top new-to-me Barrel Aged beers of 2008. sour barrel aged beers found in the sour beer catergory. All time favorites include Allagash Curieux.
Deschutes Abyss
Wow. I didn't know you could make a beer this intense and delicious. A jet black imperial stout with one third of it barrel aged in French oak and bourbon barrel oak. Chocolate, roast, coffee, licorice, molasses, this is a velvety warm beer to be sipped and cherished. There is no overt bourbon barrel presence, you find more of the trace elements (vanilla, tobacco, toffee, smoke) from it in the highlights. At 11% ABV, its is amazing how good this beer is young.
Firestone Walker Velvet Mirkin
This is an Oatmeal Stout aged in Bourbon Barrels. Deep licorice, dried fruit, smoke and chocolate flavors. This whole beer has a slight vinous quality, but is well rounded and smooth around the edges.
Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron
Brown ale brewed to imperial strength and then aged in 10,000 gallon vessels made of Palo Santo wood from Paraguay! Supposedly the largest of such vessels since prohibition. Needless to say a very warm beer, with hints of chocolate, licorice, molasses, toffee, hazelnut and vanilla. This has big barrel written all over it. Port like, slightly sweet, slightly vinous, with a dry finish.
North Coast Bourbon Barrel Reserve Old Stock Ale
Another great cellar find at the North Coast shop, this is a rich Barleywine aged in oak whiskey barrels. Nose of caramel, dried fruits, cherries, with a upfront flavors of caramel, vanilla, and traces of hazelnut, oak earth and dried fruits in the finish. Very warm and rich throughout, but a dry, bitter and roasty finish.
Allagash Odyssey
Only their second attempt in their barrel series, this is another hit. A dark, dunkel like ale with 10% wheat added to the recipe. A portion of this is then aged in medium toast American oak for 6 months minimum before blending. This is a really well balanced, complex, malt influenced ale. There is a slight bitterness and vanilla from the barrel, notes of cherries, toffee, chocolate, coffee, prunes, earth, pine and roast. This beer is warm and finishes rather rich and creamy.
Firestone Walker Abacus
Barleywine aged in 5 different types of oak barrels for 9 months. Should have asked more questions on this one. Really dark, almost port like beer, strong bourbon, caramel, toffee, oak, chocolate and raisin. Really warm, rich, medium mouthfeel, slightly slick, with more dry but slightly hot finish.
Allagash Interlude
This could have easily gone in the sour beer category, or neo-belgian, but placed it here due to the really distinct use and profile of the barrel in this ale. A dual fermented beer golden strong ale (a farmhouse ale yeast and Brett for the secondary), the beer is taken from the stainless and aged in French Merlot and Sirah barrels, a very bold move. A very tannic, plum like character is added to an otherwise light and refreshing ale. Nose is of oak, red wine, brett, apples, with additional earthy, pear, toast, grape and berries in the flavor. Mouthfeel is medium, with a very tannic and slight acidic and tart aspect. Very unique ale.
Firestone Walker Parabola
Imperial Version of their Velvet Mirkin and also an extension of their Quercus Alba Program, so maybe we'll see this soon in bottles. Laid on bourbon barrels for a two year maturation. Very boozy, bourbon quality, this beer is warm and almost more barleywine like. At %14, this is a bomb, and the alcohol overcomes. Notes of chocolate, coffee, but really sweet, caramelly, and estery from the heat. Traces of vanilla, toast and dried fruits underneath all of this somewhere. Lay these in a cellar for a few years.
Green Flash Bourbon Barrel Double Stout
One of my favorite imperial stouts of the year laid on Bourbon Barrels. In the non barrel aged version, the luscious chocolate flavor dominated, but now, there is a much more chewy, earthy, bourbon and vanilla presences. Took a pretty straightforward Imperial and turned it on end. Hints of oat, caramel and toffee notes. There is a more of a warming in this beer, and more complexity and dryness in the finish.
Central Waters Bourbon Barrel Stout
Imperial Stout aged in oak Bourbon Barrels. Dark chocolate and a slight spicy rye and vanilla character dominates this beer. Notes of coffee, roast, caramel, oak, and earth. Quaffable, rich and warm.
Showing posts with label barrel aged beers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label barrel aged beers. Show all posts
Monday, January 12, 2009
Top 10 Sour Beers
these are my favorite 10 new-to-me sour beer beers of 2008. a collection of traditional Belgian Sour Ales (Lambics, Fruit Lambics, Flanders Red, Flanders Brown) and American Interpretations. all time favorites include Orval, Cantillion Gueze, Cantillion Iris, Boon Framboise, Russian River Temptation, Russian River Supplication.
Russian River Beatification
Blended Gueze 100% Spontaneously Fermented in very old Oak. Batch #2
Wow. This is as sour and bubbly as they come. Almost no brett flavor, very dry, grapefruit, tart and hints of wood, pear, apple. This is an incredibly one dimensional ale, and I mean that in a very good way! If you like sour, dry and bubbly, this is the way to go.
Jolly Pumpkin Luciernaga
Belgian Pale Ale fermented in Oak (and spiked with Brett?)
Complex, well rounded, lightly sour ale. Light and spicy, with notes of coriander, clove, vanilla and some malt depth and complexity, slight toffee. A little musty, and flowery from hops. Has that indescribable "brett" flavor, often called barnyard. A definite farmhouse character to this one.
Boulevard Saison Brett
Saison spiked with Brett
A beer more in balance than overpowered by sourness, this Saison has a nice hop and ester spiciness, is slightly creamy, and sour with a bitter finish. Hints of pears, apples, banana, with notes of wheat, grass and a very citrus, noticeably orange, character to it. Very smooth and refreshing.
Jolly Pumpkin Oro de Calabaza
Golden Strong ale fermented in Oak (and spiked with Brett?)
Another spicy, sour and hoppy offering from JP. This offering is quite sour, gold colored and hazy, and has esters to boot: pear, apple, slight banana. Doesn't have the quite the barnyard-farmhouse going, possibly due to other organisms besides Brett? Need to find out more.
Russian River Consecration
Pale ale aged in Oak with Pluots.
Sour, cherries, figs, raisins, toffee. It has a dry, vinous character, should age superbly, and the barrel character is quite apparent, slight notes of vanilla, oak, earth. Quite acidic and a lingering sour finish. This one sticks with you.
Zoetzuur Flemish Reserve
Flanders Red
A very sharp, acidic red with a delicious malt backbone. Smells like sour cherries, once again, but has a less musty and muddled aroma, much more tart, and the flavor is cleaner, not musty, but definitely bretty. Hints of oak, raisins, plums and sour fruit. Very dry, almost astringent.
Port Brewing -de Proef Signature 2007
Pale ale spiked with Brett
Pale, refreshing very funky beer. This beer is quite bitter, light on the palatte, and has a grainy undertone. The brett character has nowhere to hide as the malt profile is quite low. The nose and finish are both quite hoppy, grapefruit and orange, but the sour-funkhouse character provides the base for this beer.
Brugge Diamond Kings
Quadrupel barrel aged in french oak and spiked with Brett and pickled plums.
This beer is a powerhouse. Much more malt complexity and even some residual sweetness than most Brett ales. Figs, raisins, cherries, toffee, vanilla, plums, this beer has much more of the barrel flavor to it left than just the beasties. The sourness is gentle, just a slight tartness, mustiness, and funkiness, maybe because it is just such a big beer at 12%.
Monk's Cafe Flemish Sour
aka, Bios Vlaamse Bourgogne. A Flanders Red
Deep, rich malt with sour power. Almost like a sweet tart. Carmel, raisins, cherries, chocolate, oak. Then the sourness kicks in and goes through the finish. Musty, but lacking the horsey Brett Flavor. Richer, fruiter and more luscious than many of its kind.
Allgash -de Proef Les Deux Brasseurs
Belgian Golden Strong ale spiked with Brett from each Brewery.
Tart at the start, sweet and slightly malty-grainy in the middle, quite acidic, with a very hoppy finish. Notes of wheat, grass, orange, grapefruit, pear, apple, cider and slight funk.
Russian River Beatification
Blended Gueze 100% Spontaneously Fermented in very old Oak. Batch #2
Wow. This is as sour and bubbly as they come. Almost no brett flavor, very dry, grapefruit, tart and hints of wood, pear, apple. This is an incredibly one dimensional ale, and I mean that in a very good way! If you like sour, dry and bubbly, this is the way to go.
Jolly Pumpkin Luciernaga
Belgian Pale Ale fermented in Oak (and spiked with Brett?)
Complex, well rounded, lightly sour ale. Light and spicy, with notes of coriander, clove, vanilla and some malt depth and complexity, slight toffee. A little musty, and flowery from hops. Has that indescribable "brett" flavor, often called barnyard. A definite farmhouse character to this one.
Boulevard Saison Brett
Saison spiked with Brett
A beer more in balance than overpowered by sourness, this Saison has a nice hop and ester spiciness, is slightly creamy, and sour with a bitter finish. Hints of pears, apples, banana, with notes of wheat, grass and a very citrus, noticeably orange, character to it. Very smooth and refreshing.
Jolly Pumpkin Oro de Calabaza
Golden Strong ale fermented in Oak (and spiked with Brett?)
Another spicy, sour and hoppy offering from JP. This offering is quite sour, gold colored and hazy, and has esters to boot: pear, apple, slight banana. Doesn't have the quite the barnyard-farmhouse going, possibly due to other organisms besides Brett? Need to find out more.
Russian River Consecration
Pale ale aged in Oak with Pluots.
Sour, cherries, figs, raisins, toffee. It has a dry, vinous character, should age superbly, and the barrel character is quite apparent, slight notes of vanilla, oak, earth. Quite acidic and a lingering sour finish. This one sticks with you.
Zoetzuur Flemish Reserve
Flanders Red
A very sharp, acidic red with a delicious malt backbone. Smells like sour cherries, once again, but has a less musty and muddled aroma, much more tart, and the flavor is cleaner, not musty, but definitely bretty. Hints of oak, raisins, plums and sour fruit. Very dry, almost astringent.
Port Brewing -de Proef Signature 2007
Pale ale spiked with Brett
Pale, refreshing very funky beer. This beer is quite bitter, light on the palatte, and has a grainy undertone. The brett character has nowhere to hide as the malt profile is quite low. The nose and finish are both quite hoppy, grapefruit and orange, but the sour-funkhouse character provides the base for this beer.
Brugge Diamond Kings
Quadrupel barrel aged in french oak and spiked with Brett and pickled plums.
This beer is a powerhouse. Much more malt complexity and even some residual sweetness than most Brett ales. Figs, raisins, cherries, toffee, vanilla, plums, this beer has much more of the barrel flavor to it left than just the beasties. The sourness is gentle, just a slight tartness, mustiness, and funkiness, maybe because it is just such a big beer at 12%.
Monk's Cafe Flemish Sour
aka, Bios Vlaamse Bourgogne. A Flanders Red
Deep, rich malt with sour power. Almost like a sweet tart. Carmel, raisins, cherries, chocolate, oak. Then the sourness kicks in and goes through the finish. Musty, but lacking the horsey Brett Flavor. Richer, fruiter and more luscious than many of its kind.
Allgash -de Proef Les Deux Brasseurs
Belgian Golden Strong ale spiked with Brett from each Brewery.
Tart at the start, sweet and slightly malty-grainy in the middle, quite acidic, with a very hoppy finish. Notes of wheat, grass, orange, grapefruit, pear, apple, cider and slight funk.
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