Topic Archives: Leinenkugel’s Big Eddy Series
Leinenkugel Adding Big Eddy Baltic Porter
As mentioned in June on BeerStreetJournal, Leinenkugel’s is currently in the process of brewing the following up to Big Eddy Imperial IPA– Baltic Porter. The brewers in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin have been working on test batches of this new beer. It looks like the final version will be brewed with licorice root. Expect Baltic Porter this fall.
A rich, malty brew with toffee, port, and chocolate notes and a dark fruit finish.
Style: Baltic Porter (w/ Licorice Root) Availability: 12oz bottles, Draft
Arrival: Fall, 2012
8.5% ABV
Look for Lenie’s latest Shandy creation Lemon Berry Shandy later this summer. Read More: Big Eddy Series
Leinenkugel’s Currently Brewing Baltic Porter
On the heels of the release of Big Eddy Imperial IPA, Leinie’s is working the the 4th release in the series. Baltic Porter is currently being test batches, and soon to be brewed. Tentatively, Baltic Porter will release this fall. The Big Eddy series started with Russian Imperial Stout in 2010, and again in 2011. 2012 as seen Wee Heavy Scotch Ale and Imperial IPA additions. In addition to Imperial IPA, expect Lemon Berry Shandy late summer.
Read More: Big Eddy Series
2 Wee Heavy Releases: Leinenkugel’s & Red Brick
Two scotch ales have arrived at the same time, malt lovers. Red Brick Brewing has just added one to their Brick Mason Series, and Leinenkugel’s to their Big Eddy Series. More on each:
Red Brick Wee Heavy
Style: Scotch Ale
Taste Expectations: Big malt flavor, caramel, brown sugar. Hint of smoke.
Availability: 12 oz bottles, Draft. 1 time brew.
6% ABV
Leinenkugel Big Eddy Wee Heavy Scotch Ale
Style: Scotch Ale
Taste Expectations: Layers of malt complexity. Caramel, toffee, brown sugar. Hint of fruit, & smoke
Availability: 12 oz bottles, Draft. First release.
9.5% ABV
Both breweries serie will see additions this year. Leinie’s is planning an Imperial IPA, and a Baltic Porter. They have also been teasing a barrel aging program. Red Brick has 7 planned Brick Mason releases in 2012.
pic via @AleYeahBeer
Leinenkugel Big Eddy Series To Feature Imperial IPA
Leinenkugel’s Big Eddy series will continue to expand this year with Big Eddy Imperial IPA. This hoppy offering joins Imperial Stout and just released Wee Heavy. According to John Leinenkugel, the brewery hopes to add one more to the Big Eddy series by the end of the 2012 – Baltic Porter.
Five distinctive hops are added at every stage of the brewing process for our take on an Imperial IPA.
Style: Imperial IPA
Availability: 12 oz bottles, Draft
Arrival: TBA
9% ABV
Wee Heavy Is The Next Big Eddy
Leinenkugel’s Wee Heavy Scotch Ale will be the next release in the Big Eddy Series. The series started years ago with a draft only imperial IPA. Then last year, Big Eddy Russian Imperial Stout arrived. In 2012, the brewery will expand the line to include Wee Heavy Scotch Ale, A Baltic Porter, and another new style they are still deciding on. There is also some barrel aged Big Eddy experiments. (And they are some damn tasty experiments.) Per John Leinenkugel:
1st Official Brew Date for “BIG EDDY Wee Heavy Scotch Ale” will be next Tuesday, December 20th at the Leinie’s 10th Street Brewery in Milwaukee. We are hoping for successful brews with a release of it sometime in February after Valentine’s/President’s Day. Then on to the Imperial IPA which was last brewed back in 2007 (draft only for Milwaukee & Madison, WI) rounding out next year (2012) with a few brews of a Baltic Porter next fall after Labor Day.
Style: Scotch Ale
Availability: 12oz bottles, Draft
Arrival: February, 2012
9.5% ABV
Leinenkugel Building A Barrel Aging Program
Leinenkugel is experimenting with a barrel aging program. The first experiments have been with Big Eddy Imperial Stout. Eddy has spent time in bourbon and rye bourbon barrels. Here’s the kicker, these releases don’t really exist. Well, they do – but they don’t. These little 7 oz bottles are just testers. The brewers at Lenie’s took the first release of Big Eddy (2010) and aged it in (2) Heaven Hill for a full year. The flavor of this beer is incredible. (More on that in a minute.)
Also on the way are 2 NEW beers from Leinie’s:
Wee Heavy Scotch Ale. New style for Lenies. 2012 will see the release to 30 key accounts. There will also be a barrel side project for Wee Heavy. More rye bourbon & bourbon.
IPA. The brewery has been itching to release a hoppy offering. April 2012 will see this release.
There are other styles in development, and Leinenkugel’s expands their lineup.
So where does this leave the barrel aging? First public release is about 2 years away. It will take time for the brewery to build up a barrel inventory to move forward with the program.
How does it taste? Lovers of barrel aged beers should already start drooling over this release. Caramel, Raisins, vanilla, molasses, rye & oak. I found myself trying to get the last drops out of the bottle (I had to share 7ozs!) 2 years is too long to wait for more.
Below are pics of of the barrels at Lenies
Big Eddy and it’s Barrel Aged sibling
Leinenkugel’s Big Eddy
Big Eddy Russian Imperial Stout was first brewed by Lenies in 2007. It’s inspired by the Big Eddy Spring that has been the water source for the brewery since 1867. The beer is reminiscent of the 18th century Russian Imperial Stout style that contained extra malts and hops to act as preservatives during long voyages from England to Russia, where it was served in the royal court. This is the first in a line of Big Eddy releases.
Beer Rundown:
Hops: Glacier, Warrior, Summit, Glacier
Malts: 11 Malts, including Munich, Caramel, Chocolate, & Pale
Taste Expectations: From Lenie’s — Deep mahogany hue and a complex, yet balanced, flavor, offering dark fruit, espresso and mocha character, and finishing with toffee and molasses notes.
Availability: 12oz/4 pks. Draft.
9.5% ABV
