I’ve had this one hidden away at the back of a shelf in my garage since last Christmas. Part of the 2013 ‘Barrel Trinity’ from the Wild Beer Co, I drank the Ninkasi Premier Cru and Whiskebeest not long after I bought them but for some reason decided I would hold on to this. The third bottle is Raconteur, a barley wine, aged for 9 months in Marc de Bourgogne barrels.
It pours with a fairly tame head, but one that fades nicely to leave an espresso style crema on top of the beer. The nose is very Christmasy, booze soaked fruitcake specifically. There’s also a slight sour note there that briefly reminds me of a Rodenbach.
Taking a taste though, there’s none of the sourness that I’d expected from the aroma. It’s really quite rich, smooth and luxurious… the perfect Christmas pudding. There’s chocolate there as well and a bit of red fruit (cherry?) as it goes down. I’ve come to expect good stuff from these guys, but this is even better than I anticipated.
Beer: Raconteur (2013)
Brewery: Wild Beer Co.
Style: Barley Wine
ABV: 9.9%
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