What was the first barrel aged beer?

Discussion in 'Beer Talk' started by paulys55, Oct 21, 2013.

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  1. paulys55

    paulys55 Initiate (0) Aug 2, 2010 Pennsylvania

    I'm curious and am not looking for answers like, "beers have been stored in barrels for ages...." Looking specifically for the first brewer to brew a beer and intentionally store it in a barrel for the purpose of picking up barrel characteristics. Thanks and cheers.
     
  2. rmalinowski4

    rmalinowski4 Pundit (753) Oct 22, 2010 Illinois

    I remember reading somewhere that Goose Island claims that Bourbon County is the first.
     
  3. checktherhyme

    checktherhyme Savant (1,036) Apr 8, 2008 Washington

    Jesskidden...
     
  4. Bay01

    Bay01 Initiate (0) Nov 19, 2008 Illinois

    I'm assuming you mean non-Lambic in the modern era, that would be Bourbon County Stout - 1992
     
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  5. Domingo

    Domingo Grand Pooh-Bah (4,252) Apr 23, 2005 Colorado
    Pooh-Bah

    I wish I had an exact date, but the Bull & Bush in Denver has been brewing since 1/1/97. They started aging their beers in barrels only a few years afterward thanks to their affinity for whiskies and access to barrels. I'm sure there might have been a few earlier ones, but they were definitely one of the pioneers over here in the states.

    Edit: Looks like BCS definitely pre-dates this one by a few years!
     
  6. paulys55

    paulys55 Initiate (0) Aug 2, 2010 Pennsylvania

    Yes, that is what I was looking for. I thought about BCS when posting. I guess what got me thinking about it was the old story of how barrel aging began in America with the bourbon trade from KY to New Orleans.
     
  7. rozzom

    rozzom Pooh-Bah (2,620) Jan 22, 2011 New York
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Waiting for Marquis
     
  8. Orca

    Orca Grand Pooh-Bah (4,710) Sep 18, 2010 Washington
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    So then for the purposes of your question would "barrel characteristics" include the influence/taste of simple oak (or whatever wood was used to make the barrel)? Or are you specifically asking about the characteristics of bourbon or some other liquor that previously occupied the barrel?

    If the former, I think you'd have to go back a long ways (centuries probably) in Europe. If the latter, then from what I've read Goose Island was the first brewery to put beer in used Bourbon barrels to deliberately pick up Bourbon characteristics.
     
  9. paulys55

    paulys55 Initiate (0) Aug 2, 2010 Pennsylvania

    Sorry, yes, looking more for the latter. Thanks.
     
  10. marquis

    marquis Pooh-Bah (2,313) Nov 20, 2005 England
    Pooh-Bah

    No idea!
    Barrel ageing is as old as the hills of course but to do so with the specific intention of leaching out flavours from the previous contents is a different matter.
    Beer was routinely barreled and left to age for several months before bottling or sent away for sale.
    http://barclayperkins.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/maturing-bass-pale-ale.html
    Vatting beer (barrels are of course specifically casks of 36 gallons UK or 31 gallons US) was done on an immense scale particularly for porters - vats contained up to 20000 barrels and could be 60 feet in diameter.
    The intention though was not to imbue the beer with oak , in fact this was to be avoided at all costs , it was to stale the beer. Brett of course was found in the oak.
    Greene King still do vat one of their brews http://www.beer-pages.com/stories/strong-suffolk.htm
     
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  11. kzoobrew

    kzoobrew Initiate (0) May 8, 2006 Michigan

    I cannot dig up specifics right off the bat but did Sam Adams beat Goose Island to the barrel aging punch with Triple Bock?
     
  12. OudErnest

    OudErnest Initiate (0) Nov 20, 2003 Connecticut

    Fish Brewing in Olympia had the wine barrel-aged Leviathon in the mid 90s but I think Goose Island claims to be the first.
     
  13. ezperkins2

    ezperkins2 Pundit (751) Jan 3, 2011 California
    Trader

    I have always heard that BCBS was the first american brewer to bourbon barrel aged a beer. I know that Lost Abbey put Cuvee De Tomme in barrels back in the late 90's or early 2000's.
     
  14. derftron

    derftron Pooh-Bah (1,663) Feb 8, 2012 Oregon
    Pooh-Bah

    Hair of the Dog has been doing it since 1994. But looks like BCS has been in it since 1992
     
  15. joeebbs

    joeebbs Initiate (0) Apr 29, 2009 Pennsylvania

    ISO: 1992 BCS
     
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