“Whiskey Barrel Aged” is a big, dark, malty Brown Ale aged in whiskey
barrels. It comes in at 9.0% ABV and 27 IBU. We used a blend of six
different malts to give this one notes of sweet dried fruits. The beer
was then aged in whiskey barrels to impart big flavors of vanilla, oak,
and whiskey.
As with all of our
Brewers’ Select Series, there is only a limited run
of 12 oz bottles available exclusively in the Weyerbacher Visitors
Center and the rest of the beer is kegged and sent into the market for
select bars and restaurants. Whiskey Barrel Aged is a once-and-done
beer like the rest of them.
A Lesson in Labels and Names
We sometimes forget, as brewers, that there are lots of questions our
loyal imbibers may have with regard to why some things are the way they
are on a given label. To those that have done this for a long time,
it’s just business… get the labels approved so everyone can get the
beer! But as a reasonably new person in the brewing industry, I often
wonder what else goes into it. I’ve overheard hours of debate about the
new labels as we transition the core brands and the rest of the
seasonals. I’ve heard some of the roadblocks and the debates about the
challenges to overcome. This beer presented me with an opportunity to
understand a bit more about the seemingly crazy label process and this
post gave me an opportunity to pull back the curtain for you… just a
bit.
The phonetic letter for “W” in the NATO alphabet is Whiskey. This
should be no surprise…. nor should it be a surprise to see that it
would be difficult to name a beer after another form of alcohol. It is
also no secret that getting a label approved with the feds can be a bit
tricky if you have to convey a point and stick within a theme which, in
theory, runs against the guidelines for label approval. We thought it
would be difficult to figure out how to make a beer called “Whiskey” but
we were delighted to receive prompt approval for the name “Whiskey
Barrel Aged”.
What we really didn’t count on was how hard it is to explain this quirk
of labels to the public. So, herein, we will attempt to set the record
straight on what “Whiskey Barrel Aged Ale Aged in Whiskey Barrels”
really means and why it is worded like that.
The federal government’s label rules state that your labels must meet
many criteria. With this label we had a significant challenge to
overcome: Use the word “Whiskey” in the actual name of the beer yet
still clearly indicate that it is a BEER and not if fact a WHISKEY.
There is a requirement to specifically indicate what the product
actually is; words like “Ale” and “Lager” and “Stout” are all accepted
names for forms of beer. Well, Whiskey clearly isn’t. This is where
the “fanciful name” and “statement of process” come in. A “fanciful
name” can be nearly anything so we decided to describe what the beer is
AS its name. We then indicate what it is (ALE) and then follow that up
with a “statement of process”. As you look at the label, it says:
Whiskey Barrel Aged
ALE AGED IN WHISKEY BARRELS
Why does it look like we had a lesson in redundancy from the Department
of Redundancy Department? Because the “fanciful name” is “Whiskey
Barrel Aged”, a description of what our beer is, however the requirement
to further indicate it is in fact a BEER and further describe how the
beer differs from others follows explaining how we made the beer as the
“statement of process”. Here’s where it gets tricky: The word “Ale” in
this case, can NOT be a part of the “fanciful name”… hence why the
name seems to be a an abruptly ended sentence without a subject.
Confused yet? Me, too.
SO, ON THAT NOTE: We bring to you the 23rd installment in our brewers’
Select Series: Whiskey (barrel aged).
The
ABV is
9.0 and the
IBU rating is
27
Style - American Brown Ale
Glass to use- Pint Glass, Tumbler, Mug or Stein
Delivery 12oz Bottle
Can be cellared for long periods, under the proper conditions.
The Pour - Pours a brown color with a tan head. Minimal lacing.
Aroma - Up front you get a bit of bourbon mixed with malt notes and vanilla and coconut.
Taste - Malty, sweet, oak tannins, bourbon and vanilla.
Mouth Feel - Medium carbonation and body.
Drinkable
- Not as much "in your face" bourbon like some of the whiskey barrel aged stouts that are on the market today. I would classify this as a "starter" brew for someone who would like to try a whiskey barrel aged beer. This is a hard beer to find since it is only available at the brewery in Easton, PA. Lucky for me it's only 90 minutes away. (Don't tell anyone I got this one in a bottle store in Philly).
This beer pairs very with cheese and chocolate. Can be enjoy with grilled meats.
This beer gets a Duper rating of B+
BeerAdvocate Rating =88
Ratebeer Rating =97
