1st August 2026
Can. Pretty much an opaque dark brown beer, good tan head. Airy palate, a little dry and pretty minerally crisp. I've often thought the barreling on these Caramel beers was a bit light. Not so here. The Buffalo Trace bourbon interacts with the caramel in interesting ways and, produces a rich honeycomb, like a Crunchie bar sans choc but, darker and less sweet. Residual caramel comes through on the back end. Touches of bourbon soaked ripe fruits but, this is a beer where the barrel has not so much overlaid the base beer, rather it has joined and morphed into something different. Alcohol warmth and spice on the back end. Interesting result!

Can at home. Slight hazy loght yellow. Soft pils malts, wheat, pineapple, guava, papaya. Light sweet, not much bitterness. Over light bodied. It's OK, though it's more like a wheat ale or session IPA than a full blown IPA.

1st August 2026
Can. 13.0% version. Near clear dark brown, small bubbly tan head that doesn't last. Light palate, fairly smooth and mildly dry, decent fine carbonation on the back end. Light dark malts bring a decent tangy chocolate, kinda 60% dark, 40% milk. Goes well with abundant coconut. Grapefruit comes through on the back end and, it tastes like pink grapefruit and, a tad candyish. Soft finish. It comes together and it works. Not sure it would but it does. A fairly unique pastry affair in my book.

The great Kees Bubberman, arguably one of Holland's most bold and brilliant 'postmodern' brewers, treats us to an ambitious and boastful 'Bubberman' beer every two years, with this dark barleywine - partially 'eisbocked'! - representing the 2024 edition. Thanks to Martijn for sharing this beast at Proevertjesdag! Open, thin, pale greyish ring of foam dissolving over a misty deep bronze robe with ruddy-reddish glow, notably dark for a barleywine but in any case still fully translucent. Aroma of 'boerenjongens', raisinbread, caramel, my grandmother's elderberry jenever, toffee, vanilla from both the bourbon and the oak, dried apricot, medlar, cooked pear, port sauce, hint dusty attic. Dried-fruity onset, dried blueberries and plums, raisins, sweet but not too sticky with softish carb and very full, vinous, smooth body; deep layers of toffee, hazelnut, nougat and dry caramel ensue, even displaying a slight toastiness (in line with the dark colour of the beer) which I do not expect in any kind of barleywine. Bourbon-like alcohol becomes evident in the finish, with a plum liqueur-like side note and vanilla-like effects also coming from the oak wood itself; hops remain behind the curtains so bitterness remains limited, but the toasty effect does survive in the finish and brings some balance against the sweetness - and just because this sweetness refrains from sticky sugariness, does that all too well. The alcohol is obviously very noticeable and provides a great deal of finishing, soothing warmth - but even less so than what would be the case in e.g. a fortified wine of equal strength. If you must still play this outdated Eisbock game, then this is apparently the right way to do it: apply the technique to only part of the beer and blend in the Eisbock part later. The result is impressive, with the alcohol (also from the bourbon of course) being well-integrated without overtaking everything else - something I was not expecting at this ABV, to be frank. Intense for sure, but deliciously satisfying as a 'digestif' of sorts - and still very beery and drinkable. A 'tour de force', as we say, glad I got a taste of this majestic brew.

Can shared thanks to Maurice. Chocolate, bourbon, blackberries, vanilla, sour red currants, caramel. Solid sweet and sour. Full bodied. Nice but the sourness is not very nice.