(Courtesy Anderson Valley Brewing Company)

Barrel-aging the perfect beer is an art that not every brewery understands, but Anderson Valley Brewing does. And the Boonville, Ca-based heritage brewer has just released three enormous barrel-aged monsters to ensure that they hit retail well before the Christmas season.

“We came to realize that every year, Christmas music begins pumping out of speakers earlier than the year before. When that happens, it’s science: your taste buds are conditioned to crave the stoutest, richest, and most complex beers we make,” said Anderson Valley President and CEO Kevin McGee…“To meet that demand, we’ve had to adapt and develop new techniques to try to infuse our beers with the spirit of the holidays earlier than they’re used to. Or want to.”

 And even though Anderson Valley is looking to capture Christmas beer market, we think all three of these beers are perfect for Halloween and Thanksgiving as well.

And here’s how Anderson Valley describes them…

(Courtesy Anderson Valley Brewing Company)

Huge Arker (15.5% ABV) – Aged in bourbon barrels for a minimum of 12 months until it fully matures, this extended barrel aging technique allows AVBC to create a liquid that’s nuanced, smooth and surprisingly drinkable. Its aroma conveys a deep roasted malt backbone, with burnished oak, candi sugar, bourbon and hearth-baked bread. On the palate, the beer integrates nuanced layers of honey, molasses and rich dark chocolate, finishing with hints of As delightful as it sounds (and is), Huge Arker is a bit of an outlaw and is banned in 7 states (don’t ask).

Salted Caramel Porter (9.5% ABV) – Slightly sweet, and brewed with select additions of crystal malts and sea salt to create flavors of peanut brittle and caramel without being cloying. The medium body and mouthfeel lay the perfect foundation to support the rich vanilla, oak, and bourbon flavors imparted by extended aging for 6 months in bourbon barrels.

Bourbon Barrel Stout (ABV: 6.9%) – Aged for three months in bourbon barrels to develop a deep ebony hue and a beautiful mahogany head. The woody, vanilla-like notes imparted by the barrels mingle with aromas of freshly baked bread, toffee, and espresso to envelop the rich chocolate and roasted barley flavors with a fine bourbon character. With an exceptional balance and drinkability, this beer is the closest thing to an everyday bourbon barrel-aged stout the world has ever seen.

Each of the three Barrel Series releases will be available in 4-packs of 12-ounce cans and on draft nationally starting in October until they sell out. And all three of them are worth chasing down.

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