Widmer Brothers Announces Kill Devil '13

PORTLAND, OR – April 25, 2013 –Widmer Brothers Brewing has released Kill Devil ’13 in the brewery’s limited release Brothers’ Reserve Series. Kill Devil Brown Ale is a unique, limited edition imperial brown ale brewed with two types of molasses and palm sugars, aged in rum barrels.

While bourbon barrel-aging has become commonplace in the craft brewing industry, rum barrel-aging is more rare, due to barrel availability and integrity.

“Rum distillers generally store barrels on their ends when filled rather than their sides, and many are stored outdoors, exposed to the elements. As a result, finding rum barrels for aging beer is a challenge,” said Matt Licklider, director of brewing. “And unlike bourbon distillers who use barrels only once, rum distillers generally re-use their barrels until they fall apart and are no longer usable.”

Widmer Brothers sources rum barrels for Kill Devil from Distilería Serrallés, a family-owned distillery in Puerto Rico that has been making rum since 1865.

“After the initial release of Kill Devil in 2012, we began trying to find enough rum barrels that would allow us to brew the beer again,” said Brewer Doug Rehberg, who created the recipe. “The rum barrels are an important piece to brewing this Caribbean-inspired beer. Without them, Kill Devil simply wouldn’t be the same.”

The unique combination of ingredients, sweetness and rum character makes Kill Devil ’13 a perfect beer to pair with desserts like candied bacon chocolate cheesecake, milk chocolate espresso brownies or Kill Devil pecan rum cake. Kill Devil ’13 can be enjoyed fresh, but will continue to develop with age if cellared.

The 2013 Kill Devil is available for a limited time on-draught and in 22-ounce bottles in limited quantities, with a suggested retail price of $12.99 per bottle.

About 2013 Brothers’ Reserve Kill Devil Brown Ale
The complex flavors of Kill Devil Brown Ale include toasted sugar, sweet Barbados and Blackstrap molasses, along with black licorice and blackened toffee, while the palm sugars add notes of subtle sweetness. As the beer conditions in Puerto Rican rum barrels, the vanilla and subtle oak flavors and aromas develop and integrate with the Calypso hops’ soft tropical and stone-fruit aromas.

Malts: Pale, Aromatic, Caramel 10-L, Extra Special
Hops: Alchemy, Calypso
Other: Sweet Barbados and Blackstrap Molasses, Palm Sugar and Coconut Palm Sugar
Original Gravity: 21 Plato
IBU: 30
ABV: 9.5%

About Widmer Brothers Brewing
What started as a dream for two ordinary brothers who just loved beer has now become a reality for two ordinary brothers who still just love beer. Kurt and Rob Widmer helped lead the Pacific Northwest craft beer movement in 1984 when, in their 20s, they dreamed of brewing unique interpretations of traditional beer styles. In 1986, Widmer Brothers Brewing introduced the first American-style Hefeweizen; today, the unfiltered cloudy beer is the company’s signature brew and one of the best-selling wheat beers in the country. Based in Portland, Ore., the brewery currently brews a variety of beers including its Rotator IPA Series, Drifter Pale Ale, Pitch Black IPA, Nelson Imperial IPA, a high-end Brothers’ Reserve Series and a full four seasonal lineup. For more information about Widmer Brothers Brewing, visit www.widmerbrothers.com.

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