Boulder, CO — Break out your banjo and your overalls and get ready to stock your cellar because Uncle Jacob’s Stout is coming back on February 9th. It will be the third release of the highly coveted and critically acclaimed Uncle Jacob’s Stout. The second member of Avery’s Annual Barrel Series, it is a 14.83% ABV stout aged in first-use Bourbon barrels for six months.
The idea for the beer came during a genealogy project when Adam Avery’s sister discovered Jacob Spears, their 6thgreat-grand uncle. Spears established a distillery in Bourbon County, Kentucky in 1790 and is credited as being the first distiller to label his whiskey as “Bourbon.”
“My sister called and said, ‘You’re never going to believe this.’ And before I hung up the phone, I knew I had the next Annual Barrel Series beer to go with Rumpkin. I’d always wanted to make a Bourbon barrel-aged stout, and now I know that’s because Bourbon is actually in my blood.”
“We loved the beer so much last year that we didn’t really make any changes,” said Avery’s Chief Barrel Herder Andy Parker. “The flavors in this year’s batch are melding even better, and it’s super smooth with more coconut notes, a flavor that can come from Bourbon barrels.”
Just like the past two years, the biggest challenge was bringing balance to a brew of such high alcohol content. To offset the natural astringency from the alcohol and the barrels’ oak tannins, dark specialty malts with caramel and toffee flavors were chosen over more roasty and coffee-like malts. A liberal dose of flaked oats was also added for richness and mouth-feel. After four weeks of fermenting with an English ale yeast and 6 months resting in the oak barrels, the brew boasts flavors of coconut, toffee, caramel, and vanilla from the Bourbon barrels, as well as dried currants and cherries.
“This is a nightcap beer,” said Avery, “the ultimate dessert beer.”
The Avery Tap Room in Boulder, CO will release Uncle Jacob’s Stout at 1pm on Sunday, February 9, 2014. Bottles are 12oz. and will be sold for $12 each. Uncle Jacob’s Stout is part of Avery’s Annual Barrel Series, which features a selection of cellarable barrel-aged beers that fans can look forward to year after year. Avery has decided to turn these releases into “cellar building parties,” so fans will be able to buy up to one case (24 bottles).
Said Avery, “We want folks to be able to buy enough to enjoy some now and have enough to drink in the years to come so they can explore how the beer changes over time.”
Availability of Uncle Jacob’s Stout can only be guaranteed at the Avery Tap Room during the release party until it runs out. Starting at 11am there will be rare and exclusive beers on tap. For more information, beer connoisseurs can checkwww.averybrewing.com or email info@averybrewing.com.
About
Established in 1993, Avery Brewing Company has developed a reputation as being one of the most daring and visionary breweries in the nation. They are the brewers of Avery IPA, The Maharaja Imperial IPA, White Rascal Belgian Wheat Ale, Mephistopheles’ Stout, and eighteen other year-round and seasonal beers. Please go to www.averybrewing.com for more information on Avery beers.