Beer Description

Anderson Valley (California) is not a well known brewery over in the Midwest, but they have been making wines and beer since the 80’s. The Wild Turkey aged bourbon barrel stout is definitely right up the alley of us Ohio-ans and Mid-Westerners. The description of the beer is downright tantalizing.

Aged for three months in Wild Turkey® Bourbon barrels, this luxurious stout has a deep ebony hue and a beautiful mahogany head. The woody, vanilla-like notes imparted by the barrels mingle with aromas of fresh baked bread, toffee, and espresso and envelop the rich chocolate and roasted barley flavors with a fine bourbon character.

Our exclusive partnership with Wild Turkey® gives us a world class, consistent source of barrelage, allowing our brewers to explore new frontiers in barrel-aged craft beer. Since its introduction, Wild Turkey® has maintained a distinctive distillation and aging process that gives it a smooth taste and a lingering flavor. They also use differentiated process whereby the bourbon is distilled at a low proof to seal in its flavors. Very little water is added to the bourbon, resulting in a full-flavored authentic taste similar to what one would get straight out of the barrel. Wild Turkey is a genuine drink with a sought after “burn” that comes from its high proof, an attribute fundamental to the brand and critical in maintaining its authentic bourbon characteristics. (Anderson Valley)

ABV: 6.9%
IBU: 14
Malts: Pale Two-Row, Crystal (40L & 80L), Roasted Barley, Munich, Chocolate, Oats
Hops: Columbus, Northern Brewer
Best Served: Snifter, goblet, about 55 degrees.

Beer Review

Some of the bourbon aged stouts are perfected and some are still in the tinkering phase. This beer tastes like it’s in the tinkering phase. Like Wild Turkey (the whisky) the description of better than the taste. If you like a very subtle stout then this one might still ticket your fancy. However, it did not impress me.

The aromas and flavors are all very faint. The stout tastes very thin and flavorless. It does not taste bad by any means. It’s just very lite tasting. This might be a better stout for those who prefer lagers.

Aroma: The aroma a sweet and malty scent but very soft. It is not a very long scent or complex. You get a faint malt stout with some bourbon and that is about it.

Taste: The taste is malt forward and bourbon finish. It’s a good flavor, just very soft.

Texture: It’s definitely not a “thick” stout. It goes down like a standard porter. The head is thick and rich and the carbonation is great.

Finish: The finish is quick and bourbon-like. It does not linger like other beers.

Comparisons: This is similar to other cheap bourbon stouts which low alcohol contents. But nothing too specific comes to mind.