ABSTRAKT AB:23

Barrel-ageing is many things – an art, a science and a leap of faith all at the same time. But it is also an opportunity to take the flavour profile of a beer into an entirely new direction. Adding a freshly-created beer into barrels is the largest and most rewarding experiment a brewery can undertake, which is why it forms a central pillar of our Abstrakt series.

And the latest of those is out right now. And it truly harnesses the power of bourbon.

Abstrakt AB:23

You can buy AB:23 here

Our latest Abstrakt release is an American barley wine which has spent almost two years hidden away inside bourbon whiskey casks in our Ellon barrel store. Over that time the beer has taken on such an incredible turn of flavour from the first-fill oak, magnifying and rounding out the profile it began with. And that was quite the payload already – Pale, Munich, Cara, Crystal and Brown malt giving a rich, caramel-like backbone for the elements from the wood to interact with.

AB:23 is a monument to the effects of time and the interplay between an American malt bill and the pride of that country’s distillers. The bourbon ageing lifts the barley wine to 11.5% ABV and rich heights of candied orange, fruit cake, cranberry and sherry characteristics all enveloped into a toffee-like aftertaste backed by warming alcohol. As with our other Abstrakt releases, it can be enjoyed now or cellared for several years to continue its development – the choice is yours!*

* A difficult choice, of course...

Abstrakt AB:23 is live in our online shop right now and will be released on draft across our network of UK BrewDog bars from 6pm tonight, Thursday 7th September. It is a beer best enjoyed with friends, as the summer slips into autumn and something a little more rewarding is called for as a result. If you get to try AB:23 be sure and let us have your tasting notes via the comments below!