Oak barrel, how I love thee. Let me count the ways…

Fresh beer is going to your local brewpub, having a pint or two, then getting your growler filled for the trip home. That is fresh and not much else can compare. While bottling has definitely improved over the years and is basically at its zenith, there is little to no doubt that bottled beer, especially when pasteurized, will vary just a bit from the freshly drawn product. Thankfully, there is an area in between the brewpub and the bottling line that is known as “the friend”, and it is through a fellow friend and his friend that I got to enjoy a fresh, hand-bottled Oak Aged Old Tom from Iron Hill Brewing. This isn’t just any oak. There was no wine or bourbon or whisky involved. Oh no, this was a Lambic barrel which used to house that wonderfully precocious brew known as a Lambic. My mouth is already watering.

Earthen brown with amber highlights, he quickly fills my glass, swelling into a minor head. Fading into scattered bubbles, he does puff up nicely while leaving lace in his wake. Each swirl releases a bouquet of sour and dry tartness as her nose meets mine for a divine sensory indulgence. Peach, nectarines, kiwi, wood and vanilla with graham crackers, spiced apples, black cherries and last but not least, pie crust. Could someone bottle this in perfume form for me, please and thank you. His body is a bit thinner than I expected, but not watery. Instead, I find the slight thinness reminiscent of a lambic, thus complimenting Old Tom very well. His dry palate leads into a sour brett delight. Mingling amidst the lambic influences are rich wood tones, spice, peaches, and nectarines. As my mouth is slowly sucked dry, more wood and vanilla notes mingle amidst the sour notes. My glass quickly empties as Old Tom floats effortlessly across my tastebuds. I am left with a perfectly tantalizing blend of peach, nectarines, kiwi, lemon, plums, and intriguingly, coconut. Add delightfully sour and dry brett funk to that whole picture, and my only wish is we didn’t have to say goodbye.

Well, I can now count yet another way; beer aged in Lambic barrels. A new beer frontier for me, hopefully, it won’t be new for too long because Old Tom was amazing. The fruitiness and spice was perfectly complimented by the natural dry tartness and sour funk which a Lambic barrel will undoubtedly add. While not all beers may receive the blessings of a Lambic barrel as well, I hope Old Tom is the beginning of a new trend in barrel-aged beers.


may i have another, please? pretty please?