Barrel Aged

Posted in The Bruery, Beer News, Don't Miss This

“Toasted” makes a big difference in The Bruery Mash & Coconut

The Bruery Mash & Coconut was once only available to those individuals in the brewery's "Reserve Society" and those lucky friends they shared it with. This latest batch of the coconut heavy barleywine now available to the public. Because good beer is meant to be shared.

In the process of upscaling this recipe, the brewing team was blown away at how much more coconut flavor and depth came from toasted coconut instead of flaked coconut. The next step? Renting commercial ovens to toast 1000s of pounds of the tasty, tropical flakes.

All in all, 400 pounds of in-house roasted coconut went into each batch of Mash & Coconut. Beer Street Journal was on site in Placentia, California when the barrels were emptied in July. You'll see bits of the barrel char and even some coconut chunks on the floor of the brewery in the images below. The smell of coconut and oaky bourbon was delightfully inescapable. Every breath made your mouth water. Back in the taproom, our clothes still had faint hints coconutty oak on them.

The Bruery Mash & Coconut is a limited release, in 750-milliliter bottles.

Style:Barleywine (w/ Coconut. Barrel Aged. Bourbon.)
Availability: 750ml Bottles
Latest Release: August 2017

13.1% ABV

Image: Beer Street Journal

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Upslope Brewing Company, Coming Soon

Upslope Tequila Barrel Aged Quadrupel releases July 27th

Upslope Tequila Barrel Aged Quad joins the Boulder, Colorado based brewery’s Lee Hill Series on July 27th.

This 13th volume of Lee Hill is a Belgian-style quadrupel that spent six months in Dulce Vida Tequila barrels.

Layered notes of caramelized banana, mulled clove and floral tequila give way to a spicy oak character and a warming finish to round out this classic Belgian Style Quadrupel.

The series is named for the original North Boulder brewery.

Upslope Tequila Barrel Aged Quad is available at the brewery in 19.2-ounce cans, $10 dollars each.

Style: Quadrupel (Barrel Aged. Tequila.)
Availabilty: 19.2oz Cans
Debut: 7/27/17

11.2% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Coming Soon, Orpheus Brewing

Orpheus The 12th Labor, big on barrels returns in August

Orpheus The 12th Labor initially joined the Atlanta, Georgia brewery’s bottle lineup in the fall of 2015. It followed the brewery’s first first bottle, Wandering Blues (blueberry sour) that same month.

Orpheus The 12th Labor is an imperial stout fermented with Abbey yeast, aged in Woodford Reserve, and Woodford Double Oak Bourbon barrels. (As long as the same barrels were used for this upcoming release.

This is a big, big stout. The charred molasses, dark chocolate and smoke, plus a big, in-your-face bourbon barrel flavor. This imperial stout pours like motor oil and just begs for vanilla ice cream or creme brûlée as a side pairing. Hell, we love it with steak. Does drinking this in the heat not tempt you? Save it for the first chill of fall.

The 12th Labor is an overpowering 13% Imperial Stout with intensely layered flavors of dark chocolate, coffee, smoke, and dark fruit. You’ll be lulled to dreams of a distant past you can’t quite remember in a world teeming with noise and flesh. With each sip, The 12th Labor is a struggle at the edge of darkness.

Orpheus The 12th Labor will be available in 22 ounce bottles at the brewery on August 17th, 2017.

Style: Imperial Stout (w/ Candi Sugar. Barrel Aged. Bourbon.)
Hops: Apollo
Malts: Two Row, Munich, Chocolate, Beechwood Smoked Malt, Special B, Roasted Barley, Black Patent

Latest Return: 8/17/17

13.5% ABV

Image: Beer Street Journal

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Avery Brewing, New Releases

Avery Nuttiest Professor is a boozy peanut butter cup

The 45th entry into the Avery’s Barrel-Aged Series isn’t a sour this round, but a huge imperial peanut butter stout.

Avery has actually been working on a peanut butter beer stout for years, but struggled with the peanut flavor. When you add peanuts to beer, the oil kills the bubbles. (Plus peanuts can get a little oily.) In the past, the beers fell a little short on flavor, so they’ve never gone public. That was until Travis Rupp. Avery’s Research and Development Manager joined the process.

Rupp is a professor at the University of Colorado and graces the bottle’s label. He found the same setback while brewing with peanuts as a homebrewer. In order to get it right, Rupp used refined peanut flour for a burst of nutty flavor, then aged in bourbon barrels.

Flavor. 

It’s hard to. ignore the 15.2% on the label, or the peanut butter mention. Rupp and his team have really pulled off a great peanut butter based beer. The imperial stout is creamy smooth with hints of chocolate. The peanut flavor really starts to pop as the beer warms. In the end, this is like a boozy Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup.

Avery Nuttiest Professor is available in limited quantities nationally in 12 ounce bottles.

Style: Imperial Stout (w/ Peanuts. Barrel Aged. Bourbon.)
Availability: 12oz Bottles
Debut: Late June, 2017

15.2% ABV

PIC: Beer Street Journal

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Three Taverns Brewery, Coming Soon

A year in the making. Three Taverns Brettannicus debuts July 15th

Three Taverns Brettannicus debuts Saturday, July 15th.

Following in the footsteps of Fortunatus is Three Taverns Brettannicus, a 100% Brettanomyces fermented farmhouse ale. The brewery used their saison malt base of pilsner, spelt, and wheat, then fermented in stainless steel tanks with Brett.

After primary fermentation, the beer was transferred to red wine barrels to mature. It has been bottle conditioning since late 2016. All in all, Brettannicus has been a year in the making.

…This newest release from our Funk Yard makes no apologies for in your face funk.

Three Taverns Brettannicus will be available in 375 milliliter, corked & caged bottles at the Decatur, Georgia brewery on Saturday. $12 dollars each.

Style: American Wild Ale (Red Wine Aged)
Availability: 375ml Bottles, Corked & Caged.
Debut: 7/15/17

?? ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Stone Brewing Co., Don't Miss This, New Releases

Stone Farking Wheaton w00t Stout 2017 hits shelves

Stone Farking Wheaton w00tstout 2017 has returned to shelves this month. This year marks the fifth release of this geek collaborative.

In 2013, Greg Koch of Stone Brewing teamed up with Will Wheaton (aka Wesley Crusher from Star Trek: Next Gen) and Fark.com founder Drew Curtis. The collective created Stone Farking Wheaton w00tstout, an imperial stout with pecans and rye malt that was partially barrel aged.

2014 brought w00tstout 2.0, and a new actress into the collaboration, Aisha Tyler.

The imperial stout finish is softened by the wheat presence, and nuanced by pecan and bourbon soaked oak. A fun break from the lighter beers of summer. Yes, you could cellar it, but keep in mind, it’s quite good fresh.

This barrel-aged palate-saver has been a favorite among our fans—and us—since its inception in 2013. Pecans, wheat, flaked rye and bourbon-soaked wood provide this whopping, complex superhero version of an imperial stout with a profound complexity that makes it ideal for cellaring—if you can wait that long. Now, we can’t say this beer bestows superpowers, exactly, but your taste buds may just be fooled into believing as much.

Stone Farking Wheaton w00tstout 2017 is a 22oz bottle and draft offering.

Style: Imperial Stout (w/ Pecans, Rye, Barrel Aged. Bourbon)
Hops: Target
Availability: 22oz bombers, Draft
Distribution: AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MT, NC, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OR, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, VT, WA and Puerto Rico

Arrival: July, 2017

13% ABV, 65 IBUs

Stone Farking Wheaton w00tstout 2016 Trooper

PIC: Beer Street Journal

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Ommegang, Headlines

Celebrating two decades with bourbon: Ommegang 20th Anniversary

Soon to be marking 20 years of dedicated craft brewing will be a celebratory release, Ommegang 20th Anniversary.

Brewery Ommegang was founded in 1997 in Cooperstown, New York (home of the the Baseball Hall of Fame). The Belgian inspired brewery sits on 136 acres that was once a hop farm. Apparently in the 1800’s, Cooperstown was the hub for hop production in the U.S. In two decades, Ommegang has gone from humble beginnings, to national status and a name synonymous with quality.

Ommegang 20th Anniversary is slated to be a Belgian-style strong dark ale, aged in bourbon barrels.

Aging in bourbon barrels has created a deep mahogany hue, with aromas of oak, bourbon, caramel, toffee, molasses, and chocolate. Mouthfeel is smooth and Lucious with a bit of weight. The drying finish helps balance the sweetness.

Ommegang 20th Anniversary will be available in 750 milliliter bottles and draft. The brewery has not yet announced this release.

Style: Belgian-style Strong Dark Ale (Barrel-Aged. Bourbon)
Availability: 750ml Bottles, Draft.
Debut: TBA

?? ABV

by Reid Ramsay