Delicate bourbon barreled strong ale with subtle oak-charred Four Roses bourbon influence gaining dry peated whiskey surge, buttery Chardonnay wining, caramelized rye restraint, honeyed vanilla spicing and distant chestnut-almond swipe (as well as mild orange pith, brown pear and dried cherry snips). Maybe a tad tentative flavor-wise, yet smooth, easygoing, warm. A soft-toned limited edition (2025) 9.9% ABV brew.
On tap at Schatzi’s, judiciously whiskey barreled Dead Guy Ale (2021) soaks original’s honey-roasted caramelization, plum-sugared red cherry sweetness and orange marmalade tang with oaken vanilla rye whiskey tones, dry bourbon perfuming and pasty pine lacquering.
Daring bourbon barrel-aged Belgian golden ale almost fully integrates cold-brewed coffee nuttiness into tripel-like honey-spiced dried fruiting for offbeat hybrid. Milk-sugared java continuance gains caramelized dark rum sweetness, almond-pecan whims, chocolate eclair nips and bourbon vanilla snips, losing some flare by the finish.
Adventurous brandy-port aged ‘old ale’ reverberates convincingly with lavish liquor luster. Lovely cherry-bruised cognac warmth guides rum-buttered whiskey nip and orange-candied Grand Marnier snip in creamily caramelized vanilla setting. It spiced brandy flourish lightens the acrid fusel esters consuming the port-wined bourbon finish.
Spritzy Chardonnay-buttered lemon zesting pervades rum-spiced banana daiquiri sugaring and vanilla creamed orange marmalade sweetness of cognac-licked Pineau des Charontes white wine-barreled vibrancy. Herbaceous white-peppered Belgian yeast influence fortified by sourdough breaded bottom. Modest candied pineapple, tangy tangerine, peach pie and lemon meringue illusions deepen piquantly fruity aspect of lovely Belgian blonde ale.
Another understated barrel-aged gem from Scotland’s I & G. Jamaican rum sweetens richly caramelized mocha fruiting, maple molasses-glazed nuttiness and dewy earthen remnant. Brown-sugared fig, plum, date and raisin illusions graze vanilla-creamed brown chocolate stead and ample pecan-chestnut-cola conflux for rummy Scottish-based, Irish-styled red ale.
On tap at Ambulance, supersized bourbon-barreled barleywine segues syrupy caramelized bourbon vanilla warmth into molasses-sapped chocolate dalliance, leaving tingly cognac, brandy, burgundy, port and sherry tones in the deep recess. Spruce-hopped mineral graining and leathery dried fruiting of original Third Coast base hidden far beneath the surefire cherry-bruised bourbon vanilla resonance.
Easygoing bourbon barrel-aged ale brings buttery rum-spiced whiskey nip to sweet Knob Creek bourbon licks for muted 9% ABV warmth. Mild oaken vanilla subtlety, caramelized toffee sugaring, meager dried fruiting and cedar-chipped almond wisp stay just beneath the surface. Delicately underwhelming, though maple-sapped whiskey finish is convincingly regal.
Complex pinot noir-influenced winter ale. Creamily caramelized toffee and brown chocolate sugaring receives affable dried fruiting contrasted quickly by sour purple grape tannins. Burgundy-licked raisin, fig and prune tartness sweetens over toasted barley malts, leaving prickly noir traces on the back of the tongue. A tad thin stylistically, yet wholly festive.
Mimicking a lime-juiced Kentucky mule cocktail from its sweet bourbon serenity to its ginger-leafed vodka smear and agave-teased tequila whim. Fresh-squeezed lime juicing stays pertinent while cologne-perfumed bourbon aging fades. An exquisite golden ale-based elixir from one of America’s best experimental brewers.
Extremely popular Dead Guy Helles Bock soaked in Dead Guy Whiskey Barrels retains soft-toned oaken vanilla buttering, creamy sugared malting and tangy orange spicing. Dry rye whiskey sedation soaks into brown-sugared grain malting as well as caramel, toffee, almond and coconut undertones.
On tap at Ambulance, oak-fermented saison lets white-wined phenols, lemon rot musk, orange rind bittering and grapefruit zest receive earthen barnyard rusticity above dry rye malts. Recessive green apple tartness gains raspy pepper spicing beneath the lightly acidic citrus surface.
