Nickel Brook announced today that its highly-anticipated Kentucky Bastard Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout will be available in time for the holiday season, hitting store shelves in early December. One of the brewery’s most complex beers, it has consistently been one of the top-rated beers on Ratebeer.com, and has received multiple awards in both Canada and the United States. It also received a perfect score in the Ontario Craft Beer Guide.
Kentucky Bastard is aged for a full year in Kentucky bourbon barrels, creating a truly artisan product. Hundreds of barrels are blended to create the final beer every winter, which is bottled and wax-sealed by hand to encourage further cellar-ageing. The resulting beer blends rich chocolate, coffee and dark fruit notes from the stout with vanilla, oak and warming alcohol imparted by the bourbon barrels. At 12% ABV, it is perfect as a dessert beer, enjoyed by a fire or with a fine cigar, or to celebrate a special occasion.
“Kentucky Bastard was originally a small-batch experiment with some barrels we were able to get our hands on six years ago,” said brewmaster Ryan Morrow. “We’ve continued to refine it over the years, and we’re proud that so many now consider it one of the best bourbon-barrel aged stouts in the market.”
This year’s batch will be released in 500ml wax-sealed bottles. “We can only make a limited amount of Kentucky Bastard every year, and we wanted to give as many people as possible the chance to try this incredible beer” explained co-founder Peter Romano. “It sells out quickly every year, so switching to a smaller bottle allows us to get more bottles out there for people to enjoy.”
Bottles will be available at the brewery Bottle Shop, and wherever exceptional beers are sold while supplies last.