"Aged in [insert your fav here] barrels?? Sold!"

To me, bourbon barrels impart the most complex array of complimentary flavors to beers such as stout, barleywine and weisenbock. Deschutes Class of '88 Barleywine with the grapes and wine barrel aging simply tasted sour and Dark Island Reserve, I don't feel, benefitted at all from Scotch barrel aging.

 

Examples of Beers aged in tequila, brandy, cognac and scotch barrels? I'd love to try some.

I'll echo the sentiment for red wine barrels - does amazing things to the beer.

 

Agave Maria - Lost Abbey for the Tequlia

J.W. Lees Harvest ale comes in scotch barrels and a bunch of others.

Old Numbskull has been put in congac barrels

Mikkler has a bunch of different barrels. I had a their Santa's Little Helper in tequila barrels that was really good.

For the OP - Brandy barrels and red whine barrels normally seal the deal for me. Good ol' bourbon does the trick too.

 

Certain wine varietals (types), gin since it's so rare. Some of the tequila ones I have had have been real nice too, since I love a real good Añejo.

 

Sours aged in red wine barrels are awesome.

 

Old ale in rum barrels

 

I'm a sucker for whiskey barrels, but more specifically rye whiskey barrels. I love the loads of vanilla and spiciness that it imparts.

But sometimes a mix of barrels is the best: see Darkest Hour aged in a combo of rye whiskey and red wine barrels. Then fermented in the bottle with a champagne yeast to make for a crazy interesting and complex beer.

The Ola Dubh series from Harviestoun is aged in various ages of Highland Park scotch barrels.

Clown Shoes Billionaire was aged in cognac barrels. So was Anchorage A Deal With The Devil (which recently was released in a second batch).

 

I've had terrible versions of beers aged in a bunch of different types of barrels. It had nothing to do with the spirit and everything to do with the base beer and decisions on how to barrel treat it. There are no beers I will buy no matter what just because a certain spirit is involved.

 

If I had the opportunity to purchase a brew aged in single malt islay whisky, I would buy it in a second.

Sadly, I've never had the opportunity.

 

Stouts- rum barrels
Sours- wine barrels

 

When it come to Scotch, the spirit is usually aged in sherry butts or bourbon barrels. I'm surprised aging beer in sherry butts hasn't taken off.

 

I'm not a huge fan of a barrel that is going to significantly alter the flavor of the beer, so I don't buy a lot of barrel aged stuff. I do, however, usually enjoy oak-aged beers. Be it from barrels or some other method. Are virgin barrels just regular oak barrels? Or have they been charred and just never held some kind of spirit?

 

Both sours and big stouts, I've had the most "wow" factor from red wine barrels. Of course any types of barrells can be a trainwreck if not done well.

 

I have only had 1 cognac barrel aged beer that I can recall – Mikkeller's Beer Geek Weasel, so I have nothing to compare it to, but thought it tasted great. I chose Bourbon, mainly because it is easiest to find. Seems to be the most popular because it imparts a lot of complex flavors

 

Sours in Wine
Barleywine in brandy or Wine
IPA's in Virgin
Stouts in Virgin or Bourbon

 

One of my favorite beers this year, "between the staves" had 11 months in cognac barrels.

 

Being a big bourbon fan I love bourbon barrel aged beers, then a local small brewery aged their stout in rum barrels and it blew me away.