On the 9th day of Christmas, Frank About Beer drank for me - well, uh, something not so great.
So today's selection has greatness written all over it - Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale. I mean, it's from Kentucky, the state which is renowned for bourbon, and an ale that's aged in used, oak bourbon barrels for six weeks while it leeches every ounce of distilled goodness leftover in those barrels.
Except it's not.
This pours a light gold with okay carbonation, and smells really boozy. The taste has a very slight vanilla hint to it, but is a very light, thin beer with a dry finish. Overall, though, it simply tastes like watered-down bourbon. The one positive is it's high, 8.7% ABV alcohol content (typical of barrel-aged beers).
Look, I like bourbon with a little water, but this was too thin to keep a good flavor. I'm not sure if it's the particular distillery they're sourcing from, or a change in the recipe, but this one just isn't what it used to be.
We definitely respect the hard work and love that goes into making craft beers, but this one, unfortunately, is a miss.
Check back tomorrow for the next beer in our #12BeersofXmas series.
Cheers!
Christian & Eric
