Almanac Barrel Noir

Almanac Beer Company
Brewed at Hermitage Brewing Co.
Style: American Strong Ale
San Francisco, California USA

Serve in Snifter, Tulip

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Deep blackish brown with a khaki head. Aromas of ginger and graham crackers, higher alcohols and molasses. Flavor delves toward aniseed, with a chocolatey malt backbone, a touch of chai tea and a conspicuous alcohol heat in the back of the throat. Body is very hollow, lacking both heft and complexity. Carbonation could stand to be higher too. Comes across limp and lifeless.

So dark the room light could not penetrate it. The chocolate tarty fruity smell is a perfect combination. The smell transitions to taste almost perfectly. The thick rich mouth feel rinses softly with the tart finish, but still leaving a light lasting deliciousness behind.

Nose of bourbon smoke and Malta medium viscosity pour. Veryiytlw residual lacing on glass dry smokey initial taste into pepper, white pepper GI get saison flavoring. Taste is initially bourbon but Lends to the darker side of black pepper and coriander

Bottle courtesy of a California bankruptcy attorney. Pours a pretty flat looking jet black with no head. Aromas of bourbon, oak, sweet apples. Taste is pretty sweet apple forward, like a Red Delicious or something. Also has bourbon. Flat. Pretty much tastes like apple juice with a shot of bourbon in it. No.

Deep dark brown coloured body with a hint of lighter brown glow when held up to a light and a thin, fast-dying tan head. Aroma of alcohol, wine, licorice, anise, light spices and tons of pit fruits and sugars. Medium to Full-bodied; Strong effervescence with an odd combination flavour of barley wine and finishing with more of an imperial stout depth. Aftertaste shows quite a bit of complexity with some pit fruits and alcohol warmth, but even more roasted malt, light coffee and a bit of burnt edges in the mix. Overall, a rather interesting and complex beer that works fairly well - nice to sample and well worth trying if you can find it! Beer #3 of my 4000rating extravaganza (of 9 total). I sampled this 37,5 cL bottle purchased from Total Wine in Tustin, California for US$8.99 on 02-May-2013 sampled at home in Washington on 13-May-2013. Bottled Winter 2012 (from side of bottle).

Bottle shared thanks to Dave. Pours out a brownish color with a small off white head. Aroma is of chocolate, light alcohol, earthy wood, light bourbon. Taste is lots of roasty/toasty earth oak, barrel, soil, cake mix, molasses. Smooth with only a touch of alcohol given the ABV.

Pours dark brown with a tan head. Bourbon, oak, chocolate, coffee. Light body which makes it very drinkable. Unique and well done. ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone

Bottle. Pours dark brown with tan head. Nose and taste of bourbon barrel, charred oak, roasted chocolate, smoke, vanilla, burnt coffee, burnt toast and smoked cherry wood. Medium body.

Black color, two fingers of khaki foam on top, reasonable amount of lacing. Very little smell surprisingly, nearly scentless but the bourbon is there, lurking among the base aromas of a strong ale. The flavor is a messy mix of cherry bourbon and roasted stout. Leaves a metallic aftertaste. Props for trying but this is amateur hour for barrel aging.

375ml bottle via trade. Poured a medium density dark black with a smaller sized soapy light beige head. Aroma of chocolate pudding skins, bourbon, vanilla, wet toast, toasted bit o honey candy pieces, charred barrel. Medium to thinner bodied with softer carbonation and a watery mouthfeel but a lingering flavor. Flavor of wet well done toast, light bourbon notes, vanilla, candy, light coffee, alcohol and some darker chocolate. Once again another good beer.