2024 500mL bottle drunk 2/22/26.
Warm, chocolatey, gooey goodness. A bit cakey, but the apparent bourbon spice helps balance. Nonetheless, it remains extremely rich, dense, seemingly sweet. Yet it's not a caramel or raisin bomb, and there is some variety of malt character, ranging from toasted brown bread to toffee and molasses. No alcohol noted. I could definitely use a bit more barrel/bourbon to balance all this malt, though.
Sweet, of course, given the absolute barrage of intense malt. Though not cloying, as the bourbon arrives to balance with big spice and wood tones. Raisin, prune, creme brulee...all intense, rich, dessert-like flavors. Definitely pushing it on everything here, but that's sort of what these contemporary monstrous BA beers do. To its credit, I get neither overt nor particularly warming/peppery alcohol whatsoever.
An excellent dessert beer, for sure, neither boozy, nor too syrupy-sweet (though very sweet, make no mistake). That said, this seems like exactly the kind of beer that could use adjuncts to add complexity. As is, I don't really get much of the complexity mentioned in the description. The barrel and bourbon do a lot of work, but the malt gets a bit monotonous. Still, respect for choosing to not use adjuncts in a world where like 85% of BA stouts and barleywines are adjuncted.

Can from Tavour. Pours very hazy gold with a moderate white head. Aroma is very tropical - some pineapple. Med plus body - smooth carbonation helping that. It's juicy but not really sweet. Not very bitter either. Flavor is the thing here. Pineapple, melon, citrus - but not orange. Or grapefruit either. KInd of kumquat. But that's not it either. Good flavor.