The Livery Bourbon Barrel Aged Trippel Weizenbock

The Livery Bourbon Barrel Aged Trippel Weizenbock

(aka Wheat Trippelbock)

A strong dark lager brewed with a generous amount of wheat then aged in Heaven Hill (2005-2012; 2015) or Jim Beam (2014) Bourbon Barrels. Each batch is slightly different.



- Aug 2005 and Dec 2005: 12 months in the cask, approx. 16% ABV

- Aug 2006 and Dec 2006: 8 or 11 months in the cask and 13% ABV

- Aug 2007 and Dec 2007: 8 or 11 months in the cask and 11% ABV

- Aug 2008: 14 months in the cask and 13% ABV

- Aug 2011: 24 months in the cask and 12% ABV

- Aug 2012: Grand Reserve blended casks aged 24 months and 12.5% ABV

- Aug 2014: 12 months in the cask and 11.5% ABV

- Aug 2015: Aged in Heaven Hill barrels; no ABV listed.

- 2016 - Aged In Four Roses Bourbon Barrels - 16% ABV

- 2017 - Aged in Four Roses Bourbon Barrels - 17% ABV

-2018 - 18% ABV and 17 IBUs


Note: Earlier vintages may use the word "Cask" in place of "Barrel" on the label.
4.1
186 reviews
Benton Harbor, United States

Community reviews

4.0 500 ml bottle purchased off b3shine - thanks, Beau! 2015 vintage, bottle 71/197. I’ve had this on my Wants list since about 2009. So fucken excited to try it, and opened it on the Thursday night my roommates and I got into SF before RBWG 2016 and the first awards shindig. Pours a hazy cocoa brown with a small beige head that turned into a ring. The aroma is good - vanilla, chocolate, oak, brown sugar, bourbon, dark and dried fruits, toasted wheat. But then the flavor comes around and shows obvious infection. It has the elements of the aroma muddled together with sour fruits and a bit of soy. Medium-bodied, with medium carbonation and a tangy, fruity, sweet mouthfeel. It’s not a bad beer entirely, but it’s not what it’s supposed to be, clearly. Drinks like a dark sour. But man, I’m so bummed. I’ve wanted this one forever. I need another that isn’t infected. RERATE: Prowler from Clownoisseur - thanks again! Pours a hazy chestnut with a tiny khaki ring for a head. Notes of vanilla, caramel, brown sugar, oak, leaves, toasted wheat, dates, and just a little bit of boozy heat. Medium-bodied, with modest carbonation and a smooth, dry, sweet, lightly warming mouthfeel. Very nice. This is what I had in mind.
3.8 [1/30/16] Bottle sample at the Encomium bottle share, after RateBeer Best awards ceremony at Hyatt Vineyard Creek Hotel in Santa Rosa. Thanks everyone who shared bottles! As "The Livery Trippelweizenbock". Brown. Aroma of bourbon, vanilla, dark fruits, caramel. Sweet flavor with caramel, vanilla, cookies, chocolate. Medium-bodied.
4.0 Bottle shared in London - big thanks to phaleslu. Pours deep red-brown with a creamy off-white head. The nose holds lightly tangy semi-dark malts, berries, faint toffee. Light to medium sweet with more tangy berries, faint earth, caramel. Light bodied with average carbonation. Lightly tangy on the finish, with more lightly tart berries, earth, some leather. Doesn’t seem like it is as it was meant to be. OK. (February 2016, score: 3.3) Growler shared in Natchez - many thanks to clownosseur! Pours clear brown with just a few bubbles for a head. The aroma holds rich brown sugar, dried berries, dates, figs, well toasted bread. Medium to heavy sweet flavour with lots of dark fruit character, slight earthy notes, torched Rangel, fruitcake, bread. Full bodied, lightly chewy, with low carbonation. Finishes with surprisingly little alcohol warmth, more dates and figs, dried berries, brown sugar, slight molasses, hearty bread, vanilla, faint toffee. Great stuff overall. (May 2016, score: 4.2)
3.9 Small growlette thanks to ClownoBrandon :) Nose is sweet caramel and booze. Moderate Belgian type of esters seemingly dried fruit, plum maybe. Deep red to almost brown. Small to no head. Taste is initially very sweet followed by some peppery phenolic notes and a light alcohol warming. Faint Apple eaters. Moderate boozines. Modest vanilla. Overall very nice and fault free. Not a combination of barrel and style I often see but done very well and enjoyable. Nice that it isn’t too hot in booze. Bottle shared by phalluslu via Botion. Nose is super fruity. Light molasses. Taste is oddly tart. Acidic. Hmm. I think this is off a touch.
4.1 Bottle. Light hazy deep brown liquid with small light tan. Aroma of raw sugar, dried fruit, bread, earth, wood, bourbon and light brett. Taste is light to medium sweet and medium sour with notes of raw sugar, raisins,caramel, apple skin and oak. Full bodied with medium carbonation. Very sour. Probably infected. 6/3/6/3/12 => 3.0. Re-rating 2016-06-05. Growler thanks to Clownoisseur. Almost clear deep burgundy liquid with minimal off-white head. Aroma of raw sugar, bourbon, wood, vanilla, red berries and port wine. Very well balanced barrel tones. Taste is medium sweet and very light bitter with notes of raw sugar, toffee, caramel, bread, bourbon and wood. Very complex sweetness. Full bodied with low carbonation. Great stuff. Much better than the other bottle I had.
3.9 From Brians growler. Brown color. Aroma has alcohol and some banana, sugar, wheat. Alcohol on the palate. Sweet as well. It seems heavy and thick. Sweet finish.
3.8 Growler shared by BVery. Pours motor oil black, slick as hell. Aroma is heaven hills. Spirits are subtle at first, warming booziness feel. Chocolatey and carmel.
4.0 500ml bottle, thanks to b3shine. Labeled "2015 Bourbon Barrel Aged Trippel Weizenbock". Bottle 46 of 197. Bottled on 7/30/15. Enjoyed from my Sahm Hamburg goblet (partially alongside my sandwich). Holy moly, this is some thick wax. The minimalist key tool I usually use isn’t cutting it. Time to get a knife... 5 minutes and some struggling later... Pours a mildly hazy dark red color, that looks brown overall. Minimal ring of off-white head. Nice whiskey barrel aroma up front in the flavor. Big wood, a bit tannic. Dark fruit, mild vanilla, caramel syrup.. Mild spiciness. Touch of sweet and sour sauce. Little nuttiness, hint of chocolate. It certainly has a complex and interesting flavor. Light to moderate sour taste, moderate-plus sweet, minimal bitter. Some moderate alcohol warmth, kind of like an easier-sipping wine. Mild kinda-spicy bite in the finish. Medium to bigger body. Kind of slick texture. Little to no carbonation. Overall, the mild sourness and lack of carbonation I could do without. But it doesn’t spoil the experience entirely. Still a very tasty, one of a kind, unique beer... Though not one I think I’d repeat, at the price. Some nice banana comes out later. Pretty tasty stuff overall. Went from 3.6 -> 3.8 through the 2nd half. 8/2/8/3/17 Re-rate, 2/21/16: Pint growler, shared by phaleslu. Kind of brown color. No head. Indeed, it’s not sour. Nice, like my bottle was before, but without all the sour. Nice nuttyness, chocolate, bit of banana. Toasty. Caramel, nice mild bourbon warmth. Kind of bigger sweet taste, but not slick, more dry in the finish. Nice mild warmth. Medium to bigger body. Kind of slick texture. Very light carbonation. Hides alcohol pretty well. Pretty tasty treat. Nice to try the non-sour, intended version. I didn’t mind the soured one, but this is more on-point. Great stuff. Definitely better. Love the chocolatey, nutty character. Delightful.
3.9 Bottle - Pours brown - nose/taste of bourbon, oak, caramel, toffee and light chocolate - full bodied
3.8 Bottle. Dark pour with no head. Roasted, dark aromas, bourbon notes. Bourbon forward, chocolate, maybe some wheat notes.
4.4 Bottle received in trade and split a few ways during the All In Beer Fest. Many thanks to clownoisseur for hooking me up with this. Also what I’ll enter as my #4000 rating (my actual chronological unique "beer" 400 can be viewed here: http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/schramms-madeline/335761/127604/ ). Pours viscous very dark wooden brown with no head leaving some nice looking legs on the glass. Smell is fat, malty and fruity with sweet dark bread, caramel, toffee, banana bread, vanilla fudge, charred wood, raisins, plums and cherries in brandy, moist soil, leather, toasted coconut, bourbon alcohol and hints of cloves. Taste is sweet, tiny bitter, very tiny our, heavy malty, fruity and tiny spicy. Mouthfeel is viscous, oily, flat, round, slightly boozy and near full bodied. Finish is sweet, tiny bitter and very tiny sour with sweet dark bread, caramel, toffee, banana bread, vanilla fudge, toasted cookies, charred wood, an assortment of dark dried fruits in different liquor, toasted coconut, caramelized hazelnuts and brazil nuts, moist soil, bourbon alcohol and hints of cloves and coriander. Amazing malt dream fat doppelbock action with some suiting fruity esters. Heavy amazing barrel treatment. Flat but gets away with it by being so fat oily and tasty.
3.9 Bottle shared by Derek - thanks!! Murky brown pour. Essentially no head. Malty stone fruit nose. Woah something odd happening in there, slightly tart, fruity, malty with a hint of bourbon. Weird. Update: 2/23/2016 Sent a baby growler from Brandon at the brewery. Props to these guys for seeing that something went wrong in the bottle I tried previously and wanted to make things right. Clear light brown pour - no murkiness here. Big malty and bourbon nose. Caramel, toffee, malt with some nice alcohol heat and bourbon on the finish. Really nice. Glad to have an opportunity to try this again.
4.1 Growler from Brian, thanks man. Dark brown caramel pour. Boozy caramel aroma. Taste pretty much follows. Very delicious, glad to try this one again.
4.1 Growler provided by Brandon - thanks! Murky amber pour. Rich caramel, mild dark fruit, warming booziness. Bourbon. This is delicious!
4.1 Bottle, sent to me by b3shine (thanks a lot Beau!), #8 of 197, I believe this is the 2015 vintage. Deep tawny amber with a creamy golden head. Rich flavours of toffee and vanilla, hints of plums and candied oranges, vague spices and fruit acids in the finish. Silky and full bodied, with a warming finish. Very nice.
4.1 Sampled from the tap at the brewery. Pours a clear deep amber with a gold hue and a yellowish brown head that dissipates to the edges. Aroma has lots of sweet wheat, caramel and bourbon with a slight toffee underlying. Flavor is a bit darker but still full of sweet grains, bourbon and caramel.
4.3 Tap at the 2015 MBG Detroit Fest. Had this a few other times before but never rated it for some reason. Aroma is always incredible. Brown sugar, dark fruit, caramel, banana, clove, fruit cake, chocolate, vanilla, and light maple. Tastes awesome too. Dark fruit, banana, and bourbon are the biggest flavors. Spicy finish. Moderately sweet. Full body. Love this stuff. Different batches of this are definitely inconsistent and not as good sometimes. But when it’s done right, it’s incredible.
4.3 (Bottle) Pours hours dark brown to black with no head. The aroma holds bourbon up front with undertones of dark fruit, caramel, brown sugar, dark bread, some chocolate and light banana. The flavour is medium to heavily sweet, medium bitter and tiny acidic with bourbon, dark fruits and a perfect malt bill. Touch of esters. The mouthfeel is oily, rich in tannins and soft with a light to flat carbonation. Near full bodied.
4.2 2014 vintage Bottle. Pours deep brown reddish black, no head. Aroma is amazing, raisins figs dark fruits cadi sugar molasses. Flavor is unfortunately flat due no carbonation a bit acidy tannins dry yet a bit sweet velvety smooth mouthfeel nice bitterness and longlived tasty finish.
4.2 Tap. Thick and very deep mahogany brown with minimal head. Medium bourbon and weizenbock sweetness. Banana and dark fruit. Plenty of alcohol warmth. Complex and wonderful.
3.6 Bottle shared by a friend. Clear reddish copper pour with a medium tan head. Aroma of malt, caramel, booze and dark fruit. Malty flavor with nuttiness and bourbon before a dark cherry finish.
3.4 Bottle:   Surprisingly dark, nearly black, pours still, virtually no head.   Bourbon Weizenbock?   Looks like a 10 year old Imperial Stout.   Faint pruny nose, slight alcohol.   Similar on the tongue.   Not much like the banana/bubblegum you think of, this one is all about the prune.   Very raisiny.   Reminds me of a very old Rogue Old Crustacean, which is weird because that is a Barleywine.   Still,no carbonation.   Moderate body and mouthfeel.   Raisiny finish, prune, some whole wheat breadiness too.   No real Bourbon, not much of a Weizenbock, but enjoyable in that it seems like an old Barleywine.   Thanks Kevin!
3.9 Capped 750 shared by Marcus. Pours very dark brown with no head. Aroma is sort of pumpernickle. Med + body. Flavor is pumpernickle, there’s some whiskey, With time bourbon becomes noticeable. It’s quite tasty.
4.4 Bottle from The Livery. Pours dark brown with almost no head and treacle and bourbon aroma. There is a rich treacle and wheat flavor with plenty of bourbon. This is a great sipper.
4.0 Bottle shared by Marcus. Pours black with no head. Wheat roasted aroma.taste is roasted malts. Nice bourbon taste. Great beer
4.2 25.4 oz bottle, one of 470. Dark fruit and malt nose. Lightly dry bourbon, big malt, light nutty notrs, some dried fig and plum skin notes
4.3 Chicago tasting. Thanks Dave. Dark mahogany body with no head. Aromas of oak, vanilla, bourbon, plum, raisin. Hints of chocolate. Dark fruit and bourbon flavors coalesce beautifully. Terrific.
4.3 Bottle pour thanks to weihenweizen. The beer pours a still black with no sign of carbonation. I was a bit worried, but it turns out this beer doesnt need carbonation. The aroma has huge fig, raisin, bourbon, and major dark fruit sweetness. The taste is big boozy sweetness. It reminds me of an old english barley wine. Thick, slick mouthfeel. Completely flat, but that didnt detract from the beer. All in all, awesome.
3.5 Refrigerated brown bottle 66 out of 470 from clownoisser bottled August 7, 2014 poured into a weizen glass. Black with small dark brown highlights and very little head. Aroma is bourbon, medium/thick body, very little carbonation, and no lacing. Taste is rich bourbon, oak, vanilla, and chocolate. Really glad to get to try this one. No bread, no clove, no banana; not a weizenbock, but pretty good imperial stout.
4.1 2014 Bottle. Thanks Brandon. Pours reddish brown with just the hint of a beige head. Aroma of fruit, bourbon, vanilla, and malt. Taste is dark fruit, bourbon, vanilla, malt, grain, and spice. Exceptional.