Barrel Aged

NEW RELEASE: Wild Heaven Winter Ale

Wild Heaven Craft Beers (Decatur, GA) is releasing its first seasonal – “Wild Heaven Winter Ale”.  Winter Ale isn’t 100% new, but it is a “winterized” version of “Ode To Mercy”, one of Wild Heaven’s launch beers.

Wild Heaven brewer Eric Continue Reading →

WANT: The Bruery’s Chocolate Rain

I still can’t believe the success The Bruery (Placienta, CA) has had in 3 years.  With good reason.  The beers are great.  Like this one – Chocolate Rain.

Chocolate Rain has been a draft only, rare offering by The Bruery. Even Continue Reading →

Brooklyn Black Ops 2010 Arrives!

It’s here. One of Brooklyn Brewing’s rarest beers- Black Ops.  Take an imperial stout, age it in bourbon barrels, bottle it flat, then add a champagne yeast for bottle conditioning.  It is a tasty no brainer.

Brooklyn Black Ops does not Continue Reading →

Weyerbacher Blasphemy Returns in 2011

Blasphemy was first brewed in 2007, and made a second appearance in 2008.  Since then, Blasphemy took a bit of time off. (It’s not you, its me. blah blah blah.)  Weyerbacher Brewing (Easton, Pennsylvania) does barrel aging quite well, and Continue Reading →

NEW RELEASE: Shmaltz Vertical Jewbelation

I hope you were lucky enough to get one of Shmaltz Brewing’s Jewbelation Hanukkah gift packs.   The pack contained each one of the Jewbelation beers they have brewed, from Jewbelation 8-14.  (But that’s only 7 nights!) That is true, oh voice Continue Reading →

Posted in New Releases, Wild Heaven Craft Beers

NEW RELEASE: Wild Heaven Winter Ale

Wild Heaven Craft Beers (Decatur, GA) is releasing its first seasonal – “Wild Heaven Winter Ale”.  Winter Ale isn’t 100% new, but it is a “winterized” version of “Ode To Mercy”, one of Wild Heaven’s launch beers.

Wild Heaven brewer Eric Johnson took Ode To Mercy an imperial brown brewed with coffee from 1,000 faces in Athens, Georgia and aged it in bourbon oak instead of French oak.  The result is a coffee infused brown ale, with hints of coffee & vanilla bourbon.  Winter Ale features west coast hops, marris otter malts & Belgian aromatic hops.

Availability: Draft only.  Winter seasonal.

8.5% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in New Releases, North Coast Brewing

North Coast Old Stock Cellar Reserve 2009

I have a soft spot for barrel aged beers.  I was all giggly when I got my hands on North Coast Brewing’s (Fort Bragg, CA) 11th Anniversary release of  Old Rasputin XI.  Old Stock Cellar Reserve is NC’s popular and award winning old ale “Old Stock” that has spent 18 months in bourbon barrels.  Get a glass ready.

In an exercise of humanitarian charity and to demonstrate just how very much we care about our friends, North Coast brewmaster, Mark Ruedrich, has just now released an exceptional batch of 2009 Old Stock Ale that has been aged for 18 months in oak Bourbon barrels.
In this latest example of the cunning of his hand, Brewmaster Ruedrich has set new standards for the brewers’ art. To say that it’s amazing would be an understatement. Look for Old Stock Cellar Reserve in the special decorated bottle, as they say, wherever fine beers are sold. There’s not much, and it will go fast, so be vigilant.

Style: Old Ale (barrel aged)
Taste Expectations: Brown sugar, caramel, vanilla, oak, booze, dark fruits.
Availability: Limited small batch 16.9ml bottles. Corked/Caged.

14% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Beer News, The Bruery

WANT: The Bruery’s Chocolate Rain

I still can’t believe the success The Bruery (Placienta, CA) has had in 3 years.  With good reason.  The beers are great.  Like this one – Chocolate Rain.

Chocolate Rain has been a draft only, rare offering by The Bruery. Even a bit more rare than “Black Tuesday” an imperial stout aged in bourbon barrels.  Why?  Its actually Black Tuesday with vanilla bean, & cocoa nibs.  Just to recap: Imperial Stout aged in bourbon barrels.  Take that tasty treat and add vanilla bean & cocoa nibs.  Excuse me while I go get a bib.

This tasty treat is headed for bottles for the first time.

Style: Imperial Stout (Barrel Aged)

Availability: California Only.

19.5% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Brooklyn Brewing, Seasonal Return

Brooklyn Black Ops 2010 Arrives!

It’s here. One of Brooklyn Brewing’s rarest beers- Black Ops.  Take an imperial stout, age it in bourbon barrels, bottle it flat, then add a champagne yeast for bottle conditioning.  It is a tasty no brainer.

Brooklyn Black Ops does not exist. However, if it did exist, it would be a robust stout concocted by the Brooklyn brewing team under cover of secrecy and hidden from everyone else at the brewery. Supposedly “Black ops” was aged for four months in bourbon barrels, bottled flat, and re-fermented with Champagne yeast, creating big chocolate and coffee flavors with a rich underpinning of vanilla-like oat notes. They say there are only 1,000 cases. We have no idea what they’re talking about.”

Style: Russian Imperial Stout (Barrel aged)

Taste Expectations: Vanilla, chocolate, oak, touch of coffee.  Lets not complicate it.

Availability: 22oz bottles.  Corked, caged.  1000 cases total.

10% ABV

Looking for this? Green’s, Hop City, Tower, Mink’s Package. Porter Beer Bar. More to follow.

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Coming Soon, Weyerbacher

Weyerbacher Blasphemy Returns in 2011

Blasphemy was first brewed in 2007, and made a second appearance in 2008.  Since then, Blasphemy took a bit of time off. (It’s not you, its me. blah blah blah.)  Weyerbacher Brewing (Easton, Pennsylvania) does barrel aging quite well, and you can look forward to this Belgian-style quadrupel aged in bourbon barrels to be released in the spring of 2011.  This time around, look for it in 750ml corked,caged bottles.

Style: Quadrupel. (Barrel Aged)

Tasting Notes (From Weyerbacher) : Gentle vanilla oaky notes which complement rather than supercede the complex qualities that already make QUAD such an incredible beer.

Estimated Arrival: Early 2011

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Hangar 24, New Releases

Hanger 24 Barrel Roll #1: Immelmann Arrives Today

Today, Hanger 24 Brewing’s Barrel Roll #1 – Immelman is released.

About Barrel Roll:

Just as it takes consummate skill to perform the Immelmann maneuver in the air, it takes the choicest ingredients, patience and consummate skill to bring you our IMMELMANN, a Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Porter. This hand crafted beer is brewed with 2-Row, Munich, Cara-Munich, Chocolate and Dark Chocolate Malts, Oats and Cocoa Nibs, along with whole Vanilla Beans. Aged in Bourbon Barrels for six months and blended with twenty percent fresh Porter to produce enticing aromas of chocolate, coffee, tobacco, bourbon and sweet malt along with a complex pallet of dark roast chocolate, oak and maple followed by a subtle vanilla finish. This is an intense, yet refined flavor experience to be savored today or aged to be enjoyed at your leisure.

Additional Information:

IMMELMANN: An ascending half loop followed by a half roll resulting in level flight in the opposite direction at a higher altitude.

Release Date: December 18th, 2010

Total # Bottled: 1,163

Style: Porter (Barrel Aged)
Availability: 750ml bottles, corked, caged.

10.6% ABV 

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in New Releases, Shmaltz Brewing

NEW RELEASE: Shmaltz Vertical Jewbelation

I hope you were lucky enough to get one of Shmaltz Brewing’s Jewbelation Hanukkah gift packs.   The pack contained each one of the Jewbelation beers they have brewed, from Jewbelation 8-14.  (But that’s only 7 nights!) That is true, oh voice in my head.  The 8th night was a special “cuvee” of sorts.  Jeremy Cowan and his brewing team blended 8-14 together, and then aged the blend in Sazerac rye barrels for 6 months.  The result is outstanding.  I mean outstanding.  So good, Shmaltz found it fitting to release this beer in 22 oz bomber too.  Jewbelation 8 was a brewed with 8 hops, 8 malts, 8% ABV.  Each year added a hop, malt, and abv percentage.   Expect a lot of flavor. You’ve been warned.

Style: American Strong Ale (barrel aged)

Taste Expectations: Dark fruits, chocolate, roasted malts, oak, whiskey, and light vanilla.

Availability: 22oz Bombers. Draft. Special release through the rest of 2010.

10.5% ABV

by Reid Ramsay