The description on the side of the label reads “warm smoky flavor,” so SmokeBeerMinistry picked this one up. Plus we have a working relationship with Ft. Collins given that they are one of the few breweries who have demonstrated an in depth analysis of the smokebeer genre with Z Lagers and the Out of the Ashes series. In this case, Barrel Licked poured with virtually no head except for the thin line you see here in the illuminated from below photo (notice the new photo booth). Without much head, notes of smoke were limited from wafting around the glass and measured in at only 2 smokestacks. And the taste of smoke was limited to 3 smokestacks although barrel and oak flavors ranked in higher with the most pronounced flavor being what I call Fort Collins Flavor. Until you’ve had entirely too much beer, it’s hard for me to impress upon you the distinct flavor that Fort Collins has in all of their beers, which is rare to find elsewhere. SmokeBeerMinistry is indifferent to this Ft. Collins distinction (sorry Ft.C) and we, at best, describe it as weird. This beer has a slight sourness to it, probably from the barrel, and leaves the throat nice and warm. SBM would be open to Ft. C sending us a barrel of this beer to our next smokebeer tasting. Barrel Licked Bock isn’t bad. Overall score 4 out of 7 smokestacks.
| Brewer | Fort Collins Brewery |
| Beer Name | Barrel Licked Bock |
| Brewer’s Description | It took 14 months to get this bock just where we wanted it. A year of cellaring and eight weeks in oak barrels produced an impossibly smooth brew characterized by a hint of vanilla, ephemeral charred notes and a warm smoky flavor. |
| Food Pairings | Rocky mountain oysters |
| Brewery Location | Fort Collins , CO |
| Alcohol content by volume | 6.4% or 10.2%, who knows |
| IBU (International Bitterness Units) | 34 |
| Beer opacity rate 1 – 7 (light – dark) | 4 |
| Smell smoke? 1 – 7 (No – George Burns) | 2 |
| Sausage detection? Y or N | N |
| Smokepower taste: 1 – 7 Smokestacks | 3 |
| Beer thickness 1-7 (water – used motor oil) | 6 |
| Barrel Power 1-7 (in name only – burns nose) | 4 |
| Overall Happiness: 1 – 7 (sad – happy) | 4 |
Feel free to browse their site, although they’ve forgotten all about every beer I mentioned in this post, including Barrel Licked @:
