Barrel Aged

Posted in Goose Island Brewing, Coming Soon, Headlines

Goose Island’s Bourbon County Series “Neopolitan Stout”, another brewery fake

Ed Note: Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Neopolitan Stout is a fake. The brewery created fake labels ahead of the official BCBS announcement. 

The original story below from July 10th, 2018.

First get familiar with the term “pastry stout”. The beer industry is full of them these days. Take a simple imperial stout.- and throw in ingredients you’d find in a scone, brownie, cookie, or cake. Pastry stouts now have vanilla beans, cinnamon, cacao nibs, coconut, lactose, even breakfast cereal or movie theater candy. Not to mention aged various spirits barrels. They are basically alcoholic desserts.

Chicago’s Goose Island is home to one of the most well-known barrel-aged imperial stouts – Bourbon County. Over the years, Coffee, Vanilla, and berry editions have surfaced. Goose Island hasn’t turned a blind eye to the success of the (using this term loosely) “style” and is potentially bringing their own pastries to the table.

Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Neopolitan Stout looks to sweeten palates this fall. The imperial stout has been aged in bourbon barrels with vanilla, lactose milk sugar, strawberry puree, and chocolate. Think boozy ice cream.

No official announcement has been made by Goose Island on any of the 2018 variants.

Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Neopolitan Stout is slated for 16.9-ounce bottles and draft.

Style: Imperial Stout (w/ Strawberry Puree. Chocolate. Vanilla. Lactose. Barrel Aged. Bourbon.)
Availability: 16.9oz Bottles, Draft.
Debut: N/A

?? ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Oskar Blues Brewing, Headlines

Oskar Blues Barrel-Aged Mocha Ten FIDY is coming in July

Oskar Blues Barrel-Aged Mocha Ten FIDY will be available at both Colorado and North Carolina breweries in July. 

July 7th National Chocolate Day – a perfect day to release the latest iteration of the most recognizable imperial stouts in beer – Oskar Blues Ten FIDY. That motor oil resembling liquid has been aging in bourbon barrels with Cholaca, a pure liquid cacao.

The finishing flourish is a hefty dosing of Mexican bean cold brew from Hotbox Roasters.

The O.G. Imperial Stout got a one-way golden ticket to the inside of a barrel, where it went ass-over-elbows into a Cholaca chocolate river and then hotbox’d with Hotbox Roasters’ cold brew until it manifested as a smooth mocha mutha.

Oskar Blues Barrel-Aged Mocha Ten FIDY will only be available at the Longmont, Colorado-based brewery and the Brevard, North Carolina brewery on July 7th. Wristbands will be handed out starting at 9:30 am (local time). 19.2-ounce cans are available by the can ($15), 12-count case ($180) with a 5 case limit.

Style: Imperial Stout (w/ Coffee. Chocolate. Barrel Aged. Bourbon.)
Availability: 19.2oz Cans, Limited Draft. Brewery Only.
Debut: 7/7/18

12.9% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Firestone Walker Brewing, Creature Comforts, Headlines, New Releases

Firestone Walker teams up with Creature Comforts, creates ‘Mother’s Milk’

Firestone Walker debuts a new collaboration this weekend with Athens, Georgia based Creature Comforts in Paso Robles, California.

Every beer collaboration is born out of friendship and mutual respect for one another’s brewing passions. In this case, the fermented love spans 2,000 miles. Introducing Firestone Walker / Creature Comforts Mother’s Milk.

The base beer is a milk stout that has been aging for nearly a year in rye whiskey barrels – a very intentional move. According to Eric Ponce, Firestone Walker’s barrel program manager, the sweetness of bourbon barrels would have been too cloying. “We designed the base beer with the intent of aging it in rye whiskey barrels—we thought it would be the perfect marriage. The dash of salt just makes everything pop on the palate,” he explains in a recent press release.

Mother’s Milk will be available to all attendees of this weekend’s Firestone Walker Invitational. 12-ounce bottles will be available at the brewery on June 2nd.

Style: Milk Stout (w/ Sea Salt. Lactose. Barrel Aged. Rye Whiskey.)
Hops:
Malts: Two-Row, Munich, Chocolate, Franco-Belges Kiln Coffee, Crystal 45, Oats

Availability: 12oz Bottles. Limited Release
Debut: 6/2/18

11.6% ABV

Image: Firestone Walker

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Founders Brewing, Don't Miss This

The 4th Barrel-Aged release from Founders arrives in June: ‘Barrel Runner’

Founders Barrel Runner will join the brewery’s Barrel-Aged Series in June.

The weather is finally warmer, perfect for sipping this pirate-themed, rum ladened offering – Founders Barrel Runner. The base beer is an imperial India pale ale brewed with mosaic hops, that has been aged in rum barrels.

This is the 4th release in the Michigan-based brewery’s Barrel-Aged Series lineup this year. Kentucky Breakfast Stout (KBS), Backwoods Bastard and brand new Founders Dankwood (bourbon barrel-aged red ale) have hit shelves ahead of this release.

“I drink tiki cocktails probably more than I should and looked to them for inspiration when creating Barrel Runner. You get a lot of bright, tropical character from the abundance of Mosaic hops plus a nice kick of oak and rum from the barrels. Add a tiny umbrella and you got yourself a beer perfect for enjoying poolside.” – Brewmaster Jeremy Kosmicki.

Founders Barrel Runner will be available in 12-ounce and 22-ounce bottles and draft, starting in June 2018.

Style: Imperial IPA (Barrel Aged. Rum.)
Hops: Mosaic

Availability: 12oz Bottles, 22oz Bottles, Draft. June-August
Debut: June 2018

11.1% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Don't Miss This, Odell Brewing, Seasonal Return

Truly a beautiful beer. Odell Brazzle Sour Raspberry Ale is back for spring

Odell Brazzle Sour Golden Raspberry Ale has reappeared at the brewery again today.

The base beer is a golden ale, soured in oak barrels used for Odell’s Woodcut offerings, with multiple wild yeasts for a full two years. 300 pounds of raspberries are looped into the process before and after the bacteria and yeasts do their thing.

This beer just bursts with fresh raspberry aromas that really burst with each sip as well. There’s a subtle tartness in the finish that is both playful and attention-grabbing. All in all, this truly is a biological beauty of a beer. Drink fresh, in the sun, and if you have them – friends.

“We used golden raspberries to brew with, which gives this sour a touch of sweetness. There is also a bright, tart fruit and citrus flavor that comes through. The sour acidity plays well with the raspberry flavor. This is a very unique sour, and WELL worth the wait!” – ” Barrel Aging/Pilot System Manager, Brent Cordle. “

Odell Brazzle is available in 750ml bottles and draft.

Style: American Wild Ale (w/ Barrel Aged. Raspberries.)
Availability: 750 ml bottles, Corked & Caged
Latest Return: Late March 2018

5.4% ABV

Image: Beer Street Journal

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Lost Abbey, New Releases

French red wine oak barrel aged Lost Abbey Amazing Grace on sale Friday

Lost Abbey Amazing Grace will go on sale Friday. 

From time to time, Lost Abbey receives French oak barrels that once contained red wine. The brewery sees this as a perfect opportunity to age their Belgian-style Dubbel – Lost & Found. The abbey ale, brewed with raisins, has been aging “gracefully” in the French Oak barrels until the time is right.

RELATED: PORT NELSON THE GREETER CANS SHIP

Amazing Grace shows hints of soft oak tannins and light vanilla notes from the oak barrels. A subtle dash of red wine character from the aging process reveals itself if the beer is served on at cellar temperature and compliments the roasted malt character of the base beer.

Lost Abbey Amazing Grace is sold at a ticketed online event on Friday, March 23rd at 12 noon (PST). Bottles are $41 dollars each, limit of 3 per customer. No proxies (you have the be the one purchasing and picking up).

Style: Belgian-style Dubbel (w/ Raisins. Red Wine Barrel Aged.)
Availability: 750ml Bottles. Extremely Limited.
Latest Release: March 2018

9.5% ABV

Image: Lost Abbey

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Evil Twin Brewing, Don't Miss This, Westbrook Brewing Co

Pastry stout fan? Wait until you read the name of this Evil Twin & Westbrook collaboration

Evil Twin Maple Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Mexican Biscotti Toasted Coconut Cake Break is a future bottle potential. The name is quite the mouthful.

Evil Twin is in the process of building their first brick and mortar location in New York City. In the meantime, Jeppe Jarnit-Bjergso has “gypsy” brewing stateside at various breweries -one being Westbrook Brewing in South Carolina.

The origin of this mega-collaboration starts as Evil Twin’s Biscotti Break and Westbrook Brewing’s Mexican Cake Imperial Stout. The two brewing teams combine the two beers into one beast of a beer – Imperial Mexican Biscotti Cake Break. They didn’t stop there. Barrel-aged variants surfaced Double Barrel Aged Imperial Mexican Biscotti Cake Break, aged in Marsala wine and bourbon barrels, and Evil Twin Maple Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Mexican Biscotti Cake Break.

if you didn’t know pastry stouts are alive and well in the brewing industry, then let this serve as your official notice. Half the lines at breweries on Saturdays are for pastry stouts. A beer name like Evil Twin Maple Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Mexican Biscotti Toasted Coconut Cake Break is enough to make a beer geek break out in a sweat.

Evil Twin Maple Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Mexican Biscotti Toasted Coconut Cake Break is slated to be a 22-ounce bottle release. The brewery has not yet announced this offering.

Style: Imperial Stout (Coconut. Coffee, Cinnamon, Almonds, Cocoa Nibs, Habanero Peppers. Barrel Aged. Maple Syrup Barrel Aged.)
Availability: 22oz Bottles
Debut: TBA

10.5% ABV

by Reid Ramsay