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DIG 23.05 – 4/8/21

SLEEPING BEAUTIES: BEERS WORTH AGING NOW

Written by Filed Under: COLUMNS, Honest Pint, Honest Pint, LIFESTYLE

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A true test of willpower: waiting months, years, to drink a beer. But some suds benefit from a little aging. They’re like the George Clooneys of beer, evolving and maturing in flavor intensities and taste complexities. As a rule, the best nominees for aging have elevated ABVs and are fortified with rich, dark malts (think: barleywines, Belgian ales, barrel-aged brews, imperials, doubles, and other burly beers), and they’re available en masse now. Find and (eventually) imbibe these local seasonals and new releases ready to hit the pillow for a spell—or however long you can fight the urge to uncap them. Patience is a virtue, people.

 

Sleeping Beauty: Berkley Belgian Style Triple

Style: Abbey Tripel

ABV: 8.9%

This rotating brew from Berkley Beer in Mass is made with local honey and comes already aged in rye whiskey barrels for four months. Let this one rest for a few months and you’ll find that the booze softens, making the beer incredibly smooth. Grab a bottle, lock, and key.

 

Sleeping Beauty: Jack’s Abby Bride Maker

Style: Lager Wine

ABV: 13%

Named to honor the nuptials of several Jack’s Abby Brewing staffers, this is the Mass-based brewery’s second take on a barrel-aged lager wine. Aged in bourbon barrels, the October release’s mega ABV and dark malts make it the perfect candidate for a long nap in the cellar.

 

Sleeping Beauty: Harpoon Tuscan Pool Party

Style: Fruit Beer

ABV: 7.6%

The recent release in Harpoon’s 100 Barrel Series, number 52, pays homage to an employee-only trip to Italy that led to collaboration with Birrifi­cio L’Olmaia, a brewery in Montepulciano. Aged on oak spirals and brewed with a balance of juicy hops and sweet Sangiovese and Merlot grape juice, the ale, if matured just a little longer, might grow a mustache.

 

Sleeping Beauty: Backlash Beer Vandal

Style: Double IPA

ABV: 8.5%

This limited release by Mass’s Backlash Beer is in celebration of their third-year anniversary. It’s brewed with three different varieties of hops. The big IPA will likely lose some of its hops-forwardness over time, but the caramel malt will start to shine through.

 

Sleeping Beauty: White Birch Ol’ Cattywhompus

Style: English Barleywine

ABV: 10.5%

Brewed by New Hampshire’s White Birch Brewing, this English barleywine has two key aging ingredients: a high ABV and darker grains. After a couple years, the hops will likely recede and the suds will take on sweeter sherry-like flavors. Don’t get confused, it’s still beer.

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