Tallgrass Wooden Rooster

This is Tallgrass Brewing's 8.5% ABV Belgian-style tripel ale, Velvet Rooster, that they aged in rye whiskey barrels and released in a 19.2 ounce can. The Tallgrass Brewing Company is in Manhattan, Kansas.

The beer pours a light orange amber in color. There is not quite an inch of white foamy head, touch of shaken egg whites to it. The aroma is oak, vanilla, tart, along with sweet rye whiskey, combining together to create the effect of a hint of smoke. The taste combines sweetness of the beer with the sweetness of the rye, contrasting to the vanilla and oak of the barrel. The beer drinks with a stinging tingle of carbonation and mild alcohol heat. There are also some Belgian yeast estery flavors that come through in the aftertaste, and the candied sugar common to the style also comes out as it warms up. Worth a try if you find it, but watch out, it will sneak up on you.