Ommegang Bourbon Barrel Adoration

Ommegang Brewery is one of those breweries where you just can't go wrong. They do a lot of quads and stouts and love to age their ales in bourbon barrels! Bourbon Barrel Adoration is obviously aged in bourbon barrels (according to the label) but it tastes to me more like aged in wine barrels. There's a hefty 11% ABV, which imputes some nice alcohol heat. The label calls it a "noël" ale, and can't find any information as to what that is, but I would assume that it refers to the spices that one normally finds in Winter warmers, and there are spices: coriander, nutmeg, cardamom, and a tiny bit o' cloves. There's also a vanilla sheen over dark fruit - black cherries, figs, raisins, and plums topped off with brown sugar and molasses. Quite a complex glass of holiday goodness.