beer in glass

Barrel-Aging beer is nothing new. In fact, it’s a tradition that was born of necessity. Before the modern convenience of utilizing stainless steel vessels for storing and transporting suds, virtually all beer was housed in wooden barrels.

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Fast forward a century or two to the present and craft brewers across the country have discovered that the benefits of aging beer on wood go far beyond storage. They allow for complex variations on flavors, with different wood types imparting unique characteristics to the beers within. Constructed using no screws, nails, or glue, barrels are still crafted by hand using traditional “cooperage” techniques. Cooperage refers to the process of constructing a barrel, while “coopers” are the artisans who have passed on the techniques of their craft down through the years.

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In modern times, the proliferation of Barrel-Aged beers is due in part to a legal requirement that bourbon distilleries only use a new, freshly charred white oak barrel once. After the initial use, they are typically sold to Scotch, Tequila and Rum distilleries throughout the world, but over the last few decades breweries have been buying up these spent barrels and giving them new life.

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Here at Karl Strauss, the majority of our barrels come from Heaven Hill Distilleries which make up the Evan Williams, Elijah Craig and Bernheim Wheat Whiskey brands. Going beyond bourbon, we have been experimenting with Canadian Maple Whiskey, Tequila, Rum and Wine barrels as well. Beers aged in these vessels generally take on the characteristics of the spirit previously held within. For example, toasted barrels lend caramel, butterscotch, and toasted bread flavors while charred barrels provide coffee, chocolate, cocoa, and vanilla qualities. In the case of wine barrels, the beer will often pick up a fruitier, wine-like character and thus are more popular when creating sour beers versus full bodied darker beers.

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Barrel-Aging timelines are all based on brewery preferences. A full year or sometimes just a few months are all that is required to fully capture the lush vanilla notes found in bourbon barrels. For our anniversary series, we age our beer for a full year to allow them adequate time to extract as much flavor as possible. Oftentimes, the seasons dictate how a barrel works its magic. During the summer months the wood opens up allowing the beer to absorb more into the pores and extract more flavors. Eventually, the wood contracts in winter (especially in our “cold” San Diego weather) and squeezes back out the vanillin-rich, flavorful liquid. The aging period is determined based on this seasonal effect.

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Twenty-seven years after kicking off the San Diego craft beer scene, our anniversary has become more and more a cause for celebration. Each year, we brew a specialty beer and age it in American oak Bourbon barrels. For our 27th we brewed a full-bodied Russian Imperial Chocolate Stout, let the barrels do their thing, and the result is an abundance of roasted coffee and cocoa flavors with hints of bourbon and toasted oak. Russian Imperial Stouts are intensely flavored, big, dark ales.  They originated in England and in the 18th century were exported to the Baltic States and Russia – their higher alcohol and hopping levels helped to preserve them during the journey. Luckily, we only have to worry about transporting them from the tap to our bellies.

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You can find our 27th Anniversary Double Chocolate Imperial Stout pouring at our Tasting Room and Brewpubs as well as fine craft beer establishments throughout California.

 

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Proudly serving California since 1989. Brewed fresh at our Main Brewery in Pacific Beach, San Diego.

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