Beer aged in Van Winkle barrels

[ThirstyinOhio]

One of the local craft beer brewers, Hoppin Frog, will be releasing B.O.R.I.S Van Wink on black Friday along with their barrel aged xmas ale. Both beers have been aging in former Van Winkle barrels (I don't know how old these barrels are) and should go well with their beer. They are always well ranked on Beer Advocate (Currently 17th best brewery in the world according to Rate Beer) so I hope its tastey.

[squire]

I don't see how a used Bourbon barrel from Buffalo Trace would age beer any differently than one from, say, Brown-Forman, but I can see how the Van Winkle association would have some commercial value. Is he really going to put Van Wink on the label?

[soonami]

Bourbon barrel aged beers is how I got into bourbon. I was a huge craft beer fan before I came over to bourbon. Some of the best (highest rated) beers in the world are aged in VW barrels like:

Goose Island Rare Bourbon County Brand Stout

Olde Hickory Old Rabbits Foote

Foothills Barrel Aged Sexual Chocolate

Barrel Aged Dark Lord

FiftyFifty Eclipse

...

[jaycamm]

It seems to me that a Makers Mark, Old Fitz or a plain 'ol Weller barrel would do about the same job as a Van Winkle barrel.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[soonami]

Maybe, but Van Winkle barrels tend to have been sitting filled with whiskey for longer so there's less wood tannin and less sugar (generally) than younger barrels. This means the beer can generally be aged longer in the wood without over oaking. Also, as we know from Devil's Cut, there's still a lot of whiskey left in the wood. So the better the whiskey you put in the beer, the better the beer will taste. In many barrel aged beers, the bourbon flavors are very pronounced

[callmeox]

The Aussie Shiraz that was finished in VW barrels (before it was cool) definitely carries bourbon notes forward. I'm sure it would be a different beast if it was finished in some other cooperage.

It is one of the few wines that I'm happy to have purchased by the case.

[Yeti]

I love BORIS and DORIS from Hoppin' Frog (and have a few of both put back). If any of my Ohioan buds wanted to put an extra Van Wink in their cart that would be pretty cool.

[stevegoz]

It seems to me that a Makers Mark, Old Fitz or a plain 'ol Weller barrel would do about the same job as a Van Winkle barrel.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

At $30 a pop it's a tough test to tackle, but the Fifty-Fifty Eclipse BBA stout that comes out once a year demonstrates the difference a particular barrel can make. Each year, the stout is aged in a range of different barrels, then bottled and waxed to indicate which brand of whiskey barrel a particular bottle came from. (I'm exhausted and probably not explaining this very well.) Anyway, here's one blogger's review of the most recent batch of Eclipse releases....

ETA: Of course, you were solely talking wheaters, while the blogger reviewed beers aged in barrels from two wheaters, a rye bourbon, a rye whiskey and a wheat whiskey....

Edited November 21, 2013 by stevegoz

[ThirstyinOhio]

I don't see how a used Bourbon barrel from Buffalo Trace would age beer any differently than one from, say, Brown-Forman, but I can see how the Van Winkle association would have some commercial value. Is he really going to put Van Wink on the label?

Yes he is and here is a link to the label.http://beeradvocate.com/community/threads/hoppin-frog-boris-vanwinkle.127209/

[Eskwar]

Intriguing -- thx for the heads-up, TiO. I'll be up in Cuyahoga County visiting fam in just a few weeks and will keep eyes peeled for it to at least kick the tires. That'll give my trips to the State Stores more purpose this time around (b/c OYO Bourbon just doesn't do it).

[callmeox]

Eskwar, we will be certain to save some snow for your visit.

It is the least we can do.

[ThirstyinOhio]

Intriguing -- thx for the heads-up, TiO. I'll be up in Cuyahoga County visiting fam in just a few weeks and will keep eyes peeled for it to at least kick the tires. That'll give my trips to the State Stores more purpose this time around (b/c OYO Bourbon just doesn't do it).

If the OYO Bourbon (it shouldn't even be called bourbon since what is inside that bottle is blended with wheat whiskey) doesn't do it for you, you could try the other Columbus distillery's bourbon, Watershed. I prefer it to the OYO stuff, but that's not really saying much.

[P&MLiquorsEric]

I would argue that how freshly dumped the barrel is has much more of a role in the final beer than the distillery it came from.

How long the beer sits in the barrels plays a factor too.

Van Winkle barrels carry the prestige and command a premium.

[stevegoz]

I've seen several BA beers promoted as having been aged in Angel's Envy barrels -- begs the question of which of the two different barrels AE resides in was used....

[squire]

I don't believe I could pick out the barrel source in a blind tasting. Hmm, think I'll go pour some Bourbon.

[jaycamm]

Van Winkle barrels carry the prestige and command a premium.

Bingo.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[CL]

How did you get BA Sexual Chocolate? I was told it was only available on tap at the brewery. Though, I did secure a case this past summer of the 22 oz Foothill's BBA People's Porter which Foothills says is also aged in PVW barrels.

[CL]

Bourbon barrel aged beers is how I got into bourbon. I was a huge craft beer fan before I came over to bourbon. Some of the best (highest rated) beers in the world are aged in VW barrels like:

Goose Island Rare Bourbon County Brand Stout

Olde Hickory Old Rabbits Foote

Foothills Barrel Aged Sexual Chocolate

Barrel Aged Dark Lord

FiftyFifty Eclipse

...

How did you get BA Sexual Chocolate? I was told it was only available on tap at the brewery. Though, I did secure a case this past summer of the 22 oz Foothill's BBA People's Porter which Foothills says is also aged in PVW barrels.

[soonami]

How did you get BA Sexual Chocolate? I was told it was only available on tap at the brewery. Though, I did secure a case this past summer of the 22 oz Foothill's BBA People's Porter which Foothills says is also aged in PVW barrels.

It's a one-day special brewery release. I didn't go, but traded with someone that did.

http://beerpulse.com/2013/08/foothills-bourbon-barrel-aged-sexual-chocolate-13-to-be-released-on-september-7th-1176/

[Brophmonster]

Barrels can be rejuvenated if they have dried out after the liquor was dumped.

The general thought with barrel aged beers is the shorter amount of time in wood is more bourbon flavor (or whisky, rum, etc.) and less oak flavor. The longer time in barrel gives more oak and less spirit flavor. Time in barrel is the biggest factor with the end result in barrel aged beers.

[DeanSheen]

My buddies cut me in on 6 of the Hopping Frog. It's pretty tasty, but I was hoping to find more of the Bourbon in there than I did.

[Restaurant man]

My buddies cut me in on 6 of the Hopping Frog. It's pretty tasty, but I was hoping to find more of the Bourbon in there than I did.

Just admit it. You're a pappy slut...

[Eskwar]

Eskwar, we will be certain to save some snow for your visit.

It is the least we can do.

Hopefully y'all can mix in some brownouts, just for a returning native son.

Is there any east side store you'd recommend I patronize in Cleveland? That is, anyone who deserves our week of business, fwiw? I know selection is still somewhat limited, although my understanding is it's not quite the state-store system I recall from the '70s & '80s. Maybe someone w/ a good-enough selection who you simply like to send your $ to?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[brettckeen]

Bull and Bush in Denver did an Amazing van winkle aged stout, won FOBAB in 2010 I think.

[Eskwar]

If the OYO Bourbon (it shouldn't even be called bourbon since what is inside that bottle is blended with wheat whiskey) doesn't do it for you, you could try the other Columbus distillery's bourbon, Watershed. I prefer it to the OYO stuff, but that's not really saying much.

Good to know. Your comment made me check to see if Watershed (hooch-provider) was any relation to Watershed (early '90s band from ~ my hometown of Worthington). I was disappointed to see the answer appears to be "no." Not certain I'll make it that far south on 71 this time.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk