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Home > Brewers > California > Drakes Brewing Company >

Drakes 15th Anniversary Bourbon Barrel Lager

 (RETIRED)

Drakes 15th Anniversary Bourbon Barrel Lager

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 Percentile 
97
overall
An European Strong Lager formerly brewed by
Drakes Brewing Company

San Leandro, California USA

bottled
available

on tap
unknown

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 Ratings  Average  Score  Seasonal  ABV  Style Pctl  Serve in  Advanced 
1013.87/5.03.85/5.0Special13.7%100 Lager glass P  Stats

Commercial Description:
A 15th anniversary recipe needs to be unique since so few breweries make it to their 15th year. For this recipe our head brewer Rodger Davis decided to throw out the style guidelines and create his own style. So he fused the finist ingredients, his relentless passion for good beer and topped it off with a bit of creativity. The beer is then aged in a bourbon barrel for 10 months creating a beer that is worthy of drinking for future anniversaries.

Most RecentTop RatersHighest Ratings Who's Rated This?
 SuzyGreenberg (799), Seattle, Washington, USA
4.1 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/58/104/517/20

May 13, 2008  
6 oz. bottle - shared at after4ever’s tasting; pours flat and clear amber; sweet, bourbon aromas are musky and woody; no burn at all for almost 14% and drinks silky smooth; flavors of dates, caramel, brown sugar and rich malts; thin body and syrupy; so good; what a treat

 tytoanderso (1152), St. Louis Park, Minnesota, USA
4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/103/58/104/517/20
Jul 14, 2008  
Nip bottle. Toasted vanilla bean and wet, musty wood, cocoa, fudge, ripe dark fruits, maple syrup and plenty of bourbon character on the nose. Toffee and very little lager characteristics. Pours a nearly still muddy brown with a few off white bubbles around the edge of the glass. Flavor is packed with caramel, chocolate and cocoa. More maple syrup. Wood tannin and faint remnants of spicy hops. Thick and oily on the tongue with mild carbonation. Finishes with a blast of rum dipped chocolate. Really quite nice and aging very well. Thanks Eric!


 bitbucket (1476), Kirkland, Washington, USA
4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/59/103/516/20
Jul 4, 2008  
Nip, thanks aspidites! Pours clear dark brown, still. Tons of caramel, figs, with some brown sugar and fruit, then a soft woody finish. Another amazing beer.


 acrdz (4148), Pennsylvania, USA
4.1 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/58/105/516/20
Jun 28, 2008  
Nip bottle from Ughsmash. Very dark brown, opague and murky with a tan brown film of a head. Incredibly rich nose of maple sweet bourbon, dry, parched wood tannins and a semi-sweet butter and honey note as well. Smooth, oily, very thick and viscous, resinous oak wood and semi-sweet buttered bourbon all over this thing, warming slightly into a relaxing, soothing finish, not really hinting at the near 14% alcohol, but certainly present and noticeable. All quality here, very well made and the bourbon is not obtrusive at all.


 Alldaydrinker (450), Norwood, Massachusetts, USA
4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
9/103/58/103/517/20
Jun 23, 2008  
Bottle 6 oz courtesy of Odeed. Pours a syrupy murky ruby-hued gooey brown color with a small white head that dissapates to a tiny ring. Nose of luscious caramel similar to an aged barley wine, fig, bourbon, vanilla, dark fruit, some wood character and spices. Mouthfeel is light to medium body and medium silkiness. Initial taste of caramel, vanilla, and bourbon. Mid palate begins to highlight the alcohol, figs, raisans, brown sugar. Finishing with mild and attempted hop balance, sweetness still dominates with touches of maple syrup. Palate duration is above average, slight stickiness around the lips. Drinkability of this beer is very good, but it is indeed a sipper. Carbonation is very light giving nearly no head retention. The near 14% is masked well giving only the highlights needed to express this beer. It was a pleasure to drink this brew.


 blankboy (2499), Toronto, Ontario, Canada
3.9 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/103/58/104/516/20
Jun 5, 2008  
Bottle (6oz) shared with and courtesy of HogTownHarry. Pours a murky reddish-brown with a spare diminishing off-white head. Aroma: Yup, that’s bourbon barreled alright! But it’s not obnoxious, it smells nice -- bourbon, wood, caramel malt, dark fruit and maple syrup. Flavour: Man, that’s pleasant and very easy to drink, I don’t say that often about bourbon barreled beers. Slightly vinous with bourbon, caramel malt, dark fruit, wood and some alcohol in the bitter finish. The alcohol is very well hidden for such a high abv beer. Wow, this is very good stuff, thanks for sharing HTH!




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