Bourbon Barrel-Aged Axis Mundi w/ Coffee & Vanilla By MadTree Brewing
Aging / cellaring craft beer is a popular part of the hobby for many enthusiasts. It can allow a beer to develop and become something unique and special. This is especially true of barrel-aged stouts. And while I don’t age many beers, I did let a July 2015 release of MadTree Brewing Bourbon Barrel-Aged Axis Mundi w/ Coffee & Vanilla age for nearly 3 years.
The name of the beer is entirely too long and I started to wonder if I had let it age too long. Flavors will change over time but that isn’t always a good thing. Let’s dive in a see what happened to this beer over a few years.
Review Of BBA Axis Mundi w/ Coffee & Vanilla
MadTree Brewing is among one of the favorite breweries in Cincinnati. They’ve been growing quickly and their taproom is one of the largest and best in the city.
Want To Learn More About MadTree? Check Out These Articles
Axis Mundi is their Russian Imperial Stout. And like many breweries, they’ve put it into bourbon barrels to give it that extra layer of flavor. And of course they have taken it even further by adding vanilla and coffee.
This vanilla and coffee version is by far the most popular of their barrel-aged beers and they’ve continued to release it periodically.
BBA Axis Mundi comes in at 10.5% ABV with 72 IBUs.
It’s been released a handful of times and can be found in 500ml (16.9oz) bottles for around $13. If you find this one, I would not hesitate picking it up as it is one of their best offerings and only comes around a few times a year.
Here is how MadTree Brewing describes this barrel-aged stout:
Ancient Siberians believed there was a ‘World Tree’ which connected the different worlds through its roots and branches. Within this bottle is undeniable proof of a link discovered between the wolds of brewing and distilling. Repurposed American Oak Bourbon Barrels are filled with Russian Imperial Stout which digs down to its ancestral roots and is tucked away until the proper time to be unearthed, releasing flavors as rich and as dark as the soil in which the World Tree thrives.
Initial Thoughts
Have you waited in line for a beer? I don’t do it often but when I do, the beer better be great. BBA Axis Mundi is one of the beers I’ve waited for.
I’ve had the chance to enjoy it a few different times over the years. Most of the time it was fresh or had aged less than a year. So this is the longest amount of time I let it sit.
When fresh, this barrel-aged stout has huge notes of vanilla with moderate coffee and bourbon notes. So I was excited to see how it changed.
As soon as I removed the cap, I could tell things had changed. In the past, I would have instantly gotten notes of vanilla and bourbon. But not this time.
Instead, I got rich notes of oak barrel and general sweetness. This aroma continued as it was poured.
It had minimal carbonation and barely formed a head even with aggressive pouring.
Tasting Notes
The nose of this beer was just a precursor to what the taste would be – lots of barrel flavor.
Time allowed the flavors to shift and change. The barrel flavor is now the dominate flavor of this stout. It’s deep, rich and really enjoyable.
I didn’t get much coffee but there is a touch of roast that could be from the coffee or base stout.
As for the vanilla and bourbon characteristics, it’s as if they have become one flavor that comes across as a general sweetness now. This is a perfect balance for the heavy barrel flavors.
The ABV is evident and compliments the richness of the beer very well. I do think that the alcohol level isn’t masked as well as when it was fresh but that probably is due to the coffee and vanilla fading.
Final Thoughts
I rarely recommend aging craft beer. I’m a believer that a beer should be ready to drink when a brewery sells it. And in most cases, it tastes the way they intended it to when it’s released. So aging it isn’t always ideal.
Now there are some beers that are great for aging and the brewery highly recommends it. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t risks.
The risk of aging a beer and ruining it is enough reason for me to rarely do it or recommend it to others.
Luckily, this Bourbon Barrel-Aged Axis Mundi came out really well. I’m not sure I would want it to go much longer than the 3 year mark as the flavors have shifted a lot already.
If you have any Bourbon Barrel-Aged Axis Mundi, I recommend check the bottled date on the label and keep a close eye on it. If you have one older than 3 years, I’d love to hear what your experience is like when you drink it.
Related Article: 3 Questions To Ask Before Aging Craft Beer
Conculsion
Aging / cellaring craft beer isn’t for everyone or every beer. But when it works, it’s something special.
MadTree Brewing took great care of this beer to ensure that it could stand up to this much aging and I appreciate that. The rich barrel flavor of Bourbon Barrel-Aged Axis Mundi w/ Coffee & Vanilla after 3 years was a treat and I look forward to trying to age more of it some time in the future.
