BC Beer – Phillips Double Barrel Scotch Ale

I believe that Phillips’ Double Barrel Scotch Ale is BC’s first bottled barrel-aged beers. What I do know it’s the only barrel aged beer that receives a regular bottling – every Spring. That is unless Tree stops trying to do the hype thing, like those overrated American breweries, and just produce a good product with regularity.

Phillips brews were always my go to beers when I started drinking better beer in Victoria. I drank a lot of Surly Blonde and The Hammer that first winter. Spring rolled around and Matt Phillips rolled out another new and exciting beer. Not knowing what it was, or that it was just released from the brewery the day I bought it. All I knew was that it was Phillips and it would be good. I brought it home and read the label and was blown away by the description,

“This scotch ale has been aged in Kentucky Bourbon barrels and then loaded into Cabernet Sauvignon barrels from the Okanagan. This unique beer has a gentle peat note, complemented by rich vanilla flavours picked up in the barrels. Don’t go half-cocked, enjoy this beer in a snifter at cellar temperatures.”

Whoa, this makes Innis and Gunn sound like child’s play. I was so titillated by the prospect of this seemingly, at the time, crazy beer I went in half-cocked. Cold and straight outta the bottle. This year around I made sure I did things properly. Beer aged in used wine and spirit barrels isn’t new to me anymore, but back then I had heard of nothing like it.

On the pour, this Scotch Ale reminded me of a carbonated cranberry juice. Immediately apparent is a large vinous aroma, vanilla, peat, carrots, oak, wood, cherries and tobacco. A weird, yet alluring, tumult of flavours of red wine, vanilla, peat, diactyl, carrots, and orange juice. A very smooth, well-attenuated beer with a dry wine-like finish. Phillips’ Double Barrel Scotch Ale is a sordid weaving of unique flavours that’ll be looking out for each year.

Rating: Good
Style: Barrel-aged Scotch ale
ABV: 7.7%
Serving Temp: 10-12ºC
Website: http://phillipsbeer.com/
BCL: 288324