1 minute read
High Spirits: Bourbon Barrel-Aged Beauties
HIGH SPIRITS
BOURBON BARREL-AGED
Advertisement
Beauties
by
JUDITH MARA
very mad cow milk stout
Brewed at Revolution Brewing »
For those of us who were brought up believing that freshly brewed beer is best, hold on to your bottle—we’ve been proven wrong by a revolution. Revolution Brewing, Chicago’s new hometown craft brewery and brewpub which produces over ten styles of bourbon barrel-aged beers, has joined in the revolt that may have started right here.
Brewing beer in barrels is not new; however, the use of bourbon barrels to age beer is as recent as the early 1990’s when both Goose Island and Samuel Adams lay claim to be the first to brew bourbon barrel-aged beer and place it firmly in the hands of the craft beer movement.
“The barrels contribute a big bourbon nose and flavor, and the charred American oak imparts aromas and flavors of caramelized sugar, vanilla and sometimes toasted coconut. Similar to a crème brûlée,” says Revolution Brewing brewmaster, Jim Cibak. The beers can be aged as short as three months or as long as a year depending on the style and desired intensity of barrel character. What to expect from a bourbon barrel-aged beer? The longer the beer is aged, the more you can expect an intense taste with more nuanced flavors and textures, hence all the wine speak used to describe a bourbon barrel-aged beer. Plus it typically has a higher alcohol content that helps the beer age better.
Pictured here is the recently released (fall 2012) Very Mad Cow Milk Stout from Revolution Brewing. “It is a huge milk stout, aged in Woodford Reserve Bourbon and Jack Daniels Whiskey barrels for six months,” says Cibak. “The resulting beer is a rich, roasty stout with a silky, smooth mouthfeel.” He also claims it has all the crème brûlée nuances. And does it really contain milk? Close, it’s actually lactose, a milk sugar that gives the beer a touch of sweetness––in its old age.
