Bottleworks Anniversary Beer

I really liked de Garde's gin barrel wild IPA.

But this is a dark beer in gin barrels, so it's gonna be different.

 

Both of those are styles that we expect to go with gin (as much as we expect anything to). I have no expectations of this being anything I want bottles of, but hopefully it proves me wrong.

 

We're being trolled.

 

I'm not a big gin fan, but Sound put their Monk's Indiscretion in gin barrels and it was pretty good. A Baltic Porter in gin barrels does sound strange though. I'll pass on it.

 

At the Heron Hunting Club event at Fremont, they had Rye Saison in local gin barrels. It was great, definitely the best gin barrel aged beer I've had

 

I think there are at least two different gin barrel variations. I remember having it in Oola barrels at the expansion party this past fall.

Upstream in Omaha has also done a saison in (Ransom) gin barrels.

 

Captive Spirits was the other. Both were on at HHC. They may make it to bottles.

 

currant gin bu, and special herbs are my favorite gin barrel beers to date. i'm really having a hard time envisioning this being worth seeking out.

 

The Commons Creme de Peche was in gin barrels, but I didn't get much if any gin taste from the barrel.

 

those were dang good, though.

 

Uptown Market had de Garde's Faux Pas on the other day - it's a gin barrel-aged hoppy imperial porter. Pretty different, very spruce-y. Not sure I'd get another glass but it was worth trying. Had Breakside's Bellwether - another gin barrel beer - later that day and had a similar take-away.

 

Saw that. I always have to wonder if places and people that save our hoppy beer for more than a few months (more than a year in this case I believe) do the same with their IPA's. Hops fade, particularly dry hops, and fairly quickly. Even in wild beer.

 

Wondered how long they'd had that keg. Definitely not much in the way of hoppy notes in the glass I had.

 

The De Garde Faux Pas is an interesting comparison. Initially I was thinking "how does a baltic porter in gin barrels ... work?" I really dug Faux Pas though I know it was divisive - people loved it or hated it, very little "it's alright" commentary. BUT, that was a wild and hoppy beer which makes the gin more complimentary imho. I'll be very interested to see how this this turns out ...

 

From Bottleworks:
"We are super excited about this beer, one reason being that it's the first beer The Ram has ever bottled. We'll have this one for sale in wax dipped 22oz. bottles and on draft all day long (or for as long as it lasts). Bottle price will be $11.99 Wednesday. We will run the bar as we have for past releases; tickets up front if you're paying with a card, cash at the bar. Everything on draft will be $5. Easy. See you Wednesday!"

 

Escorts are way better!! Just saying

 

Do yourself a favor, head over to Bottleworks and try this beer. I was as skeptical as most of you and was pleasantly surprised. Very good beer. Aroma of oak and fruit, body has nice balance, dry finish and not too sweet. Try to let it warm up a bit. Not many people in there earlier. I had the pleasure of talking with another beer lover and, as a bonus, I was introduced to brewer Kevin. Got to hear the details on how this beer was made. Bonus bonus a bottle of original Matt hitched a ride home with my Ram bottles.

 

Won't have a chance to stop by until tomorrow, but I'm guessing there will still be bottles.

 

The beer was great, Tons of bottles left