Michael: I have grown to love barrel aged beers. I’m practically a sucker for them. Barrel aged Bud Light Lime, you say? Mmm, sounds great I’ll have two! Oh it’s so complex, so subtle, what a groundbreaking brew!
Ok, I’m definitely not that bad, but I have indeed enjoyed barrel aged beers more and more, especially being drawn to those that have fermented themselves comfortably in a bourbon vessel for a few months. Well, Arcadia has given this particular brew just the kind of care I enjoy. This porter, one of 14,000 bottled this year, has sat for 20 months in 22 year old bourbon barrels. While I would normally shy away from a $6 porter, my local beer guy said it was a must-have.
It poured a deep black, threatening my preconceptions of porters and the typical letdown that they bring my palate. It looked big, huge maybe, a stout clone, complete with a fluffy tan head that streaked down and settled into a pool of brown sugar film. In the last couple of weeks I have had KBS, Abacus, Olde Bluehair and Bourbon County Vanilla Stout. The nose on this one from Arcadia tells me it’s in good company. A straight bourbon scent is blended only slightly with chocolate and malt. It seems to be completely capable of standing on it’s own, again more in the ballpark of a stout than a porter.
For some reason I wanted a big swig, wanted to take it all in through a gulp rather than a sip. I wasn’t looking to be quenched, just to take a big bit out of what seemed to be a big beer. And it was. An incredible blend of tastes yes, but more than that the smoothness struck me. Despite my overly ambitious gulp, it went down like velvet, not grainy or tangy or too-carbonated. Just good. Really, really good. With the second sip, a more reasonable tasting volume, I could pick up the bourbon and what seemed to be vanilla notes. The alcohol was definitely present, warming and enjoyable. There was such a solid balance, the bourbon was not overdone, but a key player. The undertones of vanilla, hazelnut and roasted malts were present in quantities big enough to be appreciated, but faint enough to let the bourbon shine.
This porter is a contender for one of the best barrel aged beers I’ve had in recent memory. An incredibly balanced, well crafted, flavorful brew. Grade A
Tom: A deep rudy reddish-brown hue makes up the body of this beer while colors similar to well, Bourbon line the edges as my glass filled. Nice presentation all around it had the makings of your standard American or Robust Porter. However, the two year aging in a Bourbon barrel takes this beer to a whole new level. Like a fine glass of Maker’s Mark, this red wax dipped bottle will delivers huge oaky, vanilla, woody, caramel notes in the aroma. This is all backed by an acute astringent burnt malt profile that has the depth of a stout, but still retains that coffee focus and mouthfeel common to Porters. When warmer, the abv is noticeable yet not overpowering allowing one to fully enjoy all the intricacies in the nose and palate. I’ve have this beer a few times and can confidently say it is a dark horse. In the past Arcadia’s ales have not impressed me until now…this one is knock out. It finishes with a deep caramel-like, almost toffee sweetness that quickly fades into a dry aftertaste of roasted malts. I agree with Michael this was “really good,” but part of me wishes this was a Stout with a heavier mouthfeel. Maybe that is the beauty about this beer…it’s not. Grade A