Private Press Brewing Pools Of Reflection (Batch #2)

Pools Of Reflection (Batch #2)
(Batch of Pools of Reflection)

 

Private Press Brewing in Santa Cruz, California, United States 🇺🇸

Brewed at/by: Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing
  Barley Wine - Barley Regular
Score
7.94
ABV: 14.3% IBU: - Ticks: 20
A blend of barrel-aged barleywine ales brewed with real maple syrup.

Pools of Reflection is a blend that taps into my decade-long fascination with brewing maple beers. The base of this blend is a maple barleywine with Vermont grade B maple syrup. I brewed two separate versions of this beer, one with a hint of smoked malt and one without. After aging in a variety of bourbon barrels, I blended three smoked barrels and four non-smoked barrels together. Finally, I blended a barrel with 60% barleywine and 40% Viennawine into the tank. Pools of Reflection blend really opens in the first half hour, and releases bold notes of maple, brown butter toffee, flambéed banana, baking spice and toasted chestnuts.

Blend #2 (PPB-3Q402):
Bartz (barrel #242) aged 12 months in Elijah Craig 10 Year barrels
Bartz (barrel #243) aged 12 months in Elijah Craig 10 Year barrels
Bartz (barrel #244) aged 12 months in Old Elk Wheated barrels
Bartz (barrel #264) aged 9 months in Elijah Craig 18 Year barrels
Bartz (barrel #265) aged 9 months in Bookers barrels
Bartz (barrel #266) aged 9 months in Basil Hayden Subtle Smoke barrels
Bartz (barrel #267) aged 9 months in Basil Hayden Subtle Smoke barrels
3/5 Mahavishnu, 2/5 Herbolzheimer (barrel #308) aged 19 months in Heaven Hill barrels

2023 Release
 

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

Thanks fonefan! (Pools of Reflection (Batch 2)). Close to black colour with a small off-white head. Aroma is chocolate, some sweet malts, mild coffee with some plummy and dried fruity tones to it. Flavour is chocolate, liquorice, coffee, vanilla, mild alcohol with some toffee, sweetness and mild fudgey tones. Almost stouty.

Tried from Bottle on 03 Jul 2025 at 15:10


8

Magus, vanilje, röst, linnaseline, alkone, rosinane, puuviljane, kerge iiris. Hea.

Tried from Bottle on 21 Dec 2024 at 20:19


8.2
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 9 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 9

Tap at BeerTemple, Amsterdam, with Matthijs and Paul, 10th December 24. Pours a dark and murky brown. Aroma is intense, maple, caramel and toffee, alcoholic, earthy, sweet, complex, love it

Tried from Draft on 11 Dec 2024 at 16:39


7.8

Awesome beer, too quality, super easy to drink, robust clean, beautiful. Beer temple ams

Tried on 22 Nov 2024 at 22:31


8.5
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 9

Bottle, 500 ml, shared with Hrvoje and MiroB. Brown with beige head. Caramel, touch of brown sugar, some maple, fried fruit, toffee, prunes, dates, medium sweetness. Smooth. Nice bourbon.

Tried from Bottle on 21 Nov 2024 at 19:34


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

Bottle shared at the Watford tasting . 2024-09-20. Many thanks to Wingman. A clear nutty caramel brown coloured pour with a lasting halo of loose mid tan head. Aroma is semi sweet, caramel brown sugars, sugars, rum, toffee, caramac bar. Flavour is composed of medum sweet, layered malts, jammy fruits, caramel bars, toffee, wamring alcohol. Palate is medium sweet, rounded, aquavite. Little boozy finish.

Tried from Bottle on 20 Sep 2024 at 13:50


8.4
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5

Bottle split at the farewell to Monica tasting, Watford, thanks to the Wingmane 20/09/24. Extremely dark mahogany brown topped with a beige cap that thins to the edge. Nose is fruit cake mix, rummy notes, booze, toffee, dark malts, molasses, toasted brown sugars. Taste comprises chocolate, spice, figs, toffee fudge, dark malts, bourbon, spice. Full bodied, fine carbonation, semi drying close with a balanced spike of alcohol. Solid quaffable barley wine ... sips easy whilst maintaining a good depth of flavour.

Tried from Bottle on 20 Sep 2024 at 13:50



8
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 9

Bottle at Watford Tasting. From Dave. Sweet maple with sweetness taken off by a malty edge. Opaque brown. Foamy beige head. Fruity. A tang. Sweet maple throughout. Light-medium bodied. Oily. Soft-fizzy carbonation. Long dry astringent finish. Yum.

Tried from Bottle on 20 Sep 2024 at 13:46


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

20th September 2024
Bottleshare at Chez Frog. Thanks to Wingman for this beast. Near clear dark amber brown beer, small bubbly tan head. Airy palate, semi dry, good fine minerally carbonation. Rich creamy sweet malts, good caramel and toffee. Good fruity bourbon, alcohol spice. Modest and well integrated maple. Light finish. A very drinkable 14% BW.

Tried from Bottle on 20 Sep 2024 at 13:42