Nickel Brook Cuvee 2012

[atomeyes]

Bought at the LCBO. wax-sealed bottle with an old fashioned-style label that looks for busy/messy than cool. $10/bottle.

Bottle states: 19 IBU 8.5%. ingredients include Demerar sugar, dried fig, orange peel, raisins, cinnamon, all spice, black pepper, cardamom, vanila beans.

Poured into a chalice. big head that quickly dissipates to nothing. leaves lacing behind.

Looks brown in appearance - a solid amber maple syrup-like hue.

Nose is initially sugar, big time, with a trace of vanilla. with time, the orange peel definitely jumps out.

Taste - the bourbon barrel is strong. perhaps too strong. it hits me with an immediate mouth impact and leaves a wood-like bitter aftertaste. a bit too much. the next taste that stands out is the fig. there is a front-of-the-tongue sweetness to the beer, which is the perfect level for this style. decent mouthfeel, although i wouldn't mind it a bit more viscous.

i am drinking it while eating some roasted almonds and that's cutting the wood flavour a bit. it is not my favourite barrel-aged offering from them, but it is a hell of a lot better than most Ontario offerings at the LCBO. points to them for trying, and i wouldn't mind seeing what next year's batch tastes like.

they also note that it can be cellared. i don't see where it would evolve, to be honest. i'd rather buy the Belgian cuvee at the LCBO and cellar that for a year. this, for now, is a pretty good winter warmer. i'd reach to buy this over La Trappe Quad, methinks.

[JeffPorter]

Yeah, it's very much a "now" beer to drink. Unless you found the spices overwhelming which they aren't to me at least.

Nice attempt at a barrel age and a blend, but I prefer Kentucky Bastard by a country mile!

[matt7215]

750ml bottle from the brewery. pours murky brown with a tan head. nice spicy aroma. a bit of oaky vanilla but not much. needs some bottle time to come into its own.

other vintages of this beer have aged nicely so Id hold back a bottle for a year or 2 if you got more then 1

[TheSevenDuffs]

Taste - the bourbon barrel is strong. perhaps too strong. it hits me with an immediate mouth impact and leaves a wood-like bitter aftertaste. .

It is funny how different palates can taste the same beer in completely different ways. I got no barrel whatsoever from the Cuvee.

[atomeyes]

Taste - the bourbon barrel is strong. perhaps too strong. it hits me with an immediate mouth impact and leaves a wood-like bitter aftertaste. .

It is funny how different palates can taste the same beer in completely different ways. I got no barrel whatsoever from the Cuvee.

i also wonder if there's a difference between batches. Matt described it as being "oaky vanilla".

or...your palate's shot

[TheSevenDuffs]

Taste - the bourbon barrel is strong. perhaps too strong. it hits me with an immediate mouth impact and leaves a wood-like bitter aftertaste. .

It is funny how different palates can taste the same beer in completely different ways. I got no barrel whatsoever from the Cuvee.

i also wonder if there's a difference between batches. Matt described it as being "oaky vanilla".

or...your palate's shot

True. But he also said "a bit of" ...

[skaghevn]

While I enjoyed it, I thought it had a thin mouth-feel. Can't see it aging well, but would be happy to be wrong (and have someone else put the point to me with a glass).