Aroma: “Medium oak, light bourbon, and low vanilla, but more wood than bourbon. As it warms, more bourbon emerges with some smoke. Sweet malt, with moderate caramel, light candi sugar, chocolate, and roast.”

Flavor: “Starts with some chocolate and sweet malt notes, with a little roast and hints of vanilla. Notes of bourbon, leather, and oak, and some light sourness that plays with a low alcohol warming at the end of the sip. Some sweetness from dark fruits, cherry, raisin, and plum. The body of this beer might be a little too light to hold up to the barrel.”

Overall: “Let this beer warm up slightly, which brings out more of the bourbon, chocolate, and vanilla sweetness. As it warms, the alcohol becomes a touch more assertive and helps balance out the sweetness. Tastes like a roasty whiskey with pronounced sweetness. With the cigar notes, this reminded me of a power lunch at a private club with leather chairs. There was some nice barrel character in this beer, but it needs a bigger beer to hold up to this barrel character.”