We know all about whiskey barrel-aged stouts, porters, and even brown ales. Brands like Founders, Goose Island, Great Divide, and Firestone Walker have made sure of that. But what do you know about the exact opposite technique? As in, beer barrel finished whiskeys.
Few people realize it, but all whiskey technically starts off as un-hopped beer. In addition, many whiskeys are made with beer yeasts in the fermentation process. So it should really be no surprise that more and more distillers are going back to beer for that final touch for their whiskeys in the form of beer barrel-aging/finishing.
There are tons of options when it comes to beer barrel-aged whiskey, especially when you look beyond the borders of the American whiskey scene. For today’s blind taste test, our lineup today includes:
- Jameson Caskmates Stout Edition
- New Holland Beer Barrel Bourbon
- Glenfiddich IPA Cask Finish
- Sagamore Spirit Rye Ale Cask Finish
- Rogue Rolling Thunder Stout Whiskey
- Elijah Craig Beer Barrel Finish
- Westward Single Malt Stout Cask
- Whistlepig Roadstock Rye
Here we go!
Part 1: The Taste
Taste 1
Tasting Notes:
Nutty aromas, sweet grains, dried fruits, and a hint of vanilla are prevalent on the nose. Sipping it revealed hints of dark chocolate, sweet toffee, more vanilla, candied pecans, and a slight malty bitterness. The finish was warming and dry.
The only letdown was the slightly bitter flavor that I can only attribute to whatever beer the brand used.
Taste 2
Tasting Notes:
On the nose, I found heavy notes of dark chocolate, toffee, toasted vanilla beans, and slight cinnamon spice. Tasting it revealed hints of oaky wood, slight baking spices, creamy butterscotch, cocoa powder, and chocolate fudge. The finish was medium in length, filled with warming heat and a nice mix of black pepper and sweet milk chocolate.
Taste 3
Tasting Notes:
An herbal nose with hints of clover honey, caramel, and peppery rye greeted me before my first sip. It delved into notes of cinnamon sugar, candied orange peels, cracked black pepper, vanilla, and a gentle, nutty sweetness that carried through to the warming, dry finish.
Taste 4
Tasting Notes:
The nose is a bit bland with some vanilla, caramel, and a slightly malty flavor. The palate, while not unpalatable, is very sweet with more vanilla beans, toffee, butterscotch, and some oak. The finish is warming and adds to the sweetness.
Honestly, this tastes more like a dessert spirit than a bourbon.
Taste 5
Tasting Notes:
This whiskey has a remarkably fruity nose with caramel apples, sweet vanilla, and slight wintry spices. The palate is filled with flavors like creamy vanilla, toasted marshmallows, rich chocolate, and gentle oaky wood. The last sip is filled with warmth and dark chocolate sweetness.
It’s not overly complex, but solid.
Taste 6
Tasting Notes:
This whiskey is very oak-forward on the nose. This pairs well with the other aromas of bitter chocolate, candied orange peels, and cinnamon sugar. On the palate, I found notes of sweet treacle, cocoa powder, raisins, vanilla beans, and slight wintry spices. The end is short, warming, and a nice mix of sweetness and spice.
Taste 7
Tasting Notes:
My nose was first met with aromas of ripe fruit, dried raisins, vanilla cream, and cracked black pepper. The palate is equally fruity with notes of fresh berries and fruit esters that pair well with hints of dried cherries, butterscotch, vanilla beans, and more slightly spicy pepper at the finish.
Taste 8
Tasting Notes:
Caramel apples, vanilla beans, a slight herbal quality, and slight spice highlight this expression’s nose. The palate is swirling with a slightly floral flavor paired with candied orange peels, butterscotch, toasted vanilla beans, oak, and winter spices. It ends with a crescendo of caramel and herbal spice.
Part 2: The Ranking
8) New Holland Beer Barrel Bourbon — Taste 4
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $30
The Whiskey:
If you’re a fan of bourbon barrel-aged stouts, you’ve probably tried the iconic Dragon’s Milk from New Holland. If you’re a true fan, you’ll step it up and try the brand’s Beer Barrel Bourbon. This bourbon is matured in new, charred American oak barrels before being finished in Dragon’s Milk barrels.
Bottom Line:
This isn’t a terrible bourbon. It just might appeal more to drinkers with a less refined palate, as it is decadently sweet. I’d pour it over some vanilla ice cream.
Perhaps New Holland should stick to what it does best: making beer.
7) Westward Single Malt Stout Cask — Taste 1
ABV: 46%
Average Price: $90
The Whiskey:
This award-winning single malt whiskey is Westward’s homage to the brewing history of its home state of Oregon. Westward sends used, recently empty whiskey barrels to some of their craft beer friends who season them with stout before sending them back to Westward. The distillery then adds its single malt whiskey to the barrels, where it finishes for one year.
Bottom Line:
Chocolate, fruit, and nuts. What more could you want in a beer-finished whiskey? Maybe a little more complexity. This one wasn’t bad, but it definitely wasn’t the best. Honestly, I’ve heard a lot about Westward and I expected a much more nuanced, well-rounded whiskey.
6) Jameson Caskmates Stout Edition — Taste 5
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $36
The Whiskey:
Like many of the whiskeys on this list, Jameson Caskmates Stout Edition began when the brand’s Head of Whiskey Science and a local brewer were discussing their offerings. It was decided that the duo would trade barrels. This triple-distilled Irish whiskey from one of the world’s most well-known brands is finished in Irish craft stout-seasoned barrels.
Bottom Line:
This is a great, sweet, and not overly complex sipper that hits the spot on a freezing winter night. It’s definitely one that I’ll come back to. It landed in the rankings exactly where I’d expect Jameson to land.
5) Rogue Rolling Thunder Stouted Whiskey — Taste 6
ABV: 57.45%
Average Price: $70
The Whiskey:
This whiskey is truly cyclical. This popular whiskey is first distilled at Rogue’s distilling side and aged in barrels that were actually made at the on-site cooperage. It’s first aged in new, charred Oregon oak barrels for two years before spending one year in barrels that once held the brand’s imperial stout.
Bottom Line:
I was very surprised to learn this was a Rogue whiskey. I didn’t have high hopes for it. But it was is a very complex, well-balanced whiskey that has so many different layers that you’ll need multiple sampling to find them all.
4) Glenfiddich IPA Cask Finish — Taste 8
ABV: 43%
Average Price: $51
The Whisky:
Normally, when a whisky maker finishes one of its expressions in a beer barrel, it’s a darker beer like a stout or porter. Glenfiddich got really experimental with it and worked with a Speyside brewer to make an IPA. They then age their fully mature single malt whisky in casks that help this IPA for three additional months.
Bottom Line:
This is a unique whiskey that’s really hard to figure out. There are definitely some flavors not normally associated with whiskey. But is that a bad thing? I don’t think so. Glenfiddich makes single malts so well they’ve earned the right to experiment.
3) Sagamore Spirit Rye Ale Cask Finish — Taste 3
ABV: 45%
Average Price: $70
The Whiskey:
Sagamore Spirit is definitely not a brand to shy away from experimental whiskeys. Its Sagamore Spirit Rye Ale Cask Finish is a good example of this flair for trying things. This four-year-old blend of straight rye whiskeys gets an extra eleven months of finishing in former bourbon barrels that were previously used to age an ale.
Bottom Line:
This is a great example of beer barrel finishing adding to the overall flavor. This whiskey is a nice mix of sweetness and spice that seems to be heightened by the beer finishing. I was excited to try this expression from Sagamore Spirit and it exceeded my expectations.
2) Elijah Craig Beer Barrel Finish — Taste 2
ABV: 47%
Average Price: Limited Availability
The Whiskey:
In the fall of 2020, Elijah Craig partnered with Goose Island to release an extremely limited beer barrel finished bourbon. First, the bourbon was aged in level three charred American oak barrels. The barrels were emptied and sent to Chicago where Goose Island Bourbon County Stout was aged in them. They were then emptied and the barrels were sent back to Kentucky to finish fully mature Elijah Craig Small Batch Bourbon for an additional ten months.
Bottom Line:
This is an indulgent, highly complex whiskey that deserves to be sipped neat while you swaddled yourself in thick blankets in front of a roaring fire. Elijah Craig is well known for its Small Batch and Barrel Proof expressions, but (if you can find it) this one isn’t to be missed.
1) Whistlepig Roadstock Rye — Taste 7
ABV: 43%
Average Price: $66
The Whiskey:
Whistlepig Roadstock Rye was finished on the road cross country. A tractor-trailer transported the whiskey, half in Bordeaux blend casks and the other half in virgin American oak barrels. The truck traveled to Chicago and then to Los Angeles on Route 66. When it arrived in California, the truck went to Firestone Walker where the whiskey was moved to barrels that previously held the brewery’s imperial stout, imperial blonde ale, and experimental ale before turning around for a return trip to Vermont.
Bottom Line:
This is a highly memorable whiskey. It’s equal parts fruity, sweet, vanilla creamy, and peppery spicy. All in all a whiskey experience I’ll definitely visit again.
Truth be told, I was surprised when I learned that a special release from Whistlepig took the top spot, but my taste buds didn’t lie.
