Now that our first barrels are out the door, it seems that all the other barrels we added to this stream also started coming due. It was very difficult to decide on barrels for this blend as so many were excellent and ready for packaging. Essentially all of the barrels had a strong presence of whiskey (sometimes too much!), so we had to look past that to find the more nuanced flavors we were interested in.

Of the four barrels we chose, two had an extremely strong presence of whiskey, while the other two were more subdued. These more subdued barrels, is where the notes of milk chocolate, coffee derive. After a number of blending combinations we landed on these four as a good balance of whiskey and other dessert-full flavors.

This beer isn’t shy about its time spent conditioning in whiskey barrels. The first wafts of flavor present commanding notes of velvety whisky and resinous dark wood, like that of a log cabin. More subdued notes of cherry and cranberry come through the back door along with the heat from the whiskey alcohol. In the flavor, again the whiskey comes through first and boldly, but this time backed up by caramel and molasses. The syrupy molasses reins in the heat from the boozy whiskey allowing for numerous sips to go by carefree.

■Fermentation Vessel(s): ex-Bourbon ex-Whisky casks from Shizuoka Distillery
■Time: 24 months in barrel
■Adjuncts: n/a

【Storage and Handling】
■Storage: 15C
■Serving Temperature: 4-15C
■Glassware: Snifter, Tulip

Do not disturb the bottle during storage and store upright. Do not agitate the bottle before pouring. When opening,
use a bottle opener and if necessary, a knife to cut through the wax on top.