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Buyer's Guide for Beer Lovers

Specialty Beers

Exploring the Foamy Fringe of Beer

Barrel-Aged Beer

The Barrel-Aged Beer category, which also has some crossover with the Specialty Beer, is at its basic definition beers that are aged in non-neutral wood. This can to produce an intentional wood-influenced flavor effect (vanillin, caramel, toast), or flavors derived from the alcohol previously aged in the wood if any (bourbon, scotch whisky, sherry), as well as the action of microorganisms living in the wood. A wide variety of base beer styles can benefit from barrel aging, although darker or more alcoholic styles have been popular choices.

Interpreting the 100-point Scale

Consumers can translate the point score to the following quality bands:

Point Range Quality Band
96-100 points Platinum
90-95 points Gold
85-90 points Silver
80-84 points Bronze
Less than 80 Not Recommended
Legend
  • = Brewpub
  • ABV = Alcohol by volume
  • Date denotes the date on which the beer was tasted

97 Bourbon County Stout 2006, Goose Island Brewing Co. (IL). 12% ABV (8/07)
Opaque black with a saffron rim. Rich toffeed nuts, bourbon whisky and creamy vanilla aromas follow through to a rich, velvety, mildly sweet full-bodied palate with chocolate-covered espresso accents and a long sumptuous finish. An amazingly delicious and satisfying barrel-aged stout. World class!

92 Woody Stein, Grumpy Troll Brewery (WI). (9/09)
Deep chestnut color with a foamy manila head. Bold aromas of molasses, caramelized stone fruit and brown butter follow through on a round, supple entry to a dryish medium-to-full body with tart sour apple, roasted Brazil nut and mossy earthy hops on the long, resonant fade. A fun, woody treat to pair with exotic farmhouse cheeses.

92 Paradox Islay, BrewDog (Scotland). 10% ABV (8/08)
Murky brown-black color with a bubbly head. Peaty Islay whisky, toffee and dark toast aromas follow through on big, lightly syrupy entry to a dry-yet-fruity, full body with nougat, praline, fresh peat and moss, coffee and cocoa notes. Finishes with a long rich cocoa and peat fade. A big, smoky safari of a beer.

90 Kross 5 Wood Aged Beer, Wood Aged Southern Brewing (Chile). 7.2% ABV (9/09)
Deep copper color with a foamy taupe blanket. Aromas of brown sugar, vanilla yogurt and praline have a balsamic edge and follow through on a round, supple entry to a dryish medium-to-full body with maple and French toast-like notes and a tangy citrusy hop and nutty malt finish. A nice, very drinkable barrel-aged beer.

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