On tap at the Great Taste of the Midwest (8/9/08): Pours an opaque black with a thin, stringy-lacing rich tan head. Aroma of sweet dark caramel with mild bourbon oak and good dark chocolate. Body starts with good fullness and rich sweet dark caramel and bourbon flavor throughout. Very nicely balanced, complex and enjoyable.

Pours a dark chocolate brown with thick tan head. Aroma is caramel, caramelized sugar and bourbon and sugar. Flavor is thick caramel vanilla, notes of coffee.

On tap at Winterfest (St. Paul, MN). For me, this was definitely one of the highlights of the event. The bourbon works well with chocolate, vanilla wafer, lactose, and dried fruit notes. Smooth taste without being over the top.

[Tap] at Winterfest 2009. Pours a deep black with a smallish tan head. Aroma is a little bit of bourbon and loads of bittersweet cocoa. Flavor is silky with a lot of chocolate, roasted barley, bourbon, and vanilla.

Missed this one during GTMW 08, so this was the first beer sampled during Winterfest 2009. On draught, pours a dark bornw brew with a thick tan head that slowly dissipates to a thin creamy top. Aroma of drk chocolate, bourbon, brown sugar, red berries, roasted nuts and a touch of bourbon. Taste is full bodied, creamy and smooth, with flavors of bourbon, chocolate, maple syrup, dark berries and some coffee. Finish continues a bourbon and chocolate aftertaste that slowly disappears. Most excellent.

On tap Winterfest 2009 St. Paul MN. Pours a deep brown color with a coffee espresso foamy head. Sweet, notes of dark chocolate, coffee, sugar, lactose, with just a hint of bourbon. Light bodied for the style. Lingering malty sweetness. Tasty.

Winterfest 2009. I’m not sure what I expected from this, but it is a good beer and I enjoyed in, even with the bourbon and that is not common for me. Bourbon and chocolate in the aroma. Flavor is sweet with malt, lightly roasted. Sugar, some maple syrup, and sweet bourbon. This is the kind of invention I like from Town Hall.

(Cask) Pours a dark brown body with a thick creamy tan head. Aroma of dark chocolate, roasted malt, bourbon, brown sugar, and vanilla. Flavor of roasted malt, dark chocolate, bourbon, and vanilla with a creamy mouthfeel and a somewhat dry oak finish. Nicely done!

GTMW and served as a cask conditioned beer on handpull at the brewers booth: Basically opaque with a very nice creamy tan head and sticky lace. The aroma has a big bourbon nose yet plenty of malt too (chocolate, charred and walnut), minty and some coffee vapours around the edges. The taste is malty and boozy yet balanced by the coffee and hop bitterness. Dry woody finish. The mouth feel is warming and smooth, oily and sticky aftertaste. OUTSTANDING, one of highlights of the fest for sure... at least 3 samples, I loved it.

Date: 08/09/2008
Mode: Draft
Source: Brewfest, Great Taste

Appearance: black, frothy beige head,
Aroma: sweet chocolate and bourbon aroma,
Body: creamy body,
Flavor: rich chocolate flavor, nice bourbon, vanilla sweetness,

Aroma: 8/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 8/10; Palate: 9/10; Overall: 17/20
Rating: 4.2/5.0
Drinkability: 8/10
Score: ***+/4