Beer Review: Barrel-Aged Lagunitas High-Westified

by Jack Horzempa
originally posted on Beer Advocate

Beer and barrels have had a long relationship. You could view it as simply a relationship of convenience: beer has to be stored in some sort of vessel and for a long time barrels where the vessel of choice for bulk storage. Depending on what type of wood was used there were nuances to how the barrels were finished for beer storage.

You carpenters out there are probably interested in knowing that the wood of choice for beer storage was mostly oak. I am not a carpenter but I know just a little bit about oak:

· It is a hard wood – likely durable for long term use I would assume

· There are lots of different types of oak

In IPA: Brewing Techniques, Recipes and the Evolution of India Pale Ale author Mitch Steele (former brewmaster at Stone Brewing) wrote several pages on barrels and how they were using in the British brewing industry of the 16th and 17th centuries. One extract:

“The wood used for cask themselves was slow-growth oak from Northern Europe. It was specifically selected because of its tight grain pattern, which meant that it would contribute little, if any, flavor or tannic astringency to the beer that was aged (stored) in it. Although brewers tested American and French oak, the overwhelming choice for brewers casks was slow-growth oak from the Baltic and Poland.”


This passage is very important since it highlights that when barrels are used as storage vessels for beer it was important to minimize flavors of the wood impacting the beer. The British brewers ‘managed’ this through a very specific selection of oak (oak from Northern Europe). Barrels can be constructed from other types of oak but then other precautions need to be taken by the coopers (barrel makers) – specifically the oak would be lined with a substance referred to as pitch so that the beer never touches the wood of the barrel. In America the wood of choice to make barrels was American oak and the coopers when they constructed barrels for beer storage would line those particular barrels with pitch.

A short interlude for you Beavis & Butthead fans: “He said wood”.

In the 20th century the material of choice for bulk storage of beer was metal: steel and then stainless steel. I once saw what looked like a wooden cask (firkin) on stillage at my local beer bar. I looked at it closely to find the wood appearance was due to a rubber coating with a wood grain look. Inside was a stainless steel firkin. Well, I was fooled for a short time.

In contemporary days barrels are used in brewing for aging finished beers to impart extra flavors to the beer. Those extra flavors are typically the flavors from the spirits or wine or sherry that was previously in the barrel but also some flavors from the wood itself. An example of a wood imparted flavor is that American Oak can impart flavors of vanilla to the beer (and other flavors as well). It has been reported that the first brewery to utilize barrels in this manner was Goose Island when they aged an Imperial Stout in used Bourbon Barrels. I have seen various dates for when this first occurred; on the Goose Island website they state 1992.

Well, this brings us to today’s beer: Lagunitas High West-ified Imperial Coffee Stout. I was fortunate that a generous benefactor sent me this beer over the holidays. A BIG thank you!!
Below is from the Lagunitus website:

“Ale Brewed with Coffee and then Aged in High West Whiskey Barrels

This beer couldn't have been done without the help from our friends at High West Distillery in Park City, UT and Chicago's-own Metropolis Coffee. We brewed a rich, malty Imperial Stout with some of Metropolis' Spice Island blend, then let it 

Served in my Gulden Draak tulip glass:

Appearance:

Pours a deep brown/black color with a BIG khaki colored head. Very good head retention.

Aroma:

A complex combination of Rye Whiskey/Bourbon, cocoa, a bit of toffee,…

Taste:

The flavor pretty much follows the nose with the Rye Whiskey/Bourbon flavors being prominent but there is more here. There is a notable vanilla flavor along with the cocoa, toffee and a bit of coffee. There is no alcohol flavor to speak of. Moderate – low bitterness.

Mouthfeel:

Medium bodied with a sweet-ish finish. In one word: luscious!!

Overall:

This is beer is excellent. A lot of complexity with different flavors that work together in a sublime manner.

A word of warning to those who prefer a robust coffee flavor in their Imperial Coffee Stouts – you might be a bit disappointed in this particular beer. I personally was not disappointed whatsoever.

Cheers to Lagunitas for another AWESOME seasonal beer!!!!!!!

Jack Horzempa is a longtime friend of the store and an extremely knowledgeable home brewer, brewing some of the best beer I have ever tasted. Jack's palate is well seasoned and he has been a valuable source of beer expertise to the store. He has graciously allowed us to repost his review/posts from Beer Advocate where he has achieved Poo-bah status. Since joining Beer Advocate 12 yrs ago, Jack has posted more than 20,000 times and earned over 25,000 likes.