The Other Barrel

Oak & barrel-aging has become a standard in American brewers’ repertoire.  What was probably a given in the days before stainless steel packaging has turned into an artisanal statement among today’s craft brewers, & for good reason.  Aging the right beer on oak or bourbon barrels can contribute so much flavor: vanilla, caramel, whiskey, tannins, nutty, toasty.  Delicious.  Brewers often choose bold, robust styles that the wood can compliment: the original Bourbon County Stout from Goose Island remains a standard-bearer of the style to this day, & aside from imperial stouts, brewers age barleywines, Scotch ales, double IPAs, & other strong styles in wood to elevate the beer to that next level.  Whiskey barrels seem the perfect match to many of these rich, full styles, & represent a hallmark in American experimentation.

But there exists a whole other dimension of barrel-aged beers, one with a history much longer than the bourbon-barrel behemoths.  As I sat down to write today’s blog, I sipped on a glass on Stillwater’s Barrel-Aged Stateside Saison.  The beer I enjoyed was complex, tart, earthy, spicy, hot, challenging, & quite different from, say, a Bourbon County Stout.  My attention shifted to the vast world of barrels used in brewing outside of American oak.  In Belgium, for instance, barrel-aging a beer brings about an entirely different character than the ones we American beer drinkers are used to: dryer, more sour, more vinous.  The barrel’s previous inhabitants have so much influence on the product – in the case of the Stateside, French Chardonnay.  This saison shared a lot of characteristics with a dry wine or even champagne.  A barrel’s resident microflora – bacteria, yeast, other ‘critters’ – can develop, really altering the fermentation process & characteristics of the beer once it’s exposed to them.  So much of lambics’ & Flemish sours’ personality blossoms in the barrel from its contact with these benevolent little beasties.  And, as the barrels are not airtight, oxidation plays a part in transforming the flavors over time, contributing notes of sherry, dark fruit, even a pleasant ‘mustiness’.

While the more ubiquitous robust oak character will probably remain the dominant one in American brewing (no complaints here), more & more American brewers are using oak to add sour & wild components.  Russian River’s excellent wild ales all use barrel-aging.  Jolly Pumpkin stores 100% of their beers in barrels, which are host to their resident strains of critters.  And locally, Helltown has been cultivating sour ales in French wine barrels since about the time they opened (can’t wait to try these!).  These beers are slow in the making, take some care, & are acquired tastes, so they’re not the cheapest & definitely not ‘crowd-pleasers’.  But for many who venture into this ‘alternate dimension’ of barrels, the unique appeal of these beers is hard to shake & can be deeply rewarding.  So take some time to consider the other wood, & you might find something beautiful you never knew was there.