Fire Fest Reserve 2021 by Grist House Craft Brewery is being evaluated as a Specialty Wood-Aged Beer (Category 33B) from the 2021 BJCP style guidelines. 

 The aroma in this beer opens with a moderately high note of sweet roasted malt followed by vanilla, oak, rum and bourbon. The elements of sweetness, alcohol and roasted malt character combined with a dark fruit character makes this beer very inviting.

The appearance is opaque with a tight dark tan head, and many tiny bubbles rise to the top, indicating the carbonation level. When lightly swirled, the thick viscosity appears to indicate the weight of those unfermented sugars.

The flavor profile is of dark chocolate and coffee sweetness followed by a complex alcohol character that complements the base beer. On the palate, the alcohol is weighted a little heavier on the rum with those sugar-like vanilla notes. While balance is decidedly toward the malt and supporting barrel-aged spirits, there are no hop flavors or bitterness among these strong flavors. The finish is semi-sweet with a long alcoholic aftertaste, this a beer made for sipping.  

This full-bodied beer with medium-low carbonation has strong warming alcohols giving it depth. The creaminess in this beer softens those edges very well, while remaining absent of astringency, thus making it very palate-friendly.

This is a big, bold beer with lots of flavor and complex booziness. One that checks the boxes for dimension, drinkability and mouthfeel. A beer to be sipped slowly while savoring the subtle and not-so-subtle nuances. The chewiness in this beer makes it attractive to plates of charcuterie, or a thick grilled steak.  Enjoy this exceptional offering from Grist House.