[thebigbaker]

I had my first Imperial Bourbon Stout...well sort of I guess.  I was @ Oskar Blues today and the crew brought out some of their Ten Fidy Imperial Stout which they had aging in an oak barrel from Jim Beam for us to try.  I asked how much bourbon they added to it and they said none, the bourbon flavor was actually coming from the barrel.  This was my first beer w/ any bourbon flavor in it and it was freakin' awesome!  This was a small batch that they do not package and sell. So, what are some good bourbon beers that are out there that I should try, or should I just attempt to make my own?  I may have to give Denny's Bourbon Vanilla Imperial Porter a try!  I haven't brewed a beer that I've aged so this may be a good one to start with.

[liquidbrewing]

Brew your own!!

I brewed up a Bourbon Stout a few months ago.  The base beer was my normal dry stout, 6% abv.  I added 16 oz of Makers Mark when I kegged it.  Let it age/mellow on  the gas for three to four weeks.  The bourbon flavor was great.

Unless you can get your hands on a bourbon barrel.

[thebigbaker]

Not sure what I was thinking asking should I brew my own...of course I should brew my own! 

[denny]

Not sure what I was thinking asking should I brew my own...of course I should brew my own!

If you decide to brew my recipe, I'd advise you not to age it much.  I prefer it when it's not much more than a couple months old.


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[redbeerman]

Not sure what I was thinking asking should I brew my own...of course I should brew my own!

If you decide to brew my recipe, I'd advise you not to age it much.  I prefer it when it's not much more than a couple months old.


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I do recommend Denny's recipe.  It makes an awesome fall/winter beer.  As far as how long you let it go is a matter of personal taste.  I have had it at one year and although the flavors may have mellowed, it is still one damn fine brew.

[thebigbaker]

Not sure what I was thinking asking should I brew my own...of course I should brew my own!

If you decide to brew my recipe, I'd advise you not to age it much.  I prefer it when it's not much more than a couple months old.


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Thanks Denny.  I saw that you mentioned  it didn't benefit from extended aging in Zymurgy, which is good because I'm not the most patient person!  What would you say is a minimum amount of time for when the beer is ready?  I let most of my ales ferment 3-4 weeks before I keg.  I set the keg to serving psi and let it sit for about a week before I start enjoying them, so a total of 4-5 wks w/ my ales.  This will be the first big gravity beer that I will be brewing.  Thanks!

[nateo]

Denny mentions this in the article, but I can't stress it enough: Bourbon will accentuate sweetness. I'd recommend brewing the beer to be less-sweet than usual. I've only made one bourbon beer that was spot-on, the other ended up being slightly too sweet once I added the bourbon.

[denny]

Not sure what I was thinking asking should I brew my own...of course I should brew my own!

If you decide to brew my recipe, I'd advise you not to age it much.  I prefer it when it's not much more than a couple months old.


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Thanks Denny.  I saw that you mentioned  it didn't benefit from extended aging in Zymurgy, which is good because I'm not the most patient person!  What would you say is a minimum amount of time for when the beer is ready?  I let most of my ales ferment 3-4 weeks before I keg.  I set the keg to serving psi and let it sit for about a week before I start enjoying them, so a total of 4-5 wks w/ my ales.  This will be the first big gravity beer that I will be brewing.  Thanks!

That should be in the ballpark.  Let your own tastes be your guide.

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