Barleywines are always sneaking around the periphery. They pop up here and there but never in stout numbers but there is a new one in Downtown LA at Hi-Def Brewing…
…you will be singing alto after the rye and bourbon.
Barrel a Clef
Whiskey and Geuze
Oude Geuze Vieille Whiskey Barrel from Oud Beersel sounds a fascinating mixtape of traditions…
…and this month seemed the best to bring this double barrel-aged beer some attention.
Pear-ly There…
…is what I hope doesn’t happen with the pear in this new beer from The Bruery.
Pear is such a delicate flavor which is probably why it is not used so much in beers. I think the flavor combo for this punch might overwhelm. I would have left out orange and found a barrel treatment a little less powerful. That said, if the blenders got this one right, it sounds great.
Double Double Review Day – Paraboloid and Royal Street from Firestone Walker
Our next double are big barrel-aged beers from Firestone Walker that I have posted about earlier…
Royal Street – I often wonder when blenders think too many barrels has been achieved. Cognac, Rye, Bitters AND Absinthe. That is a serious flavor overload. Box reading aside, how does RS taste? It is quite bubbly. Getting cola and licorice in equal measure. Lemon acidity cuts through as a minor creek. As it warms, I am getting a major amount of honey. If I was handed this as a cocktail, I would be fooled for a bit.
Paraboloid – The newest Parabola variant. Has that Firestone Walker bourbon smell. After enough vintages, you can sense their signature barrel style. This is chocolate and cherry to me. Has a See’s Candy hit to it. More bubbly than expected and less Bourbon than expected but it is a dreamy beer to me.
Royal was an experiment that didn’t fire on all cylinders but the Parabola, damn, that is good stuff.
Do Not Avoid the -Loid
You should be excited by the 2022 release of Parabola from Firestone Walker but your excitement should be heightened by Paraboloid, “a limited small-batch spinoff aged in an equal selection of rare older-stock barrels from premium spirits producers—specifically 14-year-old Old Fitzgerald bourbon barrels and 18-year-old Sazerac rye whiskey barrels.”
More info from barrel meister Eric Ponce, “These barrels complemented Parabola’s classic flavor profile by imparting hints of stone fruits, fudge, leather and peppery spice. Additionally, the beer was aged for a full two years prior to blending and bottling.”
Barrel-Anted Beer
Yup, read it HERE.
I have heard about crazy beers but what Forager Brewery from Minnesota is doing is out there. What is the surface volume of an ant? Or do you put it in a hop bag? I would want to try it but maybe just a taster.
The Dark Ray
No, not a new superhero, but a new barrel blend from Firestone Walker…
Here is a little 411 on the beer, “Bourbon barrel-aged blended ale with vanilla, cocoa nibs and toasted coconut ending at 11.6% ABV.
Cool Label / Cool Beer – February 2021
I just saw a photo of the bottle for the fifth batch of the Duvel Barrel Aged series. It has all sorts of fun design touches from the box, to the etching in the glass, the little sticker over the cap. Not to mention the beer inside. Here are those details: “ Duvel master brewer Hedwig Neven wanted to reinvent the ‘barrel aged’ concept and went looking for a rum distillery instead of bourbon barrels. He found it on the other side of the ocean, in Barbados, a world away from the brewery in Puurs: The West Indies Rum Distillery.”
If only it would come stateside.
This month I have a second cool label, this one from Green Cheek in Anaheim.
Such a cool name and the color scheme works really well and knowing brewer Evan, this will be a heck of a beer.
Added Value
Trustworthy Brewing in Burbank has a 4th anniversary surprise for beer fans, Value of Time BBA Imperial Stout with Coconut. It is a big 12.6% ABV and according to the brewery “is our biggest barrel-aged stout yet. Aged for 12 months in Buffalo Trace barrels and blended with heaps of coconut. Smooth oak smokiness accompanied with caramel and coconut warmth go well with any evening plans.”
Mad Barrel Men
As we round into autumn, thoughts turn to barrel-aged beers. On Wednesday, Beachwood, who works barrels like magicians have a wax dipped bottle for you. Draper’s Dram is a “Manhattan-inspired bourbon barrel-aged dark ale, spiced to perfection.”