The Bruery Smoking Wood - Bourbon Barrel
Brewed with beachwood and cherrywood smoked malt, and aged in bourbon barrels, Smoking Wood is a delicious demonstration of what wood has to offer when it comes to beer. This imperial smoked porter is brewed with a hefty amount of rye malt, contributing to a full body and light spiciness. Toasty oak, caramel and vanilla flavors balance the smokiness, contributing to an intense yet refined flavor profile.
The previous release of Smoking Wood was aged in rye whiskey barrels while this more limited version was aged in bourbon barrels, contributing a different nuance to the already complex ale.
The previous release of Smoking Wood was aged in rye whiskey barrels while this more limited version was aged in bourbon barrels, contributing a different nuance to the already complex ale.
4
258 reviews
Placentia, United States
Community reviews
Bottle thanks to LukasMH. Pours a pitch black with a small tan head. Aroma has peat, smoky malts, vanilla, caramel, oak, whiskey, skumbanan. Taste is rather sweet, but with a dry smoke, light bitter roast and a oaky caramel. Full body and an average to low carbonation.
Bottle thanks to Lukasmh. Pours pitch black with a small brown head. Aromas of smoke, peat, boozy, chocolate, bourbon, toffee. Taste is smokey, vanilla, bourbon, chocolate, toffee, peat.
Dark brown. Not much head. Has a fair bit of smoke, sweet brown sugar burnt short ribs nose. Big smoky, hickory, super sweet, rich sticky, just so rich but balanced. One of their best beers.
2014 Bottle shared. Thanks TimE! Nice honey ham nose with dark chocolate and warming bourbon notes. Just below average carbonation with vanilla and fennel seed notes. The smoke is there in the background and works well with the cacao nib notes. Not much sweetness either. Great stuff with a lingering chocolately, smokey finish.
Very dark brown color. Amazingly lovely bourbon chocolate smokey nose. The sweetness has been toned down by age. A lot of tamari in the nose. The mouth is full of choockate tamari and smoke and wood. Amazing
Bottle from the rot box. Pours inky black, small tan head, dissipates fairly quickly, decent lacing. Aroma is a bit smokey, roasty, licorice, hardwood, peat, bourbon, cocoa. Flavor is fairly sweet, medium bitter, light smoke, roasty, bourbon, anise. Medium body. Solid, not as good as original. Perhaps my fault.
Pours a dark mahogany black colour with a small tan head. Aroma of strong roasted malts cacao, wood and bourbon. Flavors of strong coffee chocolate rum bourbon and spices. Nice warm and smooth textures. Complex and pleasant long lasting taste. Very enjoyable.
Bottle. Big bourbon nose, some band aid, smoke, vanilla. Very sweet flavor with lots of vanilla and a bit of bbq sauce, like Mcdonald’s chicken nuggets sauce. Nice.
Oily brown body with tan/brown head. Big, big, big aromas with rye, wood, bourbon, smoke, black licorice, vanilla, black malt and molasses. Big flavors as well; with rye, iodine, black strap, buckwheat, smoke and peat linger. Warming after 12 oz., yet alcohol is neither easily caught in the flavors nor felt on the palate. Very smooth feel.
Bottle, about 3 years old. Black pour, thin off-white head. Aroma of roasted malts, chocolate, bread, bourbon, leather, oak, vanilla and caramel. Flavor is quite sweet, roasted, caramel, some spices and very smooth. Really well drinkable and well balanced.
Tasting session at Budapest. Thick deep brown, big aroma of bourbon and light smoke. Nice bourbon head, but very smooth and dangerously easy to drink, vanilla, light smoke, soy, figs. Really really good.
Pours pitch black and completely opaque without even the slightest trace of lighter color when held to a light source. Half finger beige head that quickly recedes into a thin, lasting ring. Pretty good retention for the style and ABV with sporadic spotty lacing left behind.
Meaty smoked malt aroma with a strong bourbon barrel presence that’s nicely integrated into the notes of the base beer. Some subtle dry oak but not overly charred or toothpick-like with hints of roasted coconut, cinnamon, vanilla, marshmallow and sweet, spicy bourbon followed by charcoal, campfire, barbecued bacon and liquid smoke. The smoke and barrel notes are countered by a complex malt bill with a nice balance of subtle roast and silky, dessert like sweetness. Hints of burnt toast, oatmeal, dark chocolate and coffee grinds along with a bit of flour less chocolate cake, fudge, caramel, toffee and baker’s chocolate. Complex yet very inviting with a nice balance of smoke, bourbon barrel, roast and sweeter malt character. A touch of boozy sweetness but doesn’t smell too hot. Could use a bit more smoke for my preference but otherwise smells pretty good.
Medium body with a very strong roasted malt flavor that somewhat overpowers the smoke and barrel notes. Dry, bitter and verging on acrid with lots of burnt malt, ash and used coffee grinds. As it warms,the barrel stands out a bit more with dry, toasted oak and spicy bourbon. A bit too boozy for my preference with strong bourbon flavor and lingering heat but not too offensive at 13%. The smoke has mellowed out at this point with subtle hints of charcoal, smoked meat and liquid smoke. After the palate adjusts, the sweeter malt notes stand out with hints of dark chocolate, caramel, toffee and slight fudge-y chocolate cake. Decently balanced and surprisingly easy to drink considering the high ABV but it’s a bit thin bodied and lacking in complexity. Could also use a lot more smoke for my preference. I’m a huge fan of the regular version of this beer so my expectations were very high but I found this variant disappointing. Not bad but this isn’t a beer I would seek out again.
Bottle thanks to markwise: Poured a black/brown with red edge and tan head. Aroma is smokey and peat/wood. Taste is smoke, wood, alcohol burn.
Bottle @ BeerTemple ( 14% abv, 2014 edition). Pours black with almost no head. Sweet aroma of bourbon, roasted malts, chocolate and vabilla. Taste is sweet, bourbon, chocolate, vanilla, with a full, creamy mouth feel with a chili like, alcoholic, ending. Nice!
Bottle, shared at game night. Dark brown with a bubbly brown head that laces thickly. Big bourbon sweetness is met head-on with a big smoky character, lots of underlying complexity. Full bodied with boozy undertones-- definitely a brew to share!
Draught @ The Bruery Tasting Room, Placentia, CA. Pours a black colour with a small beige head. Aroma of heavy sweet roastiness, bourbon and oak. Extreme flavour of heavy sweet roastiness, smoked meat, bread, bourbon, vanilla and wood. Full bodied. Rich and meaty mouthfeel. Amazing.
Tap @ The Bruery.
Pours black color with a small head. Nice smoky aroma with bourbon and chocolate, vanilla and some caramel malts. Sweet vanilla flavor, bourbon with mild alcohol warmth, toffee and toasted caramel malts. Smooth and layered, excellent balance.
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Draught @ the brewpub. Aroma has smoke, licorice and some bourbon with vanilla. Flavour has alcohol, some licorice and bourbon. Finishes smoky with islay(!) vibes. Too boozy but not bad.
Draught @ The Bruery, Placentia, CA
Pours pitch black with a brown head. Aroma of bourbon, wood, oak, toffee, syrup and rye bread. Taste is sweetish, smooth and roasty with some bourbon, toffee, vanilla, oak, hints of smoke and ash. Finish is heavy, smoky and woody with some bourbon, toffee, vanilla and oak. Heavy but quite nice.
Pours black with a beige head, aroma of bourbon, vanilla, wood, coconut, chocolate, flavor of bourbon, smoke, coffee, coconut, vanilla, medium to full bodied.
Bière noire pas complètement opaque, pétillance faible et mousse brune peu tenace, ne subsistant qu’en un petit collier. Nez de café, chocolat, bourbon et vanille, ça sent bon ! Moins de corps que sur un imperial stout, la bouche est surtout marquée par la dualité chocolat noir/vanille, le tout enrobé de caramel et de bois fumé ! Superbe équilibre entre toutes ces saveurs, dommage cependant que le goût me soit paru peu évolutif (bière servie un peu froide au début). 14% là-dedans ? On ne les sent absolument pas.
April 30, 2015. Bottle at CBC pre-tasting. Shared by madmitch76, thanks!
Black with a small brown head. Aroma is smoked, almost burnt wood, sweet toffee, dark chocolate, bourbon, notes of vanilla and dried fruits. Taste is sweet with caramel, toffee, bourbon, light bitter roasted malts and a mild smokey woody note. Finish is sweet, light bitter, warming alcohol and smoked wood. Medium to full bodied, average carbonation.
Hazy brown pour with a tan head. The aroma is very heavy on the smoke, with some meaty and woody notes really shining through. The flavor is a bit more complex with some chocolate and whiskey notes appearing. However, make no mistake, this one is all about the smoke. Smooth and easy drinking for someone who loves smoked beers like I do. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.
Aroma vanilla, chocolate, caramel, coffee,
Appearance black, brown foam,
Taste lightly bitter, chocolate, bourbon,
Palate full body, thick feel,
Overall great stout with amazing bourbon barrel ageing on it. I would absolutely suggest this beer to a friend.
750 ml bottle courtesy of madmitch76. Pours oily black with a creamy mocha head that leaves a small trace on the glass while dissipating.
Smell is malty and smokey with roasted malts, burnt caramel, vanilla fudge, charred wood, dark roast coffee, dark chocolate, smoke, roasted
coconut, moist soil, black pepper corns and bourbon alcohol. Taste is sweet, bitter, malty and smokey. Mouthfeel is fat, oily, round, tiny
roasted astringent, boozy and near full bodied. Finish is sweet and slightly bitter with roasted malts, sweet dark bread, caramel, toffee,
charred wood, dark roast coffee, dark chocolate, smoke, moist soil, roasted nuts, black pepper corns and bourbon alcohol. Pretty much exactly
what you expect it’ll be. Tasty without tons of depth. Really good but not as good or complex aas the rye barrel version.
Shared with dedollewaitor. Black body with a small offwhite head. Bourbon, smoke, wood, tar, chocolate notes, whiskey notes, rye, vanilla, some spiciness. Very delicious beer.
Bottle @ Very Warm Random Summer - Whalez Tasting with Hallinghansen. Trade with Kermis. Thanks Yo. Pours black with a small beige head and lacings. Massive bourbon, coconut, rye and hazel, good coffee and chocolate. Smooth and soft. Sweet and extremely sippable. Vague warmth. Lovely!
Bottle @ ZEBF 2015. Dark pour. Aroma has boozy vanilla, smoke and fruit. Taste is filthy rich, with bourbon vanilla booze, smoke chocolate and some subtle red ripe fruit. Truly amazing, just like the rye version.
Bottle @ Aarhus tasting. Black with a brown head. Aroma is sweet, roasted malt, bonfire, wood, vanilla and bourbon. Flavor is very sweet and rather bitter. Sweet and rather bitter finish with lots of warming alcohol. Oily, soft and smooth. 250615
Bottle @ Christers. Pours pitch black with a creamy brown head. Aroma of roasted malt, caramel, sweet chocolate, bourbon, wood, vanilla, cocoa, alcohol. Flavor is sweet, rich malt, chocolate, cocoa, caramal, wood, bourbon, light vanilla, alcohol. Medium to full body, soft carbonation, sweet finish with warming alcohol. 250615