I recently attended a Barrel Aged Beer Bash at Jungle Jim’s in Fairfield, OH. They were some amazing, some rare, and some that were a little bit of a challenge to appreciate. I intend to post a review of that event, but tonight I am sampling an Oak-aged beer that was not at that event. The Burton Baton is not rare, one may say that it is one of the more readily available of the wood aged beers out there. That does not mean it is for the masses.
Dogfish Head (DFH) makes some complex, unapologetic beers, and this one is no different. They have chosen to use an Imperial IPA weighing in at 10% ABV, aged with Oak. This means that the elevated hops, alcohol and bitterness are paired with the oak flavor. The aroma is very pleasing to the hop lover. The flavor is immediately confusing, the hops come across bitter and sweet at the same time, and the oak takes away from fully appreciating it as an IPA. After a few more sips, it all starts to come together, it is much easier to taste and appreciate all of the notes that this beer is made of, and it is actually quite pleasing. Most would not drink more than one of these, but if you can stay with this beer for a few sips you will be rewarded, and it may just inspire you to try more barrel aged beers. Also, if you are already a fan of barrel aged beer, this can always be a go to beer.
4 out of 5 stars
