Adding Bourbon Shot for Pseudo Barrel-Aging

"A boilermaker can refer to two types of beer cocktail. In American terminology, the drink consists of a glass of beer and a shot of whiskey.[1] The beer is either served as a chaser or mixed with the whiskey. When the beer is served as a chaser, the drink is often called simply a shot and a beer."

"If the full shot glass is dropped into the beer glass, the drink is known as a depth charge."

I think I've heard of a "depth charge" before, but wasn't familiar with it. Regardless, seems like they're pretty much the same thing


"I wouldn't waste good bourbon on this"
But bourbon and rye are cheap for the most part It's not scotch. A 10yr is a little excessive IMO, but I never have anything lower quality than Bulleit Rye and Bourbon on hand, which are only ~$30/750mL

 

There is a wine shop owner (Bradley's) near me who I once saw spike a Pugachev's Cobra with bourbon. Asked if I wanted some, but I passed.

 

As I read it, the boilermaker is a specific type of depth charge which, in turn, is a class of drinks.

 

I only buy beers that are too good to waste pouring bourbon into.

 

Given that the wiki page is titled "boilermaker", and the qualifier "if___, it is called a depth charge", I assumed the opposite. I'm not sure how old of 'a term depth charge is, but the term boilermaker has been around since the 1800's.

 

I added some Rittenhouse Rye to some Founders Porter the other day and even with the small amount I put in I thought the spirit flavor was overpowering, too much oak and alcohol flavor verses the more vanilla and subtle oak that you get from most barrel aged beers.

 

I also put a very small amount in a beer years back and it was terrible. After that I just bought a barrel and it works much better. The smaller barrels are fairly cheap if you brew at home.

 

OK so I wouldn't recommend wasting your "too good" bourbon on this, but my bottle of eagle rare 10 year was only about $27 dollars. This bourbon has a taste profile more along the lines tobacco and leather, rather than vanilla and sweet caramel, and it also has a really dry finish. I believe that it did replicate a barrel character somewhat, and I do not think that it ruined the beers at all. I wouldn't do this for every founders IS or Bell Expedition I open, but if I'm in the mood for something different.

Oh and I forgot to mention, my bourbon has a shit-ton of oak flavor, which really helped it replicate the aforementioned "barrel character"

 

I've added a shot of Bourbon (Evan Williams) to Founders Imperial Stout and thought it tasted pretty good.

 

RIS go great with popcorn- a movie favorite of mine. I've seen people pour Frangelica into Guinness, tastes pretty good.

 

I have bourbon soaked oak chips that I will occasionally let steep into a stout. You get a little oak and bourbon taste without totally overpowering it. I like pressing in coffee or toasted coconut more though.

 

I only buy beers that are too good to waste by diluting them with bourbon.

 

Good bourbon is never a thing to waste.

That said, I had a home brewed Imperial Oatmeal Stout that I brewed years ago and added a splash of Jim Beam to. It was pretty good actually. It wouldn't say it improved the beer, but it was different and tasty. And spending a bit of Beam on the experiment was a small price to pay.

 

if only this were true of me, but my curiosity gets me burned now and then. also, old sierra nevada IPAs (particularly celebration) + woodford reserve = good.

i would never buy something and be like, "i'm gonna spike this!" but i've got burned by tried and tested* brewers.

* redundant.

 

A wee nip (probably 1/2 oz) of Elmer T. Lee in a Founder's Breakfast Stout makes a right tasty beverage.

Discovered this while sippin' some ETL and enjoying a FBS with my son.

 

No. It won't work. You are just pouring bourbon into a beer, and that is all that you will get from it.

 

is that not just called a beer cocktail?

 

I feel no beer should need anything added to it, especially if it's a good beer. Drink bourbon if you like bourbon and drink a good beer; the two liquids should be kept separate in my opinion

 

You shouldn't have to do this with a good beer, but it can "save" a mediocre stout or porter. You just need a tiny bit of the bourbon, really the cost of the bourbon is almost irrelevant since you're just using a drop or two.

It's not the same flavor as barrel-aging since you don't get the oak and vanilla, and the flavors don't have a chance to integrate very well. It can improve a beer in certain situations though.

 

I once tried on a backpacking trip was ten fidy and jack. Screwed both up. Never again.