Follow Sean Inman to the best in craft beer
I talk A LOT about collaboration beers but rarely do I talk of beer / mead collaborations but this Superstition Meadery and Mumford Brewing combo is truly bonkers enough to merit consideration. It has lemon, coconut and vanilla added to mead and then aged in Brandy barrels.
Now I do not need a fancy gift box to want to taste the Duvel Bourbon Barrel Aged version. In fact, extra glassware is more an impediment since their is a glass embargo at BSP HQ. I may have to buy and re-gift the glass.
It may be the summer celebration today and light beers are the order of this day but I want to talk about Black Butte XXXI.
“Deschutes Brewery’s specialty anniversary reserve, is an annual tradition since the brewery’s 20th anniversary in 2008. The beer is an imperial barrel-aged double version of the brewery’s flagship, Black Butte Porter, that changes every year.
Deschutes brewers love to experiment with this beer and this year were inspired by Turkish coffee and added chocolate, cardamom and cold brewed coffee from Third Rock Roastery, a locally owned roastery by Deschutes Brewery co-owner Scott Hughes. BBXXXI is 80% barrel aged in oak bourbon barrels.”
I am eager to try this upcoming anniversary beer from Ogopogo. The first anniversary beer is usually one that has that early years energy to it. Not quite sure what this artwork is though. Seems like bad landscape with your UFO (Vimanas) superimposed on it.
He would be really old today, our first Commander in Chief, but thanks to Avery you can toast him properly, with their new porter…
…as the Colorado brewery starts their “Ales of Antiquity” series
We head back to Colorado for a beer with some scratch to it. Sandy Claws from Avery Brewing. And at 14.5% this is a big one, “Imperial Stout infused with fresh peppermint and cacao nibs. Aged in fresh Bourbon barrels.”
Nice and naughty lists meet your ethics….
Coming from the Garage Series of beers from Monday Night Brewing, this beer is a “decadent imperial stouts aged in different barrels. This one just happens to be our Maple-rum barrel aged variety. We combined fresh ginger, nutmeg, Vietnamese cinnamon, cloves and Tahitian vanilla beans for that classic gingerbread aroma and flavor.”
When it is all haze and 16oz cans, it is sometimes good to see a reliable brewery, like The Bruery, lean into their barrel strength and when they use whiskey barrels with a quad instead of stout. I perk up and start reading the label closely. Probably won’t see this one other than at Bruery locations so a trip to Orange County might be in order.
I have been hoping to see the return of small bottles (like some of the OG barleywines came in) for a while. Most are probably tired of me whining about it.
But reason to be hopeful as AleSmith is bringing out their Cinnamon Vanilla Barrel-Aged Speedway Stout, in all of it’s 13% ABV glory as well as the 12% ABV Barrel-Aged Old Numbskull, their classic barleywine in what the brewery calls, “user-friendly” 330ml (11.2 oz.) glass bottles.
You have gift box options: 2 bottles of each or mixed 2-packs.
Arts District has a (relatively) new bottle release that you can taste while at their brewery on Traction Ave.
Just look for the 7 Grand-esque stag on the label for a whiskey barrel-aged big beer.