Bluegrass Bourbon Barrel Big Brown

Brewed by Bluegrass Brewing Company
Style: American Strong Ale
Louisville, Kentucky USA

Serve in Snifter, Trappist glass

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5/10/2009: BBC Big Brown speaks softly but carries a big stick. The slightly sweet and muted bourbon aroma has a lot going on in it as undertones of vanilla, citrus, toasted malt, brown sugar, and lightly charred/roasted wood peak can all be found sneaking around . However, neither the aroma nor the flavor really let on to the true nature of this 11.5% beast. Don’t get me wrong, there is definitely great smooth, vanilla bourbon in flavor, but the anticipated alcohol burn is amazingly just not there. It is just so well blended that the alcohol gets lost behind the toasty and nutty maltiness, raw sugar, faint cocoa nibs, and soft citrus hop flavors. It finishes a bit more dry as some of the oakiness starts to come through. I would say that this beer has a medium to medium-full body with an extremely smooth and deceptively soft palate. This beer is dangerous. I goes down far too easily! Damn, I can’t believe that it’s almost all gone already! Oh, I almost forgot to mention the beautiful, sparkling, amber-brown appearance and thick ivory-beige head of this beer... Anyways, if there was such a style as and Imperial/Strong Brown Ale (and there probably should be at this point), then this beer is exactly what a beer of that style should be! Wow, this is a great beer and a wonderful example of bourbon barrel aging done right. They really paired the type of bourbon barrel with the characteristics of the beer well. Nicely done BBC; true barrel aging synergy! Actually, this beer must be great since my wife liked it and she hates bourbon!

Growler fill (draught) from Party Town in Florence, Kentucky. Rating #4 for this beer.

bottle. pours a light brown with medium white head. aroma ofsome bourbon and nuts. tatse is softbourbon and roasted malt. alc hidden well

@ Copenhagen festival 2011. The aroma has malts, some wood and a bit citric/piney hops. Light hazy, amber coloured beer with an off-white head. The taste is sweet, has caramel, some vanilla, bourbon raisins. Well bodied. Very nice!

UPDATED: OCT 1, 2011 Bottle... Medium brown with a bit of amber, light tan head, nice ring... At first the aroma is really sweet, lots of berries, but it fades quickly... Tastes really bad, watery, generic bourbon with wood... Meh

Draft @ Copenhagen Beer Festival 2011. Pours a clear brown color with a small off-white head. Has a fruity malty woody piney hoppy caramel aroma. Sweetish malty caramel flavor with hints of wood and vanilla and hoppy piney hints. Has a sweetish malty hoppy bitter caramel finish with woody hints.

DØE Festival, Valby, DK. Tap, 270511. Brown with beige head. Aroma of vanilla and malt. Flavor with caramel and some toffee.

Deep copper with a lasting off-white head. Aroma of dried fruit and vanilla with a touch of citrus hops. Sweet grainy and fruity flavour with a dusty note

P Københavnske Øldage 2011. Pours a clear brown with a small off-white head. Sweet with a moderate bitterness. Malty toffee aromas. Mellow piney hops aromas. Also aromas of alcohol, cask wood and bourbon with hints of vanilla and apples. Some residual sugars. Medium bodied. Soft carbonation. Dry finish.

KØ11. Rye aroma, some vanilla. Clear dark chestnut colour. Distinct vanilla flavour, quite sweet. Vinous alcohol vanilla shock.

Clear dark copper with an off-white head. Aroma is sweet, malty, caramel and bourbon. Flavor is very sweet and moderate bitter. Sweet finish with warming alcohol. Too sweet. 270511

Draught@CPH BF 2011. Amber colour, small head. Aroma is raisins, alcohol, some mild notes of nuts as well as some vanilla and syrup as well. Flavour is fruits, caramel, syrup, some wooden and resiny notes along with some slight vanillaish and alcoholic notes.