It’s that time of year where people are frantically trying to find last minute gifts for their loved ones. Perhaps those loved ones are of the Barley&Hops variety and can appreciate good beer. Perhaps said loved ones would appreciate an interesting brew in their stocking. And perhaps we have just the beer for them. It’s the Franschhoek Beer Co. Barrel Aged Stout and it’s just what you might be looking for.
Before we crack on, it has been a really long time since the Franschhoek Beer Co. featured on the blog. Well over a year in fact. The last time we saw them here was in July 2018 with their Orange Pale Ale. We need to rectify that, so expect to see more of the brewery over the coming months here. To help us along we recruited Head Brewer Olaf Morgenroth who was unsurprisingly more than happy to help.
Back to the beer. The Stout is barrel aged for six months in ex-shiraz french oak barrels. Remember the Red Rock Barrel-Aged Dark Lager we featured in November? If not, you can find it here. Point is, that was also aged in shiraz barrels so it would be interesting to try these beers side-by-side. The difference being that this is a Stout and that was a Lager (we’re not going to get into the BJCP qualification here).
Character
- Subtle notes of coffee, chocolate and vanilla providing more complexity rather than dominating.
- Rich and creamy mouth feel with an alcohol warmth towards the end.
The Franschhoek Beer Co. Barrel Aged Stout is an exclusive limited brew so you might battle to get your hands on it but well worth it if you do. And as far as gifts go for your Barley&Hopes inclined family/friends/loved ones, it’s a great one. If you’ve tried it let us know your thoughts in the comments below or get hold of Olaf and let him know what you think.
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Let Olaf know what you think: Instagram
Cheers!