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O'Fallon Brewery News>
SPRING 08 EDITION OF WHISKEY BARREL SMOKED PORTER
April 11, 2008
THIS VERSION OF OUR WHISKEY BARREL SMOKED PORTER is really
special. And that’s saying a lot because we’re pretty
proud of the last two editions of our barrel-aged porter.
In fact Jason and Todd Alstrom reviewed it in their August
2007 Beer Advocate, gave it an A- and called it “an
incredibly complex and enjoyable brew -- big thumbs-up to
O’Fallon. Great on its own, as a digestif or paired with
some chocolate.”
Anyway, this particular batch is extra special because of
the oak barrels it was aged in. They showed up in the
brewery one day last year, and Brian thought they were
awfully old and dusty, nothing like those we’d acquired
from the same source in Kentucky before. He called to
question the senders and was shocked and awed to learn
these particular kegs had stored “Pappy Van Winkle Family
Reserve” 23-year-old bourbon, one of the most highly
acclaimed bourbons in history! Brian figures those barrels
were first filled with bourbon when he was in about the
second grade -- where were you in 1984?
So we filled up the barrels and did our usual aging
routine, carefully adjusting the storage temperature to let
the beer work in and out of the wood of these special
charred oak barrels. Of course the brewers had to taste it
every now and then as it aged (of course!) and, over time,
the flavors of the bourbon began to blend with the beer.
It soon became clear this Pappy Van Winkle version of our
Whisky Barrel Smoked Porter was going to be a rare treat.
O’Fallon Whiskey Barrel Smoked Porter (Spring 08 “Pappy Van
Winkle” edition) will be released on April 21st -- details
about where to buy next week. Naturally, we’re planning to
celebrate with a:
WHISKEY BARREL SMOKED PORTER SPECIAL RELEASE EVENT AT
RIDDLES CAFÉ ON TUESDAY, APRIL 22! We’re going to fill
just one 50-liter keg of this precious liquid and feature
it at a one-time event at Andy and Paula Ayers’ place on
Delmar in U City. You’ll be able to enjoy the “Pappy”
version of our aged porter along with some special food
Andy’s planning to prepare to go with the beer. I’ll have
more details in this space next week and/or you can go to
www.riddlescafe.com and sign up for Andy’s newsletter which
will reveal more, too. In the meantime:
HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND and enjoy a good beer -- and let’s all
try to make the world a better place one beer at a time.
Cheers!
Fran Caradonna
O’Fallon Brewery
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