Oak Aged

COMING SOON: Great Divide Rumble

Today I received and email inviting me to a release party at the tap room at Great Divide Brewing in Denver, Colorado.  Obviously I can’ t just hop on a plane and go even though I’d like to.  On August 6th, Great Continue Reading →

NEW RELEASE: Great Divide 16th Anniversary

This beer might seem familiar.  Great Divide’s 15th Anniversary was essentially the same brew.   16th Anniversary is a double IPA aged on oak chips.  Looking for a good oaked double IPA, look no further.

Great Divide celebrates 16 years of craft Continue Reading →

Great Divide Oak Chocolate Yeti Returns!

Chocolate Yeti! Chocolate Yeti! Chocolate Yeti!  With much excitement, Great Divide Chocolate Oak Aged Yeti has returned!  It’s been too long since this Yeti has visited.

Chocolate Oak Aged Yeti is an imperial stout.  Great Divide scaled back the hops in Continue Reading →

COMING SOON: Rogue John John Juniper

Coming soon from Rogue Brewing ( Portland, OR) is the second installment of the John John series.  As you recall, this series features hand selected Rogue beers aged in Rogue whiskey barrels on site at their distillery.  (John John draws Continue Reading →

Dogfish Immort Ale Returns

Immort Ale is a part of Dogfish Head’s occasional rarities collection. (Milton, DE)  Immort Ale is an American Strong Ale.

Immort was first brewed at the Dogfish Brewpub in 1995, first bottled in 1997.  If you recall Dogfish/Sierra Nevada’s collaboration ale contained Continue Reading →

Now Tapping: Brooklyn Dark Matter

Brewmaster Garrett Olliver is a genius when it comes to barrel aging beers.  Ever had a Black Ops?  You won’t forget it if you did.  Extremely good.  Another barrel aged offering by Brooklyn is popping  up on draft in Atlanta Continue Reading →

Dogfish Head – Burton Baton

If you are a fan of oaky IPAs, then this is your beer.  Burton Baton is an occasional brew by Dogfish Head Brewery (Milton, Delaware) first brewed about 7 years ago.  Burton Baton is an English Old Ale blended with Continue Reading →

Posted in Coming Soon, Great Divide

COMING SOON: Great Divide Rumble

Today I received and email inviting me to a release party at the tap room at Great Divide Brewing in Denver, Colorado.  Obviously I can’ t just hop on a plane and go even though I’d like to.  On August 6th, Great Divide is celebrating the release of 2 new beers to their line up.  I’ll posted what each are separately to highlight these new additions.

First up – “Rumble.”   According to the description – Rumble is an oak aged IPA.  Right now, Great Divide’s 16th Anniversary Oak Aged DIPA on on the shelves.  I don’t think this is a clone of this release.  I got in touch with a Great Divide rep, and the only info he had to offer is that it was going to be different than 16th Ann’y.   So, that’s all I know for now.

From the label –

“Rumble IPA is an American IPA with subtle nuance. Brewed with heavy-handed additions of Pacific Northwest hops, this beer is gently aged on French and American oak resulting in a wonderful balance of bitterness, caramel sweetness, vanilla, and undertones of pine and citrus.”

Availability: The brewery release party is August 6th.  It will also be shipping about that time.  Arriving in Atlanta late August in 12oz/6 pks & Draft.

7.1% ABV

Updates to follow…

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Great Divide, New Releases

NEW RELEASE: Great Divide 16th Anniversary

This beer might seem familiar.  Great Divide’s 15th Anniversary was essentially the same brew.   16th Anniversary is a double IPA aged on oak chips.  Looking for a good oaked double IPA, look no further.

Great Divide celebrates 16 years of craft brewing with this release, and on top of that – just finished huge brewery expansion.  On a $600,000 budget Great Divide expanded its output by50% to 24,000 barrels a year.  New beers will surface soon thanks to this expansion.

From 16th Anniversary Label –

“Based on our most award-winning beer, Denver Pale Ale, this copper-hued treat is a celebration of everything Great Divide does best. Plenty of malty sweetness provides a backdrop for earthy English and American hops, while French and American oak round off the edges and provide a touch of vanilla.”

Availability – 22 oz Bombers.  Draft. One time Anniversary brew.

Taste Expectations – Notes of vanilla/oak.  Caramel malts add a sweet flavor to it.  Floral and citrus hops from English & American hops.  Well balanced DIPA.

10% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Great Divide, Seasonal Return

Great Divide Oak Chocolate Yeti Returns!

Chocolate Yeti! Chocolate Yeti! Chocolate Yeti!  With much excitement, Great Divide Chocolate Oak Aged Yeti has returned!  It’s been too long since this Yeti has visited.

Chocolate Oak Aged Yeti is an imperial stout.  Great Divide scaled back the hops in order to allow the cocoa nibs to take a lead roll.  This stout is aged in America oak, which adds vanilla notes to the brew.  Cocoa and vanilla sound good?  Thought so.  As a finishing touch, the brewers at Great Divide added a bit of cayenne just to keep your tastebuds on their toes.  You’ll find this imperial stout to resemble a chocolate bar, with a touch of complexity.  (The spice is subtle, but over all fun to find.)

Availability -April – May in 22oz bomber bottles – estimated retail $10.  Also draft offerings, but a bit hard to come by.

9.5% ABV

Cellarability – Chocolate Yeti drinks very well now, and is fantastic with a years age.

Food Pairings – As recommended by the brewer – Raw oysters, grilled NY strip, chicken mole, Roaring 40’s blue cheese,crème bruleé, chocolate raspberry mousse cake.

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in New Releases, Rogue Brewing

COMING SOON: Rogue John John Juniper

Coming soon from Rogue Brewing ( Portland, OR) is the second installment of the John John series.  As you recall, this series features hand selected Rogue beers aged in Rogue whiskey barrels on site at their distillery.  (John John draws its namesake from brewmaster John Maier and Master Distiller John Couchot.)  In this release, Juniper Pale ale is aged in Spruce Gin vats.  Gin was aged in oak vats, (usually not done with Gin) before Juniper Pale was added.

Ingredients –

Hops – Styrian Golding, Amarillo, Rogue Farm Willamette

Malts – Harrington, Crystal Trumph, C-15 and Rogue Micro Barley Farm Dare

Adjuncts –  Juniper Berries

Aged in Oak.  Oak was previously used to age Gin.

?? ABV

34 IBU (Not bitter)

Availability – 22 oz Bombers, limited draft offerings.  1 time offering. On shelves  – estimated 7 days.

From the label – A pale ale, saffron in color with a smooth malt balance; floral aroma with a dry spicy finish from whole juniper berries.

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Dogfish Head, Seasonal Return

Dogfish Immort Ale Returns

Immort Ale is a part of Dogfish Head’s occasional rarities collection. (Milton, DE)  Immort Ale is an American Strong Ale.

Immort was first brewed at the Dogfish Brewpub in 1995, first bottled in 1997.  If you recall Dogfish/Sierra Nevada’s collaboration ale contained maple syrup from brewer Sam Calgione’s family farm in Massachusetts.  Immort Ale also has this ingredient, along with peat smoked barley, juniper berries, and vanilla beans.  It’s a unique blend of English & Belgian yeasts, aged in oak lined tanks.

Immort shows up each spring, after the maple syrup harvest.  Its a heavy hitter at 11% ABV.  With all these ingredients, you can imagine there is a complex palette associated with this ale.

Ingredients –

Peat smoked barley, Vanilla beans, Maple Syrup, Juniper berries.

Aged on Oak

Yeasts – English, Belgian

Availability – 12oz/ 4pks.  Rare draft offerings.

11% ABV

50 IBUs

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Brooklyn Brewing, Now Tapping, Rare Opportunity

Now Tapping: Brooklyn Dark Matter

Brewmaster Garrett Olliver is a genius when it comes to barrel aging beers.  Ever had a Black Ops?  You won’t forget it if you did.  Extremely good.  Another barrel aged offering by Brooklyn is popping  up on draft in Atlanta – Dark Matter.  Dark Matter is the follows Cookie Jar Porter as a part of the Brewmaster’s Reserve Series.

Dark Matter is a barrel aged American Brown Ale.  It is prudent to mention Black Ops, because Dark Matter and Black Ops have some relation.  As Garrett Oliver describes –

“In the beginning, there was Black Ops. Or perhaps not. Beer does have its mysteries. Anyhow, they say that back in 2007, a small amount of Dark Matter was created alongside Black Ops, but very few people had an opportunity to taste it. The Brooklyn Brewing Team decided that this shortage was unfortunate — plenty of Dark Matter for themselves, but not enough to share with all their friends. So last autumn they decided to recreate Dark Matter and open up the Brooklyn Barrel Room to a wider world. Brooklyn Dark Matter is a robust brown ale aged for four months in bourbon and rye whiskey barrels. Some barrels previously held Black Ops, some hosted The Manhattan Project, others came straight from the distilleries as soon as the whiskey was decanted. We’ve blended these barrels to create a beer full of caramel and chocolate flavors heightened by vanilla-like oak notes and hints of the barrels’ previous tenants. The result is a smooth, rich beer that really loves food, from fried or roasted chicken to char-grilled steak, barbecue, pork chops and even monkfish. And on some chilly evening in late winter, or perhaps the first warm night of spring, we hope that you may be tempted to believe that Dark Matter really does bind the universe together.”

Tasting – Dark Matter presents with flavors of bourbon & vanilla.  Also oak, toffee and burnt sugars.  Look for some chocolate tones too.  These are just guidelines.  Gives you flavors to look for.  Let your taste buds lose and find discover your beer.

Availability – Rare draft offerings.  Dark Matter is very limited.

Currently tapping – Taco Mac Metropolis.  The Fred has a keg also, tapping date to follow.  More kegs shipped to Atlanta area. Sightings to follow.

7.5% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Dogfish Head, Seasonal Return

Dogfish Head – Burton Baton

If you are a fan of oaky IPAs, then this is your beer.  Burton Baton is an occasional brew by Dogfish Head Brewery (Milton, Delaware) first brewed about 7 years ago.  Burton Baton is an English Old Ale blended with an Imperial IPA (90 min??) then aged in 1 of the 4 massive 10,000 gallon oak tanks on site.

There are more than 1 lb of hops per barrel used in Burton.  This hoppy IPA is full of Pacific Northwest hops adding a lot of citrus to the mix.  These hops are toned down a bit by the oak, adding some nice vanilla and wood tones.

Burton Baton is brewed in limited batches about 3 times a year.

Availability — 12 oz/4 pks

10% ABV

by Reid Ramsay