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Not a caption contest, per se, but what excites you most about seeing this photo from Ogopogo Brewing’s social media?
Here is your answer…
“Getting our 5th Anniversary Barrel Aged Stout transferred so we can start bottling. 14.5% aged 30 months in Blantons Barrels. We will be releasing these at our Anniversary Party on October 21st.”
Taking the beer Tardis back to 2018 for Eagle Rock Brewery’s 7th Anniversary beer, La Suerte. “Imperial Mexican Stout, brewed with Flaked Maize, Chocolate, Vanilla, Chile, and Cinnamon.”
For being 5+ years old and in a can, La Suerte has held up quite well. The chile is still there, prickling the tongue and lips with a touch of heat. There is a slight wine sour note and a bit of thinness in the mouthfeel but the flavors promised on the can – chocolate, vanilla and cinnamon are there if in smaller intensity than the chile. It is a 14% beer but the chile heat covers any of that burn.
I am onboard with Tiki bars even though I am more of a bourbon and gin and not rum pirate. But Radiant Beer Co. has a interesting rum barrel detour…
“Tropical Detour – Rum Barrel-aged Strong Ale – 14.9% ABV. We chose a strong ale that spent almost 2.5 years in Barbados Rum Barrels and blended it with other strong ales aged in Grand Marnier and Chartreuse Barrels. Then, we conditioned the blend on roasted almonds, limes, grapefruit, and oranges with a kiss of cinnamon. The result is an eloquent equatorial extravaganza of tropical flavors housed in a deep brown pour with a touch of tan foam. The aromas are complex, reminiscent of a tiki cocktail with emphasis on notes of citric acidity and rich rum, with some lingering impressions of dark rum and toasty, nutty accents. Take a trip to the tropics; a pinky-up visit to your favorite island.”
The Bruery has a lot of very creative beers each year. I do scroll by many of them but each time I do see one or two that pique my interest. Such as….
…rye and barrel is just a great start and barleywine and smoked make things unique so I will look for it.
Let’s keep that FW energy going with a review of the weirdly named barrel-aged Bread Spread. I had two excellent barrel beers at their Invitational (Wild Pirate and Boilermaker), will this be a third winner….
There is a lot in this bottle. Vanilla beans, hazelnuts aged in chocolate bitters barrels and Bourbon barrels. First, Weirdly, what I get in big amounts is banana. Not hefe banana but a chocolate covered banana. Yet, not sweet at all. There is that Bourbon note lurking in the background. Second, Weirdly is that as this warms up, the hazelnuts really pour forward. In both the aroma and flavor. Almost two different beers.
Allagash Brewing has a new bourbon barrel-aged beer coming and by the name of it, it sounds like beer fans should meet-up to enjoy it.
Gatherwell is an 11% imperial stout. That’s it. No special ingredients added.
Smog City will make wishes come true March 17th through 19th with Infinite Wishes Weekend. I bring this up now because the pre-sale of bottles starts this month on February 26th.
I will follow up with more Wish Weekend information when those details are made public.
We start February with a 2022 beer from Firestone Walker, Houses in Motion.
“…whiskey barrel-aged wheat wine ale with coffee, cocoa nibs, and cinnamon,”
Boy do the whiskey aromas blast when you open the cap on this 2022 beer. It pours a bubbly dark red color. My initial reaction is not coffee or cinnamon but German chocolate cake. Getting coconut and whiskey. There is sweetness abounding here. As it warms, you get some tiny bits of coffee and tinier bits of spice. By the end there is a little brown sugar.
I hope to encounter the Duvel Barrel-Aged Irish Whiskey Barrel Edition in a fine beer shoppe, and I hope you do too, because it sounds excellent.
“This Duvel Barrel-Aged has matured intensively in the very best whiskey barrels of the Irish distillery Teeling. These barrels enrich the exclusive beer with notes of vanilla and oak, but also with a smoky hint of peat fire.”
I missed the seventh anniversary party for Brewyard Beer Company but I made a point of grabbing a 4-pack of their Bourbon Barrel-Aged Belgian Quad, Cat’z Pajamas.
The feline Quad pours with a slight reddish tint to it. Sharp and bubbly on the palate. The bourbon notes are present but not overwhelming. The barrel provides a nice sweet, almost maple note to the beer. For a double digit ABV, it only gives a little jolt when drinking in keeping with the balanced nature.