Cooler temperatures usually signal a shift to full- bodied beers designed to stimulate your taste buds and make you feel warm and happy. At Oskar Blues, the 2021 winter season is the perfect time to highlight the brewery’s barrel aged expertise and introduce new beers for the season.
Barrel Aged Ten FIDY Imperial Stout is a beer most of us anticipate this time of year, and Oskar Blues isn’t about to let us down. This popular beer is back and with it, Oskar Blues is releasing a new barrel aged brew for the first time: BA21 Vol. 7.
Sara Laurienti, Director of Brewery Operations at Oskar Blues, says that barrel- aged beers are a labor of love and worth every bit of sweat that goes into them.
“Barrel-aged beers are so special because of the amount of care and work that goes into them from so many different people,” says Laurienti. “The quality of our barrel-aged beer directly correlates to the time that our team puts in when it comes to brewing the beer, filling the barrels, organizing the barrel storage for blending and emptying the barrels. Barrel-aging is one of the few things that is really ‘all hands on deck’ across all departments in the brewery.”
Barrel-Aged Ten FIDY Imperial Stout, a 12.5% ABV beer, has been around for many years and is one of Oskar Blues most popular seasonal offerings. This dark, delicious brew spends at least eight months in barrels. The aging adds flavors such as vanilla, bourbon, and wood/oak. The complex taste and surprising smoothness set this beer apart.
BA21 Vol. 7 weighs in at 11.5 ABV and is the latest edition of Oskar Blues’ barrel-aging program. This program dates back to 2020, and continues to amaze craft beer fans with its distinctive releases. Vol. 7 is an imperial sweet stout that owes its unique flavor to the addition of graham crackers, chocolate, and cherry. Add to this the flavor sensations derived from barrel aging and you have the makings of an unforgettable taste sensation.
Laurienti says the process, from idea to brewing to packaging, is what she loves about barrel aging.
“My favorite part of creating barrel aged beers is how creative you can get with them. It’s really exciting when a beer you have been thinking about and working on for eighteen months finally makes it into a can,” said Laurienti.
These two barrel- aged beauties are both available in most places where Oskar Blues beer is presently sold. Quantities are extremely limited. Be sure to add a pit stop at your favorite beverage store to any upcoming holiday plans.
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