(Boulder, CO) — In the quest to create a collection of barrel-aged beers to be reproduced annually, Avery Brewing Company is releasing Uncle Jacob’s Stout, the second member of its Annual Barrel Series.
The collection began with Rumpkin rum barrel-aged pumpkin ale in the fall of 2011, and now continues with this 17.4% ABV stout that was aged in first-use Bourbon barrels for 6 months. While the Avery Barrel-Aged Series features one-time-only batches, such as the recent Muscat d’Amour and Récolte Sauvage, the Annual Barrel Series features a selection of cellarable barrel-aged beers that fans can return to and get to know every year.
During a genealogy project, Adam Avery’s family discovered his 6th Great Grand Uncle Jacob Spears. Spears established a distillery in Bourbon County Kentucky in 1790, and is credited historically as being the first distiller to label his whiskey as “Bourbon” for distribution. Of naming the beer after his distant relative, brewery president and owner Adam Avery remarked, “We share a similar drinking problem — he had to start a distillery, and I had to start a brewery.”
Describing Uncle Jacob’s Stout as a “dangerously smooth 17.4% ABV beer,” Avery’s chief Barrel Herder Andy Parker says that the biggest challenge was bringing balance to a brew at such a high alcohol content. To offset the natural astringency from the high alcohol and barrels’ oak tannins, dark specialty malts with caramel and toffee flavors were chosen over roastier and coffee-like malts. A liberal dose of flaked oats was also added for richness and mouthfeel. After four weeks of fermenting with an English ale yeast and 6 months resting in the oak barrels, the brew boasts flavors of toffee, caramel, vanilla and hints of coconut from the Bourbon barrels, as well as dried currants and cherries.
The Avery Tap Room in Boulder, CO, will host the release of Uncle Jacob’s Stout, starting sales at 5pm on Saturday, April 7th, 2012. Bottles are 12oz. and will be sold as singles at $10 each. Fans will be able to buy up to 12 bottles, and availability can only be guaranteed at the Avery Tap Room during the release party. For more information, beer connoisseurs can check www.averybrewing.com or email [email protected].
Established in 1993, Avery Brewing Company has developed a reputation as being one of the most daring and visionary breweries in the nation. They are the brewers of Avery IPA, The Maharaja Imperial IPA, White Rascal Belgian Wheat Ale, Mephistopheles’ Stout and eighteen other year-round and seasonal beers. Please go to www.averybrewing.com for more information on Avery beers.
