Improved Old Fashioned

This complex, vinous beer opened up initially with significant amounts of lemon zest, clove and a touch of Angostura bitter aromas. It was also underpinned with cinnamon and star anise. The brew poured a very murky brown, with a quickly dissipating head and very limited carbonation. Upon sampling, a firm amount of bready flavors were detected, intermixed with ginger along with a very pleasant vanilla/oak sweetness. The wood character of the beer continued into the finish, where it lent a nice creamy softness to it, aiding with the drinkability of this fairly high-ABV beer (12.8%). The multi-layered approach to the spicing of this beer was quite impressive, and balanced nicely with the effects from barrel-aging, making this a fine dessert beer.