First up was There's No Ryeing in Basebull. This is to be one of the flagship beers once production begins. A nice golden color, very well balanced, with a very pleasant spiciness from the rye. For my palate, this will be a great summertime beer, although it's darker and heavier than what most people would think of as a summer beer. And at 4.9%, I can drink several of them. Very refreshing.
There was no batch number on this bottle. Perhaps that means that this is the final version, or perhaps not. But I think that it's ready to go.
Blackhorn, a black IPA, is the other flagship beer. Pitch black in color, with a creamy head, this looks like a stout. But unlike a stout, the flavor emphasis is not so much on the roasted malt, but on the hops. Bob warned me that this was an experiment that didn't work out, using a different hop at one point. But it still tasted pretty good, with enough hoppiness to count as an IPA without going overboard; there was just a slight "green" taste that I believe is from the hop that will not be used again. 6.1%, this was batch #62.
Gingerbull Cookie is a possible seasonal beer that may be produced. Deep brown color, with a definite ginger-snap aroma on the nose. There is a nice bit of malt, but the ginger and the hops seem to blend seamlessly as a counterbalance. And while the thought of a cookie might make you think "sweet", this quaff is refreshingly dry. I could easily drink this beer on a regular basis, but I think that it might be more interesting with just a little more of the ginger-snap flavor (but not too much), perhaps balanced out by a little more malt and alcohol. Batch #61; 5.0%
Wee Heifer's Fruitcake, based on the "Wee Heifer" Wee Heavy. From the bottle "Spiced with everything that makes the holidays right - then ferment on top of loads of dried cherries, Himalayan figs, and golden hunza raisins before finishing it in some bourbon barrels". A nice reddish brown, with a smooth tan head. There's so much going on with the aroma that I don't know where to begin describing it. On the palate, it's an explosion of flavor. Lots of fruit, with cherries coming through nicely, but it still keeps the malt character of a good Scottish "Wee Heavy" (and clocking in at 8.9%, it is true to the style). I can't tell what part of the flavor comes from what component, but the result is a masterpiece. I think this is my favorite of all the Bolero Snort beers I've tried; not surprising as I generally like the stronger brews.
Overall, I'm impressed with all of these beers. As I noted before, the brewer seems to be going for enjoyable beers instead of trying to show off how extreme he can make them. He seems to have overcome the carbonation problems that affected the previous beers that I tried. And best of all, the legal paperwork has progressed, and we might just get to see these beers in production soon!
