Schlafly Special Release Bourbon Barrel Ale

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

This beer was lacking in real barrel character for me. A light reddish-brown pour, almost clear, with very little head. Aroma was caramel malt and some fruitish hints. Flavour had some weak bourbon notes but for the most part was closer to an amber ale.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

Pours brown with good clarity and a small, lasting head. The aroma is sweet and woody. The flavor is so complex and almost garners a tropical coconut flavor from the wood aging. Full bodied with notable warming affect. I loved it.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 9 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

Sampled from bottle thanks to Louis! Pours copper-amber, faint haze, thick creamy light tan head. Rich caramel aroma with vanilla/wood notes. Sweet with caramel, bready malts, mild dark fruit, charred oak. Very complex. Full bodied and smooth.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 8

Coppery amber body with a thin head and sticky streaks of lacing. Big yet calm aroma of bourbon as well as a hefty dose of caramel followed by sauteed nuts, vanilla and wood. Creamy and really mild compared to my expectations. Rich and smooth, very soft and enjoyable. Sweet vanilla and oak flavors with plenty of barrel goodness. A faint citrus backdrop became more evident as the beer progressed. Lots of roasted and caramel malts. Extremely solid brew, thanks to Louis for sending this up my way.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 8

this was a very interesting and complex beer. the aroma had a ton of oak, with some vanilla, pepper, and hoppy undertones. the body was nice, and the beer was quite a warmer as it reached the bottom. the flavor was very complex, but i do wonder if i'd have like the barleywine bourbon aged by itself a bit more than the barleywine/pale blend. i'm a hophead, but the mix of hop aftertaste with bourbon was a bit odd. not bad, just odd. overall, it was a tasty unique brew that i'm glad i got to try. from a trade with bluesandbarbq.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

First, huge thanks to brother Lou (bluesandbarbq to those not on BP) for sending me this beauty. I was able to share it and about 14 other beers for my brothers 44th birthday party and it was fantastic. The beer pours out a solid copper/amber color, clear with a pillowy off-white fluffy merengue head. Big time vanilla in the aroma, with waffle-cone-like aroma’s wafting upward combining the cooked caramel, vanilla wrapped goodness all around. On the palate, the strength of the beer is the bourbon-y goodness that asserts itself right there...on the spot. The bourbon, some caramel, the vanilla, some alcohol...all done incredibly well. This is my first beer from Schlafly and damned if it wasn’t firing on all cylinders right from the get go.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 8

Thanks to Paul for this awesome beer. I've been holding onto it for my last beer, with the exception of the other bourbon i have set away for at least a year. Pours a beautiful copper-mahogany colour with a modest sized off white head. (Just saw fret put the same head description, whoa!) I'm all stuffed up from all the drywalling i was doing today but i can detect a bit of bourbon. Taste was smooth and mouthfilling with some whiskey and almond notes shining through. Rich cherry, apple and cinnamon flavours on the finish. Just a faint touch of bitterness rounds out this well balanced brew. Thanks Paul for sharing this great beer with me!

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 8

A Kentucky-only release of a Schlafly beer? Yes, and it is damn good. Clear amber pour with minimal head and little lacing. Huge bourbon and vanilla in the initial aroma then slightly sweet malts, and a touch of floral hops. Taste is extremely smooth with a bourbon/vanilla blend from the barrels then some maltiness and a slightly bit of hops in a bit of a dry finish. Very exclusive, very nice.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 9 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 9

This special release from Schlafly is currently distributed in Kentucky only. ABV unknown; beer guy at Party Town said 6.4% (I was a day too late for a growler fill, dammit) Pours a medium coppery amber, modest off-white head that diminishes quickly with light lacing. Nose is primarily malt, with a subtle floral note. Pretty unremarkable, until it passes the lips. Malt leads the way, followed by an interesting tang that combines a relatively mellow hops presence with a very mild bourbon bite. Between malt, hops and oaky bourbon, no one element dominates; the balance is exquisite! Mouthfeel is smooth and creamy, finishes with a mild bitterness and a strong urge to crack open another one. Might be the best sub-$10 sixpack I've ever had. I hope Schlafly puts this one in the regular line-up; I'll drink it, if they'll brew it!