Brewing Whisky Cask Aged Beers
- By Steven Hooch
- Published 11/17/2011
- Food and Drink
- Unrated
Walk into an old-fashioned pub with its own craft brewery and you are likely to be served with beers aged in oak casks. The beer styles like ales and lagers are the same as with any modern pub serving bottled beers but there ends the similarities. Take a good sip of the beer aged in white oak casks usually reserved for whisky and taste the difference - a delightful beer with hints of whisky.
Reasons for Ageing in Whisky Casks:
What exactly are the reasons for brewing beer in whisky barrels? There are two basic aims in the process:
To impart the unique character of the wood to the barrel. Take note that wood contributes at least 50% of the flavours and aromas of whisky, a process that also happened with beers. New oak wood imparts a blend of woodiness coupled with vanilla to the beverage.
To incorporate the subtle flavours and aromas of the beverage that was previously placed inside the oak barrel. In this case, a craft brewery uses oaken barrels with whisky aged in them before being used in brewing beer.
The results are astonishing! The uniqueness of the beer itself is enhanced by the complexity of the flavours and aromas coming from the oak barrel and the residual whisky. Of course, the type of wood used (new or old, white oak or European oak) as well as the type of barrel used will influence the marriage of flavours and aromas.
Brewers are also discovering new combinations between beer and whiskey styles. For example, the bourbon barrels are best for stouts, bocks and barley wines mainly because the malty character of t
hese beer styles can stand up to the powerful flavours in the oak.
Steps in Using Whisky Oaks:
The next question will be: What are the steps that a craft brewery undertakes to impart the complexity of whisky and oak barrels into beer? To summarise:
Primary fermentation should be completed in the stainless steel tanks. Then, the brew is transferred to the oak barrels for ageing. The oak barrels can either be new or already used for ageing whisky although it must be emphasised that these wooden barrels are best used only once.
The oak barrels must then be moved to the conditioning cellars for the secondary fermentation. The maturation period should only be 8 weeks for best results.
The beer is then pumped back into the stainless steel tank. Additional ingredients like yeast are added.
The beer is poured into bottles and then corked, caged and labelled. These bottles should then be returned to the warm cellars for the process known as bottle conditioning, which will result in the final carbonation and alcohol levels.
The best craft brewery will produce whisky cask-aged beer with a delicate balance of flavours and aromas. We can mention vanilla, coconut, spicy black pepper, sweet ripe fruit, smoke and wood in the beer. It can then be enjoyed with many types of food although the best pairings are with smoked and grilled meats and fishes as well as with desserts like custard.
With the right tools, techniques and ingredients, any craft brewery that desire to produce the best whisky cask-aged beer can accomplish the purpose. Use your imagination by experimenting with oak cask for stouts, ales and lagers, among other beer styles.
Reasons for Ageing in Whisky Casks:
What exactly are the reasons for brewing beer in whisky barrels? There are two basic aims in the process:
To impart the unique character of the wood to the barrel. Take note that wood contributes at least 50% of the flavours and aromas of whisky, a process that also happened with beers. New oak wood imparts a blend of woodiness coupled with vanilla to the beverage.
To incorporate the subtle flavours and aromas of the beverage that was previously placed inside the oak barrel. In this case, a craft brewery uses oaken barrels with whisky aged in them before being used in brewing beer.
The results are astonishing! The uniqueness of the beer itself is enhanced by the complexity of the flavours and aromas coming from the oak barrel and the residual whisky. Of course, the type of wood used (new or old, white oak or European oak) as well as the type of barrel used will influence the marriage of flavours and aromas.
Brewers are also discovering new combinations between beer and whiskey styles. For example, the bourbon barrels are best for stouts, bocks and barley wines mainly because the malty character of t
Steps in Using Whisky Oaks:
The next question will be: What are the steps that a craft brewery undertakes to impart the complexity of whisky and oak barrels into beer? To summarise:
Primary fermentation should be completed in the stainless steel tanks. Then, the brew is transferred to the oak barrels for ageing. The oak barrels can either be new or already used for ageing whisky although it must be emphasised that these wooden barrels are best used only once.
The oak barrels must then be moved to the conditioning cellars for the secondary fermentation. The maturation period should only be 8 weeks for best results.
The beer is then pumped back into the stainless steel tank. Additional ingredients like yeast are added.
The beer is poured into bottles and then corked, caged and labelled. These bottles should then be returned to the warm cellars for the process known as bottle conditioning, which will result in the final carbonation and alcohol levels.
The best craft brewery will produce whisky cask-aged beer with a delicate balance of flavours and aromas. We can mention vanilla, coconut, spicy black pepper, sweet ripe fruit, smoke and wood in the beer. It can then be enjoyed with many types of food although the best pairings are with smoked and grilled meats and fishes as well as with desserts like custard.
With the right tools, techniques and ingredients, any craft brewery that desire to produce the best whisky cask-aged beer can accomplish the purpose. Use your imagination by experimenting with oak cask for stouts, ales and lagers, among other beer styles.
Steven Hooch
Steven Hooch is a leading connoisseur for a variety of fine wines and ales. He has been sharing his insights and reviews for over 11 years striving to provide expert advice and information on a wide range of alcoholic beverages including Cask beer.
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