. Impressively expressive.

In the mouth: Massive malt, rich, slightly bitter, excessively dry. Barrel aged expresses itself exceptionally. Hot, hot, hot, and bursting at the seams. Dark, decadent, charred and smokey. Immense. Almost dangerous. Fairly impressive.

Goldilocks' Revenge? She ate their food, wrecked their furniture, slept in their beds, invaded their home....and she's taking "revenge" on the bears? In most tellings of the tale, she escapes and lives unscathed. Again, what's she taking revenge on? Their ire at having their home invaded, the privacy destroyed, their sacred sanctum desecrated? The Bears were innocent!

Our imperial stout aged in brandy barrels for five months. This beer symbolizes the fight that small breweries have to go through in order to get established in a market poisoned with greedy distributors, corporate idealism and fat cats with deep pockets. The small guy can still survive if they have enough true grit and work ethic. Feel the anger.

The O’so Extreme Beer series is our take on very limited production wood aged fine beers. These ultra premium beers are released only when we feel they are ready, and not a minute sooner. Some of them age for months, some of them years. Some of these will never be made again, some of them might be. We are always working on new Extreme Beers.

There's more on the label. "Anyone can become angry. That is easy. But to be angry with the right person, to the right degree, at the right time, for the right purpose and in the right way...that is not easy."--Aristotle.

None of that has anything to do with Goldilocks and the Three Bears!

Deschutes Brandy Barrel Abyss

Deschutes Brandy Barrel Abyss. Imperial Stout brewed with black strap molasses, licorice, cherry bark, and whole vanilla beans, 100% aged in brandy barrels for 12 months. Deschutes Brewery, Bend, OR. 13.3% ABV.

Complete blackness in the glass, with a tight ring of toasted brown foam on top.

In the nose: Chocolate, caramel, smoke, ash, anise. Roots and bark. Molasses, tobacco and leather. Dirty boots and coffee and soot. Campfire cocoa. Whoa.

In the mouth: Starts dark, rich, chocolatey and dense, and only gets muckier from there. Sweet, boozy, complex as heck. So many things lurking on the palate, getting it messy. Almost an overload. Alcohol hangs high in this one, though I don't get this distinct flavor of brandy in it. All the incredible flavors keep coming back, sip after glorious sip.  Damn. That is to say, Day-yum. And, mmm, hmm.

Crazy indulgent, crazy delicious. Goes well beyond anything else. I'm gazing straight into that Abyss. It gazes back. We're cool.

To celebrate the 11th anniversary of The Abyss we’ve bottled a 100% Brandy barrel-aged version for you to enjoy. This is a remarkably limited release so if you see it, grab a snifter on tap and a bottle (or two)!

Released December 2016

I am glad that I grabbed it when I saw it, but not entirely if it was worth $30-some. Almost. The brandy character wasn't as commanding. Despite what the brewer said:

Warm, smooth, sweet dried fruit and vanilla complement a commanding Brandy character.