Barrel aged beer. So what is that!!!?

Barrel aged (English for barrel aged) beer is - the name says it all - beer that has been finished in a wooden barrel after fermentation and lagering. Brewers sometimes choose to post-age a beer in a barrel to allow even more different flavors to infuse into the beer. The flavor of the wood of the barrel, for example. But also flavors from that which was previously in the barrel. Bourbon or cognac are two of countless examples. Others known are whiskey, gin, rum, wine and port.

Brewers choose barrel aged beer to add extra layers to the flavor of one or more of their beers. More complexity, in other words, to make drinking that beer an even richer experience. Not only do the flavors from the barrel soak into the beer, but the beer itself continues to age for a while, often developing the flavor further.

Tannins, vanilla and booze

Many wines, distillates and other spirits mature in wooden barrels. Often those barrels are made of French or American oak. You can taste that, even in the beer that later lies in such a barrel. Depending on how new a barrel is, you can taste more or less tannins in the beer. In American oak you also taste a little vanilla. Some brewers, such as De Daughter van de Korenaar, also choose to use new oak barrels for aging their beer. Then the taste of tannin comes out very well but you don't taste any other liquor in the beer.

The first barrel-aged beers

Brewery de Molen has made barrel aged beer famous in the Netherlands. The Bodegraven-based brewery was and is renowned for aging mainly stouts and barley wines in wooden barrels. From beers such as Hel & Verdoemenis (a Russian Imperial Stout) and Bommen & Granaten (a barley wine), De Molen already released a whole series of different barrel-aged variants. Worldwide, Chicago-based Goose Island is considered the first brewery to barrel-age beer to add flavors of bourbon to its brews. The annual Bourbon County series is the result. Goose Island released the first barrel aged beer in 1992.

Several breweries in the Netherlands are busy these days with a whole program of barrel aged beers. Brouwerij Frontaal, Van Moll, Jopen Bier, Brouwerij Kees and thus De Molen, but also many smaller breweries like Berghoeve Brouwerij, BergingBrouwerij and Brouwerij Holevoort brew - each with their own regularity - delicious barrel aged beers.

Most suitable beers for barrel aging

Until a few years ago, brewers - and beer drinkers - seemed to think that only heavy, dark beers were suitable for barrel aging. Now you see many more different styles of beer rolling out of wooden barrels. Barrel aged tripels are popular, but typical blonde beers, saisons and even IPAs are now appearing on the market barrel aged as well. For all of them: more flavor. The trick for the brewer, of course, is to keep the balance. The drinker also wants to be able to taste the beer.

Barrels vs. chips

Wooden barrels are expensive. That also makes barrel aged beers more expensive than "normal" beers. You pay for the expensive barrel and the extra patience of the brewer. But as a rule, it's well worth the investment. Some, mostly smaller brewers, don't use barrels for the extra flavor. They buy special wood chips that they soak themselves in, say, bourbon or rum. They then add those chips to the beer to still allow the flavors of wood and liquor to soak into the beer. Ideal if you don't need the quantity of an entire barrel.

Try it yourself

Nothing like trying them yourself. Barrel aged beers are made to be enjoyed. You can often recognize them by the abbreviation BA in the name. Don't drink them too cold because cold masks a lot of flavor. Have a nice snack and put on some music that helps you lose yourself in the moment. Beer Dudes gives you the opportunity to choose from an ever-changing assortment of barrel aged beers in a variety of flavors and styles.