Bourbon Barrel Aged 8 Barrel Reserve

Chatham Brewing LLC

Chatham, NY

Strong Ale but has hop bitterness bordering on Imperial IPA. Well balanced with prominent malt backbone.  Aged in a bourbon cask for four months.

ABV: 8.5

ABW: 6.8

COLOR: 18

BITTERNESS: 55

ORIGINAL GRAVITY: 1079

AVAILABLE: NY

Bourbon predominates in this IPA, but that doesn’t mean the hops don’t make an appearance. On the contrary, once you get past the big, bourbon hit to your nose (not a bad thing), aromas of resin-y pine and just-baked bread are revealed. The flavors follow suit, with hints of maple syrup joining the predominantly bourbon notes, and the sweetness imparted from the booze playing a larger role than the piney hops. This beer might have originally been an IPA, but the bourbon barrel has influenced it into something completely different.
- Lisa Morrison

“Brewed in the British tradition” and “aged in Bourbon barrels.” Following these clues, I start to explore this unfiltered chestnut-colored beer. Oak and bourbon lead in the nose, then, unexpectedly, strawberries begin to emerge. More bourbon adds flavor and a sense of strength in the mouth, with tangy, drying oak pushing aside juicy red berries. The swallow is warming, as is the dry, initially berry-fruity finish, then tangy oak, creamy vanilla and a solid bitterness wrap things up. Overall, a sweet, full-bodied brew that may not be delicate but certainly delivers all you’d expect.
- Jeff Evans

Lisa Morrison
Lisa Morrison, aka The Beer Goddess, writes about beer whenever and wherever she can and also gets to talk about it on a weekly radio show in her hometown of Portland, OR.

Jeff Evans
Author of the Good Bottled Beer Guide and The Book of Beer Knowledge, Jeff Evans is an eight-time editor of the CAMRA Good Beer Guide. More of his writing can be found at www.insidebeer.com.

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