238. Bluegrass Brandy Barrel Aged Queen’s Knickers

Another beer from Bluegrass Brewing Company; our last beer was Bluegrass American Pale Ale. We picked up a growler of this from the Party Source in Newport, KY on the way back from Louisville, and held onto it for a couple of days so we could have some friends over to share it. After all, a half gallon of 12.0% Old Ale shared between two people spells a trip to the hurt locker. Sure, we’d have fun drinking it then, but the next morning would spell ugly with like about six us and maybe three or four ls. And besides, this beer is too good to waste as a session beer.

Queen’s Knickers starts with a rich, sweet, floral nose—it smells almost like a mead, and has maple syrup undercurrents running amongst the various aromas. There is also a slight dose of oaky woodiness in the nose. It pours a clear tannish copper color with a creamy ivory head. Q’sK starts soft in flavor on the palate; it is malty sweet with maple syrup flavors in the front before moving into a middle that carries rose and flower petal hints along with oak and vanilla flavors. The beer finishes rather clean with some lingering creamy wood characteristics; it has a medium body and a good bit of creaminess to the mouthfeel. Overall, an excellent and nuanced beer. Flavors are light and well balanced—subtle complexity is the name of the game here. While the nose may be a bit bigger than the body, there is a nice balance between the beer, alcohol, and wood flavors across the profile of the beer—nothing sticks out or is obtrusive, rather a clean balance is created that gives depth and character to the beer. We’d love to get our hands on some more of the Queen’s Knickers, but I’m guessing that’s not happening in the near future. Nonetheless, a treat worth savoring.

There’s nothing about this on the BBC website, and barely anything on Beer Advocate. Why do I feel like I got away with something by scoring a growler of this?

ABV: 12.0%

(2/23/2010)