As we anticipate next week’s unveiling of our 2025 Brewmaster’s Collective beer club, let’s take a brief look back at the incredible highlights of the 2024 edition. To know where you’re headed next, it’s good to remember where you came from.
Epic Collabs
Let’s start by revisiting three of this year’s most epic collaboration beers…
The story begins, ironically, with the “Oakpocalypse”—one of our most earth-shattering releases of the year. Oakpocalypse Now was a Triple-Oaked Barleywine crafted in collaboration with the strong ale savants at Revolution Brewing in Chicago. This beer was initially aged for nine months in Estate Oak Rye barrels inherited from WhistlePig Whiskey. We later racked half of the beer to Herman Story red wine barrels while adding new single-forest French oak staves to the remainder of the WhistlePig casks. The result was an insanely complex barleywine with shades of rye whiskey and red wine, all interwoven with notes of vanilla, toffee, licorice and dark fruits.
Another standout this year was ParabaNoche. We burned the midnight oil collaborating with our friends at Weldworks Brewing Co to create one of the biggest beers we’ve ever brewed. This massive stout was matured for 18 months in Parker’s Heritage whiskey barrels, resulting in ribbons of vanilla, oak and whiskey character.
We’ll let the fine reviewers at Porch Drinking take it from here: “It’s a testament to both breweries that such a massive collaboration of two legendary beers ended up so well executed. This stout could have easily leaned too far in either direction, drowning out the other beer’s components. Still, FW and WeldWerks ensured that the finished product properly represented its combined DNA.”
Then there was the aptly named Heavy Souls, crafted in collaboration with the savants at Frau Gruber in Germany. This stout was brewed with pecans, hazelnuts, and vanilla beans, then aged in 12-year Elijah Craig Bourbon barrels to elevate its complexity. With each sip, this beer transports you to a realm of nostalgic delights reminiscent of indulgent praline pie, decadent s’mores, and the luscious sweetness of candied figs.
Member Faves
The members have spoken—they love all the beers, but some releases have created extra buzz.
These include Bendy Foldies, affectionately named after David Walker’s British slang for $100 bills. To create Bendy Foldies, we took David’s favorite Firestone beer—DBA—and brewed it at double strength, oaked it once, then racked it to 30-year Heaven Hills barrels for its second aging treatment, and finally added some of the most decadent adjuncts: pistachios and Red Foxy vanilla beans. ‘Nuff said, pure magic.
Another fave was Darker Ray, a new and even more powerful variant on a beer club original. This barrel-aged stout was aged with nearly 200 pounds of coconut, 125 pounds of cocoa nibs, and 20 pounds of Madagascar Vanilla. Boom! The ultimate dessert-style drinking experience.
Then there was Maltose Falcons, brewed in collaboration with the “dedicated loony bunch” that goes by the same name. The Maltose Falcons is America’s oldest homebrew club, and this beer was made to mark their 50th anniversary. This rendition of our barrel-aged “brownywine” was meticulously crafted with generous amounts of brown sugar, honey, and Simpson’s Chocolate malt, then aged for 12 months in both rye and bourbon barrels.
Eventful Moments
The Brewmaster’s Collective isn’t all about the beers, it’s also about the moments. In fact, members enjoy special invites and privileges throughout the year.
Most notable perhaps was the private Member’s Mixer and Pop-Up Shop at the brewery block party during the Firestone Walker Invitational Beer Fest. This was rarified air—our most passionate fans enjoying VIP treatment while celebrating the best beer fest in the west. Special pours, good vibes and delicious bites were in abundance.
There was also the immersive Parabola Adjunct Exploration tasting at our Propagator R&D brewhouse in Venice, featuring seven variants of our iconic barrel-aged Parabola imperial stout. Hosted by Barrel Program Manager Jordan Ziegler and Propagator Brewery Manager Sam Tierney, this event explored “the many faces Parabola can take on through adjuncts.” After this sensory journey, members had the opportunity to roll home with crowlers of the featured variants.
We can’t forget the Bridge the Senses food pairing experience among the cathedral of barrels at our Barrelworks wild ale cellar in Buellton, which was also exclusive to members. This event revealed the secrets behind perfect beer and food harmonies, with both walk-around pairings and a sit-down gathering over food and beer with behind-the-scenes stories.
Don’t Miss Out
Now you can get in on the action as we launch enrollment for the 2025 season of the Brewmaster’s Collective. As a new 2025 member, you will have the opportunity to access previous releases in the library upon enrollment, allowing you to enjoy the club’s past and future offerings. Stay tuned here for details starting on October 8 at 10 a.m. You don’t want to miss it. Enrollment for new members is limited, so seize the day and join the club.