South Street Barrel Aged Imperial Satan’s Pony
South Street Brewery (owned and operated by Blue Mountain Brewery) has their flagship amber ale, Satan’s Pony. It’s a 5.3% ABV amber ale that, well, looks, smells and tastes like an amber — which sort of made it not so memorable. I liked the beer well enough, but this imperial, barrel-aged version of that brew, is heads and shoulders above it’s little sibling.
There are many brews out there that simply don’t translate to an imperial or double version of itself, but in doing so with Satan’s Pony prior to aging in bourbon barrels, the brewers have made a wise choice. I don’t think the standard brew would have been a good candidate for this process. This imperial version, however, is much more dynamic that the original and not just due to the barrel influence. It is, as expected a much more full-flavored brew that just so happens to carry a soft barrel-aged quality, as well.
My only complaint here, and is often the case with barrel-aged beers, is that I wish the beer were a bit fuller on the palate. I don’t know what it is about beers going through this process, but whether stout, imperial amber ale or whatever, they tend to have less body than their base versions. Regardless, Barrel Aged Imperial Satan’s Pony is an excellent beer that I would certainly pick up again and perhaps even try and cellar one or two.