In the expansive rickhouse that holds over 5,000 barrels for our brewing team, we occasionally tuck some special things away until the exact moment of barrel-aged perfection. Once the barrels and the beer inside them fulfill their destiny we get to do one of our favorite things – we get to share these special small-batch creations with you. The time has come for two of our most recent projects to be released into the world.
Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Porter
This is the thickest porter we have ever brewed, made with copious amounts of lactose and brown sugar to create a velvety mouthfeel. Aged for 17 months in barrels we acquired from Heaven Hill Distillery and Willet Distillery, the barrels express themselves as a strong vanilla aroma and flavor that mingles nicely with the notes of chocolate and molasses in the beer.
ABV: 12.3%
IBU: 26
Malts: Pale malt, Munich malt, Marris Otter, Caramel Malts, Chocolate Malt, Chocolate Wheat, oats
Hops: Magnum
Adjuncts: Brown sugar, lactose
Pairing Ideas: seared crispy pork belly with maple sweet potatoes, triple crème cheese en croute, s’mores
Imperial Stout Aged in Port, French Oak and Rye Whiskey Casks
The brewers selected a single stout recipe to place in three different barrels to create a blend of stouts that they hoped would meld the flavors of dessert wine with an Imperial Stout (spoiler alert: they succeeded). The base beer aged 10-12 months in three very different, very unique barrels: Port finished whiskey casks (69%), Rye whiskey barrels (20%), and uncharred French oak (11%). The final blend has strong undertones of dark chocolate that create complex layers of flavor with the soft fruit notes and elegant soft tannins contributed by the barrels.
ABV: 12.4%
Hops: Magnum
IBU: 23
Malts: Pale Malt, Amber 50, Cara 120, Cara 300, Chocolate Malt, Roasted Barley, Chocolate Rye, Malted Rye, Malted Wheat, Flaked Oats
Pairing Ideas: grilled filet mignon, classic French onion soup, hazelnut opera cake