OFallon Whiskey Barrel Smoked Porter

Brewed by OFallon Brewery
Style: Smoked
OFallon, Missouri USA

Bottle. Pours a blackish-brown color with a thin light-brown head and little-to-no-lacing. Strong aroma of vanilla, whiskey, and wood. Very nice. Easy-drinking mouthfeel. Flavor is very complex and balanced. Flavors of whiskey and vanilla are strong, but the smoked malt is still very apparent. Not sure it is worth the price ($9.99 for a bomber), but a very nice beer.

22 oz bottle from Lukas Liquors KCMO with red wax sealing. Pour is black with a very faint reddish tint. Head has quite small and disappeared immediately. Aroma is bourbon, wood and smoke in the background. Taste is really nice, starts with the bourbon, oak in the middle and a nice smoky finish. Good thickness to the body, with an almost silky finish. I enjoy the regular Smoked Porter, and this one is much more complex, really beautiful throughout. Wow. I entered this beer as "A Smoked" since that was what the original is listed at, but the smoke really is only part of the story here.

It poured with a deep dark brown and rather dark head. I had some warmer aromas, more whiskey came through than the smoke. The muted smoke flavor made this very approachable. Each sip provided a nice warm whiskey finish. I enjoyed the several layers of flavor here with very nice balance between the smokiness, sweetness and warmth from the bourbon. June 2009 - Finally opend one of the Van Winkle barrel aged versions after sitting on it for over a year. Many similar notes from the original but the bourbon/vanilla aroma and flavor was much more pronounced. My wife could even smell it at the front door from the kitchen. The VanWinkle bottle edges the original.

This pours nearly black with brown/ruby highlights when held up to the light. The head is fizzy at first, like a cola, but dies down into a resilient full crown. Very nice lacing. Smell is very light in the whiskey note, which is nice to not have it beat you in the face every time. Smoke, tobacco, some light chocolate, and vanilla, but that may be a product of the whiskey. Taste is very very good, just the right amount of whiskey. When I have a barrel aged beer, I like when the barrel flavor compliments, not overtakes the characteristics of the base beer, and in this case, you have an already good base with O’Fallon smoke, with some just a little more than subtle hints of whiskey. This is really great, and goes down so easy. Mouth is thin to medium, which is unfortunate because I think a little more body could have elevated this into the stratosphere. It works and I can’t really deduct points because it is to style, but my thoughts none the less. Wow, this is excellent. Very rarely will I trade for a beer more than once, but this may be the exception.

I gotta say this beer is pretty damn good and well underrated and I think its important to remember that the base beer is a medium light bodied porter, not a stout. Pours a thinner very dark brown with a small frothy sudsy beige head. Smells way different than the base beer, bacon and salty smoked ham like an authentic rauchbier, a bit of roast and sweeter bourbon. First taste is super creamy milk and dark chocolates, some barrel, touch of smoke, lots of dark roast, not quite coffee, super creamy finishing with lots of sweeter charred bourbon barrel. Really great drinkability, so creamy, medium bodied with finer bubbly carbonation. Amazing balance and drinkability... the bourbon doesn’t taste cheap and really blends well.... I love it.

An amazing delicious concoction that reminded me little of the non-barrel version I consumed a few days earlier. The smoked porter definately takes a backseat to the bourbon whiskey and malt and some kind of full mouthfeel yeasty reaction that was a delight with a good fish and meat dinner.

I was extremely pleased with this one, which was somewhat of a surprise to me. Being that it is brewed locally in my area, I wasn’t expecting a whole lot even for the price I paid. It was relatively easy to drink with a bit more than just a hint of whiskey flavor. I would not recommend for whiskey dislikers. However I found it very enjoyable and wished for more after the bottle was empty. I approve.

Thanks to CaptainCougar for sharing. Dark brown, no head. Aroma shows loads of barrel character. Some barrel character and and unusual hickory/alder smoke aroma. There is some soft vanilla and caramelly maltiness in the back. Flavour shows good rauch smoke character that is much more prominent than is was in the aroma. Light chocolate. I quite enjoyed this one... which puts me solidly in the minority.