Oasis Texas Brewing is putting out some outstanding beer, so when I saw their one-off Lake Monster was a Barrel-Aged Wee Heavy it was a no brainer. Scotch ales are great and when you barrel-age them they become magical. The Lake Monster is no exception. The beer poured a deep brown with ruby highlights and a wonderfully large tan head. The aroma was all sweet and malty with slight barrel character noticeable in the background. I am not sure what type of barrel they used but you get caramel and vanilla notes on the nose with what I detected as some red wine berry notes. The taste was a delicious scotch ale with loads of caramel malts and deep vanillas that were rich and smooth. I detected only slight barrel characteristics in the taste that seemed to lend a bit of bitter qualities along with the smooth vanilla notes. There were undertones of chocolate and a slight smoky richness that were unveiled as it warmed. In the end the Lake Monster was a great beer and another example that Oasis Texas Brewing is in full stride as a brewery. Keep these experimental batches coming and I will keep drinking!
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