Homebrewers who want to take their craft to the next level should give barrel-aging a try. Barrels are more readily available to homebrewers than ever before, and that means that you can now experiment with any number of barrel varieties: rum, bourbon and rye whiskey, wine, sherry, and tequila.
Here’s a flavor guide for choosing what beer styles to age in what barrel varieties, homebrew recipes included. Before you get started, you might want to check out Niel Fisher's tips on the barrel-aging process with advice on everything from where to procure barrels to how to best blend them after aging.
Saison and Bière de Garde
Age these in a wine barrel. Much like wine, saisons are complex beers that tend to be fruit-forward, spicy, or earthy. Used wine barrels can impart a broad range of beer flavors, from tannic oak and smooth caramel to dark fruit and toffee. Try aging Funkwerks Tropic King imperial saison or this Biere de Quattro farmhouse ale in a white wine barrel, or age this ruby-colored Bier de Noel in a red wine barrel—get this holiday ale on your brew schedule soon so it has time to age for the next holiday season.
Amber Ale and Red Ale
Age these in a rye barrel. Red ales are commonly aged in bourbon barrels, but I’m here to make a case for rye. The spiciness of rye lends itself well to the rich caramel malt often found in red and amber ales. Try aging this Imperial Alt Altbier recipe in a rye barrel to add complexity to its already rich caramel and nutty flavors.
Double IPA
Age this in a tequila barrel. In summer 2015, Odell Brewing had great success aging their Myrcenary Double IPA in Jose Cuervo barrels. The beer packed a spicy, tropical hops character that balanced toasted oak flavor. It finished surprisingly smooth for a beer of its brawn. Try Captain Cook’s Strait Up DIPA that blends classic American resin with novel notes from down under.
Porter
Age this in a rum barrel. The roastiness of rich porter makes it a perfect pairing for the sweetness and earthiness of rum barrels. Try brewing an imperial version of the Redhook Out of Your Gourd Pumpkin Porter recipe or Avery Pump[KY]n now, then barrel age it in a rum barrel to serve this fall.
Imperial Stout
Age this in a bourbon barrel. It’s no surprise that the roasted coffee and chocolate flavors of stout and porter meld well with caramel, oak, and toffee flavors left in bourbon barrels. Try the Alexander The Blessed imperial stout recipe for your next bourbon-barrel experiment. “Named for Alexander I, Tsar of Russia (1801-1825), this massive imperial stout was designed for barrel aging,” says its creator, Neil Fisher. “The high alcohol aids in extracting the full flavor from the barrel, while the high IBUs help balance the boozy sweetness contributed by the bourbon barrel and final high gravity.”
Barleywine
Age this in another bourbon barrel. Like imperial stout, barleywine is a great candidate for barrel aging because of its high gravity and balance of big malt and high IBU balance. Old Fussypants is a classic English-style barleywine that gains its rich, bready character from Maris Otter base malt. Recipe creator Dave Carpenter recommends aging this beer for at least six months, so bring on the bourbon barrel... and maybe a splash of whiskey while you wait.