While
a Bourbon Old Fashioned Wisconsin may be a great drink, and the beer inspired
by it was excellent (see my earlier post this week), Wisconsin is really a
Bourbon state, at least when it comes to mixing up the state drink, the Old
Fashioned. The brandy old fashioned has stood
the test of time, and has become a signature drink many bars and supper clubs. Since
Brandy is the alcohol of choice at many Wisconsin Supper Clubs, it seems only
right that the guys at Mobcraft would age some of their base Old
Fashioned Berliner Weisse in Brandy barrels.
After
having the Bourbon Barrel Old Fashioned and being pleasantly surprised by it, I
figured what better to do that open up a bottle of Brandy Barrel Old Fashioned
for comparison purposes. Theoretically
the two should be very similar since the only difference is the type of barrel
that the beer was aged in, but brandy and bourbon do have distinct flavors.
Before
getting into the review, take note on the eminent social commentator Lewis
Black’s opinion of Wisconsin and Brandy Old Fashioneds, and drinking in
Wisconsin in general.
They Say:
Old
Fashioned Berliner Weisse with Cherries and Spices by Casey Groh
This beer plays off two things that are very "Wisconsin" German Heritage and Old Fashioneds, Casey suggested a traditional German recipe, Berliner Weisse (a moderately sour wheat beer) featuring some elements of the classic Wisconsin cocktail the Old Fashioned (Cherries, Oranges and a few of the spices found in bitters).
RECIPE DETAILS
Scaled down so you can brew your own 5 gallon batch
SPECIAL INGREDIENTS· 1oz Star Anise
· 1oz Cardamom
· 1oz Juniper
· 2lbs Cherries
· 1lb Oranges (Zested And Juiced)
YEAST
· American Ale
· 1oz Cardamom
· 1oz Juniper
· 2lbs Cherries
· 1lb Oranges (Zested And Juiced)
YEAST
· American Ale
MALT BILL
· 3lbs Acidulated Malt
· 3lbs Pale Malt
· 4lbs White Wheat
· 3lbs Acidulated Malt
· 3lbs Pale Malt
· 4lbs White Wheat
BOIL TIME
· 60
HOP REGIMEN· .75oz Summit @60
GRAVITY· 1.050/1.015
IBU· 30
ABV· 5%
Brandy leads the flavor with a
strong blend of citrusy/herbal cardamom.
Sweet cherries round out the sweetness, blending into a slight tartness,
likely owing to the lactobacillus that was added to the brew. As with the bourbon barrel aged version, the
brandy-aged Old Fashioned release has notes of both club and lemon-lime soda, likely
resulting from a combination of the production of lactic acid, as a by-product
of lactobacillus, during fermentation and the resinous flavor of juniper
berries. After the initial tart/sour
notes from the lactobacillus, which remain in the background, the finish is
sweet and smooth with the brandy and fruits coming to the forefront again
culminating in a citrusy aftertaste. The
herbal notes of the star anise are restrained throughout the Brandy Barrel Old
Fashioned, adding complexity without ever coming to the forefront. As with the Bourbon Barrel version, this one
has a moderately light body and a moderate level of carbonation, bringing the
experience even closer to drinking an Old Fashioned.
· 60
HOP REGIMEN· .75oz Summit @60
GRAVITY· 1.050/1.015
IBU· 30
ABV· 5%
I Say:
Brandy Barrel Old Fashioned
pours a very clear copper with a moderately thick, creamy white head with
slight rocky breakup. The head holds
moderate retention (~2 min) before leaving thick lacing behind in the glass. The aroma, similar to the bourbon barrel aged
version is very reminiscent of an old fashioned. Orange and cherry lead with notes of sweet brandy,
tart lactic acid from the lactobacillus added to the beer to give it more
complexity. Lactobacillus is more
commonly featured in yogurts, giving plain yogurt its characteristically tart
and slightly sour flavor. Light herbal
notes round out the aroma with the core spices, cardamom, juniper and star
anise all playing a part. As with the
bourbon barrel aged version, the brandy barrel aged release really nails the
Old Fashioned aroma. In this variation
however, the spices are a lot more subdued with the fruit and alcohol taking
center stage.
After drinking the Bourbon
Barrel Old Fashioned Berliner Weisse, I thought I knew what to expect out of
the Brandy Barrel release. Heading into
a new beer with prior expectations rarely works out well however, and while the
beer added into the two different barrel types was the exact same beer, the choice
of barrel effected the two releases differently and created two distinctly
different beers. Visually, the brandy
barrel release is noticeably darker shade of copper than the bourbon release. While the herbal notes of star anise and juniper
berries were prominent in the bourbon barrel aged beer, they were much more
restrained after the beer was aged in a brandy barrel. The brandy release is also sweeter and
smoother than the bourbon release, which could be a difference in distilleries,
or could be due to the sweeter nature of brandy. When it comes to barrel aging, especially in
barrels that were previously used for spirits, a lot of the flavor gained comes
from what was previously in the barrel.
Even the same beer aged into two barrels that held the same spirit at
the same distillery can produce beers that taste different, but that’s where
blending plays into the eventual flavor experience. In this case, The Brandy Barrel Old Fashioned
highlights how different spirits barrels can affect the flavor of the same beer.
As with the Bourbon Barrel Old
Fashioned, the Brandy Barrel release presents a drinking experience very close
to drinking an actual Old Fashioned. This
release shows that the guys at Mobcraft really know their stuff! Cheers again to Casey Groh for submitting
this recipe concept, and cheers to Mobcraft for pulling this off! In case you missed it in my bourbon barrel
post, check out the Mobcraft Craftfund site, and if
you are feeling generous, chip in some cash to help them expand and ramp up
production!
That’s all for today, check back
soon for my next post!
Happy Drinking, and always
remember to Drink Wisconsinbly!
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