Our Brewmaster’s Collective beer club continues to push the creative envelope with the new “Legends Rise” Collection.
This collection includes three member exclusives as well as two limited-edition releases. Want in on the beer club action? Stay tuned soon for details on the 2024 season Brewmaster’s Collective– enrollment will open in the fall. Join the waitlist here.
In the meantime, here’s the lowdown on the three new exclusives:
Parabolux | Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout with Luxardo Cherries and Tahitian Vanilla
Parabolux was born of a found treasure—a barrel of our classic Parabola imperial stout recovered deep in the remote corner of our cellar after having been aged on 12 pounds of candied Luxardo cherries since 2018. Nearby, we also discovered another Parabola selection that had also been ageing since 2018, this one in a cherry bitters barrel.
“I was doing a quarter-end inventory when I spotted these barrels tucked back in the stacks,” says Vintage Barrel Manager Jordan Ziegler. “They were tucked away in the far back corner, and they had been created by my predecessor. I crawled into the labyrinth and was blown away with what I discovered.”
These two “cherry bomb” barrels set Jordan’s imagination racing. On their own, they were going to be just too intense—although our members were crazy about the five-year-old Luxardo cherry beer when we gave them a sneak taste of it at a club event last January.
Jordan’s solution was to blend them together, and then blend them back with the majority portion of regular Parabola. He eventually landed on the perfect ratio: the two exotic cherry-infused barrels combined with a dozen barrels of regular Parabola. Finally, this blend was infused with Tahitian vanilla beans to accentuate the beer’s flavor profile.
“That’s when the magic really happened,” he says. “You get this amazing chocolate-covered cherry vibe. The vanillin qualities of Parabola add this sweet creaminess to the cherry flavors, along with Parabola’s classic notes of black cherry and tobacco. The fruity, ultra-mature character of the two 2018 barrels permeates the beer, while the foundation of the regular Parabola just lifts and knits it all together. On the palate, it’s pure luxury—just like the name.”
Billiard Money | Bourbon Barrel-Aged Mole Imperial Stout
We called on our friends at WeldWerks Brewing Company in Greeley, Colorado to cue up Billiard Money—a collaborative mole-inspired beer bursting with flavors of dark chocolate and hints of heat and smoke from Ancho chiles, all balanced by a dash of Saigon cinnamon.
The result is a beer brimming with aromas of cinnamon toast, dark chocolate malt and Mexican mocha, balanced by a full body and lingering spiciness.
“It’s very aromatic and a cool chameleon of flavors,” Jordan says. “You get this warmth and depth, and the chocolate aspect is all-encompassing. You might pick up suggestions of coffee grinds or unsweetened baking chocolate, and the cinnamon character reminds me of being at a campfire.”
Jordan notes that both Colorado and California are known for growing chiles and that this is the first of two collaborations that we’ve teed up with WeldWerks. “We made a mole-inspired beer a few years ago here at Firestone Walker (Mole Merkin), and we felt that WeldWerks was a perfect partner to help us revisit the concept and take it to another level.”
As for the name Billiard Money? Well, after the brew day, the friendly brewers hit the town for a celebratory dinner, which was followed by some late-night games of pool. But whatever wagers were won or lost have not been disclosed.
Ommegeddon West | Brett Saison Ale
This beer started as our take on Ommegang’s Hennepin Saison, brewed at our Propagator R&D brewhouse in Venice, California. It was fermented with Ommegang’s house Belgian yeast strain and spiced with grains of paradise, coriander, orange zest and ginger. We then sent it to Barrelworks with the addition of Beersel Brett yeast and allowed a secondary fermentation of six weeks in stainless before packaging with traditional cork and cage bottles. The result is an exceptionally refreshing, slightly funky rendition of the beloved Hennepin.
“Hennepin is the OG of American saison,” Jordan says. “We’re taking that inspiration to make our own classic collaborative saison with these wonderful lemon pepper and bubble gum notes.”