Year of New Beer: Snakes In A Cabin, West 6th Brewing Co (Lexington)

Written By: Dion on 03/27/2019

To close out their 7th Birthday Celebration, W6th adds this beast of a variant to the already formidable Snake Cake lineup, and all I can say is "Wow!". 
I met Ben and Brady for the first time on Oct 24, 2011. Like me and a lot of other beer nerds, they were at Pazzo's to meet Greg Koch, founder of Stone Brewing. At the time, Stone was one of the kingpins of the nationwide craft beer movement. Little did I know that seven years later, it would be theirs, as well as other local breweries, that piqued my interest much more than national powerhouses like Stone. Enough reminiscing. What about this beer? The nose is robust with bourbon and a spicy oak char, initially threatening to overpower the aromatic profile. With warmth, however, the underlying maple note begins to assert itself, disseminating a subtle sweetness that intensifies through the glass. On the tongue, there is no doubt that this beer has spent significant time slumbering in a bourbon barrel. A boozy alcohol burn slowly melts into notes of caramel and brown sugar, riding atop roasted malts and chocolate. Much like it does in the aroma, the maple develops on the taste buds as the temperature rises, complementing rather than dominating. The vanilla is subtle, adding just the right amount of sweetness to balance the bourbon influence. The alcohol note leads to a body that is a touch drier than the base beer, which leads to a dangerously drinkable brew for 13%. I was worried that this had the potential to be overly sweet, but I couldn't have been more incorrect. This hits right in my wheelhouse. Drink now or let it age for a bit, either will most certainly be an enjoyable experience. Available in the taproom in limited quantities this Saturday, along with the legendary OG, Snake Cake, and the equally delicious German Chocolate Cake. Many thanks to Brady, Ben, and Joe for giving me the opportunity to preview this outstanding beer.