Jackie-Os Bourbon Berry Grove

Brewed by Jackie-Os Pub and Brewery
Style: Barley Wine
Athens, Ohio USA

Serve in Snifter

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22 oz bottle. Muddy brown with a smattering of beige froth. Nose is caramel, ripe Stilton, wood, cherry and blueberry jam. Pretty funky. Alcohol heat with sharp carb and a fruity tang. Finishes sticky, a bit like cough syrup. Taste starts with cherry and bourbon rounded out nicely with blueberry and honey. Lingering aftertaste of sour mash and green wood deflated my enthusiasm for this. Enjoyable craziness nonetheless.

A: The beer pours a dark reddish-amber color with a short lived off-white head. S: Smells pretty nice at first, and you really do get a lot of berry aroma. There is a lot of bourbon and vanilla, and quite a bit of charred oakiness. This last bit intensifies as the beer sits in the glass for a bit and really clashes with the fruit. T: Quite a strange feeling. It’s like drinking vanilla and cherry-blueberry juice. The bourbon comes through strongly and the charred oak flavor comes out as it warms up a touch and conflicts with the fruit. It also has a very chalky flavor. M: Medium in body with a smooth carbonation, which is probably the best thing about the beer. O: Just a really odd combination of flavors. Didn’t think this one worked out at all.

Poured into a snifter. 2010 vintage, bottle #126 of 192. 3.0 A: Deep amber mahogany color that looks purple plum when awary from the light. Only about a half finger of frothy off-white head that falls quickly, but does leave some sparse lacing. 4.5 S: Smells wonderful! There’s a healthy cherry and blueberry presence right off the bat. Next in line is the bourbon and barrel. Light pleasant oakiness, supple vanilla, leathery bourbon, and no sign of any tannic astringency. Underneath all this, there is plenty of caramel, neutral wheat, and honey. Alcohol is completely undetectable. 5.0 T: Taste is even more impressive. Smooth caramel and neutral wheat to start this off. The cherry and blueberry strike again and the tandem work really well together, but he individual contributions can still be noted. Bourbon is integrated incredibly well. It complements, and complements well, but doesn’t dominate. Melon, vanilla, leather, and a light bourbony booze comes from the barrel treatment. 4.5 M: Heavier medium body. Good moderate carbonation. Good creaminess. Incredibly smooth for the style. This isn’t at all too sweet, too chewy, or too boozy. 5.0 D: This is a stellar beer. No doubts about that. There’s so much going on and the ABV is up there, but this drinks as easy as any beer I’ve ever had. Great flavors without the barrel aging, but that does just enough to put this into the upper echelon of beers. JO’s beers usually don’t disappoint, but this one exceeds expectations. Serving type: bottle Reviewed on: 04-12-2011 21:29:00

Picked this bottle up at the release a few months back. Served in a snifter. Pours a moderate shade of brown with a nice light-tan head with pretty good retention and a bit of lacing. The nose brings forward some fruit and a bit of underlying wheat. Interesting that quite a bit of the base beer comes through. There’s some bourbon there as well, though it’s certainly not overpowering. The taste is pretty nice, melding the base beer really well with the bourbon and fruit components of the beer. Medium-bodied without any real hint of alcohol. Drinks quite well. I’m not normally a big wheatwine fan at all, but I like what Brad has done with this one. Serving type: bottle Reviewed on: 01-28-2011

I had this on tap at the release but this review is from a 22oz bottle, bottle # 100 of 192, 2010 batch, served in my Darkness glass....A medium to dark brown with notes of a deep purple is very interesting. A light tan head rises a little, but only watery head survives, light lacing...The aroma is on the lighter side, which it was a touch stronger but gives off quite a bit. Right away I get a lot of notes of the Wood Ya with bourbon, oak and honey on the front then the finish has some fruity notes to balance it out, wish they were a little more prominent too. As the beer warms blueberries come through really nice, cherries are muted. Each time you smell you get a new whiff, sometimes its honey, bourbon or blueberries, really cool..The taste makes no bones about being a wheatwine, tons of alcohol and wood dominate but in a way that makes it drinkable. Most of the fruits are gone, wish this was a tad bitter sweeter. The finish a little hot and harsh. Overall, has some really nice things going on. Like the look, love the aroma, the taste is missing a few elements, but at this abv super easy to get your drink on.

Bottle at a recent BA/RB tasting. Colour... medium brown with no head. Nose... dusty with malty booze soaked berries. Palate... fruit ’n’ booze! A sharp bite up front with lots of pie cherries and berries, followed by a boozy after taste that’s like drinking a boozy fruit pie!

22 ounce bottle, 2010 batch, bottle #117 of 192. Served in a snifter, the beer pours a dark reddish/brown color with a half inch light tan head. Not much head retention or lacing, but it’s still a nice looking brew. Aroma is sweet and boozy, the brew smells like bourbon, vanilla, oak, cherries, honey and blueberries. Taste is similar to the aroma, it tastes like bourbon, honey, berries, dark fruit, caramel, and oak. Mouthfeel/body is medium, it’s creamy and a bit coating with low/moderate carbonation. Drinkability is good, it’s smooth and goes down easy enough. The alcohol does pack a punch later on, but it’s still an easy brew to drink! I think it’s pretty good, but then I don’t think I’ve had anything from Jackie O’s that hasn’t been good. Definitely recommended.

Bottle from alexsdad! Thanks Brad! Reddish brown pour, not much of a head. Aroma is all over the place! Blueberry, cherry, raisin, bourbon, maple syrup, honey. Flavor is sweet, fruity, nice prickly carbonation, berries, maple syrup, honey, dark agave nectar, bourbon and oak. Wow.

Bottle 153 of 192 shared by jtclockwork, thanks James. Pours a solid brown almost black body under a large quickly fading head. Aroma of wet grapes, bad dirty mud, berries, cherries, chocolte and bourbon barrels. The body is medium overall with strong carbontion and some strong alcohol heat. Flavor of green vegtables, cherry, chocolate and bourbon. Rather hot overall.

Appearance: Pours a dark crimson with a creamy cap of head.

Aroma: Strawberry rhubarb pie and Starbursts candy..

Taste: Booze, Starbursts, fruit juice, vanilla and wood..

Mouthfeel: Full bodied with modest carbonation. Slightly sticky..

Overall: Another amazing treat from Jackie O’s.