Topic Archives: Rum Aged

Posted in Hi Wire Brewing, Don't Miss This

Three different barrels & a little crazy: Hi-Wire Sour Pumpkin Ale

Hi-Wire Sour Pumpkin Ale

Hi-Wire Sour Pumpkin Ale is all over the flavor map. That’s a good thing. There’s a lot going on in this beer.

As fall creeps in, Asheville, North Carolina based Hi-Wire Brewing has released Sour Pumpkin Ale. Put the pumpkin spiced latte down because things are about to get a little weird.

After spending time wandering around local Rayburn Farm, Hi-Wire was struck with the idea of sourcing a beer from a single farm source. Sure, this is a pumpkin ale so you’re probably thinking something with pumpkins, cinnamon, and cloves. Make it taste like pie and ship it, right? Wrong.

Let’s talk pre-barrel. The base beer spent time in stainless steel tanks, with roasted delicata pumpkins, cinnamon basil, and blue ginger. Blue ginger is a Hawaiian variety known for its superior flavor. Cinnamon basil is also called Mexican spice basil. Methyl cinnamate found in the cultivar gives off flavors of the cinnamon spice when the leaves are crushed.

If this beer is already sounding unique, Hi-Wire isn’t done yet. After three months in stainless steel, the beer was split into rum, whiskey, and red wine barrels for six months, then blended back again. There’s nothing “basic” about this creation.

At this point, it is downright impossible to use something as simple as “pie” to describe Hi-Wire Sour Pumpkin Ale. It just doesn’t fit. Sour Pumpkin is aggressively sour as you dive in, melding into a light wash of ginger and cinnamon. As the beer warms, the blend of barrels are fighting for palate domination. Honestly, we think the rum won. This is no simple wild ale, with typical flavors. Everything about this beer is unpredictable in the best of ways. Speaking in the spirit of Hi-Wire’s hometown of Asheville, “Keep Fall Weird.”

Hi-Wire Sour Pumpkin Ale is a limited,  375-milliliter bottle release. Not for the faint of heart (or palate).

Style: American Wild/Sour Alehttps://beerstreetjournal.com/tag/american-wild-ales/ (w/ Pumpkin. Blue Ginger. Cinnamon Basil. Barrel Aged. Whiskey. Red Wine. Rum.)
Availability: 375ml Bottles
Debut: 9/2/17

8.6% ABV

PIC: Beer Street Journal

Posted in Hi Wire Brewing, Coming Soon

Hi-Wire Blackberry Sour releases April 1st

Hi-Wire Blackberry Sour

Hi-Wire Blackberry Sour joins the Asheville, North Carolina based brewery’s sour & wild lineup on April 1st.

18 months of fermentation were required to make Hi-wire Blackberry Sour, a blend of stainless steel, rye whiskey, red wine and North Carolina rum barrel ales.

Think blackberry jam, brett, and oak in this balanced and drinkable ale.

Hi-Wire Blackberry Sour can be purchased in 750ml bottles on Saturday, April 1st at the brewery’s South Slope location.

Style: American Wild/Sour Ale (w/ Blackberries. Barrel Aged. Rum. Rye Whiskey, Red Wine.)
Availability: 750ml Bottles
Debut: 4/1/17

8.2% ABV

Image: Hi-Wire Brewing

Posted in Lost Abbey, Seasonal Return

Lost Abbey Santo Ron Diego is back in rum filled action

Lost Abbey Santo Ron Diego 2016

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 NibsBarrel Aged. Rum.)
Availability: Draft Only (2016 Release)
Latest Return: December, 2016

12.5% ABV

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 bottle

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

Posted in Headlines

Oskar Blues Rum Barrel-Aged Death By Coconut debuts in December

Oskar Blues Rum Barrel-Aged Death By Coconut

Oskar Blues Rum Barrel-Aged Death By Coconut is coming this December to the brewery’s’ taprooms. Brace yourselves.

The brewery recently upped their barrel-aging game with a national release of Barrel-Aged Ten Fidy. That beer is causing fan breakouts all over the nation right now.

Oskar Blues taprooms are seeing more barrel-aging variants available to those that can make trip, including recently released Java Fidy, (bourbon aged Ten Fidy with Hotbox Coffee). This December, Oskar Blues Rum Barrel-Aged Death By Coconut will find its way into cans.

The base beer, an Irish Porter brewed with coconut and Cholaca, a cacao derivative, is already a bit tropical. All it needed was rum.

“To sum it up we wanted a beer that sends your palate on vacation.” – Oskar Blues Cellar Manager Dennis McShea

Oskar Blues Rum Barrel-Aged Death By Coconut won’t be an easy get. The 19.2 ounce cans will be available at the brewery’s taprooms in Longmont, Colorado and Brevard, North Carolina on December 17th, 2016.

Style: Porter (w/ CoconutDark Chocolate. Barrel Aged. Rum.)
Availability: 19.2oz Cans. Taproom only
Debut: 12/17/16

?? ABV

 

Posted in Headlines

December: Oskar Blues Rum Barrel Ten Fidy

Oskar Blues Rum Barrel Ten Fidy

Oskar Blues Rum Barrel Ten Fidy is on the horizon – another in the family “Fidy Family” of imperial stouts.

The base beer, Oskar Blues Ten Fidy, is one of the most well-known imperial stouts in the beer business. The barrel-aged edition of Ten Fidy is highly, highly sought after. As you read this, a coffee laden, Barrel-Aged Ten Fidy is hitting the Colorado and North Carolina tap rooms.

Now, Oskar Blues Rum Barrel Aged Ten Fidy lies on the horizon. No need to talk this one to death. This is all the things you love about Ten Fidy, plus rum. Drool worthy for sure.

19.2 ounce cans for this lovely as well. The brewery has not yet announced this beer.

Style: Imperial Stout (Barrel Aged. Rum.)
Availability: 19.2oz Cans
Debut 12/16/16

 

Posted in Coming Soon, Wicked Weed Brewing Co

Wicked Weed Dark Arts 2016: Rum aged

Wicked Weed Dark Arts 2015

Wicked Weed Dark Arts, an American wild, barrel aged, imperial stout, returns again in October. This monstrous beer is an annual release, and 2016 marks just the third appearance.

Wicked Weed Dark Arts is brewed right up to the North Carolina alcohol cap of 15%. The 2014 edition was aged in bourbon, 2015 in tequila, and 2016 is aged in rum barrels. 

A barrel-aged imperial stout of such a high alcohol content can be cloyingly sweet. Head of brewing operations, Walt Dickinson, uses Brettanomyces yeast to cut down on the sweetness and dry out the beer. Wicked Weed Dark Arts is typically brewed in late summer/fall, and racked to barrels for nearly a year.

When you think about really good spirits, they are innately dry (not sweet) and without residual sugar,” adds Walt, Head of Brewing Operations. “Barrel aged stouts can be cloyingly sweet, but because we use brett, Dark Arts is a dry beer. Any residual sugar not usually consumed by traditional brewers yeast will be consumed by the brett and you won’t have to fight through too much sweetness.”

Wicked Weed Dark Arts Wild Imperial Stout will be available in 16.9 ounce bottles starting October 21st. A coffee variant, Dark Arts Espresso, will be available as well on the same day.

Style: American Wild Ale  (Barrel aged. Rum.)
Availability: 16.9oz Bottles, Draft.
Arrival: 10/21/16

15% ABV