Tag: barrel aged

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Jubel 5 Years Early

The label may look like the wallpaper from a Gothic English manor but this barrel-aged 2015 version of Jubel from Deschutes Brewery will probably be excellent now and later.

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This is the 3rd vintage release of Jubel aka “Super Jubel” a 12 month barrel-aged beer with half aged in Pinot and Oregon oak barrels. The brewery tastes “notes of toasted caramel, raisins, dates and figs are complemented by spicy and herbal hop aromas.”

This beer should not have been done until 2020.  That was the original plan but they just couldn’t wait.

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The Beer, not the Book

Are you ready for another big beer from Cismontane? Then you are in luck because Twilight is upon us….

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A bourbon barrel aged stout that had some lacto and pedio visitors over to it’s barrel home. Part bourbon and part tart.

Would make a fine cellar addition if you resist drinking it right away.

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Sucaba is Back!

Screen Shot 2015-01-10 at 9.58.54 AMThere are two mysteries surrounding §ucaba.  Well three if you count the weird Double S at the start of the name.

1 is this fact:
“We’ve never talked about it, but §ucaba is actually a blend of two separate beers,” Brynildson said. “The base beer is what you would call §ucaba, but each year the final blend also includes around 10 percent of another barrel-aged beer, which gives it this chocolaty, dark cherry dimension.”

2 is how you say
So what’s the official pronunciation? “There is none,” Brynildson said. “SUC-a-buh, SOO-cah-ba, SOO-cab-uh, you hear it all, so it’s kind of fun. But in the brewhouse, we still call it by its original name.”

Either way, this is one of the Firestone Walker beers that you buy two or more of.  One to try and one to cellar.

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Not so Phantom Anymore

Rejoice all ye’ patient beer lovers for the Phantom Carriage has arrived!  I have been waiting for this day since Requiem Stout from Gentleman Scholar arrived years back.  But then Muis arrived and now the full Phantom Carriage deal is upon us in time for Christmas no less.

A great present for LA for sure.

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Check it out as soon as you can (preferably with out of town guests) to show off the Bergman Blond sour and their cool cocktails…

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..and you get to check out their even more cool glassware….

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Holiday Ale # 11 – Hoppy Woodsman from Schooner Exact

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It was about time for the appearance of the word “Imperial” in this round-up of winter warmers and thanks to Schooner Exact Brewing Co., we know have it.  Plus an out of control sled.

Here is the description: “Bourbon Barrel Aged Winter Ale. Need you say more? A big brother to Hoppy Holidays, this winter ale has gained a level of complexity and intrigue during those months luxuriating in its bourbon barrel haven. Chocolate malt and a healthy dose of hops help maintain balance. ”

 

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BCS (the beer one, not the college football one)

I had the opportunity to sit down with Goose Island Brewmaster Brett Porter to talk about the 2014 slate of Bourbon County Stout beers, in Beverly Hills of all places.

The answers to my questions posed that day will appear over on Food GPS in early November. For now, you get my tasting notes on the spin-offs and variants of the classic Stout that debuted over 20 years ago.

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This year the BCS consists of the following: (with my tasting notes in italics)

Bourbon County Brand Stout – Original: A liquid as dark and dense as a black hole with thick foam the color of a bourbon barrel. The nose is an intense mix of charred oak, chocolate, vanilla, caramel and smoke. One sip has more flavor than your average case of beer.
One of the rare bourbon barrel beers that doesn’t scream bourbon. I like that the previous occupant of the barrel is an additional note here. And this year the alcoholic heat is much less. No need to wait for this one, it is ready now. Quite viscous with milk chocolate notes here.

Bourbon County Brand Stout Coffee: Everyday Goose Island smells the wonderful coffee roasting next to our brewery at Chicago’s Intelligentsia Coffee and Tea. This world class roaster puts the same passion and skill into their coffee as Goose Island does with its beer. This excellent stout is made with a different coffee from our friends next door each year. With the change in coffee comes a change in the flavor profile, making each release truly unique from the previous years.
The 2014 wasn’t ready yet but brewmaster Porter really liked the coffee choice from Intelligentsia for this year. But the 2013 really held up well. Big coffee nose with lots of unroasted bean notes to it

Bourbon County – Barleywine: Aged in the third-use barrels that were once home to Kentucky bourbon and then our renowned Bourbon County Stout, this traditional English-style barleywine possesses the subtlety of flavor that only comes from a barrel that’s gone through many seasons of ritual care. The intricacies of the previous barrel denizens – oak, charcoal, hints of tobacco and vanilla, and that signature bourbon heat – are all present in this beer. Hearty and complex, Bourbon County Brand Barleywine is a titan and a timeline; a bold, flavorful journey through the craft of barrel aging.
When left to warm up, this really showed off some complexity. Lovely garnet color, this beer spent 6 months in barrels that previously held BCS. Slick on the tongue with cola and cranberry fruit notes. A little Umami action as well.

Bourbon County – Vanilla Rye: First brewed for the legendary festival of Wood and Barrel Aged Beer in Chicago, drinkers enjoyed this Bourbon County Variant so much we bottled it the next year (2010). People flocked to stores to get their hands on a bottle and have this one of a kind barrel aged stout. Over the past few years we have heard our fans express their love for this version and we are extremely proud to bring it back in 2014. This year’s version features a little twist of aging the stout in Rye Whiskey Barrels with a mix of Mexican and Madagascar vanilla beans!
I so wish this one had been ready but I will really like to see how these flavors meld together.

Proprietors Bourbon County: Proprietor’s Bourbon County Brand Stout is meant to show our immense gratitude to our neighbors here in Chicago – the loyal and adventurous fans whose support helped bring Bourbon County Brand Stout to towering new heights. Each year this release will differ from the previous year; a special variant created for Chicago and unique to the year it was released. Whether your first sip is today or was from that first batch in 1992, thank you for lifting us up on your big shoulders and joining us every year to celebrate the original bourbon barrel aged stout.

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Not Hawkins

Beachwood Brewing will soon be releasing the third beer in Beachwood Brewing’s 2014 series of barrel-aged beers, Sadie.

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Tasting notes from the brewery describe Sadie as having “Rich accents of caramel and vanilla are carefully intertwined with delicate notes of oak and toasted oats.”

SADIE will be released as a limited edition beer on Tuesday, October 14th at 6pm at Beachwood BBQ in Seal Beach and Beachwood BBQ & Brewing in Long Beach, California.

Saduewill be available in 22oz. bottles on October 14th at 6pm at both Beachwood locations for the price of $25.

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Barrel Aged and Canned

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Now that Ska Brewing is in L.A., it is time to work on getting another Colorado brewery over here.  And that means Upslope to me.  And they have given me another reason to want their cans on shelves here in SoCal…..

“Our original North Boulder brewery at Lee Hill has been a hotbed of creativity lately, crankin’ out some killer small batch brews for our tap rooms, and is now the home of the Lee Hill Series – a quarterly, limited release series celebrating experimentation and creativity. This Series, served up in 19.2 ounce cans, offers new and innovative styles that are sure to be cellar keepsakes.”

Yup, cans to cellar.  Barrel aged then put into cans.  Brown Ale.  Daring choice in a time of hopped madness but this beer spent “four months in first use Maryland Rye Whiskey barrels from Leopold Bros. ” I have had the pleasure of a few beers aged in that spirit makers barrels and they were excellent so I expect nothing less from this one.

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Up From the Cellar – 2011 Parabola from Firestone Walker

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The theme for Up From the Cellar for July is a year. 2011 to be specific. Also Imperial Stouts. A favorite style amongst beer geeks and snobs alike.  And we start with a barrel-aged Imperial from Firestone Walker.

This 12.5 stout pours jet black with a beautiful espresso rim of foam. That foam quickly dissipates and you are left with impenetrable darkness. The aroma is incredible. This decidedly falls into the camp of beers that you can smell and be satisfied without ever taking a sip. Though you will want to.

This beer spent 12 months in barrels before I even thought about cellaring it. And it shows. Big bourbon and rum notes intermingle. Some coffee bitterness is in the background as well but this is a barrel show.
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There is some serious warming here as well. Each sip brings a flare of heat. But it fades quickly allowing for the bourbon and late flavor addition of chocolate and tobacco notes to power through. You cheeks will warm. But they won’t be red.  Even when another warming spice sensation emerges as the beer warms up.

The Verdict? – Parabola in all it’s yearly versions, tastes fantastic.  The fact that sitting for an additional three years hasn’t changed that, is almost a moot point.  Of course it’s gonna taste great.  It’s a barrel-aged stout from Firestone Walker.  I don’t think that even a rank amateur cellarman could do any appreciable damage to this beer.

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