On nitro at the brewery, 12/29/17.
Dark ebony, undetermined clarity. Fluffy, nitro-induced, dark beige head atop showing strong retention.
A big snort of whiskey breaks through even the stiff nitro head. Oak, ash, char and dry raisin/prune with more stiffness all-around to it, than the un-barreled version. Rich and even lightly salty, as the char and oak contribute the light saltiness. Alcohol still well-concealed, though the calvados does add some sharpness to things.
In the mouth it's full of oily oak and vanilla, with a long barrel presence on the end, plentiful tannin and moderate chocolate and char lingering. Soft alcohol and/or calvados notes pepper the finish, as well. Definitely different and heavily influenced by the barrel aging, unsurprisingly. It sharpens and enriches things and it's tough to say which one I prefer. Again, very dry and English with tons of dark fruit character.