Barrel Aged

Anderson Valley Horse Tongue (a funky sour)

Anderson Valley Horse Tongue is a new sour joining the California brewery’s lineup this month.

In case you somehow missed it, Anderson Valley has been killing it lately with their various iterations of gose in the lineup.

Don’t let the name throw Continue Reading →

Posted in Avery Brewing, Don't Miss This, New Releases

Avery Tangerine Quad joins the Barrels and Botanicals Series

Avery Tangerine Quad is now officially a part of the brewery’s ongoing Botanicals and Barrels Series.

To date, the series features Vanilla Bean Stout and Raspberry Sour. Each release features barrel-aging and fruit or spice. Tangerine Quad combines fresh tangerines and bourbon barrels.

Patiently aged in the finest of Bourbon barrels, this bold Belgian-style Quadrupel layers notes of rich, dark fruit, vanilla, and caramel with a burst  of tangerine peel culminating in the vibrancy of this full-bodied creations.

Avery Tangerine Quad is a draft and 22 ounce bottle release nationally, year-round.

Style: Belgian-style Quadrupel (w/ Tangerine)
Availability: 22oz Bottles, Draft. Year-Round.
Debut: December, 2016

10% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Terrapin Beer Company, Coming Soon, Don't Miss This

Terrapin Rise-n-Shine, second in “Wood” series this month

Terrapin Rise-n-Shine will be the second release in the brewery’s Ales from the Wood Series this month.

This brand new series started with a collaboration with Richland Rum, out of Richland, Georgia. Brewery co-founder and brewmaster “Spike” aged their imperial India pale ale Hopzilla in the distillery’s rum barrels. Next up – Terrapin Rise-n-Shine.

If you haven’t already noticed, the name sounds a bit like another beer, W-n-B (aka Wake n’ Bake) for a good reason. That beer is aged in Tennessee whiskey oak barrels.

Deep inside a Tennessee whiskey barrel our award winning W-n-B Coffee Oatmeal Imperial Stout  has been patiently aging for over one year. Please enjoy “Rise-n-Shine,” the second offering in our “Ales from the Wood” series of beers.

Terrapin Rise-n-Shine has been aging in oak for over a year.  22 ounce bottles and draft debut at a special release on December 11th. Distribution to follow shortly after.r

Style: Imperial Stout (w/ Coffee. Barrel Aged. Whiskey.)
Hops: Nuggest
Malts: 2-Row Pale, Crystal 85, Flaked Barley, Flaked Oats, Chocolate, Black, Roasted Barley

Availability: 22oz Bottles. R
Debut: 12/11/16

?? ABV

Terrapin Rise n Shine Barrels

Stacks of Heaven Hill barrels full of Terrapin Wake-n-Bake. Pic: Beer Street Journal

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Anderson Valley Brewing Company, Don't Miss This, New Releases

Anderson Valley Horse Tongue (a funky sour)

Anderson Valley Horse Tongue is a new sour joining the California brewery’s lineup this month.

In case you somehow missed it, Anderson Valley has been killing it lately with their various iterations of gose in the lineup.

Don’t let the name throw you off. No horse got its tongue in this beer. A barrel of experimental wheat beer went funky, in the most delicious way. So the brewers captured the blend of Pediococcus Damnosus, Lactobacillus,  and Brettanomyces and started the process over intentionally this time.

The base beer is a wheat ale fermented with a Belgian yeast, the the harvest “funk” culture. After six months in stainless steel tanks, the beer was transferred to wine barrels to aged a bit more. The result is a session beer full of sour and funk.

The barn hand opened the door and panicked. One of our shire horses had reached over the stall, pulled a bung from its barrel, and was licking the beer inside. Fearing he’d be blamed, he replaced the bung and told no one. Months later, our brewers found their experimental wheat ale had turned sour and little funky, but it was delicious! Eventually, the barn hand confessed his secret but we all had a good laugh… And thus, the legend of our Horse Tongue was born.

Anderson Valley Horse Tongue is a 22 ounce bottle and draft release.

Style: American Wild Ale (Wine Barrel Aged)
Availability: 22oz Bottles, Draft. Dec-Jan.
Debut: December, 2016

5.4% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Lost Abbey, Seasonal Return

Lost Abbey Santo Ron Diego is back in rum filled action

Lost Abbey Santo Ron Diego is returning to the brewery’s lineup once again in December, with a few changes in tow.

The beer was a big hit when it was released in 2015, and Tomme Arthur and brewery crew knew it had to be brewed again. Lost Abbey Santo Ron Diego (2016) features a new twist – cherries, vanilla beans, and cacao nibs. It spent a full 14 months in rum barrels.

“We were really happy with last year’s version but we wanted to add a bit more complexity to help bring the rum notes out with this year’s batch.” – Tomme Arthur, co-founder, The Lost Abbey

In order to have more of Santo to go around, the Lost Abbey is making this release draft only. The big 13.5% rum barreled monster hits distribution in December. Happy hunting.

Style: American Strong Ale (w/ Vanilla Beans, Cherries, Cacao Nibs. Barrel Aged. Rum.)
Availability: Draft Only (2016 Release)
Latest Return: December, 2016

12.5% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in New Holland Brewing, Headlines, New Releases

You want this. New Holland Dragon’s Milk Reserve Coconut Rum Barrel

New Holland Dragon’s Milk Reserve Coconut Rum Barrel is the newest variant on the brewery’s popular Dragon’s Milk Imperial Stout.

Backstory for those that aren’t familiar – New Holland has created an interesting in-house cycle for for this year-round barrel-aged stout. New Holland also creates their own whiskey in house. The whiskey leaves the barrel, Dragon’s Milk goes in, ages, and is blended. In some instances, bourbon is aged in the barrels that had the imperial stout, creating New Holland Beer Barrel Bourbon.

Throw some of that idea out. New Holland Dragon’s Milk Reserve Coconut Rum Barrel is coming in October.

This edition finds the imperial stout aged in rum barrels, with coconut. Think of it like the “Dragon” took a tropical vacation.

Taste. 

There is no other way to put this. Holy sh!t this beer is good. Coconut, rum and chocolate are the key players here. But really though, it’s all about the coconut. There are so many “whales” running around out there that have coconut that beer nerds will fight over. This coconut rum spin on Dragon’s Milk is hitting your shelves now. Don’t pass it up because it’s not rare enough. We’re talking rum barrel aged coconut imperial stout here. Drink this beer. You’ll be glad you did.

New Holland Dragon’s Milk Reserve Coconut Rum Barrel is hitting shelves now, in 12 ounce bottles and draft.

Style: Imperial Stout (w/ Coconut. Barrel Aged. Rum.)
Availability: 12oz Bottles, Draft.
Debut: November, 2016

11% ABV

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

Bourbon & blueberry dessert: Founders Lizard of Koz

Founders Lizard of Koz. Read the name, it’s a about to get decadent from here.

Joining the Backstage Series in December, “Lizard” looks to send out 2016 with a bang. The base beer for Founders Lizard of Koz is an imperial stout, brewed with blueberries, chocolate and vanilla. The finishing touch is the bourbon barrel aging.

The name celebrates the birthday of Founders brewmaster Jeremy Kosmicki’s little sister Liz. Blueberries, chocolate and vanilla are among her favorite ingredients.

RELATED: Founders Azacca slated for cans

What you’ll taste.

If ever there was a dessert beer, you’ve found it Lizard of Koz. It’s not easy to push the bourbon barrel-aged flavors of a beer to the backseat in a beer, but the chocolate, vanilla, and blueberries have done it. Those three dominate the flavor up front with a lingering vanilla-bourbon boozy flavor lingering in the finish.

Founders Lizard of Koz is a 750 milliliter bottle offering, across the brewery’s 39 states in limited quantities in November, 2016.

Style: Imperial Stout (w/ Blueberries, Chocolate, Vanilla Beans. Barrel Aged. Bourbon)
Availability: 750ml Bottles, Draft.
Debut: November,  2016

10.5% ABV

PIC: Beer Street Journal

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Headlines

Black Friday means Goose Island Bourbon County 2016

It’s officially Black Friday. That means Goose Island Bourbon County 2016 (and its variants) are hitting shelves. The release has become a bit of a Black Friday drunken tradition.

Honestly, Bourbon County has a bit of a storied history. For years now, it has been one of the most sought after barrel aged imperial stouts in America. Then one day over five years ago now, the beer drinking public woke up to the news of Anheuser-Busch purchasing the brewery.

Honestly, we can recall videos of Goose Island fans pouring Bourbon County Brand Stout down the drain after the news. Still weird even today, considering all those drainpours were BCBS that were brewed pre-buyout, and have a suggested cellar life of up to 5 years. Hey, you deal with your emotions how you want to.

Fast-forward to the Black Friday release the following year. The lines were long. Social media was full of delighted drinkers. See – life DOES go on.

In October, Beer Street Journal got to try this year’s release. Let’s cut to the chase. It’s fantastic. A chewy, chocolatey, bottle of bourbon and molasses that will get you tipsy faster than a Dave Matthews jam solo. A year in bourbon barrels does some magical things to this beer.

Something else I’ve noticed when the above picture was posted to Instagram a few weeks ago. Commenters were trying to convince us this beer is infected. Sorry to break the hearts of those wanting Goose Island to be swallowed into the pits of hell. It’s not. From what we can tell, none of the variants are either. (Yes, four of the six editions had some issues last year.)

For 2016, the brewery has tried out a new “flash” pasteurization process that kills of the microbes (and the yeast) that could hurt your coveted bottle of beer. The term “flash” is key. It’s just heated long enough to kill anything bad, and not damage the flavor.

Here is what we aren’t going to do. We aren’t going to sit here and tell you this beer is terrible when it isn’t. We’ve met some brilliant, hardworking brewers at Goose Island. We report the news, and drink the beers. As many as we can get our hands on. You decide what you like or hate, or will drink or won’t, based on ownership, ideals, brewer’s politics, philosophy, artwork, favorite color, tv show, etc.

There you have it. Today people are shooting one another over parking spaces, toilet paper deals, and tvs. Others got in line early for some bourbon barrel imperial stout. There is a night of drinking ahead of those folks, and hangover tomorrow.

That’s perfect fine with us. Keep drinking.

Style: Imperial Stout (Barrel Aged. Bourbon.)
Availability: 22oz Bottles, Draft. Limited Release.
Debut: 11/25/16

14% ABV

by Reid Ramsay