The Bruery Bois 750ML is a 15.0% ABV barrel-aged English-style old ale produced via the solera method in a 750ml bottle. Carrying a 4.3 out of 5 rating on both Untappd (over 13,800 ratings) and BeerAdvocate, Bois stands as one of The Bruery's most acclaimed and complex year-round releases. Quick Facts: ABV: 15.0% | Origin: Placentia, California, USA | English-Style Old Ale | Brewery: The Bruery Production & Heritage The Bruery, based in Placentia, California, brews Bois using an English old ale recipe fermented with the house Belgian yeast strain — a combination that bridges two brewing traditions in a single glass. The beer is aged entirely in rye whiskey barrels, drawing spice and vanilla from the wood. What truly distinguishes Bois is its solera-method blending: each year, a portion of the aged beer is held back in barrels and combined with the following year's production, building layers of complexity that deepen with every annual cycle. Tasting Notes Aroma: Burnt sugar and rich toffee lead the nose, followed by waves of dark dried fruit — fig, date, and raisin. Undertones of rye whiskey barrel character emerge as vanilla, toasted oak, and a faint coconut sweetness. Taste: The entry is dense and chewy, coating the palate with caramel, butterscotch, and sticky molasses. Mid-palate shifts toward dark fruit compote and leathery tobacco, while rye barrel spice and brown sugar build toward a boozy, warming peak. Toasted brown bread and brown sugar lend a baked quality that grounds the sweetness. Finish: Long, heavy, and warming, with lingering toffee, oak tannins, and a final whisper of raisin and vanilla. The 15% ABV makes its presence known but remains integrated rather than harsh. How to Drink Bois Bois is best served in a snifter or tulip glass at cellar temperature (50–55°F), allowing the solera-blended complexity to open gradually. Sipping neat is the primary recommendation given its layered barrel character and high ABV. For those inclined to experiment: a Beer Flip (whole egg, simple syrup, nutmeg) showcases the toffee and spice beautifully; a Boilermaker pairing alongside a pour of rye whiskey creates a dialogue between the beer and its barrel source; and a Beer Float with vanilla bean ice cream amplifies the coconut and caramel notes into a rich dessert serve. Best For Gifting a craft beer collector who values limited and cellar-worthy releases After-dinner sipping as a dessert beer on a cold evening Vertical tastings alongside different vintage years of Bois to explore the solera evolution Pairing alongside a cheese or charcuterie course at a curated tasting event Frequently Asked Questions What does Bois taste like? Bois delivers a dense, chewy profile dominated by toffee, caramel, dark dried fruit (fig, date, raisin), toasted oak, and rye barrel spice, with a long warming finish at 15% ABV. How does Bois compare to The Bruery Black Tuesday? Both are high-ABV, barrel-aged flagships from The Bruery, but Black Tuesday is an imperial stout emphasizing dark chocolate, bourbon, and singed oak, while Bois is an old ale built on toffee, dried fruit, and rye whiskey barrel character with solera-method complexity. Bois tends to be more accessible in availability, while Black Tuesday is released in more limited annual batches. Is Bois good for sipping neat? Bois is designed for slow, contemplative sipping — its solera-blended depth and barrel-aged richness reward patience, especially when served slightly below room temperature in a snifter. Where is Bois made? Bois is brewed at The Bruery in Placentia, California, in northern Orange County, where the brewery operates its barrel-aging program and solera blending system. What foods pair well with Bois? Aged cheddar or Gouda (the caramel notes in both complement each other), dark chocolate truffles (echoing the burnt sugar and toffee), smoked brisket (the rye barrel spice bridges with smoke), sticky toffee pudding (a natural dessert mirror), and blue cheese with fig jam (matching the beer's dried fruit character). What sizes does Bois come in? Bois is available in the standard 750ml bottle format, the traditional size for The Bruery's barrel-aged and specialty releases. Is Bois worth the price? Bois positions as a premium craft offering within The Bruery's barrel-aged lineup, and the solera-method production — which inherently blends older and younger beer for added complexity — provides genuine depth that justifies its place in the upper tier of American barrel-aged ales. Why Bois? The solera method is exceptionally rare in American craft brewing, and Bois is one of the few commercially available beers that employs it year after year, meaning every bottle contains traces of every previous vintage blended into the barrels. That cumulative complexity, combined with full aging in rye whiskey barrels and fermentation with a Belgian yeast strain, creates a beer that genuinely evolves with each annual release. Consistent ratings of 4.3 on both Untappd and BeerAdvocate across thousands of reviews confirm that the execution matches the ambition. For collectors and serious craft beer drinkers, Bois represents a living, evolving project — not just a single batch, but an ongoing accumulation of flavor and time.
