My latest infatuation...

It took me a long time to finally delve into the world of beer drinking as far as most of my friends are concerned. When they were picking up six-packs of anything from Budweiser to Newcastle, I was following in the footsteps of my Dad and his brother. Bourbon, whiskey, and scotch either on the rocks or mixed with cola or ginger-ale were always their go-to beverage of choice when my little taste buds were forming. When I was going for a sip, as kids sometimes do, I was tasting Jim Beam or J&B rather than a more typical beer. Naturally when I become of age, that is what I gravitated towards.

Now that I have fully delved into the world of top notch beer, I have discovered the joys of barrel aged stouts and porters. More specifically the bourbon or whiskey barrel aged variety's. My favorite incarnation of these is Founder's Brewing Co. Kentucky Breakfast Stout. It is, in my opinion, the standard by which I judge all other beers of this style. A close second has to be Brooklyn Brewery Black Ops with Oak Aged Yeti by Great Divide right there with them. I am currently enjoying a case of Weyerbacher Heresy which also seems to be a good version, albeit not quite on the same tier with the previous three in my opinion.

This style seems to be synonymous with winter and colder months because all of these beers are special editions or seasonals only released in the winter, but I could drink they year round. That's why I am currently working with Judge Brews (a home brewing collaborator) developing a recipe for Big Dan Stout. Version 1.0 is currently being dry hopped with Jack Daniels infused wood chips and will be ready in a few months. A complete review is forthcoming. Variations to the recipe for future versions will include modifications to the hops included and changing the volume of wood chips as well as the duration of dry hopping. Till then, eat, drink, and be merry.