Arcadia Bourbon Barrel Shipwreck Porter (2011)

Brewed by Arcadia Brewing Company
Style: Imperial/Strong Porter
Battle Creek, Michigan USA

Serve in Shaker, Snifter

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12 ounce bottle. Pours a very dark brown with a small tan head. Aroma of bourbon, malt, vanilla, and fruit. Taste is bourbon, roasted malt, chocolate, dark fruit, vanilla, and a touch of alcohol. Very good!

Bottle (from backlog). All of the Arcadia barrel aged beers smell great and so does this one. Loads of bourbon and vanilla. Wish it was a bit smoother but otherwise a fantastic beer.

Bottle at HopCat in GR. pours deep brown, minimal tan head. Aroma is dominated by bourbon; some supporting players- chocolate,vanilla, raisin. Taste dominated by bourbon; roasted malty sweetness. Creamy mouthfeel. Nice warm beer,good for a cold rainy April day here in Michigan. Surprisingly smooth and drinkable for 12% Abv.

12oz. wax-dipped bottle, 2011 vintage. Rich aroma of bourbon, vanilla, brown sugar, cherry, dark, faintly roasted malt, tobacco, prune, charred wood and alcohol. Brown-black color with a very fine head, though overall more carbonation than would be expected considering the extended barrel aging process. No sediment that I could see -- does not appear to be bottle-conditioned. Flavor profile is rather sweet throughout, with plenty of toffee and brown sugar, combined with dark, dusty chocolate, malt roast, more bourbon and vanilla, and finishing warm and moderately bitter, with a background of earth, cherry, and medicinal alcohol. Warming and hefty on the palate, smooth and coating, with a very full body, as anticipated. Nothing at all like the previous incarnation of Shipwreck Porter, this is a whole new animal.

Pour out of 12 oz bottle, big thanks Matt! Dark brownish black pour with tan head, aroma brought notes of lots of bourbon, vanilla, dark chocolate, hints of dark fruits, hints of earth, coffee in there as well. Taste is a nice mix of dark chocolate, toffee, sweet coffee, vanilla, hints of dark fruit, touch of earth, bourbon in there, finishing fairly sweet, nice.

12 oz. bottle to CBS snifter. Fairly opaque brown as I watch it slide out of the bottle yet it settles much darker with a smidgen of the aforementioned opaqueness creeping on the perimeter, yes folks this was once a porter. I had a few of these fresh out of the gate and thought they were hot and overly bourbon-ey (I did not rate at the time). Quarter inch off-brown head that dissipates quickly but never entirely disappears, smells of vanilla bean, whiskey, wood, and mocha. Taste is sweet and bourbon, medium mouthfeel, low carbonation, finish is long coffee. This is much better than the younger ones I have drank, I can see this possibly even getting better, however very nice right now. The heat has really dropped off, the bourbon is still in the forefront yet it seems like its on a journey to integrate with its friends. This is a nice winter sipper look forward to re-rating this a few winters from now.

18th November 2011
Opaque black beer, tidy tan head. Smooth palate, a little dry. Good fine carbonation. Smooth dark malt, not bitter or roasty. Toasted coconut and a modicum of vanilla. Mild bourbon. Mild minerals. Well buried figgy and pruney fruits. Semi dry finish. Nicely joined up and hides the abv well.

2011 bottle poured 01/07/13 Pours a midnight black with a thin light brown head that quickly dissipates. Even after aging quite a bit, the bourbon is the star attraction in both aroma and taste. Aroma also contains a wonderful chocolatey malt. Tastes of a heavy bourbon but tapers off nicely into smooth vanilla. It is a bit on the thinner side for a 12% abv beer but makes it very drinkable for such a big beer.

Bottle from Mane Liquor. Had this whilst out for the Mane Liquor Staff party. Pours black with a small light brown head. Very creamy feel, dominant lactose feeling. Chocalatey notes, got better when it warmed up a bit. Definitely would love to try again

Bottle from Mane Liquor for Mane Liquor’s xmas party! Pours jet black with a small, very dense and lightly tanned head. Nose shows lots of sweet and cahrcoaly malts. A touch of ash smoothed out from white chocolate and lactose. Very creamy mouth feel. Milk chocolate and white chocolate in the taste. Quite sweet. Great beer