Home

I don't drink much beer in Kentucky.  I come here to visit my grandparents and they don't do a lot of drinking.  That's just fine with me, as there's more to life than beer.  Nevertheless, a beer is still a nice thing to have.  It's about as easy to find a beer at my grandparents' in eastern Kentucky as it is to find one at an al Qaeda meeting.  It's not loads easier in central Kentucky, but on this visit, I've got an ace in the hole.  Last time we were here, I bought a four pack of Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale. I drank one and two others got shared by various family members.  The fourth was waiting for me when I arrived.

This ale is lovely.  It's rich, sweet and buttery like a big stack of pancakes.  My only complaint with this beer is- strangely- the best thing about it.  It tastes like bourbon.  I like bourbon and I especially like stuff that tastes like bourbon but doesn't burn my throat.  A glass of something that ought to taste like a boilermaker, but with a lower alcohol content ought to be something that I enjoy.  And, just so that we're clear, it is.  But the bourbon barrel ale tastes a little too much like a beer that somebody poured some bourbon into.  Don't get me wrong, it's still a splendid drink and I couldn't be more proud that it hails from my home state, but it's not yet the splendid marriage of two of my favorite beers that I know exists somewhere out there. 

Meanwhile, someday soon I need to sit down and have the side-by-side tasting of Bourbon Barrel Ale and Dragon's Milk.