North Coast Old Stock Cellar Reserve Bourbon Barrel

Brewed by North Coast Brewing Company
Style: Barley Wine
Fort Bragg, California USA

Serve in Snifter

send corrections   |   shelftag   |   edit barcodes   |   update pic

2009 bottle @ ZZT V. Thanks to Joes. Great dark red color, no head. Smell and taste malts, bourbon, sweetness, wood. Great beer! Full body, medium to full carbonation.

@ZZT V. Copper brown colour with no head. Smells heavily sweet, lots of wood, malts, hazelnut. Tastes sweet, wood, hazelnut, lots of taste. Quite nice.Thick feel, full body, very soft carbo.

Acquired at Hunger Mountain Co-Op in March. I believe this was priced at about $30. Enjoyed at Cellar temp in a snifter.

A - 2-finger slight tan head was produced but faded almost instantly. Very solid alcohol legs on the glass. Sort of a dark brown, hint of amber and plum appearance.

S - Hint of sweetness and minor maltiness on the nose. It’s a very unsuprisingly unsweet scent for a barleywine. Then again, this is an aged beer so perhaps this isn’t too surprising. Smokey oak and Bourbon and present but very smooth and not over boozy. The nose overall has a great balance.

T - This is incredibly hard to describe. First, I get some dark fruits like figs and cherries. Followed by a minor sweetness and hint of delicate vanilla bourbon whiskey. The sweetness is a mix of simple syrup and brown sugar. I love that there’s this caramel and candy like taste at the finish.

M - This coats the tongue and numbs it. It’s a mouth numbing beer that has a sort of orajel like feeling when it numbs things. Very heavy body, slick oily texture and vanilla sweetness finish.

O - This may be one of the finest barley wines I’ve ever had. It’s incredible and exceptional in so many ways. It’s hard to not give this beer a 5.

3rd May 2010
14.6% Version. Cloudy dark brown beer, no head. Light fresh sea breeze nose with a whisper of bourbon. Light palate, crisp and woody - dry. Sweet vanilla bourbon. Minerally mid and then dry creamy licorice with a little spice. Finishes dry. Obviously a strong beer but it doesn’t present much alcohol heat. Delightful if a tad dry.

(500ml bottle) Courtesy of Irishboy... Thanks Richard! Crazy strong fig concentrate. Smooth vanilla body, wood barrel, raisin purée and spice. Incredibly intense. Thanks R! --- reviewed on RateBeer.com

2009 vintage. Thin head of rather large bubbles from a vigorous pour. Excellent carbonation eminating from the mark in the bottom of my glass. Very unusual to have a barleywine with this much carbonation, especially after 3 years. Amazing aroma loaded with butterscotch, bourbon, sweet malts, dried apricots and caramel. Color is a murky mahagony brown. Big bourbon presence in the flavor. Lots more butterscotch, sweet malts, caramel and some rum soaked raisins. Noticable alcohol presence and warming but does not detract from such a strong flavor. Mouthfeel is loaded with chewey malts. They took a fantastic barleywine and put a little twist on it that makes it just as good if not better then the original. Nice job!

2009 bottle..Nose is Vanilla, chocolate, whiskey, wood, coffee..Taste is brown sugar, wood, chocolate, vanilla, whiskey, sweetness..Nice very well balance and boldness

2009 bottle...Pours an opaque amber/brown with a medium tan head. Aroma is boozy with bourbon notes...fig and candied fruits. Flavor has great vanilla and bourbon atop candied fruits...not as boozy or sweet as the aroma. Mouthfeel is full and the finish warms with fruity/bourbon notes and a touch of oak.

[4329-20120311] Corked bottle. Meaty vegetable stock and toasted malt aroma. Murky, brown roan red body with a very quick foamy off-white head. Toasted hearty vegetable soup malt continues in the flavour with oak wood hints and a sweet barrelly finish. Full body. Tasty, good balance between the barreling and the boozing. (8-/3/8/4/16) 3.9
(w/ jerc)

500mL corked and caged bottle, 2009 vintage. Pours lively dark orange, super-dark orange and garnet red in the glass, with a fizzy tan head that fizzes away to nothing quite quickly. Aromas of grape juice, cocoa, raisin, and alcohol. Malty, fruity, and sweet. Light buttered toast and jam, with some toffee notes, become evident as it warms. The flavor is sweet raisin and prune and plum, buttered toast, and buttery oak with very light bourbon. Somewhat boozy finish with buttery oak and toast and jam, and light vanilla. Low to medium carbonation, medium to full body, dry, and a bit hot. Tasty, with very subtle bourbon. A nice sipper. [996]