Tuesday, Nov 10, 2015 @ 03:43 pm
The foundation of Tin Whiskers identity is experiementation.
When the brewery was just a mere twinkle in Jeff, Jake and George's eyes, their interest in home brewing and the experimental experience was the spark that lit the flame. As Electrical Engineers, they saw science and experimentation as an art form -- in electrical engineering, you are given a particular problem and then asked to design and create something from scratch in order to fix it. It requires patience, creativity and a vision -- as it does in brewing beer. They found great success in experimentation, and are reflecting this with Tin Whiskers.
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Our latest experimental venture is with a liquor barrel aging program in partnership with Isanti Spirits -- a small, but growing distillery in Isanti, Minnesota.
Currently, we have our Barrel Shifter Porter soaking in a barrel of Isanti Rye Whiskey and our anniversary beer, Watts Wheat Wine, soaking in 3 barrels of Isanti Tequila.
Head Brewer, Derek's vision for each beer is similar, yet slightly different -- he wants to see "some sweet wood flavors come out in all the beers. The Watts Wheat Wine in the tequila barrel should have strong aromas of tequila and oak -- these new characteristics will cut through a lot of the fruitiness produced in the Watts, but should make for a battle of complexity and layers of flavor. The flavor contrasts will be between the barrel aged flavors (both the tequila itself and the oak of the barrel), and the Belgian soft clove spice and zesty fruit flavors of the wheat wine."
The Barrel Shifter Porter aged on rye will take more of a complementary tone. "The rye is more of a complementary addition -- The porter already has the wood flavors and the barrels we are using are made from the same style American oak. The rye whiskey will add more depth andl add some alcohol bite in both the aroma and taste. With time in the barrel we should see a soft bite rather than a harsh one. I think the rye barrel-aged porter vs. our traditional wood aged porter will be different beers with their own unique flavors. It will be great to see a comparison of virgin barrel products vs. whiskey aged barrel products."
These barrel aged treats won't be ready for consumption until June of 2016, just in time for our 2nd Anniversary, and that's ok with us. We will be doing a limited bottle release of these beers that will only be available in the Taproom the day of our anniversary event, so be on the lookout and mark your calendars!
