Fort Collins Barrel Licked Bock

Brewed by Fort Collins Brewery
Style: Smoked
Fort Collins, Colorado USA

smoke comes to me while i’m still pouring it. sweet, acrid, comforting, really have to stick my nose in here to pick out the barrel notes, the smoke envelopes them well. beautiful color, light ruby in the light bloody maroon in the shade. almost no head after the first minute, but far from flat. a gentle low carbonation that lets the light fruit and surprisingly subtle smoke flavor come out. more of the whiskey is evident in the flavor. light peppery notes, hint o’ vanilla, warms up my throat, alcohol comes to the fore here. a beer that makes me smile, and that is a bit of a feat right now. i expected a thicker beer, but this is comparatively light for what it is. don’t see this as one to sit on, the lighter enjoyable notes will likely get squashed over time, but i’ll grab a few for friends that will be in town in a few months and see how it goes. sometimes the booze hits me, and it ois good, sometimes the bit sweet caramel note, that is o.k. then the smoke comes back up, and it is good again. when they work together it is sublime.lingering pepper keeps me thirsty. 5 7 8 4 17

Bomber. Clear, deep ruby-chestnut with an enduring quarter-inch of foam. Aroma is hickory-smoked ham, molasses and vanilla. Flavor is the same blend with some added chocolate then some light coffee, raisins and whiskey on the finish. Medium-heavy body is a nice balance of watery vs. syrupy, smoothly carbonated, and tingly-dry with light acidity and a touch of alcohol. Nice sticky-soapy cobwebs of lace. Damn good and dangerous.

Pours ruby brown with a slight beige head. Aromas of smoke and roasted caramel. Body is near full and carbonation is full, but mild. Flavor is primarily smoke, with dark fruits, oak, and likely bourbon. Certainly not scotch. Some vanilla. Different and good.

Color is a deep ruby with good carbonation and a fluffy tan head. Aroma is smoky with caramel and oak notes. Taste is rich and smoky. Starting with a bold medium body it goes down with a rich feel. Finish jumps out with a big sweet caramel and vanilla flavors then some dried fruits and a mild charred oak taste. In the after taste a mild smoke rolls in with a faint whisky taste. This brew is great its bold and sweet but nicely balanced.

Pours clear, burnt umber, with a medium-large tan head, very fine lacing. Molasses, caramel, plum with a gentle smoke and oak aroma. Medium body, slightly dry and crisp. Big, rich malt flavors, caramel, leather, ripe plum and biscuit, with some smoke, mineral notes and a citrus finish. A little on the sweet side, but not unusually so for a bock.

poured by JW77 at his tasting. Brownish/red pour wtih a small tan head. Smoke jumps out of the glass with some booze, caramel, and woody notes. Flavor is quite sweet and roasted with some smoke, booze, vanilla, oak and tons of malty goodness. Good beer, thanks Jonathan.

22oz bottle 6/14/09 (Courtesy of RSRIZZO)-Pours a clear dark amber body with a small tan head. Aroma of smoke, bacon, and more smoke. Taste of sweetness, caramel, roasted malt, and smoke. The bourbon slowly comes out as it gets warmer.This full bodied brew is quite nice and well balanced with a hint of vanilla as it warms. This is a nice tasting brew and another smoked brew from FC. Nice job.

Appearance: Pours a clear, ruby-hued body with a thin, short-lived, white head. Smell: Sweet-scented, smoked malts with an aroma of toast layered with caramel. Barrel derived hints of brown sugar, vanilla, and oak wood. There’s a hint of dark fruitiness, but it certainly does not take precedent over the other various rich scents. Taste: Rich, richly sweet dark caramel sauce with tastes of toasted bread. The smoke character deftly drifts in and adds to the complexity without being domineering. Flavors of brown sugar and vanilla usher in a mild, subtle oakiness. Distant fruitiness. Meager hint of bitterness. Taste develops into a back-and-forth of malty sweetness and smoke. Drying, warming finish with some enduring hints of spicy oak and good, wholesome smoke. Mouthfeel: Medium-plus body. Medium-low carbonation. There’s some stickiness to the mouthfeel. Drinkability: This one drinks remarkably easy and is all kinds of yummy! Recommended. Then again, I was already big fan of their doppelbock to begin with, so the addition of some barrel aging was an easy win.