3.9 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 15/20
Sampled at GTMW ’09. Candied smoke aroma, with some light rye. Copper color with a tan head. Coppery rye malt flavors with brown sugar. Rich enough palate with rye on the duration. Good.
3.9 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 17/20
Great Taste, 2009. I appreciate a beer that stands out against the other big beers of the day. The nose is a great balance of smoke and bourbon, something akin to what one smells in a glass of Lagavuilin. The palate is bacon, raw sugar, and spicy. All that is missing here is a meatiness/chewiness to the beer that you might expect given the nose and the flavor profile. Finish is vanilla and lingering smoke.
3.6 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 14/20
On tap at GTMW 2009
A hidden surprise was this gem from Carlyle. I stopped by expecting them to bring something different but a barrel aged smoke beer was not it. Whatever their inspiration was this is a great example of innovation. With a little more fine tuning it could be world class.
Aroma / Appearance - The opaque body had a brownish hue which deflected or absorbed most of the sunlight. Smoke and vanilla mix as if a distillery had caught on fire and some of the barrels were turned to ash.
Flavor / Palate - Warm and sweet it was a bit less smoky than the Blind Tiger rauchbier but still very satisfying. The bourbon may be a little unbalanced. Overall however the total package is impressive, cohesive, and sends one message. This is a must try for me if it is ever on tap when I visit Carlyle again.
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