Old Stock Ale 2009 Cellar Reserve

This was my favorite beer at last year's OctoBEERfest. North Coast Brewing puts out Old Stock Ale every year, but in 2009 they put aside a batch and let it age for two years in oak bourbon barrels. Aging premium ales in bourbon barrels has been kind of a fad lately, but not all fads are bad! I unveiled Cellar Reserve at the latest Joyce Family dinner last night and it received thumbs up from most quarters. We served it in some Jack Daniels whiskey glasses in small quantities with a desert of peach and strawberry-rhubarb pies. It poured a deep mahogany with a thin caramel head. The bourbon aroma mixed with fresh vanilla for the initial taste, with dark fruits such as fig and black cherries bringing up the rear. Despite the ABV in excess of 13%, there wasn't much extraneous alcohol heat to distract from the taste. Definitely a sippin' ale, wouldn't mind trying it again. It was fun to see the younger Joyces analyzing the tastes and giving themselves a break from mass-produced beers. I believe we were all extending our pinkies after the second glass!