Widmer Brothers Brewing Releases Three Versions of Barrel-Aged Brrrbon

Now in its fourth year in bottles, Widmer Brothers Brewing has released their Barrel-Aged Brrrbon to the delight of many. And to make this year even more special Widmer has also released two variations of Brrrbon; Vanilla Barrel-Age Brrrbon and Ginger Barrel-Aged Brrrbon. All three of these Brrrbon’s will be available on store shelves in wax-dipped 22-ounce bottles and on draught at finer beer bars and restaurants throughout the Widmer distribution network.

The three variations of Barrel-Aged Brrrbon ‘13, Vanilla Barrel-Aged Brrrbon ’13 and Ginger Barrel-Aged Brrrbon ‘13 will be hitting shelves here in Portland any day now. The beers went into Widmer’s distribution earlier this week. For locations outside of Oregon they should begin to see Brrrbon arriving by the end of November.

Earlier this week Widmer Brothers hosted a tasting where guests where able to sample every year of Barrel-Aged Brrrbon from 2009 – 2013 along with the new varieties of Vanilla Barrel-Aged Brrrbon and Ginger Barrel-Aged Brrrbon. The base beer for Barrel-Aged Brrrbon has remained the same since 2010 which is a imperial version of Widmer’s Seasonal Brrr. Back in 2009 when Widmer offered Barrel-Aged Brrrbon only on draught, the brewers used the standard packaged version of Brrr.

Being able to try all five years of Barrel-Aged Brrrbon was a treat. Sampling all 5 years side by side offered an interesting perspective of how they each age so differently. And this sampling was enhanced by the fine staff at North Portland’s The Old Gold by pairing each year with a fine bourbon. Here is the breakdown so you too can try this at home. (To be able to function the following morning I only tried one of these Brrrbon/Bourbon pairings.)

• 2009 Brrrbon paired with 1792 Ridgemont Reserve Bourbon – Wow, this one held up very well and was my favorite of the evening. The ’09 was the smoothest of the evening and offered up the most notes of oak.
• 2010 Brrrbon paired with Sazerac Rye – A close second to the ’09 version, this year too was very smooth but did not offer up as much oak character as the ’09.
• 2011 Brrrbon paired with Four Roses Yellow Label Bourbon – Others enjoyed this vintage the best. I believe that the ’11 could wait another year to open this one.
• 2012 Brrrbon paired with James Oliver Rye – Decent for one year of rest but waiting another year or two to open this bottle would be best to allow this beer burn off some of its spicy characters.
• 2013 Brrrbon paired with Ezra Brooks 12 Year – Still a bit warm with spicy notes of bourbon.
• 2013 Vanilla Brrrbon paired with Elmer T. Lee Bourbon – This complete pairing was sampled and thoroughly enjoyed. The Vanilla Brrrbon was very hoppy and overtook any vanilla flavor currently coming forth but with time this will be one to revisit. The true highlight here was the Elmer T. Lee Bourbon. This bourbon is one to seek out. I now am.
• 2013 Ginger Brrrbon paired with Fernet-Branca – A bit too much ginger for my liking. Would like to pair this with some Japanese cuisine to enhance the experience.

For those of you that would like to sample many of these variations in one sitting, Widmer has set up three events, hopefully with more to come. The first tasting takes place at White Owl Social Club on Thursday, November 21st. This event will feature a Barrel-Aged Brrrbon 13′ draught horizontal. Next up is at the Hoppy Brewer on Thursday, December 5th. The downtown Gresham beer bar and homebrew shop will be featuring Barrel-Aged Brrrbon 10′-13′ in which 10′-12′ will be served from bottles and all 13’s on draught. Then the last currently scheduled event is at the Mellow Mushroom on Tuesday, December 17th. The pizza makers will be featuring the Barrel-Aged Brrrbon 13′ draught horizontal.

You may wonder how Widmer goes about deciding which empty bourbon barrels to use. Widmer sources barrels from Beam Global, which includes a variety of different bourbon brands. In 2010, Widmer was fortunate enough to receive 60 Makers Mark barrels. Since then however, it’s been a wide variety of bourbon brands. Beam Global brands include the aforementioned Makers Mark along with Jim Beam, Knob Creek, Red Stag among others.

Once Widmer receives these empty bourbon barrels they need to inspect each one for quality. If not you can end up with some potentially contaminated barrel-aged beers. Brewer Doug Rehberg is the one that makes sure that the brewery staff tests every barrel for quality. This assurance is completed by sensory for appearance, aroma and taste.

Barrel-Aged Brrrbon is a spin on Widmer Brothers’ popular winter beer, Brrr Seasonal Ale. Since 2010, the Widmer Brothers brewing team has brewed an imperial version of Brrr Seasonal Ale reserved specifically for this release. The beer is aged in Kentucky Bourbon barrels for several months, which gives this special release a pronounced bourbon character, with vanilla and oak flavors and aromas that complement the hoppy northwest style red ale.

For the two new variations of Barrel-Age Brrrbon, which were first brewed in 2012 as experimental releases, the brewing team added fresh chopped ginger to a select few barrels to make Ginger Barrel-Aged Brrrbon, and fresh whole vanilla beans to a few select barrels to make Vanilla Barrel-Aged Brrrbon.

The result is three unique versions of Barrel-Aged Brrrbon in 2013, all perfect for the winter season.

“Brrrbon has become one of our most anticipated releases, both among our fans and our internal team,” said co-founder Kurt Widmer. “This beer is special, as it was our first big barrel aging project when it was first released a few years ago. Each release has been slightly different due to the barrel aging process, and those differences have evolved and become more pronounced as the beer continues to age. This year we added two variations to the mix and hope that fans of Brrrbon will try all three of the new releases side-by-side, or alongside previous vintages for a great horizontal or vertical tasting.”

The three 2013 beers can be enjoyed now, but the complex oak, vanilla, caramel and hop character will continue to evolve even more when these releases are cellared.

All three new Brrrbon ’13 releases are available for a limited time in wax-dipped 22-ounce bottles and on draught. To find these and other Widmer Brothers beers, visit the Widmer Brothers beer finder. Please visit www.widmerbrothers.com for more information on the brewery, or follow Widmer Brothers Brewing on Facebook for the latest brewery news and happenings.

About Barrel-Aged Brrrbon ‘13:
Barrel-Aged Brrrbon ’13 is an imperial version of our Brrr Seasonal Ale aged in Kentucky Bourbon barrels. This smooth winter warmer combines a rich malty sweetness with complex oak, vanilla, and caramel characters that will continue to develop as the beer ages.

MALTS: Pale, Caramel, Carapils, Dark Chocolate
HOPS: Alchemy, Simcoe, Cascade
ABV: 9.5%
IBU: 40

About Vanilla Barrel-Aged Brrrbon ‘13:
Our brewers added fresh whole vanilla beans to a few select barrels of our Barrel-Aged Brrrbon ’13, an imperial version of our Brrr Seasonal Ale aged in Kentucky Bourbon barrels, for this limited edition brew. The addition of vanilla beans heightens the vanilla character imparted by the barrels, and adds a delicious layer of complexity to the beer’s oak and caramel character, making for a smooth warmer perfect for the season.

MALTS: Pale, Caramel, Carapils, Dark Chocolate
HOPS: Alchemy, Simcoe, Cascade
ABV: 10.7%
IBU: 40

About Ginger Barrel-Aged Brrrbon ‘13:
Our brewers added fresh chopped ginger to a few select barrels of our Barrel-Aged Brrrbon ’13, an imperial version of our Brrr Seasonal Ale aged in Kentucky Bourbon barrels, for this limited edition brew. The addition of ginger complements the oak, vanilla, and caramel flavors of the beer and results in a smooth winter warmer perfect for the season.

MALTS: Pale, Caramel, Carapils, Dark Chocolate
HOPS: Alchemy, Simcoe, Cascade
ABV: 10.7%
IBU: 40

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 Alchemy Ale, the Rotator IPA series, Pitch Black IPA, Nelson Imperial IPA, a limited edition Brothers’ Reserve Series and a full seasonal lineup. For more information about Widmer Brothers Brewing, visit www.widmerbrothers.com.