An American brewpub invites Russian & Belgian brewers and a master Bourbon distiller from Kentucky. The Russian brewer brings his recipe of an Imperial Stout; the Belgian brewer contributes a yeast strain from the Ardennes Mountains and beet candi sugar; the Distiller offers some fresh emptied bourbon barrels. The American brewer supplies NW grown hops and his small craft brewpub to concoct this ground breaking ale. Into the mash tun goes the largest amount of grain used to date: over 700 pounds of Belgian Pilsner malts, 2-row, Chocolate malt, Roasted Barely, and caramel malt. The hot mash warms the brewery, almost overflowing from the tun. Gently, the coal black wort is drawn from the mash tun, filling the kettle with an amazingly intense & sweet liquid. As the wort boils, additions of Dark and Clear Candi sugars are added, intensifying the sweetness and adding even more complexities to the wort. A decent helping of Northwest hops balance the massive wort, brining the brew into equilibrium. After the boil, the cooled wort transfers down to a fermenter where a large pitch of Ardennes yeast anxiously awaits this huge meal. Over the next two weeks this yeast converts the large amounts of sugar to alcohol, transforming the sweetness into an amazing ale. The unique yeast strain also lends great character to the beer: aromas of plum & fig with a touch of clove. After fermentation the beer is transferred to the bourbon barrels. Over the next 5-6 months the barrel staves breathe in and out the wonderful beer; transferring the characters of bourbon & oak along with it. And now, we must practice patience, as this beer only is fully developed after another year of aging. The story is fiction, though the beer is very real. “Imagine” a 15% Bourbon Barrel aged Belgian Imperial Stout…close your eyes and imagine that. Brewed 1/22/2010, Release Date 11/11/11
Commenting is closed for this article.
John Faustini · Wednesday February 3, 2010 · 1
Wow—sounds like you’re trying to top Pappy’s Dark, my current favorite beer of all time. Pappy’s blew me away when I first tasted it last year, a beverage with the depth and complexity of a fine barrel-aged red wine (or bourbon), expanding my horizons of what a beer can be. I had to stop by for this year’s release (on my birthday—thank you!). Unfortunately, I probably won’t be able to stop by for the release of “Imagine”, as I am moving to Atlanta soon. Perhaps you can put some in bottles and ship me a couple…?
John Faustini · Wednesday February 3, 2010 · 2
Awesome—I just read your Dec. 2 post about your plans for the bourbon barrels, and I noticed that a bottled batch of Pappy’s Dark is part of the plan. Is this available now? ‘Cause I’m definitely gonna want to take some of those with me to Atlanta! Block 15 is one of the things I’ll miss most about Corvallis, unquestionably the best and most creative brewpub I’ve visited anywhere (mostly on the West Coast and in Denver).
Brewer's Brain · Saturday February 6, 2010 · 3
Unfortunately, our new tanks arriving 9 months late have pushed back our bottling plans, including the Pappy’s. The good news (unless you are moving!)is that we will have much more Pappy’s on draft this year, and I am allowing growler sales. My plan is to start our bourbon barrel aging program a few months earlier this year, so bottles of Pappy’s should be available by January 1st. I will also work with Joel Rae, of Corvallis Brewing Supply, to ship bottles when available.
Nick
Block 15 Brewing