Founders Barrel Aged Reds Rye

On tap at the brewery: Pours brown with little head. Aroma of hops, spices and bourbon (which you can barely taste). Very good.

Great Taste 2008. After drinking a lot of the regular, then trying the charred, I now had the chance to taste the BA. Strangely enough, I think the others are better. This was a solid with the great notes of spice and the wonderful color I’ve come to appreciate so much about Red’s Rye. Notes of butter, orange peel, and nutmeg contributed. However I thought the barrel distracted from some of the complexity, not because the barrel ageing overwhelmed the beer, but simply because I found it a bit distracting. The hops were a lit out of sync with the barrel.

Draft sample at MBGF Summer08. Poured a dark brown color with a moderate frothy off-white head that mostly lasted with excellent lacing. Moderate to heavy roasted, citrus hop and woody aroma. Medium to full body. Medium to heavy bittersweet flavor with a medium bittersweet tingly finish of moderate duration. Solid drinkable brew.

On tap at brewery. Aroma of citrus hops, caramel, spice, and bourbon. Deep dark amber hue with a nice average sized off-white head that mostly diminished and left little lace. Flavor is resin pine hops, caramel, bourbon, oak, and a little spice. Palate is medium body and soft. A pretty good bourbon brew. Should try again.

On tap at Founders. Murky orange-brown body, thin off-white head. Sharp nose with potent bourbon, oak, sweet, caramely malt, toast, and citrusy hops. Boozy and dessert-like. The body bowled me over with bourbon and buttery oak, the bourbon overwhelming the Red’s Rye characteristics. In fact, this beer tasted like a shot of bourbon with some lingering, residual hops and toasty malts added as flavoring. This would be excellent if the oak was toned down, and if there was a stronger fresh hops component.