OFallon Whiskey Barrel Smoked Porter

Bomber. Not all beers are helped by being stored in whiskey barrels. This is one example of a beer that is better without the infusion of wood and whiskey in its profile. Dark brown body with a short, bubbly tan head mostly diminishing. The aroma has notes of leather, bacon, smoke, wood, old shoes and bourbon. The flavor is lightly sweet, lightly bitter and moderately acidic. The finish is lightly sweet with a light tartness. The beer leaves an aftertaste of old shoes. Medium body, watery texture and lively carbonation. The aromas and tastes do not work together.

Sample at the Hopsnobbery Collective Porter tasting at Dogbricks on 12/4/08. Pours an opaque dark brown with minimal head. Smoky aroma that has a fair amount of bourbon and malt. Overly smoky flavor, like a ham sandwich, with some sour booze.

23 Year Pappy Van Winkle version, bottle. Aroma is full of bourbon, vanilla, caramel, coconut sweetness and chocolate, along with background notes of smoke, earth and a bit of spiced meat character. Dark brown in color head is tan and quick fading. Flavor is a bit more smoky than the nose would indicate, not as much bourbon on the palate either, instead seeing dark chocolate and mild coffee, dark caramel, butterscotch, smoke and burnt grains, with a dry bitterness at the finish. Low in effervescence, even a bit thin in palate, body is medium. Pretty good. Cheers to Gregis for the chance to sample it.

23yr Pappy Van Winkle Special Release. Pours a dark brown with garnet highlights and a thin beige skin at the surface. The nose is a sweet, smokey combination of smokehouse and a nice clean bourbon with a lightly ashy backing. Light-bodied with fine, tongue tickling carbonation and a soft, slightly dry finish. Th flavor is a sweet, ashy, smokey dark caramel malt with the bourbon only contributing to the sweetness of the blend. Very nice.

Sample at the Hopsnobbery Collective Porter tasting on 12/4/08: Bottle #052 wrapped in cellophane with an insert, tied with a bow, then wax-dipped. This beer pours a dark brown color with ruby highlights. Medium tan head that dissipates steadily. Top ring of lace with strings underneath. Bourbon, smoke and malt in the nose. Medium body with flavors of oaky bourbon, smoked malt, tobacco and a vanilla/chocolate blend. The finish is smoky and rich with a smoked meat aftertaste along with some more vanilla. Veers dangerously close to being over-smoky but decent overall.

22 oz bottle, shared by kmweaver. Pours a dark brown body with a fizzy beige head. The nose is more dominated by the barrel than the smoke, so that’s not a good start, the smoke is is certainly there though. Roast, coffee, chocolate, the usual suspects. The flavor is sweet and roasty with a little bit less smoke than I’d like, but I really like Smoked beers. Some roast, vanilla, bourbon, charred oak, a touch of alcohol flavor on the finish. Medium bodied with fizzy carbonation. Overall, pretty decent, but not a big improvement over the original version.

Bottle 607 of 960, courtesy of doulos31/goodgrief. The pour was brown-black in color, nice white (bright) head, spotty lacing. The aroma was smoke/rauch first and foremost, meaty beechwood smoking, light booziness. The flavor was smoke/rauch, whiskey, chocoalte, faint roasty, some molasses. The mouthfeel was light and acidic. An ok brew, really enjoyed the smokey elements, not so much the whiskey aging. Thanks for sharing, Tom!

Dark pour white head and little lacing. Strong aroma of whisky drowns out most of what else might be in the beer. The flavor was lots of whisky over a hugely smokey porter with roast and bacon. Moderate to high carbonation on the tongue. The flavors were all harsh and this detracted from my overall enjoyment. Still, not horrible.