Fullsteam Fruitcake... The Beer

Brewed by Fullsteam Brewery
Style: Old Ale
Durham, North Carolina USA

Serve in English pint, Snifter

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2012 vintage. 22 oz bottle served in a Southern Tier tulip. Thanks to ASUbeer for the bottle. A: Pours a hazy amber color with a yellowish head forming on the pour. It recedes slowly leaving behind some splotchy and soapy looking lace. S: This is super fruity. The chestnuts are really upfront. The bourbon is there with a nice spirit sweetness and some oak barrel as well. T: Very fruity, just like the nose. The chestnuts give this earthy, fruity twang to this. The bourbon is there with a touch of heat. Some fig notes with a sweet jam like fruitiness as well. Mild glue on the finish with a sweet malt base. Light roast. M: Medium bodied with a medium carbonation level. Sweet and fruity finish. O: This was an extremely interesting beer. The chestnuts gave this crazy fruity dimension that I haven’t really had in a beer before. Serving type: bottle

Sample pour at Sam’s, Durham. Gotta love the tasting events! Oily caramel brown pour with a modest head and carbonation. Huge bourbon barrel nose, not sharp and boozy but sweet tannins in your face. Somewhat overly slick mouthfeel really accentuates the candy dimensions of this beer. Dark fruits and bready tastes do provide some relief to the boozy sweetness in the taste, but it’s pretty uncompromising.

Generous sample from Sam’s Quik Shop in Durham. Pours bright chestnut (how appropriate) with a white head. Interesting to see the various and conflicting ratings. The beer I had was big on the bourbon, vanilla, candy, and earthy figs. A bit one-note in its sweet/bourbon focus, but pretty darn good overall.

Tap at CK thanks to the President of Somalia de facto. Pours a clear, deep orange. Moderate head. Celery and sharp parsnip nose. Wow that is ultra vegetal. Taste is candies, parsnip, alcohol, extremely mealy red apple. Licorice root like finish. Very strange, I was not a fan.

Draft. Hazy amber color, small white edge head. Aroma of subtle rye bread. Taste is mixed light spiced fruit.

roasty, citrus, earthy, golden, hazy, medium sweetness, lightly bitter, medium body, creamy, lively, long finish, long finish,

On draft at Churchkey DC on innauguration night. Pours a deep res amber with an off white head. Aroma of vanilla and toffee. Flavors of figs and chestnuts. Quite nice.

Bottle. Pours a mostly clear amber color with a somewhat thick off-white head. Nose has a very strong, but light bourbon smell to it. Taste has that bourbon kick to it with some underlying sweetness from the figs. Odd beer...

Amber pour with small white head. Aroma has vanilla and bourbon notes with sweet dried fruits. Flavor is hard to describe, lots of vanilla, bourbon smokiness (from the barrels I would assume), with sweet dried cherries and possibly some nuttiness. The finish has a bit of that "bourbon booziness" but overall an excellent beer that actually tastes a bit like fruitcake with bourbon poured over it.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this one and I was pleasantly surprised. Clean soft golden amber pour with one finger of creamy off white head. Nose is super interesting and very hard to describe. Lots of ’candy-ish’ character with sharp vanilla/bourbon from the Makers Mark barrels. Definitely fruity, I’m guessing the figs but can’t say for sure. Flavor is also very interesting, wonderful blend of vanilla and sharp oak from the flavor with a moderate sweetness. A hint of coconut finds its way through. Medium body with a dry/oaky finish and warming alcohol.