Yes, I know about Gueuze, but by and large NG does not barrel age beers. I know Dan and Deb read this site, so maybe they can answer if they feel so inclined. But does anyone else know the reason for this? I'm not dissing this brewery at all. They are the most successful brewery in this state that produces quality brews. They make multiple fantastic brews and I appreciate a lot that they do. But when I compare them to the other big name breweries in the midwest (surly, GI, founders, FFF, great lakes) the one thing that stands out is their lack of a big BA beer. Theres no doubt everyone in this state who drinks craft knows the NG name. Can you imagine how successful a brewery-only release of a big BA brew would be for them? I'm like salivating at the thought as I type this! Make it happen NG!!!
Dan doesn't want to make big beers. He likes making more sessionable beers that everyone can enjoy... at least this is what I've heard. They can correct me if I'm wrong.
Like Iced Barleywine, IIPA, Barley Wine, Eisbock, and Imperial Stout? U trollin bro? They've made a bunch of barrel aged beers. Enigma, Cranbic, Bourbon Barrel Bock, Bourbon Barrel Quad, Bohemian Lager, etc. etc. Raspberry Tart & Belgian Red were aged in oak foudres at one point, not sure if that's still the case.
Yes, I'm trollin' so hard. You named two beers that were over 10% and one has been retired for years. Albeit I have only been in Wisconsin for 2 years so I haven't seen any bourbon barrel aged anything. He obviously isn't big on bourbon barrels because he hasn't done one in at least two years. By the way, that IIPA was not a "big" beer and the imperial stout was 8.5%.
Says some dude speaking for Dan... http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/590/?sort=abvD http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/590/?sort=abvD&show=arc
Short of branching out of WI, how much bigger or successful could New Glarus possibly get? Any shop or establishment with a liquor license in the state of WI will sell New Glarus; keeping up with trends (yes, it's a trend, a delicious trend) isn't a concern for them. To get back to the point: New Garus seems very much interested in making easy-drinking beers at a very high level. While they are certainly comfortable stepping out of those paramaters with the Unplugged/Thumbprint series as mentioned by emerge077 - see also Berliner Weisse and Old English Porter for additional non-mass-marketable styles we'll likely never see again, sadly - I don't see them jumping on the barrel-aged train.
I don't really think this is part of their business model. They seem more interested in making sure their beers are available to every Wisconsinite who wants to purchase them. The only exceptions were the R&D Gueuze and Bourbon Barrel Kriek, and you can see how many R&D beers have been released since then... Most people don't realize how huge a brewery New Glarus is in terms of output - it may not be practical to be sourcing and warehousing bourbon barrels in the quantity they'd need to make those sorts of beers. With Enigma, Old English Porter, Cranbic, Cherry Stout, etc. they can just leave the barrels outside as they're supposed to be 'infected', and they can keep re-using whatever barrels they already have. Besides, Wisconsinites already have Central Waters and Tyranena putting out inexpensive and readily available barrel-aged stouts, porters, barleywines, etc.
