Tag: Barrel-Aged

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Comfort & Joy Beer # 23 – Holy Nights from Kane Brewing

Kane Brewing has a seasonal stout and this year they have a Bourbon Barrel Aged Holy Nights, a 13.4% “Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout with coconut, coffee, cacao and vanilla, was aged for an average of 20 months in a blend of Heaven Hill Bourbon barrels.

This beer was then conditioned on coconut, dark roast coffee from Rook Coffee, cacao nibs from Haiti and Ghana and vanilla beans from Madagascar, the Congo, Uganda and Papua New Guinea.

Bourbon Barrel Aged Holy Nights pours pitch black with sweet and complex notes of toasted coconut, rich dark chocolate, bold coffee roast, and layers of warm vanilla. The extended time in Heaven Hill barrels adds depth and refinement with bourbon warmth and soft caramel undertones.”

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Not that Abba

Malibu Brewing has a great Christmas gift for beer lovers, A.B.B.A. a 12.9% ABV barrel-aged barleywine.  

Here is he info from the brewery about the making of the beer, “Two years ago, we filled a pair of 53-gallon barrels that once held Baird’s Apple Brandy, and let time do the work. After a long rest, the beer inside had developed incredible character that only time could create.”

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Rare Blends

For the past 10+ years, I have kept a rolling supply of Firestone Walker Anniversary bottles on hand.  One each of the last five years.  Each year, I would add a new bottling and take the oldest out to drink.  But this year, (since things are going to shit) I am tasting all five. Starting with Anniversary XXIV aka Year 2020 and ending with XXVIII aka 2024.

And my craft co-pilot Richard has been drafted in to assist in the drinking. So LFG!

XXIV – With fresh taste buds I noted Burnt caramel. Sugar notes without being sugary. A little thin in mouthfeel. The dominance of Bourbon barrel-aged beers makes for more Bourbon notes. Richard was able to pick out the Tequila barrel notes.

XXV – Another one that is thinner than expected.. More spirit barrel centered as the Brandy barrel-aged beer makes an entrance for sure. Overall not as complex though.

XXVI – This one is finally a bit fuller in the texture. Spice and sugar mix in this one and the Bourbon notes lead the way. This was both Richard and my favorite of the day.

XXVII – This was the first one that seemed monotone with the bourbon flavor. Both of us agreed it was good but needed something else to push it higher in the rankings.

XXVIII – Honestly a bit of a blur at this point. Four over 10% strong beers can do that to you. But this one, though it has PaRyebola and a Milk Stout as part of the blend didn’t rise above 26.

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Review – Lucifer Golden Strong Ale from the Firestone Walker Brewmasters Collective

I am not a member of the Brewmasters Collective from Firestone Walker but the last time that I visited their store at the Propagator in Venice, they had bottles for sale for the common folk. I grabbed a barrel-aged one but not one you would expect from this California brewery.

First off, I really liked this wine barrel-aged beer. It was flat out different for starters. Not Belgian, nor rustic saison because there were zero yeast esthers present, more a base European beer with a lovely strong Chardonnay note to it. Even the 8.4% abv was well masked. Golden, yes. Strong, no. Tripel, not so much. Leave your expectations at the door and this is really good.

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Decadence x 3

You cannot say that Dogfish Head does not go big when you consider the upcoming release of their World Wide Stout Triple Decadence 30th Anniversary Release an 15% ABV imperial stout aged in Palo Santo wood tanks AND DFH Let’s Get Lost Whiskey barrels AND Samuel Adams Utopias barrels.  That is very decadent, in a good way.

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Buzzed 24

Each year Smog City Brewing releases Buzzworthy a “bourbon barrel-aged honey stout brewed with over 600 pounds of raw buckwheat honey…”

Two things have changed this year.  First it’s in cans and there is a special red wine barrel-aged variant for 2024.  And you know that Smog City does barrel-aged variants quite well.

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Smore-whal

Sierra Nevada’s famed Narwhal is getting a campsite variant with a Barrel-Aged Toasted S’More.  It is an imperial stout aged in Bourbon barrels with cocoa nibs and natural graham cracker flavors.  No mention of marhsmallow though for this 11.9% beer.