Barrel Aged Kaput

Purchased at the breweries 5 year celebration. Pours opaque with a soft, creamy, tan foam that covers. Great retention. Thick, sticky lacing leaves beautiful rings on the glass. Aroma is barrel: oak, vanilla, and fresh bourbon. Brown sugar sweetness cuts through but blends well. Toffee and raisin round out. Taste is a bit light up front. Flavors build and layer throughout. Toffee and caramel sweetness fend off the barrel. There is a competition in the finish the lingers and is hard to explain, it is almost an off flavor: toffee, bourbon, vanilla with a alcohol sting on the tongue. Medium body because the beginning of the sip is so meek but overall a big body. Carbonation is medium or better. The oak tannins dry the pallet. I wish the beer was a bit clearer. Taste is fantastic but arguable that it is one-noted: the barrel. The taste is a big drop off for me. It isn't clear what the beer wants to be. Lots of sweetness and barrel to fight back the alcohol that continues to creep in. This is still a good beer. I will stick to the great NEIPAs instead. Enjoy!