The Bruery Smoking Wood - Bourbon Barrel

Brewed by The Bruery
Style: Smoked
Placentia, California USA

Serve in Dimpled mug, Lager glass, Stein

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A vigorous pour into my Lost Abbey Teku glass produces an almost three finger thick, richly brown tinged, dark tan colored head. The beer smells of phenolic smoke, butterscotch and vanillin laden spicy Bourbon; behind this the smokiness starts to pick up some savory character, and a rich, almost umami like note. There is soft roasted character here, and ample plank laden woody flavors, in fact there is almost a green note to the woodiness here. In the end this smells like an alcohol soaked charred oak stave. There is an almost sweetness to the smoke character here, but really it is a savory quality more than anything.

Lightly carbonated, slightly sweet, with a rich, savory middle, but the finish has a woody, almost green, oak character as well as a fruity, Bourbon alcohol flavor to it. Soft notes of vanillin, Bourbon fruit, smoky peat, a touch of oily saltiness, and a lingering, astringent oak character are quite infused by the barrel aging. Soft roasted notes accentuate the smokiness in the middle, and add a dry, slightly bitter, burnt character to the finish. The roast also accentuates a touch of acidity here in the finish, that also comes from the Bourbon barrel character. Molasses notes add some richness, and accentuate a brown bread, wholesome sweetness, perhaps a hint of licorice character. The body has a nice texture to it, viscous, though not overly heavy, and significantly lightened up by the barrel aging. Both the barrel and the smoke (definitely the cherry wood smoked malt, not the Bamberg Beechwood smoked malt) accentuate some burnt plastic notes in the finish, more so as it finishes.

A bit better than the Rye version, it gets more rounded and balanced as it warms up, though it is still to dominated by the barrel character and it ends up accentuating the harsh notes in the cherry wood smoked malt; I honestly can’t understand why any brewer uses this cherry wood smoked malt, it is harsh, plastic laden, and just a negative in every beer I have ever had made with it. I wonder if most people have a palate that hides the negatives of this malt, b/c it is so blaringly obvious to me, and I really hope that brewers stop using this; hell, I really wish Briess would stop making this. Ok, having gone on that diatribe, this beer is actually fairly enjoyable.

Bottle. Silky black pour with a partial slick of tan foam. Aroma is meaty bacon and campfire smoke with vanilla and marshmallow from the bourbon. Taste is sharp alcohol spice with smoke and heavy, sweet malt with semi-harsh bourbon. Mouthfeel is thick and coating (too much so). The smoke character on the aroma is pretty intense, which I like, but the combination of bourbon and smoke gets muddled in the flavor. Definitely a sipper.

750 ml bottle poured a clear dark reddish brown with a lingering ring of brown bubbles. Aromas of bourbon, oak, smoke, roasted malt, dark chocolate and licorice. Palate was medium bodied and smooth., Flavors of smoke, oak, roasted malt, light bitter chocolate and light bourbon with a smooth lingering smokey finish.

On tap. Smells like bacon. Looks like [burnt] bacon. Tastes like bacon! And it’s not even the bacon version! Holy cats this is smoky!! Reminds me of The Horse Brass before the smoking ban but with the addition of peat smoke and booze! Woofy wood smoke!!

Initially I thought this was a big bourbon bomb, but it changes as u get through the bottle. Big black oil pour with lingering head. Smellis smokey, scotch, peat, bourbon vanilla. Taste is big on bourbon with the smokey-ness coming through at the end. It’s literally like drinking a heavily prayed highland scotch chilled with a spritz of seltzer water. An amazing beer that will portray more of the scotch like flavored with age. Almost as good as Smoked and Oaked. It’s just missing the continiuity and flow of the taste that smoked n Oaked brings to the table.

GABF 2012, Friday. Ordinarily I avoid bourbon aged beers, but on the other hand, seek out smoked beers. This beer did not disappoint. The bourbon is there in a light way that does not overpower the other qualities, maybe it is the strong smoke character that is able to stand up to the alcohol. There is intense smoke flavor as well as aroma, which is mixed well with the bourbon. Black, and very low carbonation, nearly still. Good.

Bottle. Black pour, small light tan head. Sweet chocolate, smoked malt. light vanilla, bourbon booze, rich dark malts, and alcohol burn. Light spicy rye notes also, nice beer, but the booziness is quite noticeable. Worth a try.

Shared by Thorpe429. Thanks Mike. The beer is black with a thick, mocha colored head. The aroma offers smoke, roast, oak, booze, bread, salt, campfire, burning meats. The taste is equally complex. Nice smoke flavor mingling well with a bold and assertive bourbon character. Full bodied and rich. A bit sweet. Alcoholic warmth in the finish. A solid beer from The Bruery. Worth a try.

Served in a Bruery tulip. Almost flat. Nose is better than Rye Whiskey and without as much smoke. Chocolate and roast. Quite a bit of alcohol.

Poured into a perfect pint. 2.5 A: Black color. A little over one finger of medium brown head that fizzed away at breakneck speed and left no lacing. 4.5 S: This smells pretty awesome. Big bacony smokiness with campfire smokiness underneath. The thing that I think goes really well with smokiness is a thick, malty base which this certainly has. Big chocolate, lots of caramel and molasses, and potent neutral malt sweetness. The rye adds a big of complementary earthy spiciness. Supple roastiness. Bourbon plays a complementary role and allow the smoke to shine. Leather, oak, and earth. Slight booziness, but well hidden for the most part. Big, powerful, yet harmonious. 3.0 T: The taste is a let down after the nose. While this is definitely as sweet as I imagined, it’s paradoxically not rich nor deep with flavor. Somehow the booze goes from insignificant in the nose to one of the feature flavors in the taste. Porcine smoke is there again and that I appreciate the hell out of. Less chocolate, caramel, and molasses. More sugary neutral maltiness. Bourbon is leathery and earthy. Oak is added and so are some tannins. 3.5 M: Heavier medium to heavy body. It’s strange in that it’s syruppy, yet somewhat light on the tongue. Good moderate carbonation. Could be creamier. Not bad. 3.5 D: Taste was borderline 3.5, so a compromise here. It’s not bad, but like far too many smoked beers, the nose far exceeds the taste. I am glad, however, that I have two more bottles so I can see how this one ages. Serving type: bottle Reviewed on: 09-02-2012 05:09:15