Barrels used for aging beer tend to be oak and are often barrels that have been used to age bourbon or whisky, giving the beer flavors from these liquors and sometimes bumping up the alcohol percentage because of remnants of alcohol in the wood. Some daring breweries, like Russian River from California, make use of wine barrels that have been used for Chardonnay, Cabernet, or Pinot Noir, hoping to add a vinous complexity to their beer. Although other woods have been used, like cedar and chestnut, oak seems to be the easiest to work with and the most dominant in aging.
Barrel flavors are hard to control because one barrel may have different characteristics from the next. And if a barrel is used once to age a beer, then its second aging will often be dulled. For example, if the barrel had been used to age bourbon, then the second time it is used for beer aging it usually won’t have the same amount of bourbon flavors to offer. So if consistency is desired, brewers must mix batches from various barrels or age in freshly used barrels every time. This can be costly and involves a lot of tasting and perfecting, which is often why barrel-aged beers fetch a higher price in liquor stores, craft beer bars, and restaurants. Most barrel-aged beers will say so on the label, as this is a point of pride for the brewer. Some will even tell you what kind of barrel was used and for how long; others will let you in on how many beers were blended together to create a big brew, such as a Barleywine. If you haven’t had a barrel-aged beer, get on it; these are often remarkable beers that again expand your concept of what craft beer can offer.
Here are some of our favorite barrel-aged brews:
FIRESTONE XII: Firestone Walker Brewing Company, Paso Robles, California. An American Strong Ale made from a blend of several different barrel-aged beers made by the brewery. Complex and bourbon-like, with smoke and earth and leather and chocolate—just about everything. 12% ABV.
PALO SANTO MARRON: Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, Milton, Delaware. Famous for being aged in Palo Santo wood. An American Brown Ale with smoky notes and sweet nutty malt and hints of dark fruit. 12% ABV.
ALLAGASH CURIEUX: Allagash Brewing Company, Portland, Maine. A Belgian-style Tripel aged in Jim Beam bourbon barrels; wood and vanilla, some fruit and spice. 11% ABV.
OAKED ARROGANT BASTARD: Stone Brewing Company, Escondido, California. The oaked version of this classic American Strong Ale has a more nuanced, oaky flavor that adds a nice depth of character and tannic qualities. 7.2% ABV.
RUSSIAN RIVER CONSECRATION: Russian River Brewing Company, Santa Rosa, California. A sour American Wild Ale aged for six months in Cabernet Sauvignon barrels; currants added to the brewing process. Earthy, funky, and sour; complex dark fruit profile. 10.5% ABV.
Once You Go Black
As we mentioned when talking about Porters and Stouts, dark beer suffers from a lot of stereotypes, and people new to beer seem to shy away from the darker brew. We’ve pointed out some dark beers that are much lighter in body and flavor than one would expect (see Chapters 4 and 5)—beers that aren’t so high in alcohol and that are easy enough for a new craft beer drinker to get into. These are not those beers. Imperial Stouts and Smoked beers are definitely on the bigger side, not always because of alcohol content but because of a bold flavor profile. These are beers that benefit from having a bit of beer knowledge under your belt, simply so you can appreciate their complexity instead of being put off by their intensity. Graduating to a level in your Beer Journey where you can appreciate these beers is exciting, even titillating. These are beers that grab your attention and dominate your palate (if you’re into that sort of thing).
Smoke Gets in Your Beer: Sexy Smoked Beers
THIS BEER’S FOR YOU IF YOU LIKE: BACON. BBQ. LAPSANG SOUCHONG TEA. WOOD FIRES. PEATY SCOTCH. BOLD FLAVOR. LOW HOPS.
On the more eccentric side of beer styles are smoked beers. They may even be the most fetishistic of this chapter due to their unusual flavor. These are beers made from malt that has been smoked over a flame (see, kinky!). Historically, in the absence of a kiln, malt was often dried in the sun, but aside from that, drying malt over an open flame was the only option. This of course produced smoke, which seeped into and flavored the malt. Smoked beers often have a sweetness underneath the smoke, which can be chocolaty and nutty, or a bit spicy. These beers tend to have a hop presence that dries out that sweetness, but the hops are not usually present as a strong flavor, and smoked beers are therefore typically low in bitterness.
The most famous smoked beer is the Rauchbier. Rauchbier (rauch means “smoke” in German) is a German style, primarily out of Bamberg, that is made from malt that has been smoked over an open flame using beechwood logs. (The malt is often actually dried in a kiln, but with the logs and flame underneath.) Rauchbiers range anywhere from 4% to 7% ABV and have such a pronounced smokiness that people often compare the taste to bacon or smoked meat. Rauchbiers are brewed in the substyles of Marzens (toasty seasonal lagers), Weizens (wheat beer), and Urbocks (“original Bock” beer), using the lager or ale process, depending on the style. Schlenkerla, one of the most famous breweries in Bamberg, even makes a Helles that has a touch of smoke due solely to its proximity to the smoking area during the brewing process. After the Rauchbiers at Schlenkerla are brewed, they are then matured in a 700-year-old cellar for six to eight weeks, allowing the smoke to mellow a touch. The beer is served at the brewery straight from oak barrels, keeping the history and tradition alive. Though people often taste a Rauchbier and exclaim, “It’s good, but I couldn’t drink a whole glass of it,” Schlenkerla brewery advises drinking two or three, claiming that once the taste buds grow accustomed to the smoke, the beer gets exponentially yummier. (We can vouch for that!)
Besides Rauchbier, American brewers make their own smoked beers, using smoked malts for Porters, Stouts, Brown Ales, American Lagers, Scotch Ale, and so on. Experiments with smoke can be a thrilling process for craft brewers who want that little something special in their brew.
Beer with smoky flavors can be a challenge to the palate but, we think, a good challenge. After all, you’re moving up in the beer world; time to face challenges head-on. A small percentage of people are predisposed to loving smoky flavors; others appreciate sitting round a campfire but don’t like smoky flavors in their food and drink. So this style will shock the hell out of many of you, but keep an open mind; there is a time and place for every style of beer. The next time you serve BBQ or any smoked meat, try pairing it with some smoked beer, and dazzle your taste buds with these fine choices:
CRAFTSMAN SMOKED BLACK LAGER: Craftsman Brewery, Pasadena, California. Crisp, smoky, well-balanced, light body, roasted coffee, and ash. 5.2% ABV.
AECHT SCHLENKERLA RAUCHBIER URBOCK: Brauerei Heller-Trum, Bamberg, Germany. Smells like a fireplace, huge smoke, touch of caramel, dry on the end. 6.6% ABV.
AECHT SCHLENKERLA RAUCHBIER MARZEN: Brauerei Heller Trum, Bamberg, Germany. Smells like smoked ham, bit of sweetness, touch of tangy hops, and huge smoke all around. 5.4% ABV.
ALASKAN SMOKED PORTER: Alaskan Brewing Company, Juneau, Alaska. Smells like bacon, super smoky, sweet malt, best when aged awhile. 6.5% ABV.
Российский Императорский Стау т:
Russian Imperial Stout
THIS BEER’S FOR YOU IF YOU LIKE: RUSSIAN CZARS. BORSCHT. SHOTS OF ESPRESSO. 80% CACAO CHOCOLATE. HIGH ALCOHOL. BIG FURRY HATS. AN EXTRA-BITTER BITE. DR. ZHIVAGO.
The creation of the Russian Imperial Stout (RIS) is similar to that of the India Pale Ale. The main legend is that Peter the Great was a fan of the popular Porters (also called Stouts, see Chapter 4) he had tasted in England, but when he had them shipped to Russia, many had gone bad (embarrassing at any beer party!). The story goes that London’s Barclay Brewery added hops to its Porter and upped the alcohol content to help it last the journey, et voilà—Russian Imperial Stout was born. The hops lent their preservative quality and added a higher bitterness to the dark Stout. The style supposedly became quite popular in the Russian court. Apparently, Catherine the Great became a devoted RIS drinker
and shared pints with her court (this should shatter the myth that women don’t like strong dark beers; if it’s good enough for an empress, ladies ...).
Russian Imperial Stouts have become a favorite style of the craft beer world. The high alcohol and hops support a variety of intense flavors and can be a great palate for brewers who want to get extreme. The flavors of an RIS often conjure up notes of bitter, strong espresso, and bitter, dark chocolate. More complex RISs can boast notes of dried fruit, ash, rum, vanilla, and Port. The Port or rum-like and vanilla qualities come out especially in RISs that are aged in barrels. The high alcohol makes these beers perfect for aging and especially for barrel-aging, which can also lend an oaky quality to the ale. Their alcohol can be anywhere from 7% to 14%, making them a great nightcap. Beer-geeks get all hot and heavy about extra-special RISs, especially those who seek out the biggest, boldest, most extreme beers.
There is nothing quite like a complex Russian Imperial. It really does upend any preconceived notions about beer’s boundaries. Every sip can bring out a new level of depth. Barrel-aged RISs can be as fine as a great bourbon or Scotch and are fantastic with a cigar. And RISs can take on a whole new life on creamer faucets; the weight on the tongue goes perfectly with the deep bitter chocolate and coffee notes of a typical RIS, sometimes smoothing out a bit of the bitterness. At the end of the evening, sip on one of these and soak up the dark depths:
OLD RASPUTIN RUSSIAN IMPERIAL STOUT: North Coast Brewing Company, Fort Bragg, California. One of our favorite brews; deep bitter espresso and dark, dark chocolate. A perfect nightcap, and great poured over vanilla bean gelato. 9% ABV.
THE ABYSS: Deschutes Brewing Company, Bend, Oregon. A highly sought-after RIS, seasonal and rare. Aged in French oak bourbon barrels; notes of molasses, licorice, and dark fruit. 11% ABV.
ALESMITH SPEEDWAY STOUT: AleSmith Brewing Company, San Diego, California. An intensely dark stout brewed with a ton of rich coffee. Dark chocolate notes with a rich toasted caramel. There is a barrel-aged version that is rare and adds notes of oak and bourbon. 12% ABV.
IMPERIAL EVERYTHING! IT’S GOOD TO BE KING
The Russian Imperial Stout had such a fancy name, everyone wanted to get a piece of the crown. Imperial in the RIS came to refer not only to the court that loved to drink it but also to the higher bitterness and alcohol that defined and differentiated this Stout. Brewers today have stolen that word and applied its flavor associations to a variety of other styles, usually increasing the hops and alcohol and perhaps overall intensity of the beer. Imperial IPA, Imperial Porter, Imperial Pilsner, Imperial Okto berfest, Imperial Pale Ale; these styles are popping up on labels at many craft breweries that want to get into the extreme beer world. Some breweries feel that they have to provide at least one extreme beer just to get themselves noticed in the craft beer world, and one way to do that is to take a popular Pilsner or Porter and make it a double, so to speak.
So if you see “Imperial” on the label, you can expect a beer that is more intense and higher in alcohol than the original style. It seems logical; after all, it was the kings and queens and emperors who loved excess. Double the diamonds, double the furs, double the feast, double the lovers, so why not double the beer and christen it Imperial?
THREE FLOYDS DARK LORD RUSSIAN IMPERIAL STOUT: Three Floyds Brewing Company, Munster, Indiana. Dark and oily, chocolate, vanilla and bourbon notes. Cherry and blackberry notes; alcohol is fairly well hidden. 13% ABV.
Does Size Matter? High-Alcohol-Content Big Beers
Yes. Yes, size matters. (Sorry, boys.)
It especially matters when you hit the Barleywine Festival a little too hard and do something that requires the walk of shame back to your apartment the next morning. Or when you don’t know what the hell a Quadrupel is and down a whole 750-milliliter bottle at the pub, fueling your desire to stand on top of the bar and offer your best rendition of “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore” to a room full of confused patrons.
Barleywines are huge beers, usually with super-malty flavor profiles and sometimes sky-high alcohol contents. The following big beers must be consumed with caution and reverence. Sipping is key, not gulping. Even when you are careful, they can cause an embarrassing beer incident, but we know you can handle it ... right?
Beer Goggles: Is It a Wine or a Beer?
Barley wine
THIS BEER’S FOR YOU IF YOU LIKE: OLD ENGLISH ALES. ANTIQUES. DRIED FRUIT. SIPPING. WINTER. HIGH ALCOHOL. PORT. WOODEN BARRELS. FESTIVALS.
There are some people who claim that Barleywine was named such because its ABV was so high that brewers felt that they should warn their customers. Other people say that the word Barleywine originated in the 18th and 19th centuries in England, apparently because England was so often at war with France that the consumption of French wine was considered unpatriotic in England (think “freedom fries”), so the upper classes called their strong ales Barleywines and drank them instead of the popular French Claret. Obviously Barleywines are not actually wine, because they are not made from fruit but from malted grains. This is why Americans call them Barleywine-style ales. A long name perhaps, but a bit more accurate. Barleywines are similar to what the British called Old Ale (Old Ale was not quite as high in alcohol as Barleywines and never had the hop bitterness that some Barleywines have). These ales have always been the strongest of the English ales and were often aged and saved for a special occasion or the holidays.
Barleywines are made with a high amount of malt, usually a pale malt, which is boiled for a long time, allowing it to reduce and caramelize and turn a deeper color. This high dose of malt leads to a high ABV, anywhere from 8% to 14%, and a rich sweet flavor. Because of this intensity, Barleywines are meant to be sipped slowly, like a liqueur. The typical Barleywine flavors are those of dried fruit or coffee and chocolate, with an intensely sticky mouthfeel and warm alcohol presence. They can be super hoppy or not hoppy at all; in England, the Barleywines tend to be less hoppy compared to the American beers, which typically tend to be well hopped. You may see some American-made Barleywines described as English-style, referring to the more traditional, lower hop presence.
Because of the high alcohol content and big flavor, Barleywines benefit from aging in barrels, and this common old English practice continues today. The aging can help mellow out the intensity and add dryness, which comes from the tannins in the wood barrels. If not aged in wood, simply the passage of time helps mellow these ales, just as it does for wine. Beer enthusiasts love to taste different vintages of Barleywine from the same producer, noting how the recipes for each year vary and how time can make one more nuanced than the other. These ales are released in the winter, which makes sense; nothing better than a rich Barleywine to warm you up in the cooler months. Here are some recent favorites:
BIG WOODY: Glacier Brewhouse, Anchorage, Alaska. Intense English malt and fruit. Aged in Jim Beam and Napa Valley wine barrels for a year. 10.75% ABV.
ARCTIC DEVIL: Midnight Sun Brewing, Anchorage, Alaska. English-style Barleywine aged in Port and whisky barrels; rich brown sugar, rum, oak, and fig. 13.2% ABV.
LOWER DA BOOM: 21st Amendment Brewery, San Francisco, California. Sweet toffee, port, and caramel, with some bitter hops. 10.5% ABV.
SIERRA NEVADA BIGFOOT: Sierra Nevada, Chico, California. An American-style Barleywine. Rich dark fruit and a huge bang of big, wet hops. 9.6% ABV.
Nice Quads: Quadrupels
THIS BEER’S FOR YOU IF YOU LIKE: LEG CURLS. HIGH ALCOHOL. BIG FLAVORS. STEROIDS. DEBATING. FORGETTING LAST NIGHT. VARIETY.
To us, a Quadrupel is sort of like a double-double Abbey Ale. It’s a name sometimes given to super-strong Trappist, Abbey, and Abbey-style ales. They are the extreme beer of the Belgians, big and burly, fruity and full of spirit. Many beers are now calling themselves Quadrupel to make it known that they are brewed in the style of the Belgian Trappist beers, but bigger. There is much debate as to whether a Quadrupel is actually a true beer style. The Beer Judges Certification Program doesn’t recog
nize the Quadrupel as a style, instead relegating many of these beers to a Belgian Strong Ale or Belgian Specialty Ale category. Official beer style or not, if you hear the word quadrupel, expect a super-malty and viscous sweet beer with notes of cherries, plums, figs, and sometimes chocolate, with lots of heat in the exhaust. The ABV on these Belgian bad boys usually starts at 10%, so strap yourself in and enjoy the ride. Check out these Quads:
PANNEPOT OLD FISHERMAN’S ALE: De Struise Brouwers, De Panne, Belgium. Maple syrup, molasses, rum, toffee, and ginger highlight this extraordinary ale named after the fishing boats of De Panne. 10% ABV.
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