Hangar 24 Craft Brewery Barrel Roll No. 4 - Hammerhead - Barleywine Style Ale Aged in Rye Whisky and Bourbon Barrels

Hello beer lovers and welcome to another edition of the NorCal Beer Blog's brew review.

Tonight’s featured beer is Hangar 24 Craft Brewery Barrel Roll No. 4 - Hammerhead - Barleywine Style Ale Aged in Rye Whisky and Bourbon Barrels.

From the Hangar 24 Craft Brewery website: “A well executed HAMMERHEAD is smooth and dramatic. This beer is no exception. Hammerhead is a big, complex, American-style Barleywine featuring two English caramel malts and four American hops. Hammerhead’s character is enhanced by dry hopping and then aging the deep amber liquid for six months in charred oak rye whiskey and bourbon barrels. Spicy aromas spill from the glass: rich caramel, citrusy hops, bourbon and oak. Layered flavors of toffee, vanilla, brown sugar, spice and rye whiskey lead to a warm and slightly bitter finish. This is a strong ale, meant to be sipped, savored and enjoyed.”

Let’s get started!

Appearance: Pours a reddish brown, with a large tan head and lots of lacing.

Aroma: Caramel, bourbon, rye whiskey, toffee, raisins, oak and brown sugar.

Taste: Toffee, rye whiskey, dark fruits, caramel, bourbon, vanilla, oak, brown sugar and some light pine hop bitterness.

Overall: Sweet and smooth, 24 Craft Brewery Barrel Roll No. 4 - Hammerhead - Barleywine Style Ale Aged in Rye Whisky and Bourbon Barrels is delicious.  This 11.2% ABV offering is a tad boozy, but I like that in a barrel-aged beer so this was in my wheelhouse.  I recommend it for fans of the style.

Cheers!

Mark Harvey

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