Barrel Project 19.10

 

          Once upon a time, your choices were fairly predictable if you wanted to buy a barrel aged beer. Back in the day, you could only find porter, stout, and barleywine with the words “barrel aged” on the label, and they were routinely aged in bourbon or some other kind of whiskey barrel. Today though, the innovative nature of craft brewing has thrown the doors of barrel aging wide open. For one thing, a wider variety of beer is being aged in barrels these days.

You can find saisons, IPAs, sour ales, and so many other styles of beer being aged in barrels before being bottled. What’s more, you can find more than just whiskey barrels being used to age those beers. Barrels that once held wine, port, tequila, and other spirits are pulling double duty in breweries across the industry. As it happens, I decided to pick a barrel aged barleywine recently, having tried and liked another beer from Brouwerij Kees. Barrel Project 19.10 is the darkest barleywine I think I’ve ever seen. It’s basically jet black with a coffee and cream colored head.

          The aroma really has a lot going on. The first thing I smell is the bourbon barrel the beer was aged in. Here, I’m getting huge notes of vanilla, the depth of wood, and hints of the bourbon itself. Vanilla and brown sugar give the aroma a hint of sweetness coupled with a gentle aroma or ripe fruit. Malt comes through in the finish with aromas reminding me of dark fruits like dates before fading into the background.

          Taking a sip reveals me a barleywine with a very, very full body. Flavors are very malty up front, coupled with a subtle and not unpleasant alcoholic flavor. After all, the beer does clock in just north of 11% abv. Flavors of malt and alcohol lead into a notable flavor of rum and raisins. Rum and raisin lead into flavors of wood and subtle spiciness on the back of the tongue. The whole thing is very full in flavor and mouthfeel making a beer that enjoys being sipped rather than gulped at hungrily.

          Barrel Project 19.10 deserves an 8.25 out of 10. It’s full, smooth, and flavorful. It deftly walks the line between being big and bold versus being so big and bold that you can barely drink it. Pour a glass, light a fire in the fireplace (if you have one) and let this beer take the chill off on a cold winter night.