Bourbon By Nino Marchetti / February 21, 2014 Collaborations between distilleries and breweries or wineries is hardly breaking news when it comes to the craft whiskey movement. What makes this of interest in the case of one Massachusetts distillery, however, is the fact it is working with 10 “influential craft brewers” across the nation to create a unique range of cask finished whiskies.Berkshire Mountain Distillers is the brains behind this interesting project, having already completed some successful trial runs with the likes of Samuel Adams. For each of its partners it is making use from them recently emptied beer barrels that it then finishes its Berkshire Bourbon in for a minimum of three months. The focus of the undertaking is to see “what subtle changes each different style beer will impart” on the whiskey.This limited-edition line of Berkshire Bourbon, made from a mash bill that includes corn sourced from a family farm located just three miles from the distillery, is being bottled at 43% ABV and will price between $43 and $60. Availability will mostly be regional from what I’ve seen, depending upon where the partner brewery is located. A list of those partners, what the beer was which was in the barrel before it was emptied and projected release dates are included below.1. Big Sky Brewing, Missoula, Montana Beer: Hound Dog – A double IPA with a rich malt taste, subtle floral and fried fruit notes; aged in bourbon barrels; 8.8% ABVRelease Date: March 20142. Cigar City Brewing, Tampa, FloridaBeer: Forgotten Island- Belgian-style, quad aged in rum barrels; 15% ABV.Release Date March 20143. Founders Brewing, Grand Rapids, MichiganBeer: Kentucky Breakfast Stout – An imperial stout brewed with large amounts of coffee and chocolate; aged in bourbon barrels; 11.2% ABV.Release Date: March 20144. Full Sail Brewing, Hood River, Oregon Beer: Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout –Strong roasted malt, chocolate and caramel notes; 9% ABV.Release Date: Summer 20145. Hale’s Ales, Seattle, WashingtonBeer: Bourbon Barrel-Aged Stout – An imperial stout with six different malts, a complex hop profile with notes of dark chocolate and coffee; 10.5% ABV.Release Date: March 20146. Brewery Ommegang, Cooperstown, New YorkBeer: Adoration – A Belgian Winter, dark, malty and assertively spicy; aged in bourbon barrels, 10% ABV.Release Date: Late Spring 20147. Samuel Adams, Boston, MassachusettsBeer: Samuel Adams Utopias – Sweet fire with dark fruit notes; a rich malt with a woody complexity; aged in bourbon, port and rum barrels; 29% ABV.Release Date: January 2014 & Late Spring 20148. Smuttynose Brewing Company, Portsmouth, New HampshireBeer: Durty – A brown IPA with an American-sized dose of hops, malty with dark cocoa notes; aged in BMD Ragged Mountain Rum barrels; 8.4% ABV.Release Date: TB 9. Terrapin Brewing Company, Athens, GeorgiaBeer: Monk’s Revenge – A Belgian triple with the flavor and aroma of a double IPA and the malt character of a fine Belgian triple; aged in red wine barrels; 9.8% ABV.Release Date: January 201410. Tröegs Brewing Company, Hershey, PennsylvaniaBeer: Troegenator – A double bock with a strong malt aroma, a rich chewy body and subtle spicy notes; aged in bourbon barrels; 8.2% ABV.Release Date: January 2014
