Lonerider Deadwood Cask Finish

Lonerider Deadwood Stout Cask Edition *NOSE: Initial heat is noticeable. Dry, Dry, Dry. Smells like cocoa powder, corn dust, and dry oak. There's an unusual savory, umami quality. It has a fair amount of youth. *NEAT: The stout influence is strong. Notes of malted grains, cocoa, and coffee. Bitterness present, but it's an ale bitterness, not tannic. Sawdust notes are there. Their website mentions "waffle cone," and it's accurate. Traditional Bourbon Vanilla notes appear on the sharp finish. A solid Kentucky Hug. A 'beer-like' sweetness coats the palate along with the waffle cone. The stout barrels handle the youthfulness of the sourced MGP much better than the sherry casks did. *SPLASH: It becomes noticeably sweeter. The peppery sting on the finish is reduced. The lingering aftertaste is less stout-like. *VERDICT: I preferred this significantly over the sherry cask finish. The Deadwood barrels impart a massive amount of flavor to what I suspect is very young MGP. I love Lonerider Beers, and I'm particularly fond of the Deadwood that provides this with its second barrel finish. I was let down by their initial release (sherry cask), but this is actually quite good. I would rate it a 4 if it cost the same as the sherry cask, but it's $10 more (I bought a 50ml sample). They've also released a Tequila Cask Finished version that I'm now eager to try. Lonerider, well done! *Side Note: This release is classified as SBW. The Sherry Cask lacks the Straight designation. This might be a reason I like this one more.

Less burn than the sherry cask, and it's extremely dry on the palate. Flavors of dry things like wood, corn dust, and cocoa. The aroma is awful, though. I don't like it. I would not buy it.

Smells of caramel and vanilla. Hits the tongue lightly with a whisper of pepper at the end. Great neat or with ice.

More heat than expected