Coton by The Bruery

Coton. Old Ale. The Bruery. Placentia, California.

Spring 2011.

My review on RateBeer:

3.9 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 17/20
AHTOH (58) - San Diego, USA - APR 1, 2011

750 mL bottle. Released May 2010. Poured into Bruery tulip.

APPEARANCE: Pours burnt orange/amber tone of caramel light brown. A bit hazy yet somewhat translucent. Head is 1 finger, Baileys Irish Cream colored, and settles fairly quickly. After head settles, it leaves small amount of foam on surface that has relatively large bubbles. Baileys colored settled foam and the large bubbles make the surface layer appear similar to injera (a somewhat common reference that I make about this characteristic; which I have noticed among some sour ales). Injera-like foam on surface dissipates to thin film atop the ale.

AROMA: Brandy-soaked, caramelized raisins. Rich toffee malt. Faint leather aroma. Dates and figs. Dark dried fruit. Hint of brandy-soaked cherry. Faint grainy barley aroma behind the rich toffee malt. Subtle vanilla as well as pleasant wood aroma from the barrel. Hints of maple syrup, tree bark, and crunchy Autumn leaves. Discernible amount of whiskey on nose. Extremely subtle soy sauce and light nutty character. Complex.

TASTE: Dominated by brandy-soaked, caramelized raisins. Rich toffee malt. Some graininess. Light leather is apparent. Figs. Dates. Mid palate has more cereal grain. Faint vanilla, wood, and light nuttiness. Despite discernible alcohol warmth, unable to get much characteristic whiskey (from the portion that is aged in Bourbon barrels) notes as the alcohol blends with the brandy-like notes. Back of palate has faint hop bitterness, which is pleasant, as it somewhat counters some of the generally sweet taste. Finish has faint brandy-soaked cherry. Noticeable alcohol warmth on finish; which was expected.

MOUTH FEEL: Velvety. Luscious. Smooth. Somewhat sweet, like a sherry. Full bodied. Pleasant amount of carbonation for such a thick ale. Alcohol warmth on finish. Finish is mildly dry.

OVERALL: First beer I have had that was created using the Solera method. Extremely complex. Outstanding. Like slowly sipping a brandy for dessert. Characteristics of brandy, barley, and barrel, as well as sherry and cherry. Final thoughts: A medley of complex aromas and tastes.