Abbey Ale: Bourbon Barrel-Aged
Brewery Ommegang in Cooperstown, New York, United States 🇺🇸
Belgian Style - Dubbel Rotating Out of Production|
Score
7.20
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Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5
Bottle - pours dark brown tan head - nose and taste of bourbon, caramel, sticky dark fruit and oak - medium body
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 9
750 ml bottle into signature tulip glass, bottled on 7/21/2017. Pours slightly hazy deep ruby red; light copper/brown color with a 1-2 finger fairly dense and fluffy light khaki head with good retention, that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Light spotty soapy lacing clings around the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation retaining the cap. Aromas of big raisin, plum, fig, date, cherry, pear, red apple, apricot, peppercorn, coriander, clove, vanilla, bourbon, oak, caramel, brown sugar, brown bread, toasted biscuit, and nuttiness; with light notes of chocolate, banana, bubblegum, coconut, orange peel, licorice, toffee, molasses, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of fruity/spicy yeast, dark/bready malt, spices, and moderate bourbon barrel notes; with great strength. Taste of huge raisin, plum, fig, date, cherry, pear, red apple, apricot, peppercorn, coriander, clove, vanilla, bourbon, oak, caramel, brown sugar, brown bread, toasted biscuit, and nuttiness; with light notes of chocolate, banana, bubblegum, coconut, orange peel, licorice, toffee, molasses, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness. Light-moderate peppery yeast; light herbal/spice bitterness and bourbon/oak spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of dark fruit, cherry, pear, red apple, apricot, peppercorn, coriander, clove, vanilla, bourbon, oak, caramel, brown sugar, brown bread, toasted biscuit, nuttiness, light chocolate/banana, orange peel, licorice, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Incredible complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/spicy yeast, dark/bready malt, spices, and moderate bourbon barrel flavors; with an awesome malt/spiciness balance, and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Light-moderate increasing dryness from yeast spiciness and carbonation. Medium-high carbonation and medium body; with a very smooth, bready/grainy, and lightly sticky/chalky/tannic balanced mouthfeel that is awesome. Fairly crisp/clean finishing. Minimal warming alcohol for 9.5%, with zero barrel booziness after the finish. Overall this is an amazing barrel aged Dubbel style! All around fantastic complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/spicy yeast, dark/bready malt, spices, and moderate bourbon barrel flavors; very smooth, crisp, clean, and quite refreshing to drink for the big ABV. Awesome barrel integration; with perfectly balanced yeast, malt, spice flavors. The barrel isn't huge, but has really nice presence. I think the yeast phenols are covering it up a bit. A highly enjoyable offering, and spot on style example as expected.