Topic Archives: Whiskey
One of the most labor intensive beers out there has to be Rogue Rolling Thunder
Rogue Rolling Thunder, is a barrel aged imperial stout. Think that’s not very unique in the beer industry these days? When it comes to this beer, think again.
For the barrel-aged beers you’ve had in the past, the process looks like this – buy wet bourbon whiskey barrels, brew a big imperial stout. Place in barrels. Wait. Bottle.
For Rogue to do the same thing… they just wouldn’t be Rogue. This is the “Rogue” way to release a barrel-aged imperial stout. Grow your own hops and malts in nearby Independence and Hood River, Oregon. Mash in on a new brew at your brewhouse in Newport, Oregon. Take some of that beer mash and distill in into white whiskey. Cooper your own barrels. Char those barrels. Age your whiskey those barrels. Take the whiskey out, and put your homegrown, imperial stout in those barrels. Age, and bottle.
Absolute insanity. Also, a way to take “craft” to the next level.
Rogue Rolling Thunder Imperial Stout is a culmination of their own farmers, brewers, coopers, distillers, and by-hand swing top packaging team. Brewed with eight different grains, Rogue Liberty and Freedom hops, plus brown sugar, dark cherries, vanilla and chocolate. Then aged for six months in Dead Guy Whiskey barrels.
Rolling Thunder is on shelves now, but limited. A big, luscious beer with dessert-like qualities, full of chocolate, vanilla and of course, whiskey flavors. Rogue wasn’t stingy on the size either. Drink this beer with friends. Keep in mind the homegrown ingredients and talents spanning hundreds of miles across Oregon it took to make this beer.
Rogue Rolling Thunder is available in 1 liter swing top bottles, in limited quantities starting July 15th. and if you are lucky, still waiting for you on a shelf near you.
Style: Imperial Stout (w/ Brown Sugar, Dark Cherries, Vanilla Beans, Chocolate. Barrel Aged. Whiskey.)
Availability: 1 Liter Swing-Top Bottles
Debut: 7/15/16
11.8% ABV
Goose Island Bourbon County Maple Rye Stout has been left to age
Goose Island Bourbon County Maple Rye Stout will not be a part of the brewery’s Bourbon County Series this year. The brewery will be leaving it to age in barrels longer.
The Bourbon County Series returns on Black Friday each year. In recent years the lineup has expanded with a few new variants. Among those Proprietor’s edition aged in maple syrup bourbon barrels, to be released solely in Chicago. The 2016 lineup will include Bourbon County Stout, Bourbon County Barleywine, and Bourbon County Coffee Stout.
After a few barrel pulls, the brewing team has determined Goose Island Bourbon County Maple Rye Stout won’t be ready for the light of day in 2016. The beer needs more time before considering whether to release it.
This edition features the base imperial stout, aged in both bourbon and rye whiskey barrels with maple syrup, cacao nibs, and chipotle peppers. When and if it will ever be released remains to be seen.
Style: Imperial Stout (w/ Maple Syrup, Cacao Nibs, Chipotle Chili Peppers. Barrel Aged. Rye Whiskey.)
Availability:
Debut: No Date Set
13% ABV
Ed note: Corrected the barrels used in Proprietor’s 2016 to reflect bourbon.
Heavy Seas 21 Anniversary Ale is slated for December
Heavy Seas 21 Anniversary Ale will be a new entry in the brewery’s Uncharted Waters Series, marking over two decades of craft brewing.
To celebrate the Baltimore, Maryland based brewery’s 21st birthday, Heavy Seas 21 Anniversary Ale will be released. The base beer is an imperial Extra Special Bitter (ESB), brewed with rye malt and local Domino brown sugar, and aged in Sagamore Rye Whiskey barrels.
RELATED: Heavy Seas Great’er Pumpkin
To celebrate our 21st Anniversary, we have created a Rye Imperial ESB brewed with imported UK malt, local Domino brown sugar, a powerful English Ale Yeast, and a blend of herbaceous British hops (to the tune of 65 IBUs). 21 was aged for sixty days in locally sourced, single use Sagamore Rye Whiskey barrels.
21 years is a strong milestone for Heavy Seas. In order to get to where the brewery stands today, founder Hugh Sisson got heavily involved in politics and changed some of Maryland’s restrictive laws. Every beer you drink from Heavy Seas is a testament to Sisson’s desire to bring great beer to Maryland.
Heavy Seas 21 Anniversary Ale will be a 22 ounce bottle and draft release.
Style: ESB (w/ Brown Sugar. Barrel Aged. Rye Whiskey.)
Hops: Chinook, UK Kent Goldings, UK Fuggle
Malts: Marris Otter Malt, Crystal Malt, Caramalt, CaraRye Malt
Availability: 22oz Bottles, Draft.
Debut: December, 2016
10.5% ABV
Orpheus Coffee Minotaur, aged in whiskey debuts
Orpheus Coffee Minotaur releases on August 3rd. A new sour ale by the Atlanta based brewery.
Since day one, Orpheus has been expanding their barrel program. Finally, there is enough barrel room to release Orpheus Coffee Minotaur, an whiskey oak-aged sour ale.
Brewery founder Jason Pellet tells Beer Street Journal that the base beer is sort of a sour amber, brewed with Golden Promise malt and Munich malt. The coffee is from Java Lords, found on Euclid Avenue in Atlanta. In total, the beer spent a total of 5 months in Heaven Hill & Jack Daniels Single barrels.
The story of Orpheus is a story of rebirth, first in his journey into and out of Hades, and finally in the transmigration of his soul into the body of a swan. We pay tribute to this rebirth with ever beer we put into barrels, to be transformed by its time in the wood as something new. Orpheus Coffee Minotaur
Orpheus Coffee Minotaur is a 22 ounce bottle release, available as a souvenir on the tour on August 3rd.
Style: American Wild/Sour Ale (w/ Coffee. Barrel Aged. Whiskey)
Availability: 22oz Bottles, Draft. Limited Release.
Debut: August, 2016
8% ABV
Dry Dock Cascara Imperial Stout launches January 7th
Dry Dock Cascara Imperial Stout releases on January 7, 2016. This release is technically the last offering in there brewery’s 2015 Signature Series lineup.
Dry Dock Cascara Imperial Stout features the dried fruit of coffee berries known as cascara, to the strong stout. The brewery notes the addition adds flavors of leather, dark cherry and tobacco. Additionally, better orange peel is added during the brewing process.
“The notes of the Cascara blend well with the chocolate, vanilla, and marshmallow notes in the Imperial Stout,” says North Dock Head Brewer Alan Simons, who created this Signature Series beer. “In the tradition of a well-balanced cocktail, such as an Old Fashioned, we added some bitter orange peel to brighten the beer a touch. We used more than one pound per barrel of Cascara and a half pound per barrel of bitter orange peel.”
Dry Dock Cascara Imperial Stout will be available in 22 ounce bottles, and draft this month.
Style: Imperial Stout (w/ Bitter Orange Peel, Cascara. Barrel Aged. Whiskey.)
Availability: 22oz Bottles, Draft. Limited.
Release: 1/7/16
10.1% ABV
Two Road’s Igor’s Dream, brewery only release
Two Road’s Igor’s Dream will be available at the brewery on January 30th. The beer was first brewed in 2012.
Two Road’s Igor’s Dream is a Russian imperial stout, crafted to honor aviation legend Igor Sikorsky. (The Sikorsky Aircraft Company is still making helicopters in the brewery’s hometown of Stratford, Connecticut.) This “Dream” is aged in rye whiskey barrels.
2016 marks the 4th release of Two Road’s Igor’s Dream. 900 bottles of the stout will be sold for $20 dollars each.
Additionally, Igor’s Dream aged in a Maple Whiskey barrel from Saxton River Distillery in Vermont and Igor’s Dream aged in a Scotch barrel will be available. $25 dollars each, 250 bottles.
Style: Imperial Stout (Barrel Aged. Rye Whiskey)
Availability: 750ml Bottles, Corked & Caged. 900 Available
Release: 1/30/16
10.9% ABV
Deschutes Barrel Aged The Abyss, a release potential
Deschutes Barrel Aged The Abyss is looking like a very serious threat to your wallet and liver.
The annual release of Deschutes The Abyss is a well attended and popular one. Actually, if you want some strong beer nerd street cred, you show up rocking an Abyss. Now it looks like just having one of those bottles won’t be enough to gain that awesome rep you’ve built up.
Deschutes Barrel Aged The Abyss (note: assuming this is the final nomenclature) features the unique imperial stout, brewed with licorice, black strap molasses, and vanilla. Instead of partial barrel aging, this one seems to be 100% barrel aged in rye, of course.
Imperial stout brewed with black strap molasses, licorice, cherry bark with vanilla added. Aged 12 months in rye whiskey barrels.
Deschutes Barrel Aged The Abyss carries the subtitle of “Remarkably limited release”. So there maybe be just 5 bottles. Or 500. Soon, we will find out. Radar this, and geek out at the thought in the meantime.
Obviously, the brewery has not yet announced this offering.
Style: Imperial Stout (w/ Molasses, Vanilla, Licorice, Cherry Bark. Barrel Aged. Rye Whiskey. )
Availability: 22oz Bottles. Limited Release.
Arrival: TBA
11% ABV
