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2005 Bottle 80 / 222, Sampled January 2008
This is the barrel aged beer of Alesmith's that I have wanted to try most. As I pop the cap only a touch of gas escapes. A vigorous pour can't do much but summon a thin, very large bubbled, bit of froth that doesn't completely cover the top of the beer. The beer itself is a dark, brownish-amber color and shows an opaque, hazy, dark ruby / deep red color when held up to the light. Aromas of Bourbon are quite apparent as I pour this brew; upon further inspection the Bourbon is still the most noticed part of the aroma. Aromatic notes of vanillin, butterscotch, spicy oak and alcohol, almost a cola like barrel / malt note and a rich, deeply caramelized character that is contributed by both the bourbon barrel char and the malt are all evident in the nose. Underneath these notes is a deep, if subtle, dark, caramelized fruit character that just sort of melts into the buttery oak and vanillin notes. Despite being so Bourbon barrel dominated the aroma is actually quite smooth and seemingly well integrated; it does not come off as boozy in the least.

Very lightly carbonated, but not flat, the beer is fairly sweet up front. This rich, sweetness makes me think of a vanilla infused dark fruit compote made up of raisins, prunes, figs, berries and a light cherry note. Through the middle the beer starts to pick up a bit more of the Bourbon and barrel notes, which, by the time the beer has left my mouth, have become a dominating, spicy mix of warm Bourbon, piquantly spicy oak, a touch of salty peat, lightly phenolic smoke and alcohol. This lingering flavor doesn't quite disappear until one takes another sip and lets the beer rest on the tongue to soak in the concentrated, rich, sweet malt and caramelized notes. Rich caramel malts, flavors of melted brown sugar and dark toffee add to the complexity here. Thick and chewy, the beer rests on the palate with a slightly sticky heft that is just barely offset by the minimal carbonation; the beer has about the same level of carbonation of a draught real ale, which actually sort of works with this beer as much of the chewy, rich malt notes are offset by the spicy oak / bourbon notes. Sometimes with the minimal carbonation it can even seem a bit thin, but ultimately the texture of this beer is just quite nice.

I must admit that I like the regular version of this beer a bit better, but that is typically the case for me. I just think that this one is holding up a bit better than most do as the base beer really is such a malty, monster of a beer (though you lose that with the bourbon barrel character layered on top of it). My biggest complaint is the lack of substantial carbonation, a light-medium level of carbonation would be perfect, though it does still do well with the low level that it does have. I really like how complex & integrated the barrel character is here, somehow, though it is the dominant note, it does not overwhelm my palate, and it is not too hot and one dimensional.

Served In: Pint Glass

A: Carbonation is lighter than I’d prefer, but all Alesmith’s BA beers come out this way…guess I should be expecting it. A vigorous pour produced a medium sized tope colored head that didn’t have a lot of staying power…sort of settled down to a thin film and a ring around the glass in just a minute or so. The body is a murky and mysterious, a gnarly and cloudy mahogany color that looks like it was spiked with Nestle’s Kwik.

S: The chocolate still overpowers the bourbon, which is a good thing. Chocolate is of the Belgian variety, quite seductive with little licks of toffee, coffee and graham. Then there’s the bourbon…I’d say its walking the line between vanilla, oak and the pungent form that the bourbon can take. Good balance here. Its actually REALLY hard not to take a sip while I review the aroma…I’m about to crack…

T: Bourbon is the first taste that crosses the palate; little bit sour and pungent but it mixes fairly well with the abundant chocolate that is always present in the Wee Heavy. Vanilla comes next with almost a syrupy and fruity edge to it. Spicy on the tip of the tongue, most likely from the oak, with really minor brownie aspects down the center of the tongue. After the swallow, the chocolate kicks into overdrive but is a little dominated by the bourbon. Finishes with a lot of alcohol booziness, long lingering bourbon and mellow bakers chocolate.

M: Full body but lacking in carbonation to really make it smooth.

D: Its hard to make an almost perfect beer better by bourbon barrel aging it. In this case, in my humblest of opinions, the bourbon hinders what is a glorius beer. Barrel aging should always enhance, not inhibit the host. The bourbon in this case is a bit too heavy. But the last time I had this, the beer had aged for quite a while and lost most of the chocolate yet retained most of the bourbon. I figured I’d crack this one early to keep as much of the chocolate as possible, yet its still not enough.

I think that the barrel aging needs to be cut down on this one. Keep more chocolate and let the bourbon play the supporting roll.

Served In: Tulip