Above is a view from the brewery itself. A flight of 4 5 oz. barrel-aged beers set me back a measly $8. A flight of regular beers goes for $5. These prices were very affordable, and they offered a selection of appetizers. However, I had just picked up a fantastic burger from the nearby Big Four Burgers where I partook of a breakfast burger with bacon, fried egg, and dripping with maple glaze. I digress, on with the reviews!
Cowtipper Bourbon Barrel-Aged Milk Stout
ABV: Unknown
I started with the lightest of the barrel-aged beers. I love a well-done milk stout and was excited to see what the bourbon barrel could add to this style. The nose was light with hints of brownies, cream, oak, and cocoa. It was pleasant, and the bourbon didn't overpower the aroma. The taste was light throughout, and started with hints of sweetened cream, chocolate milk, and white chocolate. The body was a little thin, though that isn't entirely uncommon with milk stouts. The finish thinned out even more and gave hints of buttermilk, cocoa powder, and a dash of coffee. The beer wasn't exactly what I wanted, and the bourbon seemed to change some of the flavors in a bad way.
Mike's Rating - 7.75/10
Wine Barrel-Aged Winter Cycle Double IPA
ABV: 10%
The second beer on my list is a DIPA, which most don't see as a style that needs aging. I was skeptical as well. Their Winter Cycle is a big DIPA that combines 6 different hop varieties from 3 different continents combined with juniper berries. They combined this beer with a short aging in a local Easley wine barrel. The aroma is a stellar combination of both. Sour grapes, vanilla, wood chips, pine needles, and grapefruit combine for a mouth-watering nose. The taste starts out with those sour grapes and vanilla and quickly shows off that wine barrel. Then the hops kick in and flavors of pine and citrus overwhelm your taste buds. The finish is intensely bitter and provides strong flavors of oak, grapefruit pith, and pine needles. This beer was quite the surprise and made me wonder how good it was fresh.
Mike's Rating - 9.25/10
Very Owd Gordo Pappy Van Winkle-Aged Old Ale
ABV: 11.5%
This one is quite interesting as it takes an English-Style Old Ale and ages it in Old Pappy barrels. I was curious to see what flavors and aromas this could exhibit, as the bourbon could easily overpower the subtle flavors of the Old Ale. The nose was nothing like what I imagined with hints of sour grapes, black cherries, and vanilla. The first taste started out thick and bitter with flavors of grapes, cherries, perfume, and a hint of oak. That oak began to overwhelm in the finish and included flavors of vanilla and dirt. After being excited to see how this would taste, the flavor fell flat...no pun intended.
Mike's Rating - 8.25/10
Snowdog Canadian Whiskey Barrel-Aged Imperial Rye Stout
ABV: 9%
Another complicated beer that could achieve greatness or fall flat...That pun was intended. Too soon? Anyways, I was skeptical going into this one. So far, only one of the three beers had impressed me, though they all remained interesting. The nose on this one starts out with sweet hints of fudge brownies, milk chocolate, white chocolate, and vanilla. I was eager to give this one a taste, and I was not disappointed. Rich flavors of dark chocolate, black cherries, and tootsie rolls make for a nice introduction into this beer. The finish has a bit of bitterness with flavors of roasted coffee and thick dark chocolate. This was a great beer to end on, as it turned out to be the best of the bunch.
Mike's Rating - 9.5/10
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