Wild Turkey bourbon barrels add grain alcohol pungency to sharply pungent citrus bittering contrasting honeyed wheat spine. Zesty orange-peeled grapefruit rind bite persists, picking up distant tangerine, pineapple and peach tanginess. Moderate wood-soaked alcohol burn gains acidic edge at finish.
On tap at Plank Pizza, easygoing Kentucky bourbon-barreled barleywine (8% ABV) needs ‘no overwhelming alcohol kick’ to stay pleasing. Gentle caramel-toasted Scotch malting and light oaken vanilla buttering sidle up against placid bourbon sweetness in mild manner.
Fabulously rich limited edition 2017 edition reinforces milky black chocolate malting with syrupy cherry-soaked bourbon affectations and chewy vanilla licks. Toasted coconut, cola and hazelnut help sweeten the mighty mocha contingent as creamy chocolate cake, crème brulee and illusions thicken resolve of Kentucky bourbon-barreled bonbon.
Well-detailed full body from 2016 small-batched Reserve Series brings bold dark-grained black chocolate richness to dry hop-charred coffee roast and bitter walnut sear while sustaining clean mineral water briskness. In recess, oats-dried molasses and mild vanilla beaning deepen black-malted mocha goodness while hints of dark rum, burgundy and black cherry waver. On tap at Biggie’s, 2018 tapped version retained creamily bittersweet dark chocolate roast heightened by sugared coffee, raw molasses, gooey anise and earthen hops.