2015 vintage bottle drunk 5/6/17.
Copper-auburn-dark-amber body with tons of sediment left behind, as always, from Dark Horse. Eggshell-to-butter-colored head atop is dense but very small and recedes slowly to a ring.
Like the base version, its fruity and spicy with additional spice, warmth and, of course, oak from the barrel aging. Theres a LOT of bourbon here, though its mostly a strong pepper and spice character rather than any huge booziness, thankfully. Lots of bready malt character lies behind it with light chocolate and plentiful caramel balancing pretty well.
Soft in the mouth with additional texture contributions from the barrel adding light slickness to the mouthfeel. Low, fairly engaging carbonation still engages the palate and an explosion of plums, prunes, raisins, figs and toffee emerges with warming and breathing, ending strongly spicy with light alcohol warmth and more oak. A fine beer and the bourbon actually contributes a reasonable amount of dryness here, but does dominate the beer as the bottle wears on. Given the already high amount of melanoidins, esters, phenols and other crazy flavors at work in the base beer, the heavy spice of the bourbon doesnt really add a whole lot here, in my opinion.

Not an improvement on the original, but not too bad, either. Bourbon barrel-aging takes some of the sweetshop decadence out of Scotty Karate, but replaces it with a huge booze-bomb bourbon-forward profile, the whiskey drowning out pretty much any other notes. Toffee and caramel are still present, but the bourbon’s running the show, adding a liquor heat that digs up all that alcohol plain Scotty Karate hides so well. Finishes boozy and sweet with a oaked-up vanilla bitterness fighting off an attempt to grow cloy, but it’s a losing battle once the beer warms up. Not bad, just an example of when bourbon barrel-aging usurps a beer’s character instead of accenting it.

Tap at Gambrinus. Pours a deep brown with a beige head that dissipates fairly quickly. Lots of caramel and toffee on the nose with a big malty aroma. More malt and caramel on the palate with some light bourbon on the finish. Booze is hidden quite well, but it doesn’t really go anywhere. Well-made, just not all that interesting.

Keg at Buckeye Beer Engine. Clear dark amber, thin fizzy tan head, poor retention. Aroma of toffee, vanilla, bourbon, oak. Taste is toffee, caramel, oak, raisin, whiskey. Medium bodied, low carbonation, mild heat. Barrel aging complements and does not overwhelm. Solid.

Bottle thanks to George. Pours a clear copper with small off white head that lasts. The aroma is caramel, bourbon, wood, vanilla. Medium body, similar flavors to nose, boozy finish, very good.

12 oz bottle. Pours a clear dark brown with reddish mahogany notes and light head. Aromas of candi sugar, sweet malts, sweat, and bread crusts. Flavors of sugar, woody oak, and dusty medicinal alcohol. Somewhat thin But good for what it is.

Wow, it’s worse then the original one but somehow less hot. Flattish even off draft. Tea and caramel malt, no barrel alcohol. Sweet malts not balanced by anything but they r a bit earthy but that is all.

12 oz bottle, labeled as 2015 vintage. Reddish brown with some small particles and a very light tan head. Juicy apple and brown sugar aroma at first, moving into strong bourbon. Bourbon strong in the flavor as well, mixing with toasty caramel and molasses. Dark fruit, vanilla, and a touch of oxidation in here, and an alcohol edge. A pretty good mix, really.

Sampled on draft at Hou Thou this beer poured a dark brown color with reddish highlights and a medium sized foamy off white head that left decent lacing. The aroma was sweetish with toffee, caramel, a bit of dark fruit and bourbon. The flavor was strong bourbon with caramel, toffee and dark fruit elements. Long finish with growing booziness. Full bodied but undercarbonated. Solid.