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On December 6, Brouwer’s Café in Seattle’s Fremont neighborhood kicked off its annual wood-aged beer festival Big Wood. This suggestively named weekend featured 62 barrel-aged beers on tap, from American Brewing Company’s Stupid Sexy Flankers with Raspberry to Upright Brewing’s Apricot/Brett Seven. Of special note this year were five beers from local breweries that were aged in Wheat Whiskey barrels from Dryfly, a craft distillery in Spokane, WA. Brouwer’s distributed the Dryfly barrels to the breweries specifically for the Big Wood fest, and these beers were served at Big Wood for the first time. These included the Big Time Old Sol Wheatwine, Black Raven “Mr. Kitty” Blueberry Pale Ale on Nitro, Elliott Bay Lake City No Doubt Stout, Elysian Split Shot Espresso Milk Stout, and the Fremont B-Bomb.
I made it to the festival on opening night and, with the help of my drinking companion, was able to sample six Big Wood beers. I’ve included a virtual Big Wood sampling for you below, and I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as I did (yes, I’m still talking about the beer. What kind of girl do you think I am?)
Black Raven Brewing’sMr. Kitty Blueberry Pale Ale in Dry Fly Whiskey Barrel (Nitro) – a 5.5% blueberry muffin in a glass. The big blueberry nose was a surprising, though not unwelcome, flashback to summer months and the creamy mouthfeel made this a very drinkable beer.
Deschutes‘ Abyss 2011 – an 11% Imperial Stout that, as my first beer of the evening, was thick enough to quench my desire for a heavy bourbon barrel stout but balanced enough to leave room for the other samples. The expert blend of roasted grain complemented by chocolate, vanilla, and bourbon flavors provided the perfect amount of intensity for this enticing Imperial Stout.
Elliot Bay’sNo Doubt Stout in Dry Fly Barrel (7%) – a whiskey barrel-aged version of Elliot Bay’s year-round stout. The whiskey balanced the coffee’s presence for a punchier, satisfying stout.
FlyersJameson Breakfast Coffee Stout (7.6%) – This pleasantly boozy breakfast stout with strong coffee undertones delivered on its name. Slightly sweet and medium-bodied, it provided a drinkable boost.
Fort GeorgeBBL (Wild Turkey) Vortex IPA (7.7%) – This was the pleasant surprise of the evening. The slight bourbon finish danced sensuously with the citrusy, floral aroma without overpowering. With a sweet caramel malt taste, this wonderfully choreographed IPA was so enticing that my drinking partner returned to Brouwer’s for another glass the next day.
Sound Brewery’sNoel (10.7%) – This surprisingly sweet 10.7% ABV package was served straight from the barrel (an unused, medium-toast barrel, to be exact) on the bartop. With hints of butterscotch and marshmallow in the taste, this ale won points for distinctiveness amongst the plethora of barrel-aged options.
