Barrel-Aged Beer: Where To Buy The Best Brews

Barrel-aged beer is a beer that has been aged in a wooden barrel or in contact with wood. This process imparts a unique character to the beer, including the flavour of what was previously in the barrel. There are several online stores that sell barrel-aged beer, such as CraftShack and Total Wine & More.

Online retailers

There are several online retailers that sell barrel-aged beer. CraftShack, for example, offers a collection of barrel-aged beers, including options like the Bottle Logic Phosphorescence (2021) and the Founders KBS Cinnamon Vanilla Cocoa Imperial Stout. CraftShack provides speedy delivery and has a user-friendly website for placing orders.

Another option is Best Damn Beer Shop, which offers a wide range of craft beers, including barrel-aged options. Their website features detailed descriptions of each beer, and they also have a newsletter that customers can subscribe to in order to stay updated on the latest brews and deals.

For those interested in a broader selection of alcoholic beverages, websites like Craft City and 1000 Corks offer a variety of spirits, including whiskey, tequila, cognac, vodka, and gin, in addition to craft beers. Craft City, in particular, has a rewards system where customers can earn points for purchases, leading to discounts and free bottles.

When purchasing from online retailers, it is important to keep in mind the legal requirements for buying alcohol, as most websites will require the customer to be of legal drinking age and may have specific rules regarding delivery and pickup options.

American Double/Imperial Stouts

American brewers have pushed the boundaries of the American Stout, resulting in the American Double/Imperial Stout, a very robust and full-bodied beer with a complex aroma and flavour profile. This style of beer is typically dark, almost black, showcasing its roasted malt soul. The rich malts are complemented by high hop aromas and flavours, along with alcohol notes and dark fruit esters. Many American Imperial Stouts are aged in whiskey or bourbon barrels, adding further depth to their character.

Founders Brewing Co.

Founders Breakfast Stout is a classic example of the style, offering a robust and full-bodied drinking experience. It is available in 4-packs of 12oz bottles.

Dogfish Head Craft Brewery

Dogfish Head Worldwide Stout is another well-known representative of the style, showcasing the innovative spirit of American brewers.

Bear Republic Brewing Co.

Bear Republic Big Bear Black Stout is an award-winning American Double/Imperial Stout known for its bold flavours and complexity.

Bell's Brewery

Bell's Java Stout is a coffee-forward interpretation of the style, infusing robust stout flavours with notes of dark roast coffee.

Stoudts Brewing Co.

Stoudts Fat Dog Imperial Stout is a strong and assertive beer with a complex malt character and a smooth finish.

Great Divide Brewing Co.

Great Divide Espresso Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout takes the brewery's well-known Yeti Imperial Stout and ages it in oak chips, infusing subtle oak and vanilla notes into the already robust and chocolatey beer.

AleSmith Brewing Company

AleSmith Speedway Stout is a highly-rated and popular variation, showcasing intense coffee and chocolate flavours. It is available in both the original and Vietnamese coffee versions.

PFriem Family Brewers

PFriem Family Brewers offer a unique take on the style with their Bourbon Barrel Imperial Stout. Aged in bourbon barrels, this beer develops flavours of roasted malt, chocolate mousse, coconut, and ripe cherry.

Wichita Brewing Co.

Wichita Brewing Co.'s Catherine III Russian Imperial Stout is a highly-rated example of the style, offering a complex array of flavours, including chocolate, oak, whiskey, roasted coffee, and dark fruit notes.

SweetWater Brewing Company

SweetWater Brewing Company's Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout is a full-bodied and supremely rich interpretation of the style, showcasing subtle notes of chocolate and bourbon from the barrel-aging process.

These are just a few examples of the many American Double/Imperial Stouts available to purchase. Each brewery puts its unique spin on the style, so exploring different options can be an enjoyable journey of discovery.

Belgian lambics

Lambic beer is a unique type of beer, brewed in the Pajottenland region of Belgium, dating back to the 13th century. Lambic differs from other beers as it is fermented through exposure to wild yeasts and bacteria native to the Zenne valley, giving it a distinctive dry, vinous, and cidery flavour, often with a tart aftertaste. Lambic beer is produced by spontaneous fermentation, using malted barley, unmalted wheat, and a lot of old hops, fermented in old oak barrels.

BelgianStyleAles also offers a selection of lambics, including Lindemans, Boon, and 3 Fonteinen, with products ranging from $10 to $20 for 12oz to 25.4oz bottles.

For those looking to purchase in-person, lambic beers can be found at specialist beer retailers and bottle shops. It is worth noting that lambic beers are typically only produced near Brussels due to the region's natural microflora, so availability outside of Belgium may be limited.

When purchasing Belgian lambics, it is important to note that there are different types, including gueuze, kriek lambic, and framboise, each with its unique characteristics and flavour profiles. Gueuze, for example, is a blend of young and old lambics, bottled together to undergo secondary fermentation, resulting in a dry and sour taste. Kriek lambic is made by refermenting lambic in the presence of sour cherries, while framboise uses raspberries.

Bourbon barrel-aged beers

CraftShack offers a range of bourbon barrel-aged beers, including:

• Bottle Logic Brewing Co. Fundamental Observation, an Imperial Vanilla Stout with 13% ABV, priced at $25.49
• Anchorage Brewing Anchorage No Sleep, a blend of several vintages of double oaked barley wine and imperial stouts aged in bourbon barrels, with 15% ABV, priced at $89.99
• Prairie Artisan Ales Barrel-Aged Christmas BOMB Imperial Stout, an Imperial Stout with spices aged in bourbon barrels, with 13% ABV, priced at $17.99

Total Wine & More also offers a selection of bourbon barrel-aged beers, including:

• Dragon's Milk by New Holland, available in 4pk-12oz bottles or a 22oz bottle
• Founders KBS (Kentucky Breakfast Stout), available in 4pk-12oz bottles
• Boulevard Bourbon Barrel Quad, available in 4pk-12oz bottles
• Guinness Bulleit BBA Stock Ale, available in 4pk-11oz bottles
• Dogfish Head Bourbon Barrel-Aged World Wide Stout, available in 4pk-12oz bottles

In addition, Oyster Bay Brewing Company offers its own Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout (Four Roses), which is aged in Four Roses Bourbon barrels for one year and has an ABV of 12.5%. It is available to purchase directly from the brewer's website for $20.

Wood-ageing

The Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) has a category for wood-aged beer, which specifies that the beer should be aged in wood without added alcohol character from previous use of the barrel. Bourbon-barrel-aged beers or other similar beers are classified as Specialty Wood-Aged Beers.

When choosing wood for ageing, it is important to consider the species of wood, the growing area, and the treatment of the wood. These factors will impact the flavours that the wood imparts to the beer. Additionally, the size and type of barrel used can vary depending on the desired effect. Traditional Belgian lambic breweries use wooden barrels that can be up to 150 years old and range in size from 250 litres to 10,000 litres or more.

Frequently asked questions