In the heart of Lexington, Kentucky, is Alltech Lexington Brewing and Distilling Company, a unique stop on the world-famous Kentucky Bourbon Trail® experience and one of a handful of joint brewing and distilling operations—or “brewstilleries”—in the world.
Poured out of a four pack of bottles.
Since I've had this stout several times over the past few years and I've definitely had mixed results, I'm doing this staff review at a few different temperatures to see if some of the differences I've noticed can be attributed to different temps or if there's just a lot of variability in the beer or brewery. All the temperatures used are in Fahrenheit, taken via an infrared thermometer pointed down the top of the glass at about an inch or two away.
An ale brewed with Kentucky honey and ginger and aged in oak bourbon barrels. (Description provided by company)
Ale brewed with cherries and orange peel, aged in oak bourbon and bitters barrels. (Description provided by company)
This beer pours out just a bit darker than I expected from the term "ale", but it still is a very attractive and golden amber to copper, depending upon the light. The off-white head pours out at about three fingers, but settled down to a thin film after only a about a minute or two. I would have liked the head to stick around a little bit longer, but this is still quite a nice looking ale.
Kentucky Light is a light bodied easy drinker for a thirst quenching low calorie, low carb experience. The aroma is lively with a crisp, zesty finish.
A barrel-aged ale brewed with Kentucky-sourced pumpkin, richly spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice. As the ale is aged in fresh bourbon barrels, the sweetness of caramel and vanilla are imparted upon the brew and complement its spicier base.
Kentucky IPA® is a deliciously hoppy, golden-hued American India Pale Ale. It has bright citrus flavors and sweet floral aromas that come from liberal dry-hopping with American hops. The India Pale Ale style is the fastest growing craft beer style on the US market.
Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Barley Wine is a traditional American-style Barley Wine aged in freshly decanted Kentucky bourbon barrels. With a rich, malty backbone and a citrusy aromatic hoppiness, this bold barrel-aged Barley Wine comes together to create a well-balanced flavor profile.