8

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8

16 ounce sample can into tulip glass, best before 3/2/2016. Pours crystal clear deep reddish brown color with a 2 finger dense light khaki head with good retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings around the glass, with a light amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of caramel, toffee, toast, brown sugar, brown bread, maple, vanilla, nuttiness, light chocolate, bourbon, oak, and herbal/toasted earthiness. Very nice aromas with good balance and complexity of dark/bready malt, maple, and bourbon barrel notes; with good strength. Taste of big caramel, toffee, toast, brown sugar, brown bread, maple, vanilla, nuttiness, light chocolate, bourbon, oak, and herbal/toasted earthiness. Light-moderate herbal bitterness and oak/bourbon spiciness on the finish; with lingering notes of caramel, toffee, toast, brown sugar, brown bread, maple, vanilla, nuttiness, light chocolate, bourbon, oak, and herbal/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Damn nice complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready malt, maple, and bourbon barrel flavors; with a great malt/oak spiciness balance and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Medium carbonation and medium-full bodied; with a very smooth, moderately creamy/bready, and slightly sticky mouthfeel that is nice. Some light drying bourbon notes after the finish as well. Alcohol is well hidden with only a light warmth lingering after the finish. Overall this is a damn nice barrel aged brown ale. All around great robustness, complexity, and balance of dark/bready malt, maple, and bourbon barrel flavors; and very smooth and easy to drink for the ABV. A very enjoyable offering.