#330 O'Fallon - Whiskey Barrel Smoked Porter (Pappy Van Winkle)

This batch of O'Fallon Whiskey Barrel is made using Pappy Van Winkle 23 yr old Family Reserve barrels. First off this should be more correctly called Bourbon barrel not Whiskey barrel, since the barrels were used for Kentucky Bourbon, but I wasn't consulted in the naming. It is a lucky coincidence that such a rare barrel was used for this beer. O'Fallon brewery was originally disappointed in the old dusty looking bourbon barrels they picked up. After some research and checking the serial number O'Fallon discovered they had a special release barrel that looked old because it had aged so long. It is unclear if O'Fallon will be able to get such special barrels in the future.

There is a strong bourbon aroma with oak and hints of vanilla, the backbone of smoked porter is slightly present in the aroma. The color is black without any light getting getting through. The head pours thick but has almost no retention, quickly there is not foam.

This beer has a complex flavor, the Pappy Van Winkle bourbon is the most pronounced flavor with flavors of oak wood and vanilla found in the bourbon. The smoke flavor from the base beer blends well with the bourbon flavors, there is also some hint of roasted malt from the porter mixed together. The mouthfeel is pretty thin with almost no carbonation. The finish is dry with a lingering bourbon flavor.

This is a really tasty beer, a great mix of bourbon taste with the base beer. In the previous batch I found the smoke flavor to over power O'Fallon's Whiskey Barrel, not the case in this beer. I hope the future batches keep coming out this tasty.