It's either a late lunch or an early Happy Hour today and here's what's on the menu:
That would be a Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale; I'm about halfway through this glass as we type and so far, so good. We'll drink this stuff carefully as the alcohol content is a staggering (for beer) 8.19%. That said, the brew is tasty, indeed. The Bros like it and I'll quote from their house publication:
And now it's out to the verandah to finish this puppy off before it gets too damned hot to be outdoors.
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| This is a mePhone pic, believe it or don't. |
That would be a Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale; I'm about halfway through this glass as we type and so far, so good. We'll drink this stuff carefully as the alcohol content is a staggering (for beer) 8.19%. That said, the brew is tasty, indeed. The Bros like it and I'll quote from their house publication:
Review from BeerAdvocate Magazine Issue #51 (April 2011):Well, OK. We've tried it but this beer won't go into our normal rotation, mainly because it's pretty damned expensive. You'll note the beer is sold in four-packs, not six, and it's still pretty damned pricey (14 Yankee Dollars for a four-pack, on the 'net). An interesting beer, to be sure, but there are better beers out there for less money.
The pale amber color and sufficient lacing does not tell much of a story, even though it’s a great-looking beer. At first sniff, the nose is filled with barrel juice from the freshly used bourbon barrels—fusel with sweet vanilla and oak. Has the body of a well-attenuated ale, though there’s warmth from the aggressive alcohol. Hopping is modest at best; the dryness and high level of alcohol seem to balance this beer out. Boozy with fresh bourbon flavors from start to finish. Any sweetness seems to come from the feigned direction of the bourbon as it throws down that vanilla flavor. Some graininess within to remind us that this is a beer. Drinking this one slow. Definitely sets itself apart from all other bourbon barrel aged beers, which makes it a must-try.
And now it's out to the verandah to finish this puppy off before it gets too damned hot to be outdoors.
Enjoy! It's raining here...
ReplyDeleteIt rained here again, too... making Happy Hour just that much happier!
DeleteLeave it to bourbon country to make a fortified beer, lol. (BTW, Louisville did once have a substantial German population down by the river in an area known as "Butchertown." They have a large Octoberfest festival there every year. By the time I started spending time in Louisville in the early 60s (because of my Louisville college room-mate)) there were only three major regional/national brands left being brewed locally; Fhers (closed in 1964) Oertel's 92 (my favorite! which closed in 1967, although when we moved there in 1976 I found two cases left in a 7-11 cold room and bought them both, lol!) and Falls City (named for the falls of the Ohio just west of Louisville and its big lock system) which closed in 1978 two years after I arrived. Wouldn't you know I missed the best years going and coming. Now, with the craft beer craze emerging, Louisville is filled with micro-brewers producing great beers--as is Baton Rouge, New Orleans and practically every other midsized to large city in the US. We're living in a "Golden Age" of beers, Buck!
ReplyDeleteA golden age, indeed. The craft beer movement ain't exactly "emerging," I'd say it's a well-established FACT. What a great time to be alive!
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