Perhaps this will come as news to you, but aging beers in oak barrels is kind of a big deal. True, you probably won’t see a Maker’s Mark aged Lite Lime Lager in this lifetime (thank God), but more and more breweries are experimenting with barrels of various types, and the impact they have on beer. Amsterdam is leading that charge, with a barrel program like no other in the province. With whiskey, as well as both red and white wine barrels, they currently have hundreds of litres of beer aging slowly, including the massive collaboration, Niabic, which they brewed with Great Lakes, Sawdust City and Indie Ale House (fair enough, that beer is actually aging at Great Lakes, who aren’t too shabby with the barrels either). You might have read about that one in the Toronto Star. Anyways, big boozy beers stand up really well to spending months in oak barrels. And Imperial Stouts, with their charred smokey goodness take on the charred malty qualities of oak barrels like an NBA rookie to a Mercedes-Benz. See where I’m going? It was pretty obvious that Iain was going to take some of his beloved Tempest, and age it in whiskey barrels. In this case, some old Jack Daniels barrels. Here we go!
Tempest Imperial Stout — Whiskey Barrel Aged — Amsterdam Brewing Co.
From a wax-dipped 650ml bottle, Tempest pours a solid opaque black. Nearly no head to speak of, just a touch of loose foam that drops to a slightly fuzzy layer. Aroma is beautiful, charred malts, vanilla, whiskey, oak and a touch of alcohol heat. Taste is heavily whiskey and oak, with vanilla and leather coming through. The Tempest provides coffee and chocolate, as well as some smoke and molasses. The balance is just incredible, though I’m noticing that there is less hop presence in the barrel variety. Still, it works well, and the lingering sweetness dances well with the whiskey flavours. The mouthfeel is smooth and rich, definitely heavy bodied, and with nearly no carbonation to cut it, it’s nearly like drinking a liqueur. Just lovely and complicated. Honestly, one of my favourite beers, if I had cases of this, I would be one happy dude. While I had this out of the fridge, I let it warm up for a good 15 minutes. This is definitely a beer you want warmer than a pils.
Cheers to Iain and the crew at Amsterdam!
Buy This Beer
Watch out for it at the new Brew Pub when it opens (likely in the spring). With all the number of barrels Amsterdam now has, I would fully expect this beer to be available at least semi-frequently. Both retail stores will have it for sale when bottles are available. Follow Amsterdam on Facebook and Twitter to keep track of when special bottles like this go on sale.
Drink This With
A cigar. Seriously, the depth and character in the beer will definitely keep up with the cigar, while the notable alcohol will help keep things light on your palate. But if you’re looking for food suggestions, I would probably recommend the same as yesterday, for the regular Tempest. But this one really and truly is the perfect dessert beer. Get some lovely chocolates, maybe solid bits and truffles, and settle in by a fire with a loved one and make a night of it. That’s the answer: drink this with chocolate and a loved one.
About The Brewery
The Amsterdam Brewing Company is an independently owned and operated craft brewery that is deeply rooted in the city of Toronto. A pioneer of the craft beer revolution in 1986 and initially called the Amsterdam Brasserie and Brew Pub, The Amsterdam was the first of its kind in Toronto to offer patrons hand crafted lagers and ales that were brewed ‘in-house’. Today they brew over ten different beers including their flagship lager – Amsterdam Natural Blonde, the award winning Big Wheel Deluxe Amber, Boneshaker IPA and multiple year-round and seasonal brews. The Amsterdam Brewing Company uses only traditional brewing methods and their beers are made with four all natural ingredients – malt, hops, yeast, and water. All beers are GMO-free, without preservatives, and never heat pasteurized.
To learn more about the Amsterdam Brewing Company visit www.amsterdambeer.com
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Become a fan on Facebook www.facebook.com/amsterdambeer
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