Imperial Pale Ale - Bourbon Barrel
Widmer Brothers Brewing in Portland, Oregon, United States 🇺🇸
Strong Ale - American Regular Out of Production|
Score
6.87
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Hidden in the beautiful dark amber color are aromas of vanilla and caramel that compliment perfectly the presence of bourbon. Soft oak flavors transition into a sweet yet slightly dry finish. After aging the ale for four months, the malt and hop complexity of Brrr has melded harmoniously with the bourbon barrels and become a truly one of a kind beer.
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7.4/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
22 ounce bottle into snifter; 2012 vintage, bottled on 8/28/2012. Pours fairly clear reddish copper color with a 1-2 finger dense light khaki head with good retention, that reduces to a thin lace cap that lingers. Light spotty soapy lacing clings around the glass. Aromas of caramel, toast, toffee, brown sugar, raisin, pear, vanilla, oak, clove, bourbon, floral, grass, slight pine, and floral/toasted earthiness. Nice and pleasant aromas with good balance and complexity of dark malt, bourbon barrel, and light-moderate hop notes; with solid strength. Taste of caramel, toast, toffee, brown sugar, raisin, pear, vanilla, oak, clove, bourbon, floral, grass, slight pine, and floral/toasted earthiness. Slight earthy/spicy bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of caramel, toast, toffee, brown sugar, raisin, vanilla, oak, clove, bourbon, floral, grass, and toast/oak earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Nice complexity and moderate robustness of dark malt, bourbon barrel, and light-moderate hop flavors; with a nice malt/barrel balance and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Medium carbonation and body; with a fairly creamy and smooth mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with only a slight warming present after the finish. Overall this is a nice barrel aged strong ale. Good balance and complexity of malt, barrel, and light-moderate hop flavors; and very smooth to sip on for the ABV. A nicely enjoyable offering.
Tried
from Bottle
on 13 Mar 2014
at 20:13
6.8/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
Bottle @ Cockney Pub. Pours dark golden with a white head. Aroma of malt, little cpice, bourbon, wood, vanilla, alcohol. Flavor is malty, caramel, bourbon, wood,little boozy. Medium body, quite high carbonation, warming alcoholic finish. 241013
Tried
from Bottle
on 25 Oct 2013
at 12:22
8/10
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Appearance 10
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 8
Bottle from CoOp Bellingham, WA
limited release #3, fall 2010, 2 years old
Hazy amber color, with medium sized creamy head. Delicate and very nice aroma of vanilla oak, with a hidden fruity touch. Good malt flavor, some toffee, and medium sweetness; it has inherited a strong character from the oak and Bourbon vanilla; correct bitterness level, this is not the major focus of this beer; in the final there is some fudge, and therefore a light buttery touch too, and light alcohol presence.
Easy-pleasing.
limited release #3, fall 2010, 2 years old
Hazy amber color, with medium sized creamy head. Delicate and very nice aroma of vanilla oak, with a hidden fruity touch. Good malt flavor, some toffee, and medium sweetness; it has inherited a strong character from the oak and Bourbon vanilla; correct bitterness level, this is not the major focus of this beer; in the final there is some fudge, and therefore a light buttery touch too, and light alcohol presence.
Easy-pleasing.
Tried
from Bottle
on 10 Jan 2013
at 01:54
7.6/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 8.5
Bottle at the CBC Tune-Up, London. Pours clear copper with a fine, white cream head. Big piney caramel nose. Big sweet toffee flavor with hefty ripe fruits and dulled piney hops. Full bodied with fine carbonation. Mild warmth on the finish with sweet caramel, ripe dry fruits, pine, dulled grass. It’s a big, sweet, American-style barley wine. Not bad.
Tried
from Bottle
on 29 Jul 2012
at 01:41
6.2/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 7
Draught @ Hawthorne Hophouse as ”2011 Brrrbon”. Rated on 11.07.2012
Aroma has vanilla, some alcohol and stale bourbon notes. Also some wood. Flavour has stale bourbon, alcohol and woody notes. Not nice, too woody and stale.
Aroma has vanilla, some alcohol and stale bourbon notes. Also some wood. Flavour has stale bourbon, alcohol and woody notes. Not nice, too woody and stale.
Tried
on 12 Jul 2012
at 08:20
6.2/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6
Bomber shared at the 18th Richmond Ratebeer Gathering. Pours a slightly hazy amber color with a thin head. Aroma of bourbon, maple, wood and sawdust. The taste is spicy wood, toffee, maple, citrus, toasted malts. Low carbonation, full bodied, slight heat.
Tried
on 23 Jun 2012
at 20:43
6.2/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6
Bottle at my Pre-CBC Tune-Up Tasting, thanks to jackl. It pours clear deep amber, with a thick white head. The nose is spice, bourbon, warming alcohol, cake, caramel and brown sugar. The taste is bourbon, spice, alcohol warmth, cake, sweet fig, honey, caramel and wood, with a dry, warming finish. Medium body and fine carbonation. A bit hot and one-dimensional.
Tried
from Bottle
on 09 May 2012
at 05:04