Guinness launched a line of barrel-aged beers at its new Guinness Open Gate Brewery & Barrel House in Baltimore, Md. The series is kicking off with a bourbon barrel-aged version of its Antwerpen Stout, produced in partnership with Bulleit bourbon.
According to an announcement from Diageo, parent company of both Guinness and Bulleit, the beer is brewed at the Guinness brewery in Dublin, then aged for eight months in Bulleit bourbon barrels in Baltimore.
Technically, though, Guinness has been “barrel-aged” in the past. According to Guinness correspondent Heather McReynolds, all Guinness came from barrels until the mid-1900s. With its new line of barrel-aged beers, McReynolds explains on Twitter, Guinness’ U.S. team is reviving that history.
Until the mid-1900s, if you wanted a Guinness, it came out of a barrel. St. James’s Gate employed an army of people to make them. Thread ⬇️ ^Heather, Guinness Correspondent pic.twitter.com/NKhf6X7JhZ
— Guinness US (@GuinnessUS) November 12, 2018
The launch of the new barrel-aged beer program will likely not stop at bourbon, either. In addition to Bulleit, Guinness has access to brands such as Don Julio tequila and Zacapa rum.
“We’ve already started to think about what we’ll be experimenting with next, but we couldn’t be more pleased with our first go at using barrels from our friends at Bulleit,” Sean Brennan, senior brewer at the Open Gate Brewery & Barrel House, said. “This beer is something special, and one to be sipped slow and savored.”
Guinness Stout Aged in Bulleit Bourbon Barrels will be available in limited supply in stores as well as on tap at the Open Gate Brewery & Barrel House in Baltimore through the end of the year. It will be sold in four-packs of 11.2-ounce bottles at a suggested retail price of $19.99.
