Judge’s Review: 97 Rating – Blender’s Reserve by pFriem Family Brewers

Specialty Wood-Aged Beer | Limited Release | USA

By Michael Heniff

Judges Rating: 97.00
Aroma: 23.00
Appearance: 6.00
Flavor: 39.00
Mouthfeel: 10.00
Overall Impression: 19.00

Blender’s Reserve by pFriem Family Brewers was evaluated as a Specialty Wood-Aged Beer (category 33B from the 2021 BJCP Beer Style Guidelines).

This beer is a blend of three of their finest casks from various barrel-aging projects: 32% Barleywine in Bourbon barrels, 36% Imperial Brown Ale aged in Vermouth barrels, and 32% Imperial Stout aged in Bourbon barrels. Blender’s Reserve measures in at 12.4% ABV.

Blender’s Reserve pours black in color, is opaque, and sports a small rim of tan head. The aroma is strong roasted, chocolate, treacle, and rich caramel malts, with moderate alcohol that never comes across as hot, along with spirits that are not immediately discernible. There is moderate toasted oak with vanilla notes, plus rich dried-fruit esters of raisin. The flavor is equally rich, with strong roasted, chocolate, and caramel malts, along with moderate spirit character from bourbon and vermouth and their respective toasted oak and vanilla notes. The beer finishes moderately sweet, with moderate-light bitterness and lingering flavors of roasted malt, chocolate, treacle, and caramel over bourbon and toasted oak. The mouthfeel is full, with high viscosity and generous warmth, though never hot.

Blender’s Reserve is the “opus” that pFriem promised us. The flavors are rich, bold, and complex. The spirit and barrel characters are a little more subtle, but very much present. Bourbon is the primary spirit in the flavor, as it should be at 64% of the blend, but, a little surprisingly, vermouth is identifiable as well and adds a very interesting nuance with spicy and herbal notes. I tasted this at 40 degrees Fahrenheit and 62 degrees Fahrenheit, and it was best somewhere in between. Get this one if you can. I would love to try this a year from now, but it is spectacular, and clearly World Class, as it is right now.