Indian Wells Brewing Co. ‘Whiskey Barrel Brew’ Amber Lager. 12% abv. Deep ruby color. Thin ivory head that falls to a sustaining collar. Fair retention, little lacing. Nose of sweet amber malt, grain, corn, white bread.

Front taste is caramel, herbal hops, faint whiskey, wood expression on the back end. Dry finish. Aftertaste is treacle, bitter herbal, vegetal, yeasty. Aroma of a sweet bread emerges as the temp rises. Medium body. Mouthfeel is cool at first, warm-hot as the temp rises to room. Thin, tacky, boozy, slightly carby.

This is sadly a mediocre beer at best, one that doesn’t benefit from its whiskey barrel treatment, a technique that usually guarantees some level of richness and flavor. It feels and tastes like a bourbon barrel aged beer that been watered down. The thin body betrays its image of a big beer, while the flavor profile is plain and weak. 

Mt first thought was that perhaps an amber lager is not ideal for a barrel program, because t then I remembered the world class barrel beers from Firestone Walker, whose brewmasters can make barrel aged gold from any category of craft beer. I’ve been disappointed by Indian Wells before, a contract craft brewery that seems to keep their creations at arm’s length. Today’s tasting is unfortunately no exception. Pass on this one.

From the brewery:

"Truly unique! We started with a special amber style beer to complement the beautiful glow of great whiskey and then racked our special brew - which is made with 2-row malt, Munich, and Caramel Malts with Noble & Mt. Hood hops - into freshly decanted Evan Williams bourbon barrels where it lagers until ready. The outcome is a perfect "sipping beer" with a wonderful flavor, aroma and whopping 12% alcohol content! This beer is made in very small batches, under carefully supervised conditions. We're certain every beer drinker will love our very special limited quantity 'Whiskey Barrel Amber'!"

[source: mojavered.com]

"As a young boy in the 1940’s, Cliff Fyffe used to contemplate the old, broken whiskey barrels in the Evan Williams Distillery Yard. He noticed the barrels were giving off the aroma of the aged Kentucky whiskey in the summer heat. Cliff shared this memory with the Indian Wells Brewing Co. founders, Rick and Greg, who suddenly had an inspiration! They reached out and contacted Kentucky whiskey distilleries and purchased used oak barrels for their own whiskey barrel aged beer. Indian Wells Brewing Co. then left these barrels in the direct Mojave Desert sun until ripe. When the barrels were ready, they brewed a special 'amber' style lager by using their own natural artesian spring water, filling the whiskey barrels and allowing them to lager down to 34-degrees for months. Our own delicious whiskey barrel aged amber lager. It pairs well with BBQ and is just great for sipping. We hope you enjoy drinking it as much as we enjoyed making it."

[source: bottle]

The beer was completely flat within minutes of the pour.

Dogfish Head 'Indian Brown' Ale. 7.2% abv. 50 IBU. Deep ruby color. Pours two+ fingers of head. Excellent retention and outstanding lace. Nose of malt, caramel, walnut, sweet bread, abundant hops. Aromas are clear and present all the way to the bottom. Front taste is caramel with ample balanced hops. Medium-big body. Mouthfeel is creamy, warm, slightly sticky, flowing with small-bead carb. Aftertaste is sweet, warm sugar, bitter hop bite that is balanced well with the sweet flavors.

This is an extraordinary brown ale. Browns are one of my favorite beer styles, and this is an exceptional example of an American-style Imperial Brown. Strongly recommend.

From the brewery:

"Forget about the car companies, this is the original hybrid. A cross between a Scotch Ale, an India Pale Ale and an American Brown, Indian Brown Ale is well-hopped and malty at the same time (It's magical!). The beer has characteristics of each style that inspired it: the color of an American Brown, the caramel notes of a Scotch Ale, and the hopping regimen of an India Pale Ale. We dry-hop the Indian Brown Ale in a similar fashion to our 60 Minute IPA and 90 Minute IPA. This beer is brewed with Aromatic barley and organic brown sugar. Indian Brown Ale is available year-round, so you should be able to find it at fine retailers and restaurants that carry our other year-round beers. Don't see it? Ask! Most great retailers would love to hear from you."

The lacing on this brown is divine.

The retention and lacing was outstanding.

Indian Wells Marzen Madness. 7.5% abv. Rich dark brown color, thick head that falls quickly. Caramel aroma. Malty front taste, hop bite on the back end. Sweet malty aftertaste. Full body, sticky sweet mouthfeel. This brew is well within its category, but far from its best example. Still a decent beer worth trying.

From the brewery:

"Marzen means “March” in German. This was the traditional time to begin brewing beer for Oktoberfest in Germany. Our Marzen is a traditional marzen style beer made with Munich malt and three kinds of hops. We suspect this may be one of the best beers you’ll ever drink. Just pure spring water, hops, malt and our special yeast makes this a finely crafted and high quality brew."