A little bit of Barrel
Aged Goodness
One of the hot trends at
the moment is of course Barrel Aged Brews. While not new to the Midwest, actually,
some of the first releases of this type of beer came from Michigan, Illinois,
and Wisconsin, these beers are popping up all over the place from different
breweries around the country. Not all of the barrel aged beers are Bourbon
though. I have seen (and tasted) whisky (OK fine, Bourbon is technically
whiskey), Rum Barrel, Gin Barrel, and even Tequila Barrel beers. While these
beers will almost always have a much higher ABV, it is the flavors that make
them unique.
Over time, oak barrels breathe
with temperature changes. They expand and contract with the heat and the cold.
As this happens, the liquid inside them gets absorbed in to the porous oak and
then squeezed out over and over again. This process is what gives the beer (and
additionally the original spirit that occupied the barrels, and to a certain
extent, wine also) the flavor profiles of the beverage. Encompassing flavors
from the spirit barrels that they are aged in, gives these beers really
distinct flavors that set them apart from the rest. For example, the bourbon barrel aged will take on
additional flavors of smoke, char, and vanilla from the barrel, while the
tequila aged beers may take on additional sweetness, vegetal, or a fruitier
bouquet from the blue agave plant (which tequila is made from).
The most difficult
property about these “soul-warmers” is also the most difficult to control: And
that being, with the higher ABV comes controlling the flavor of the additional
alcohol. If stored for too long in said barrels, the alcohol just becomes
overbearing and you will definitely feel the “heat and the burn” at the end
finish. And because with spirits the alcohol content is so much higher, the
longer it sits in the barrel, the more the alcohol [and flavor] will be
absorbed from the wood into the liquid.
This aging (and alcohol
content) is also noticeable in wine as well: especially in Ports, Sherries, and
Dessert Wines. If aged for too long you will also taste the alcohol in the
wine. Although it is not as strong tasting and you will get no “burn”. But you
might get a worse hangover depending on how much you drink!!!
One of my personal
favorite Bourbon Barrel Aged Beers is Dragon’s Milk from New Holland Brewery (Michigan).
This beer was one of the first to be released (2001) using the aging method:
And I have to say, it still holds up after all the years. The balance is near
perfect for the bourbon flavors of vanilla and smoke, with a hint of caramel sweetness
that blends with the slight coffee and cocoa from the different malts used to brew the beer. But most importantly,
there is no alcohol “burn”. Clocking in at 11% ABV, as I said the balance is
near perfect. It will definitely warm you up!!!!! It must be the Dragon’s
Breath. "Can't you see all around you the Dragon's Breath?" - Merlin, The Magician (from the film Excalibur)
Another one of my
favorites is Allagash Brewing’s (Portland, Maine) Curieux. At 11% as well, it
is also rich but balanced. Is has some of the same flavors as the Dragon’s Milk
(coffee vanilla, etc.), but while both of the beers use Nugget Hops, Curieux
also uses Hallertau Hops (where Dragon’s Milk uses Glacier Hops instead, that
imparts some plum and blackberry) which lends a slight floral characteristic [nose
and flavor] to the beer as well which I do not get from Dragon’s Milk.
One more for the books is
Founders Brewing (Grand Rapids, Michigan) CBS (Canadian Breakfast Stout) Imperial
Stout. At a higher ABV at 11.7%, what makes this one unique is that after being
brewed with coffee and imported chocolates, it is then stored in bourbon barrels
that have been used to age pure Michigan Maple Syrup. This gives a very sweet
flavor to the beer that has a heavy viscous, almost port-like quality. This is a
perfect beer to be enjoyed as an after dinner or dessert style beer. This one
can be a bit hard to find though if you do not live in Michigan.
The only downfall to these
aged beers is the price. A four-pack of Dragon’s Milk can cost anywhere from
$16.00 to $20.00 where a single bottle (22 ounce) Of Curieux is around $22.00
and even The CBS single bottle (22 ounce) can be more: Usually around $25.00.
So while it might be
easier on the wallet to taste these in turn and not all at once, they are definitely
worth the money and should be sampled. Of course there are many other aged
brews out there on the market, but with these 3 is a good place to start.
So taste away throughout
the winter while it is cold outside. These are not the sort of beers that you
want to drink in the middle summer when it is 100 degrees out. However, one
last thing about aged beers is that you can lay them down for about a year or even longer and
they will still be fine. That gives you time to stock up and drink them
whenever you like!!!!!
So get out there and get
sampling: And as always, RAISE A PINT OF ALE BARREL AGED BEER AND ENJOY!!!!!!!!!
CHEERS
