Released! 2016 Goose Island Bourbon County Stout Lineup

It’s finally here! With the Black Friday crowds still swarming retail stores post-holiday, head out for Goose Island‘s 2016 Bourbon County Brand Stout lineup, which is now available for purchase! (as limited release)
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Great Lakes Brewing Company | Barrel Aged Christmas Ale

It is Christmas ale season: a festive time of year many people anticipate with a frothy fervor! However, it may be that you would rather hide away from the hubbub of ginger and cinnamon and all things Christmas. I enjoy a little bit of holiday cheer in my beer from time to time, and the weather has finally become chilly enough around these parts to warrant a few Christmas ales in my tummy. This year, Great Lakes Brewing Company is not simply rolling out their most popular beverage for all the good little boys and girls. They are also bottling their barrel-aged Christmas ale right after Thanksgiving for everyone to sip around the mistletoe. I received a nice 22-ounce bottle to try in advance of the bottle release later this week, and I am here to give you the details about the beer and what will take place very soon.

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Event Recap | 2016 Festival of Wood & Barrel-Aged Beers (FoBAB)

Now that my liver has had a few days to rest I’m able to look back on the 2016 Festival of Wood and Barrel-Aged Beers. Once again the beer selection at FoBAB was incredible. In fact 2016 seemed to highlight more “whales” than last year. There were definitely some beers worth highlighting that didn’t take home medals this year. Read More

Event Recap | Glenfiddich Experimental Series India Pale Ale Cask Finish

ABV: 43%

A few weeks ago, Glenfiddich came to New York to debut their Experimental Series with The Glenfiddich India Pale Ale Cask Finish, the world’s very first single malt scotch whisky, finished in IPA craft beer casks. This experimentation was cultivated by a native collaboration within the borders of Scotland: A distillery and a brewery, using the land’s pure water and clean air to craft the creation that is uniquely stimulating our senses here in the U.S.

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Event Preview | 2016 Festival of Barrel Aged Beers (FoBAB)

Every November since 2003, the craft beer world descends on Chicago for the Festival of Barrel Aged Beers – more commonly known as FoBAB. It’s the largest festival celebrating barrel-aged and wood-aged beers featuring more than 150 brewers and more than 400 beers for fans to try.

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Adroit Theory Brewing Company | The Devil Made Me

ABV: 7.5% | IBU: 33

The beers at Adroit Theory Brewing Company are, as they say, “not for the faint of heart.” In keeping with their slogan of “Consume Life. Drink Art”, one might consider their beers quite the artistic achievement.

Art is about looking for the extraordinary in the ordinary and finding the unfamiliar in the familiar. It stirs up emotions. It might make you uncomfortable, or maybe you forge a deep and lasting connection with a certain piece that speaks to you. I’d say Adroit Theory is doing just that with their beers, adding what might be to some the “unfamiliar” (like fresh basil, various peppers or hibiscus) into what’s familiar to all of us (IPAs, porters and saisons). There’s a lot of creativity and imaginative thinking going on at Adroit Theory, and they’re forcing the craft beer drinker to move outside their comfort zone with unique and bold beer flavors. Read More

City Star Brewing Releases Scoundrel

Berthoud-based City Star Brewing released the brewery’s second installment in its barrel-aged bottle series, Scoundrel, on Saturday.

The brewery, self-described by owners John and Whitney Way as “taproom-centric,” only distributes its beer for tap to restaurants and bars. The two, though, have made an exception with Scoundrel and the beer’s predecessor, Outlaw – a whiskey barrel-aged stout. Read More

The Rare Barrel | Forces Unseen

Sour beers have quickly become an obsession for beer drinkers around the world. This is nothing new. American breweries have taken to mimicking styles that range from old ales to long-practiced lambics and more. As of late, the US has been bestowed with many breweries whose sole purpose is to bring the world (or those who can access it) that puckering elixir known commonly as sour beer.

Enter, The Rare Barrel and their exclusively barrel-aged sour brewery. Other than having one of the best names in the industry (I mean, come on, “rare” is right in the title), The Rare Barrel also produces some top-quality sour beers. Ranging from barrel-aged Goses to Berliner Weisses, to everything in between, The Rare Barrel rolls the dice with each batch of this lively drink, especially one of their latest brews: Forces Unseen. Read More

Fountain Square Brewing Co | Stay Classy Scotch Ale

Fountain Square Brewing Company has delivered a great beer with Stay Classy Scotch Ale, which is a Ron Burgundy, from Anchorman, inspired scotch ale. Before I even started drinking the … Read More

If in Doubt, Barrel Age It | A Look into the Vast Barrel Aging Program of Alltech’s Lexington Brewing Co.

As a Kentucky native, bourbon is in my blood. Needless to say, we have been barrel aging things for quite awhile. Though bourbon is not a uniquely Kentucky product (though it is a uniquely American product – one thing you can actually thank the federal government for!), many agree that the Bluegrass state does it best. Maybe it’s the limestone bedrock that adds that special blend of minerals to the water that is used to distill the spirit; or perhaps it is the Kentucky climate – with its frigid, ice-storm bringing winters and ever-so-muggy, sticky hot summers – that allows those oak barrels to expand and contract just the right amount to impart those woody, caramel, and toffee nuances from the barrel char into otherwise clear corn liquor; or maybe it is something about the Kentucky spirit that lends a warmness and hint of Southern hospitality to the things we are passionate about. Whatever it is, Kentucky bourbon is something special and the rest of America – especially the craft beer industry – has recognized that, as well.

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Jungle Jim’s – Barrel Aged Beer Bash

People were staying warm last Friday night at the Barrel Aged Beer Bash hosted by Jungle Jim’s International Market. Located in Fairfield, OH, Jungle Jim’s has built the largest international market from the ground up. Starting as small fruit stand, Jim Boniminio pursued a dream that led him to building a 300,000 sq. ft. plus international food paradise. As a major tourist destination there is never a shortage of exotic fruits and vegetables or rare beers and fine wines to keep you busy as you spend a day traveling throughout the store. By hosting a barrel aged beer festival, the Jungle was able to bring in all the good stuff.

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Dogfish Head Burton Baton

Dogfish Head – Burton Baton 10.0% ABV, 70 IBU

For almost a week, I  tirelessly opened my refrigerator door to see a bottle peering at me from the bottom shelf, imploring … Read More