Archives for November 2022

BEND, OREGON – Deschutes Brewery and Bendistillery’s Crater Lake Spirits today announced the exclusive release of a single barrel cask strength Black Butte Whiskey. A limited special edition true American malt whiskey distilled from the wash of Deschutes Brewery’s famed Black Butte Porter and aged in new char #4 American White Oak barrels. The resulting spirit is a 125.8-proof balanced, yet profoundly complex whiskey featuring strong notes of sweet dark caramel, warm bread, and intense vanilla.  The rich ambered honey appearance is validated by surprisingly sweet and candied almond notes on the palate that evolves into a rich texture with new oak notes and molasses finish. Subtle cocoa and warming spices arise from the porter.

This cask strength debut will be accompanied by the annual release of the original 5-year-old, 94-proof Black Butte Whiskey.

Since its original release, Black Butte Whiskey has gained outstanding national acclaim, most recently Best of Show at Sunset Magazine’s International Spirits Competition with 98 points, and was named Best American Craft Luxury Whiskey by Sunset.

The idea for this unique collaboration between craft brewery and distillery was born over a pint at the original Deschutes Brewery Public House over a decade ago in downtown, Bend, Oregon. Brewed with an artisanal selection of specialty malts and then double-distilled and aged for 5 years in new char #4 American White Oak barrels, the original Black Butte Whiskey is a 94-proof whiskey that retains the malty, chocolatey notes of Black Butte Porter and finishes with a soft, nearly sweet, character.

Bottles of the rare cask strength single barrel whiskey will be available for sale to the public starting Friday, November 25th for “Black Butte Friday” at Crater Lake Spirits Downtown Tasting Room located at 1024 NW Bond Street. A release party will coincide next door at Deschutes Brewery’s pub featuring sample pours and food pairings. Bottle sales will be available at select Oregon liquor stores starting in December.

About Bendistillery

Founded in 1996, Bendistillery is one of the nation’s original craft distilleries and is still the most awarded craft distillery in the country. Their flagship Crater Lake Spirits brand are traditional American style gins, vodkas and whiskies all produced at their distillery in Bend, Oregon.

About Deschutes Brewery

Deschutes Brewery is an independent craft brewer in Bend, Oregon family, and employee-owned since 1988. Founded on the guiding principles of true craftsmanship and ultimate quality, Deschutes is known as a leader in hops, dark beer, innovative India Pale Ales, and small-batch experimental and barrel-aged beers. Deschutes Brewery is crafted for community, committed to sustainable business practices, and support of charitable organizations across our distribution footprint. Visit Deschutes Brewery’s beer finder to find a Deschutes beer near you in 36 states across the country.

For More Information:
https://www.deschutesbrewery.com

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PASO ROBLES, California – Firestone Walker unveiled “XXVI”—the latest edition of its storied Anniversary Ale, blended once again with the help of local winemakers.

“We’re talking about a ‘who’s who’ of Paso Robles winemakers,” said Brewmaster Matt Brynildson. “We’re fortunate to call them our neighbors and friends, and they never disappoint when it comes to our annual blending session.”

The result this year is XXVI—a masterwork of flavor and complexity, blended from six distinct ales aged in bourbon and brandy barrels, marking the brewery’s 26th anniversary.

“This latest Anniversary Ale is just super delicious and refined,” Brynildson said. “It’s driven by two barrel-aged stouts, but it’s much more than that. It has this perfect balancing point with a lot of spirits barrel character, and there’s an underlying freshness that elevates the mouthfeel.”

XXVI is rolling out now in limited quantities to all Firestone Walker markets, and is available at each brewery location and online at FirestoneBeer.com for a limited time.

An Annual Rite

Firestone Walker’s collaboration with local winemakers dates back to 2006, when Brynildson was tasked with creating the inaugural Anniversary Ale to mark the brewery’s 10th anniversary year.

“It’s a tall order to blend all of these distinct beers into a harmonious whole,” Brynildson said. “That’s why we bring in the winemakers—they are practicing experts in the art of blending.”

This year’s blending session marked the 17th occasion of this annual summer rite. As always, the winemakers broke into teams to create their own candidate blends from a variety of barrel-aged components. “We offered up a perfect spectrum of beers to choose

Next, the winemakers and brewers blind tasted all of the candidate blends, then voted as a group to crown the winner that would become XXVI.

XXVI: The Final Blend

“It was nice to have our classic Bravo brown ale back in the mix as a complement to our Parabola and Velvet Merkin stouts,” Brynildson said. “Heavy Things contributed a subtle dimension of brandy barrel character. Finally, Helldorado and Wheat Wine added a splash of freshness to the beer.”

Parabola – Aged in Bourbon Barrels (32%)

RussianImperial Stout

Velvet Merkin – Aged in Bourbon Barrels (32%) Milk Stout

Bravo – Aged in Bourbon Barrels (24%)

Imperial Brown Ale

Heavy Things – Aged in Brandy Barrels (6%)

Barley Wine Made in Collaboration with The Bruery

Helldorado – Aged in Bourbon Barrels (4%)

Blonde Barley Wine

Wheat Wine – Aged in Bourbon Barrels (2%)

Strong Golden Barley Wine Co-Fermented with White Wine Grape Juice

The Winemakers

Valia From and Emily Miller – Desparada Wines

Russell From – Herman Story Wines

Along with Danny “Fullpint” Becker – Editor-in-Chief, TheFullpint.com

This team created the winning blend that became “XXVI”

Jordan Fiorentini and Kyle Gingras – Epoch Estate Wines

Matt Trevisan and Ryan Merryweather – Linne Calodo

Sherman Thacher – Thacher Winery

Steve Martell – Kaleidos

Bastien Leduc – Seven Oxen

Scott Hawley – Torrin Wine

Phil LaMontagne – TH Estate Wines

Pete Turrone and Cameron Silzer – Booker Wines

From outside the wine world

Brad Clark – Private Press Brewing

Greg and Jarrett Koran – Brewmaster’s Collective Club Members

Anthony and Patrick Patterson – Brewmaster’s Collective Club Members

Family joining the fun

Polly Walker

David Walker

Nick Firestone

For More Information:
https://www.firestonebeer.com

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BRECKENRIDGE — Breckenridge Distillery, the ‘World’s Highest Distillery,’ and Breckenridge Brewery return this season for the second ever Buddy Pass, a unique barrel-exchange program to create a limited-edition Imperial Stout Cask Finish Whiskey and a Whiskey Barrel-Aged Imperial Oatmeal Stout Beer. After selling out last year’s inaugural limited release in Colorado, Buddy Pass has expanded nationwide, entering 10 new markets and will hit retailers starting Oct. 24.

Buddy Pass is a unique collaboration between two iconic Colorado brands that allows you to sip the best of barrel-aged beer and beer-aged whiskey. The collaboration begins with Breckenridge Brewery’s Imperial Oatmeal Stout beer aged in Breckenridge Distillery Bourbon barrels to imbue boozy flavors from the whiskey barrel. After the beer is sufficiently aged, the barrels are returned to Breckenridge Distillery where they are filled once again with the distillery’s award-winning whiskey and aged again for about a year.

The whiskey, Breckenridge Distillery’s Imperial Stout Cask Finish Whiskey, highlights notes from the Imperial Oatmeal Stout resulting in a 114.7 proof spirit dark and sultry with notes of cinnamon and oak and a light background of fresh orange zest and chocolate. Smooth abundant caramel and dark chocolate hit the palate first as a dry matured oak and bold cinnamon spice follow and ride out for a long dry, spicy finish. The whiskey has an ABV of 57.35% and an MSRP ranging from $49-$60, depending on the market.

The beer, Breckenridge Brewery’s barrel-aged Imperial Oatmeal Stout, is a quintessential “big beer.” With a velvety mouthfeel, this beer is meant to be sipped, not slammed. The Imperial Oatmeal Stout imparts notes of dark chocolate-covered cherries, espresso, and toffee; its time in the Breckenridge Distillery’s high-rye bourbon barrels imparts hints of caramel sweetness that take it to the next level.

Buddy Pass is a bold, boozy brew that is meant to be shared. The subsequent spirits and suds are a perfect marriage between the two treasured craft brands that both beer and whiskey lovers alike will enjoy.

Buddy Pass 2022 will be available in Colorado, Chicago, Southern California, Texas (Dallas, Austin, and San Antonio), New York City, South Florida, Upstate New York, Arizona, New Jersey, Atlanta, and the greater Washington D.C./Maryland/Delaware area. When both products are purchased together in the following markets, buyers can receive a $10 rebate: Southern Florida, Southern California, Arizona, Chicago, New Jersey, Maryland, and New York.

About Breckenridge Distillery

Founded in 2008, Breckenridge Distillery is the “World’s Highest Distillery” widely known for its award-winning blended bourbon whiskey, a high-rye mash American-style whiskey. As one of the most highly awarded craft bourbons in the U.S., Breckenridge Bourbon is proudly a 3x Icons of Whisky and 5x winner of Best American Blended winner at the World Whiskies Awards by Whisky Magazine and a 4x winner of Colorado Distillery of the Year by the New York International Spirits Competition. Most recently, Breckenridge Gin and PX Sherry Cask Finish Whiskey received Double Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. In 2021, Breckenridge Gin was named the World’s Best Compound Gin at the World Gin Awards by Gin Magazine.

The Breckenridge Distillery is more than award-winning spirits, offering an immersive guest experience. Dine at their award-winning restaurant, enjoy show-stopping cocktails, learn about their highly awarded spirits with an in-depth tasting, and get an inside look at their active production facility. New to the distillery, guests have the opportunity to blend their own whiskey as they learn the inner workings of whiskey production.

About Breckenridge Brewery

Breckenridge Brewery opened its doors in 1990 in the ski town of Breckenridge, Colorado. What started as a small brewpub has grown into one of the largest breweries in the U.S. The original brewery still serves its craft beer and delicious pub fare at a high altitude. The production brewery outside of Denver sends beer to 49 states and offers tours, dining, and a welcoming Colorado beer garden experience. With a focus on balanced, approachable, and interesting beer, the brewery’s portfolio contains classics like Vanilla Porter, Avalanche Amber Ale, Agave Wheat, Strawberry Sky, and Hop Peak IPA, along with a variety of specialty beers that include seasonals, barrel-aged beers, the Brewery Lane Series, and a nitrogen-charged canned series.

Visit www.breckbrew.com for more information.

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