Ballast Point Piper Down Barrel Aged Scottish Ale

Brewed by Ballast Point Brewing Company
Style: Scottish Ale
San Diego, California USA

A reddish brown ale with no head. In aroma, a sweet vinous and woody malt with light vanilla. In mouth, a nice chalky sweet malt with vinous notes, a bit short, light wooden notes, grapes, medium bodied. On tap at Ballast Point 13 Anniv. Beer Festival , Oct. 24 2009.

On tap@Ballast Point Scripps Ranch location: Murky dark brown with a small off-white head. Aroma is light whiskey, vanilla and maybre a hint of oak. Flavor starts with light whiskey followed by some vanilla, a hint of toasted coconut, a lightly bitter finish with a little more whiskey. Medium body is smooth with moderate carbonation.

On tap @ the Old Grove location with Mspindler...Pours a cloudy brown with a thin lacing head.. Smell is straight up bourbon, maybe a little vanilla.. Taste was mostly bourbon but not overpowering, sweet and very easy to drink...Overall this has become one of my favorite beers and was the highlight of the trip for me... Its always cool to see something other than a barley wine or an impy go into a barrel and I think this beer picked up the flavors very nicely.. I think I might have to change my name to BourbonWhoreSW

On tap the the brewery. Pours a muddy brown with a thin film. Aroma was all sweet bourbon, vanilla, oak and maybe some honey. Flavor was light and sweet, but alot of bourbon and oak and not much else. Maybe some brown sugar. Lightly sweet and easy to drink. Palate is somewhat light and carbonation is low. Pretty tasty and almost sessionable.

On tap at OBriens in San Diego. Came highly recommended by one of the bartenders. Cloudy brown with a black center. Medium carbonation with a nose of caramel apple, bourbon and a hint of wine. Big, sweet, malty Scottish flavor that is loaded with vanilla and molasses. Flavor has an immediate turnaround to a robust oak slam on the finish. Thick and soothing body that compliments the malty flavor. I absolutely love these sweet types of barrel-aged brews. Really good, really drinkable.

On tap at the brewery. Having had their original version and this one I cant believe they have the same base beer. I thought this one was really solid. I thought the nonbarrel aged beer was just ok. Color was a murky and muddy brown. Aroma of bourbon,vanilla, sweet malt and some roasted or toasted notes. Flavor was well balanced and tasty. Very drinkable. I did not find the bourbon overpowering as others have. Very nice.

I had high hopes for this, but it turned out to be a watered down bourbon, because the beer wasnt strong enough to compliment the aging. Broubon flavor, vanilla, and oak, with trace notes of sweet malt and fruit. Thin mouthfeel. I had this on cask and it looked really good, but it turned out to be just a bad 5.7% bourbon.

on tap at brewery. Cloudy dark brown with a sweet bourbon aroma and taste with nice smooth caramel vanilla oak and strong bourbon flavors.