Adding Bourbon Shot for Pseudo Barrel-Aging

I've dabbled too, nothing can duplicate the delicate balance of really great BA brew. But with mediocre brews a few drops on Bourbon/vanilla make it work, but I love Bourbon too.

 

in the end, i think that's the kicker really: you have to actually like bourbon. if you just like malty, strategically-oxidized beer with vanilla/coconut characteristics imparted by oak, as well as maybe a taming of hops and booziness, then adding a shot of bourbon won't bring you much closer to your goal. you can get some barrel characteristics, but if you wouldn't drink the bourbon that you're adding neat***, chances are you won't like it in beer either.

*** that said, almost the entirety of this evan williams bottle has gone into beer because i'm not a huge fan of it neat. the point stands though, in that i like drinking bourbon straight in general, and this overly-simplistic, slightly-too-hot bourbon has enough of the right characteristics to augment beer.

-------

p.s. currently on day2 of evil twin imperial biscotti break (disappointed me; awesome aroma, awesome roasted malt elements, but sweet flavors very meh), and it has been spiked per this thread. tastes better now, but i still wish it were speedway stout.

 

I love good Bourbons, Single Malts, and Islay Whiskey, but adding them to beer isn't barrel aging. A hammer vs a touch of velvet. I like a lot of Bourbons, some IMO are too smooth, Wild Turkey Rare Breed Imo is ideal, cask strength and it lets you know it's here. Dalwhinnie 15 is perfect, then there's the Islay entries.... My favorites.

 

It kills any hoppy flavor...

 

I like adding bourbon to BA stouts, too *shrugs*
By far the best boilermaker IMO.
But I wouldn't expect to like it if I didn't already love bourbon.
Rye is a great try too. Again, only if you already like rye.
Wild Turkey 101 is a great start to get into bourbons. Rare breed is delicious, as is the rye Turkey.
Knob Creek or Buffalo Trace if you wanna spend a bit more. But its always great to have around, never know when I'll be stopping by

^IPAs are best left alone if you want to taste the hops.
They can still be great, albeit different.

 

I'm going to add an ounce to my forty. Not only can I have a BA Mickey's light but I can pour one out for my homies and still get my swerve on.

 

I've added a shot of bourbon to a stout before, I felt it made it too bourbon-y. HOWEVER, I recently brewed an imperial stout and, because I can, I got 2 of the bottles and put may .5 oz into them before added the stout in. It blended really well over ~3 - 4 weeks. It kind of resembled a BA beer. instead of just whiskey and beer mixed.

 

I've been wanting to try this with some pumpkin ales -namely Schlafly's

 

So far I've added a little bourbon to a glass of founders imperial stout and bells expedition stout, and both tasted good. I used eagle rare 10 year single barrel (my first and only bottle of bourbon I ever bought, for a home brew). Has anyone else tried this, and were you pleased with the results?

 

I did twice a while back. Both times it was horrible and not even close to a Stout aged in a Bourbon barrel. But if you like the taste I say more power to you. It's definitely all about personal taste when it comes to beer and mixing.

 

I only buy bourbons that are too good to waste pouring into a beer.

 

The qualities you get from a barrel are different than what you get from the actual bourbon. It's not like coffee. You can't just dump bourbon in a beer and expect to achieve the quality that is achieved by months/years a barrell provides

 

I've cold pressed coffee into stouts but I haven't poured bourbon into a beer. it doesn't seem like it would add the same kinda qualities youre looking for in a barrel aged beer

 

Sounds like a variant on the classic cocktail, the Depth Charge, where you drop a shotglass of whiskey into a glass of beer. If you use Jameson and Guiness, it's called and Irish Car Bomb.

 

People who do this only prove they don't understand barrel treatment...or bourbon

 

I think you mean a boilermaker

I will add an ounce of rye/bourbon from time to time, but I prefer adding it to a low ABV porter/stout like Black Butte or Guinness Draft. Makes for a nice hearty alternative to whiskey and soda water.

 

I stand corrected. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depth_charge_(cocktail)

The boilermaker is a type of depth charge.

Also, I neglected the Irish cream in the car bomb.

 

I never thought it would. Just tried it to see what it was like... thanks for the unnecessary info though.

 

Very different from barrel aged, not good IMO. Even a splash will totally overpower it.

 

I wouldn't waste good bourbon on something like this. Jim Beam would work just fine if you want to do it.