Topic Archives: Oak Aged
Epic Rosé Sour Ale is a triumph of a wine-inspired wild ale
There are plenty of rośe inspired beers in the beer market right now. While they almost incorporate grapes, Epic Brewing Rośe, from the brewery’s Oak & Orchard Series, achieves a rose flavor with strawberries and an “epic” house mixed culture wild ale.
Epic Brewing’s sour program continues to impress us. Recent Oak & Orchard releases like Strawberry Rhubarb, and Pink Guava were some of the best American wild ales we tried at Beer Street Journal in 2018. (Incidentally, their Quadruple Barrel Baptist was one of our 2018 favorites as well.) Rośe Ale truly keeps this impressive flavor journey alive and well into a new year.
Strawberries, hibiscus, and rose hips are part of the approach for Epic Rośe. Each sip is a wash of oaky tart strawberry flavors, with a light, lingering floral aroma on your palate. The rose hips and hibiscus are perfectly subtle. This might be more enjoyable the sipping actual rośe wine. Far less sugary, and in our opinion, far more complex than any pink wine you’ll find at the same price point.
American wild ales grow in popularity in the United States every year. If you don’t know what to look out for, let us help. Don’t dare sleep on Epic’s Oak & Orchard Series. We fought over the last sips of Pink Guava, and sipping this Rośe Ale in the sun with hints of spring in the air made for a downright poetic drinking experience.
We can’t wait to see what the brewery does next ?.
Style: American Wild Ale (w/ Rose Hips. Hibiscus. Strawberries. Oak Aged.)
Hops: Tettnang
Malts: Pilsner, White Wheat, Spelt, Flaked Oats
Availability: 12.7oz Bottles
Debut: February 2019
7.1% ABV
Oskar Blues & Cigar City debut ‘Bamburana’, a double barrel-aged imperial stout
Oskar Blues and Cigar City, both part of the CANarchy collective, are debuting a barrel-aged imperial stout nationally this month.
This collaboration is a big one, perfect for a winter release. The two breweries created an imperial stout, aged in both whiskey barrels and brandy barrels, with figs and dates. After blending into the finishing tanks, Bamburana was then aged again on Amburana wood spirals. Amburna is a tropical tree native to Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Peru.
“We were pleasantly surprised with the vanilla and gingerbread spice nuances this South American wood contributed into the finished beer and look forward to putting this delicious beer in front of folks,” said Wayne Wambles of Cigar City Brewing
Oskar Blues Cigar City Bamburana is a national release in 12-ounce cans and draft starting in mid-January, 2019.
Style: Imperial Stout (w/ Figs. Dates. Barrel Aged. Whiskey. Brandy.)
Availability: 12oz Cans, Draft. Limited Release.
Debut: Mid-January 2019
12.2% ABV
Allagash FV 13 (foudre aged wild ale) resurfaces this weekend
Allagash FV 13 returns to the brewery once again this weekend.
A Belgian-style golden ale is the base for Allagash FV 13. The beer is fermented in stainless steel with the brewery’s epic house yeast, then transferred to a 2,700-gallon French oak foudre (exactly like the one on the label).
What is even more unique about FV 13, is that a portion of the previous batch of this beer is used to inoculate (ferment) the new edition. A little bit of the old makes the new.
This year’s beer features an aroma with notes of graham cracker, lime zest, and vanilla. The flavor blends sweet and tart with notes of grapefruit and raspberry, and finishes with a cleansing bitterness.
Allagash FV 13 is a 375ml bottle release. Each release takes four years to brew, ferment and condition before public release.
Style: American Wild Ale (w/ White Cane Sugar. Oak Aged)
Hops: Tettnang, Hallertau
Availability: 12.7 oz bottles
Latest Return: September 2018
8.8% ABV
Ardent Craft Ales releases Summer American Sour Blend 2018
Ardent Summer American Sour Blend 2018 debuts on July 12th.
This blended sour starts with a blonde ale that has been soured in oak barrels, then blended with guava and pineapple.
This is a drinkable, restrained sour ale that features juicy, fruity flavors with minimal sweetness and a pleasant pineapple aroma, perfect for a summer afternoon.
Bottles of Ardent Summer American Sour Blend 2018 will be available in the Richmond, Virginia taproom the afternoon of July 12th.
Style: American Wild/Sour Ale (w/ Guava. Pineapple. Oak Barrel Aged.)
Availability: 330ml Bottles
Debut: 7/12/18
6.6% ABV
PIC: Ardent Craft Ales
Rosé all day? Ommegang Saison Rosé arrives for summer
Ommegang Saison Rose is debuting ahead of summer.
Rosé wine surges in popularity as temperatures rise. Beer is bringing their own version of the pink stuff, thanks to Ommegang and their new Saison Rosé.
Blending beer is nothing new to Brewery Ommegang. Their Three Philosophers is a blended beer that debuted in 2002. Saison Rosé is also blended, that starts as light saison brewed with hibiscus flowers. It is then fermented in stainless steel with chardonnay grape juices.
The grape juice/hibiscus saison is then blended with what the brewery calls a “heartier” oak-aged saison with strong tannic notes.
Aromas of grapefruit and red berries are followed by a hint of oak. Flavors of sweet berries and lightly-tart citrus resolve to subtle oak tannins and spicy Belgian yeast. The beer is light-bodied with a soft mouthfeel, crisp, dry finish…
Ommegang Saison Rosé is available in 12-ounce bottles and draft for a limited time in summer 2018.
Style: Saison (w/ Hibiscus Flowers. Chardonnay Grapes. Oak Aged.)
Availability: 12oz Bottles, Draft. Summer Seasonal.
Debut: May 2018
7.7% ABV
Image: Ommegang
SweetWater Through the Brambles is out of the foeder again
SweetWater Through the Brambles was the inaugural release from the brewery’s multi-million dollar sour and wild ale expansion last year. The blackberry heavy ale truly set the tone for what was to come from the program. Its popularity is prompting a second release. .
PICS: SweetWater The Woodlands
SweetWater Through the Brambles is a sour ale brewed with blackberries that has spent 12 months aging in French oak. The result is something magical. We were wowed by the fresh peach flavor in Pit & the Pendulum. The blackberries in Brambles is equally as fresh and bright. The mixed culture of wild yeast and bacteria used here is the beginnings of the house culture, which is sure to become a superstar over time. The beer finishes with just a hint of tartness, and a touch of funk.
Through the Brambles and The Woodlands is just the beginning of a whole new era for the brewery. A strong lab program and a team of incredibly talented brewers will most assuredly turn these releases into household names in the next couple of years.
Rose in color with notes of blackberry, oak and some southern funk form the wild yeast and bacteria. Initially light bodied and slightly tart, this beauty will evolve with time.
SweetWater Through the Brambles will return again in new 375 milliliter bottles, just like 100% foeder beer Cambium.
Style: American Wild/Sour Ale (w/ Blackberries. Oak Aged.)
Availability: 500ml Bottles
Debut: January 2017
Latest Return: TBA
6.3% ABV
Image: SweetWater
SweetWater Through The Brambles original release in January 2017. Image: Beer Street Journal
Peaches meet death metal in TRVE Brewing Starving Gods of Old
Trve Brewing Starving Gods of Old debuts at the brewery on March 24th.
The 2017 harvest of peaches takes the lead in Trve Brewing Starving Gods of Old – an American wild ale. The mixed culture saison has been aged on 4 pounds of peaches per gallon of beer.
1,000 bottles of the release will be available on Saturday, March 24 in the brewery’s taproom in Denver, Colorado. A remaining 550 bottles will be available in distribution both in and out of state.
Style: American Wild Ale (w/ Peaches. Oak Aged)
Availability: 500ml Bottles
Debut: 3/24/18
?? ABV
Image: TRVE Brewing
