Labatt Bourbon Barrel Ale (6/10)

Labatt USA produced two beers in a Prohibition series, designed to "transport drinkers back to that exciting era of smugglers and speakeasies."  The official web site is short on details about the beer apart from this and the note that Bourbon barrels are somehow involved in the brewing.

The beer pours a clear golden color with thick white head that dissipates in about thirty seconds and leaves behind little lacing. 

The aroma is fruity and kind of musty.  

The flavor starts out like a standard Labatt beer, mildly sweet, and malty. The bourbon flavor swells up gradually and remains mild. There is a hint of butter somewhere in the middle. The finish is roasted grain. 

Compare this to a bourbon barrel beer like Kentucky Bourbon Barrel ale and the bourbon elements in this one will be much, much more subtle.  The base beer itself is fine, but it's not something you're going to be bowled over with.  There's nothing particularly great, or particularly bad, about it.  It's.. OK.  Hence my rating of 6/10.

My rating is in line with Beer Advocate, which gave the beer a 62/100 rating.  Rate Beer was even tougher, giving it only a 6/100.

You should be able to find this beer, as I did, at one of the Giant Eagle stores in their make-your-own-6-pack section.  That should set you back under $2 for the bottle, and give you the chance to try five other beers with it.