What is the hype behind barrel aging?

As a general rule, I tend to avoid "breakfast" flavoured beer; I intensely dislike the flavour of eggs. However, I would pick up a grand Oatmeal Stout, and thoroughly enjoy it. In my case, my aversion to eggs is due to them being prepared poorly, and the stigma has stuck.
I imagine, that, given time (a few decades) either my dislike will change, or calcify. I believe, OP, that as you age, your palate will either evolve as you encounter new flavours, or as you avoid change, be totally unable to adapt to the new, odd flavours.
Or, you had some bad experiences with bourbon (haven't we all?) and thus cannot stomache it.
I guess my rambling point is this: life without variety would be morbidly boring, so try something totally outside your comfort zone as often as you can stand, and see how far you can grow! (even if its not the newest craze, or latest style revival, if its new-to-you, its new enough)

 

I wouldn't suggest you drink something you don't like, but really good barrel-aged stouts don't taste like alcohol/liquor in my experience -- that is, they don't taste like vodka shots, don't have that alcohol burn. The aging combined with the vanilla and wood notes of the barrel generally take off the alcohol heat and replace it with sweeter, easier-to-drink notes.

Many of the barrel-aged beers I've tried do have a bourbon flavor, but that flavor isn't the same as straight bourbon. There's no heat. Again, the aging takes that alcohol heat out of there, which is part of the point.

Barrel-aged stouts are my favorite. If anything, I wish they weren't so hyped so they'd be easier to get.

 

I've been a beer nerd going on 12 years. Started with NewCastle & Guinness and I hated IPAs. 2 years in, all I mainly want are IPAs. I always hated sours and didn't care much for Barrel aged stouts. 5 or so years in after I kept being open to trying a few here and there, the Bourbon Barrel Stouts finally clicked. I don't want one everyday, but usually when winter comes rolling around Indulge in my fair share. It took near 8 years of hating, yes HATING sours. But again, being open to keep trying a few here and there, they finally clicked. Now I'll never turn one down.

Maybe this won't happen for you or the OP, but counting this out is ridiculous.

 

I think bourbon taste goes really well with stouts and porters.

 

So I think some of the responses you've receive may have been a little harsh, but take a tiny step back and look at the way you are contextualizing your opinion about barrel-aged beers. Of course you are more than welcome to not be a fan of them and that doesn't necessarily indicate that you have an unsophisticated palate. But you are being dismissive of the interest in barrel-aged beers when you talk about them as being nothing but hype and describing people that like them as fanatics. It just doesn't sound like you actually are curious why people like them so much as you are just lampooning their popularity.

Now maybe you are genuinely curious, and if so, here are some honest answers:

1) Quality BA beers don't taste like a spirit or wine has been dropped into a base beer. In fact, I would arge that any BA beer that tastes more like the spirit or wine of the barrel it was aged in than it does beer has failed. It's easy to drop a couple of ounces of bourbon/rum/wine/etc into a beer--if that's what fans of BA beers were going for, I can assure you we'd save our money and do that rather than pay the premium markup for most BA beers.

2) An interest in spirits or wine isn't a prerequisite for liking BA beers, but often there is correlation between fans of spirits/wine and fans of BA beers because a lot of the flavor profiles that the barrel imparts to the spirit/wine are also imparted to the beer.

3) I've not had a lot of beers aged in cheap spirit/wine barrels--or at least when I have, I didn't know it at the time, so I would have a hard time answering scientifically if he quality of the spirit/wine barrel used impacts the end flavor of the beer. I would assume so, because cheap spirits/wine don't taste as good as quality spirits/wine, so it stands to reason that imparting less quality components would have an impact on final taste.

4) Lastly, I think a big reason they are respected (aside from people simply liking the taste) is because it introduces yet another factor with which the brewer can demonstrate his/her skill at the art of beer making. It's hard to do well, so when done well, people recognize and respect the process and product.

 

I'll quote the bit that others have highlighted and expand on @TongoRad 's points. The "top beers" content here paints a picture that barrel makes better in the land of the stout. This is a very clear message from the users. While many posts are pointing out that individuals have their personal preferences, this ignores the collective. Could you imagine the shift that would need to occur in the groupthink that could result in a plain jane "Irish dry stout" cracking the top ten? Can a plain jane Irish dry stout be "better" than an amazing used barrel aged stout? I wonder how many people can wrap their head around that idea.

 

I don't think much of bourbon but love malt whisky.
However, a quality, BIG imp stout that has been aged in a bourbon barrel for at least a year is the nectar of the gods.

 

Thank you for the thoughtful comments from BA members on this subject, and I will add very little to this thread. I do like bourbon, whiskeys and rums in moderation - maybe 6 times a year when the mood strikes. I love, and have always loved, stouts. Many brewers have failed, IMHO, to blend the former liquor barrel with their beers but the ones that have succeeded that really made my night are nearly all stouts and I am very grateful for them.

Beers matured a short time in raw wood, especially IPA's and Barleywines, really appeal to me. I believe it gives the beer a softer mouth feel, like a cask beer usually does. No prior liquor or wine necessary in the barrel, just the raw wood or previous beers run through them. I encourage this trend of experimentation and reject the idea that it is a "trend" or "hype" from the brewers, maybe from marketing, but not the beards trying to perfect their craft. There is still more beauty to be found with wood, and certainly distilled blending with fermentation. Brewers all blend their beers now, and only laws in the US prevent them from experimenting further.

For those that are curious, there are a couple of books on this subject on early American alcohol because all they had was wood barrels! And no hops! Here is one interesting article on "flip", which I love to drink whenever I can,... http://www.diffordsguide.com/class-magazine/read-online/en/2011-09-27/page-8/what-the-flip (I always add the egg, but the fruit syrup varies, usually apricot but raspberry is awesome too). I don't see modern brewers as doing anything different with the barrels today, they are following their nose and what at least part of the public (like me) wants.

 

I think you are coming off as angry, which is why some people have responded in a not so nice way.

You are correct in that some people just do not like bourbon, rye, rum, etc. These people may never like barrel aged beers no matter how many times they try them and no matter how badly they hope this disgust for barrel aged beers will change.

Other people love bourbon, etc. and will enjoy a good barrel aged beer their very first time trying one.

Finally you have people like myself. I've never liked bourbon. I never drank it or purchased a bottle of it. I did decide to try to stay open minded however, and I gave a bourbon barrel aged beer a try. I didn't like it the first few times I tried it, but over time I grew to enjoy it. This happens because over time peoples palates evolve and change. Certain flavors that once seemed off putting, magically become tolerable, and then even tasty. It's a crazy concept - I know, but its true!

Try not to be so close minded. You and the OP are entitled to your opinions, and I respect them, but your responses towards people who enjoy things you do not like come off as angry hostility.

 

True. This would be like asking what all the hype is over a Marzen in Germany. The majority is clearly speaking that this is a prefered style in this forum. A style that is no different than any other.

 

they are so revered because a lot of enthusiasts like them. that you need any clarification beyond that smells like troll baiting. nobody mocked your "taste & sophistication". and i guess anyone that does enjoy these hyped brews shall be considered a "fanatic"??

on voicing opinions. you have an opinion. we get that. no-one is questioning your opinion. surprisingly, others have their own opinion that differs. it seems you are questioning the opinions that don't agree with yours. what most sensible members realize is you could focus your energy on what you do like & be off in the woods ENJOYING that which you like. instead you seem intent on spending your time & energy debating what you don't like, don't get or don't understand. sounds like "hyped" beer is not for you. maybe just move on to what is. don't worry. be happy.

 

It's all about personal preference.

If I wanted to drink bourbon or a zinfandel then I would. If I want to drink a Backwood Bastard I will. Your taste and my taste are different, I enjoy barrel aging and you don't. This isn't rocket science...you stated you don't get it? What's not to get? Other people enjoy the flavors of something you don't and I'm sure you enjoy things that others don't...it's all good.

 

Very well put. Bottom line is that this is a techique for imparting flavor into a beer. If anyone, including OP, wants to ask why people enjoy it, or what it offers them that is fine. He made a somewhat ignorant statement though regarding why someone doesnt just drink a glass of bourbon (which I will) or a glass of wine (which I wont). As I already mentioned, I dont drink coffee. Have I? Yes. Could I? Probably. Will I? Not likely. I just enjoy the subtle flavor it contributes to my stouts, my steak rub, and my coffee cake. This would be no different than me asking a coffee drinker, why don't you just eat the beans? That is the reason for most of the negative responses.

 

"I'll never understand this fanatical craze"...really? Then don't be surprised when others say they don't understand your "fanatical craze" for the "vast ocean" of beer you enjoy.

Everyone doesn't enjoy the same flavor profile of beer, wine, spirits, movies, books, music, cars, clothes, politics...ETC. What's not to get...it's called life.

Not trying to be an ass but these posts come up in the forum on a daily basis...I find them to be very simple minded.
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Your Android apparently doesn't know how to spell because, though.

Anyways, I find that I enjoy many barrel aged beers but only ones that are barreled in spirit barrels that I actually enjoy (i.e. Bourbon, Red Wine, White Wine). I don't enjoy rum and am yet to find a rum barreled beer that I enjoy.

That being said, I do think some breweries are taking mediocre beers and throwing it into barrels just to join the craze. If the base beer isn't good chances are the barreled version isn't going to be good either (granted, there are exceptions).

 

Bravo...or why do you put 1/2 & 1/2, sugar or honey in your coffee?

Answer...because I like it.

Disclaimer: I drink my coffee black

 

I love those guys. They spend more time correcting grammar and spelling than anything else. They can't wait for a mistake to pounce on like a rat on a Cheeto. Beware though, they are clearly on a pedestal and they cannot be looked at eye to eye. I look up to them so much, I want to be just like them. They make me laugh.

 

I agree with many others in this thread; when done right it is phenomenal, when done wrong well it's just a boozy tasting mess! I don't love BA beers nor do I hate them, but once in a while it's a nice change of pace especially when you find the one's done right!
Had 4 year old KBS and 1 year old KBS side by side and both were completely awesome! Recently had BA B.O.R.I.S. Van Wink and all the different flavors going on with that beer is crazy! Had BCBS last year and thought it was a little too hot for my liking, but was still an amazing beer! Usually I stay away from BA beers as bourbon is not my favorite either, however this won't stop me from trying them when I can. Most times what turns me off is the aroma-sweetness more than the actual taste, which is why barleywines or on style I stay away from; the aroma and taste are not pleasing to me.

Drink what you like, keep trying everything else from time to time and eventually maybe, just maybe, your palate may change.

 

I think there are a couple different factors in play which will determine your enjoyment of BA beers:

1) Do you like the liquor that was originally in the barrel? If so, you'll probably enjoy the beers that taste strongly of said beer (for example, beers like Dragon's Milk and BCBS have a pretty strong bourbon profile, so if you're turned off by that, you might not enjoy either beer very much).

2) Do you like the flavors the aging adds to a beer, when properly integrated? A stout aged in a bourbon barrel will typically have some vanilla qualities to it, and the mixing of the beer with the barrel will in many cases give you a "creamy" mouthfeel. If that's your sort of the thing, again, BA beers might be your thing.


I've had a bunch of BA stouts (since everyone's making them nowadays), and while not all of them are good, the barrel always adds something unique to the beer, which is why I keep trying them. In the case of beers like Darkness, in my opinion barrel-aging doesn't add much (since it's already a really complex beer, and the barrel-aging hides some of the aspects I liked originally), but in other cases (see: any BCBS beer) it adds a lot.