Year of New Beer: Bourbon Barrel Double Negative, Grimm Artisanal Ales (NY)

Written By: Dion on 09/22/2016

With much apprehension, I opened this bottle, the subject of many infection/oxidation rumors. The nose is rich, almost fudgy, with roasted malts and only the faintest hints of tart, dark fruits. All of this transfers nicely to the tongue, with a vinous, sherry-like quality pushing against a touch of ash and coffee. With warmth, a bit of cardboard-like oxidation begins to creep in, but that can happen to a lot of beers. In this case, it's not enough to be distracting. Not sure what this tastes like fresh, but it's pretty solid as-is.