Editor’s Note: This product was provided to us as a review sample by the party behind it. This in no way, per our editorial policies, influenced the final outcome of this review.
New Belgium Brewing was named in commemoration of a bike trip through Belgium in 1988, and since the brewery’s founding in 1991, it has been a leader in the field of American breweries creating Belgium-style craft beer. The brewery is located in Fort Collins, Colorado, and has a satellite operation in Asheville, North Carolina.
The brewery has done many things to remain at the forefront of progress and equity in the corporate craft beer world. New Belgium is a Certified B-Corporation; it has at the Fort Collins facility its very own waste-water treatment plant and the company also has built the largest privately owned solar array in Colorado. In the spirit of equity, the company became 100% employee-owned in 2012.
Since the start of the brewery, New Belgium has been an industry leader in creating new American craft beer styles. In the year 2000, they first used French wine barrels to age a sour beer that the brewery produced. This would give the facility one of their first experiences with imparting oak flavors into their beers.
Their previous success in barrel aging would guide the brewery in creating a new concept in 2018 with the help of Four Roses Distillery. This new beer utilized charred oak chips that were recovered from Four Roses bourbon barrels when the whiskey was dumped after the aging process was completed. These oak chips were then combined with a New Belgium ale in a proprietary stainless steel infusion vessel to allow the beer to gain flavors from the whiskey and the barrel without the need for using the actual barrel to age the beer.
The result was named New Belgium Brewing Oakspire, which started as a special holiday release with a small initial offering and quickly became more popular than a small release could maintain.
Four Roses Distillery has been a partner with New Belgium since the start of the Oakspire brand in 2018. With the 2022 release the Kentucky distillery expressed their excitement at continuing the collaboration, with Four Roses Chief Operating Officer, Ryan Ashley, stating that they were: “thrilled to come together again… to re-release Oakspire”.
The work done by the two companies seems to have paid off nicely as New Belgium Brewing Oakspire has received shining reviews, even earning an 87-point rating (very good) from Beer Advocate.
Trending Stories
Tasting Notes: New Belgium Brewing Oakspire
Vital Stats: New Belgium Brewing Ale infused with charred oak chips from Four Roses bourbon. 9% ABV, 27 IBU, MSRP $14.99/6 pack
Appearance: A color reminiscent of vibrant mahogany. Head is rich and foamy.
Nose: Aromas of vanilla malt, toffee ice cream, and orange peel
Palate: Beer has a well rounded and creamy mouth-feel. Flavors include lemon curd, nutmeg, cedar and toasted almonds. Finish lingers with notes of barrel spice and hops married together equally.
Final Thoughts: New Belgium’s collaboration with Four Roses is a very well rounded and a finely crafted addition to their line-up. The beer is deep but also refreshing and showcases some of the best flavors from the brewery and distillery. It’s too bad that this is currently only a seasonal offering as it is easy to recommend anytime.
Latest News