3.6 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 16/20
Draft. Rich amber beer with a dark cream colored head. Rich brown sugar aroma with light bourbon. Brown sugar and bourbon flavor with rich malt. Medium-plus bodied. Brown sugar and light bourbon lingers with rich malt.
3.8 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 15/20
Pours a light copper color with a light head and seemingly endless bubbles. The smell is malty, with a hint of nut and some fruit as well (although nothing distinct). The taste is big and warm. Mostly the best parts of a brown ale with lots of candied sugars, and the alcohol is nowhere to be found. You can tell this beer is made with care.
3.5 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 14/20
On tap at the Lagunitas tasting room. Same basics as the normal brown shugga. less clarity, a little darker, and less head than the original. Nose is sweeter, oaky, and loses the hops note. Taste mimics the smell - it’s sweeter through and through, and the bourbon sweetness and oak takes away the nice bitterness of the original. The moderately bitter finish in the original is muted by the bourbon and additional alcohol. I did not like this as much as the original - i think it’s lost some balance.
3.8 AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 15/20
Bistro -Bal Fest. Ruddy brown pour with a small off-white head. The aroma is excellent, with big sweet brown sugar notes, oak, and bourbon. The flavor is good if somewhat of a sweet mess. Big caramel and brown sugar malt notes, oak, and bourbon barrel. Smooth and fairly full on the palate with soft carbonation. Solid stuff.
3.5 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 14/20
Very appealing aroma, but the first taste is overpowering. The bitter hops and extremely sweet malts clash rather than compliment. Bitter aftertaste left on the back of the tongue. Has potential, but needs to be pulled back a bit for better balance. A few years aging maybe?
3.9 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
On tap at the Bistro BA festival. Pours dark brown with a thin beige head and a sour malt aroma. There is a sweet malt flavor with lots of oak and a bourbon trail.
4 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 15/20
Nice brew. Ripe fruit, sweet, nice lingering mouth feel... I’d hit this all winter. Too bad it was 79 here today. A repeat for sure.
4 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
Draft at the Bistro’s BABF. Nose of light bourbon, oaky vanilla, and toffee. Hazy brown with a medium beige head. Flavor is caramel, light bourbon, and vanilla
4.3 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 17/20
Tasted at the 4th Annual Bistro Barrel Aged Beer Fest on 11/14/2009. This Barley Wine pours a medium brown color. Small sized white foamy head. The aroma is brown sugar, bourbon and sweet. A medium to full bodied Barley Wine. The malts are fruity and sweet, lots of brown sugar and molasses. Very smooth tasting. The bourbon flavors are very mellow and smooth. This is a great beer for barrel aging. Mouthfeel is full and round. Finish is clean and smooth. Aftertaste is sweet.
4 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 17/20
Pours deep muddy brown with no head. Nice bready and malty nose and flavor with light bourbon, vanilla and oak. Smooth on the palate.
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