Live Oak Barrel Aged Old Tree Hugger

What more can I say. This is the best beer I have ever had. Potent but I could drink them all night. Carmel Delight!!!

Draught. Sweet cherry, oak, and candy nose. Dark ruby brown with a very patchy head. Great depth. Chocolate hints under strong oak and fruit with a spicy finish and some very sweet aftertastes.

Pours deep dark brownish black, with a light beige head. Smell is rich and really nice with lots of dark caramel malt, vanilla, and bourbon. Taste is equally as nice with rich creamy caramel maltiness, a light bit of booze, and a nice rich bourbon and vanilla flavor. Some dark fruits, and mabe a touch of oak. For the ABV, this was very drinkable. Rich mouthfeel with medium to soft carbonation. Reminded me a lot of the North Coast Bourbon Barrel Old Stock. I really liked this.

I drank this from what I believe to be the final keg on tap at the Draughthouse for their 40th anniversary. This is the 2006 Barrel aged version and man the past 10 months have really made this a wonder to behold for me. Pours clear dark amber with ever so slight beige head. Aroma of thick caramel, deep vanilla, pecans, alcohol, vanilla, raisins, fig and other nuts and fruits. Flavor is a perfect blend of booze, vanilla, ever so slight cherry, pecans, fig, raisin, almond, and lots of caramel. The booze blends really well into the flavor for me especially at 14% ABV! The aftertaste lingers of figs and raisins for quite some time. Smooth almost syrupy mouthfeel with medium carbonation. I’m sad this is the last keg that I now of because time has really done this one well!

I dunno about all the separations for brews and their barrel aged counter patrs .. quite willing to have this combined with my rating ofthe non-barrel aged version. At least I’ve found a beer that hasn’t been overpowered by the process and has actually gained some pleasant qulaities from it. I usually get bowled over by an intense vanilla flavor, but this is so thick/heavy/strong that it just pushes the little guy down and laughs, then lends a hand, picks him up, dusts him off and happily joins in the game. If I could get a growler of this then I might be VERY dangerous to myself and others.

I had this version of the Tree Hugger at the Draught House. The appearance was the same as the regular version, but that is were the similarity ends. This beer has huge bourbon nose with notes of vanilla, caramel, and oak. The flavor delivers the same but with delicate cherry notes and a spicy finish. Once again this is way to smooth to be almost 14% abv! Do I like it more than the non-barrel aged version? Hard calls both are great. I like this one a little more though.

Clear red with a creamy tan head. Big vanilla aroma with bourbon, multi-vitamin, brown sugar, alcohol and a little cherry. Sweet caramel, bourbon and oak flavor with some spicy hops. Has some vegetable notes. Long, smooth, sweet finish. Very nice beer that comes together better than the non barrel aged version.