Better From The Barrel: Extreme De Struise Edition
We have a real treat for this edition of “Better from the Barrel.” De Struise, a well respected Belgian brewery, does some crazy things with their stouts. Stemming from the base of Black Albert, a 13% ABV Russian Imperial Stout, De Struise offers Cuvee Delphine and Black Damnation V: Double Black. Cuvee Delphine is step two in this process and is Black Albert aged in Four Roses bourbon barrels for a few months. Double Black … Read entire article »
Filed under: Beer, De Struise Brouwers, Four Roses, Imperial Stout
Hardywood Craft Brewing – Richmond, VA
Back in January, Russ did a review of two Hardywood Craft Brewing releases, Gingerbread Stout and Bourbon-barrel Aged Gingerbread Stout. Recently I headed down for the release of Hoplar, an IPA conditioned on Virginia Poplar wood. This post will deal more with the experience at the brewery rather than a review of Hoplar itself. The weather was perfect for the release. It was sunny and in the mid-50s. Festivities were to kick off at 1PM and … Read entire article »
Filed under: Barrel Aged, Beer Release, Breweries, Hardywood Park
Recap: Barrel Room Collection Release at Voodoo Brewery
Last weekend, Greg, Russ and Kenton made the trip to beautiful northwestern PA to see the brand new Voodoo Brewpub and hopefully buy some delicious barrel aged beers. This weekend was no normal weekend, it was the long awaited Barrel Room Collection release. For our faithful readers, you’ll remember our attempt to liveblog the event, but we figured it warranted a full writeup as well. A lot of people speculated as to when everyone would start to line … Read entire article »
Filed under: Beer, Beer Release, Breweries, Buffalo Trace, Imperial Stout, Laird's Apple, Pappy Van Winkle, Tripel, Voodoo Brewery
Adroit Theory Brewing – B/A/Y/S Imperial Stout (Ghost 4)
About a month ago I reviewed the Ghost 3 version B/A/Y/S Russian Imperial Stout from Adroit Theory Brewing Company. At the beginning of March, owner Mark Osborne gave me a tour of Adroit Theory’s brewery in Purcellville, VA. Mark has some very interesting and exciting plans for the brewery over the coming year or two. I am very excited because I only live a few miles away. As we were leaving, Mark gave me a bottle … Read entire article »
Filed under: Adroit Theory Brewing Company, Barrel Aged, Beer, Finger Lakes Distilling, Imperial Stout, Russian Imperial Stout
Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Stout Cherry Rye
We here at The Beer Circle are no strangers to Goose Island’s famed Bourbon County Brand Stout–Kenton took a chance on the regular BCBS and I have already reviewed last year’s Bramble Rye variation–and we never miss a chance to say how good it is. When I finally landed a bottle of this year’s special variety, Cherry Rye, I was overjoyed. Cherries come third only to bourbon and coffee when it comes to things that … Read entire article »
Filed under: Beer, Blend, Goose Island Brewing Co., Imperial Stout
Barrels, Barrels, Everywhere
Hopefully, Samuel Taylor Coleridge isn’t rolling over in his grave because of my liberal use of a line from Rime of the Ancient Mariner. I love most barrel-aged beers because of the flavors and aromas that are imparted to the beer. Many breweries these days have a barrel-aging program. Besides the beer itself there is an added bonus: an over abundance of used barrels. I had been wanting to get a used barrel to put in … Read entire article »
Filed under: Barrel Aged, Cascade Brewing, Heavy Seas Beer, Weyerbacher Brewing Co.
Better From The Barrel: Stone’s Vertical Epics
Churchkey’s night of Vertical Epics not only featured Stone’s yearly special releases all the way back to 2003, it had a few of the offers aged in various barrels as well. Having never had a true barrel aged beer from Stone, I saw this as a unique opportunity to discern whether or not any were better from the barrel! Churchkey had the 07.07.07 Belgian strong pale ale (BSPA) and the 09.09.09 Belgian strong dark ale … Read entire article »
Filed under: Beer, Better From The Barrel?, Oak, Stone Brewing Co., Strong Dark Ale, Strong Pale Ale, Wine
Cellar: Avery Brewing Company Rumpkin
Craft beer these days pushes the limits of styles, taking them to places breweries never dreamed of in the past. Avery has done just that. Think about the last time you were drinking a pumpkin ale, did it cross your mind that it would taste better with triple (or quadruple) the ABV and aged in rum barrels? Well, it should have. Enter: Rumpkin. An 18% ABV pumpkin ale aged in Gosling’s rum barrels. I wanted to let that … Read entire article »
Filed under: Avery Brewing Co., Beer, Cellar, Gosling's, Pumpkin Ale
One Night: Nine Years of Stone’s Vertical Epic
12.12.12 at Churchkey in Washington, DC was truly a day we all won’t soon forget. The bar managed to tap nine years worth of Stone Brewing Company‘s Vertical Epics: 03.03.03 through 12.12.12, including special versions of ’07 and ’09 aged in red wine barrels and ’10 aged in French Oak barrels. To top that, Sam Calagione (yes, of Dogfish Head) was in the building to promote his collaboration with Bluejacket. I got to have a quick conversation … Read entire article »
Filed under: Beer, Belgian Pale Ale, Belgian Stout, Cellar, IPA, Oak, Stone Brewing Co., Strong Dark Ale, Wine
Upland Sour Reserve
Upland Brewing Company is known for producing top notch American Wild Ales,* so it came as no surprise when batch 1 of their Sour Reserve sold out in mere minutes on Upland’s website. Much to my dismay, I was not fast enough to get a bottle. Luckily, Upland opened up batch 2 to a lottery system and this time my luck turned for the better! I tasked a friend of mine who was studying at … Read entire article »
Filed under: American Wild Ale, Beer, Gueuze, Upland Brewing Co., Wine
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