Side Project Oude du Blé Coming 1/27

From Side Project:

Although this is the third release of Oude du Blé, some may not know why we distinguish or what we classify as our "Oude" beers.

Over the years at Side Project, we have drawn inspiration, ideas, and techniques from the wine industry. Barrel fermenting processes, barrel aging durations, nomenclature, oak varietal and impact, new, used or neutral oak selection and many more. Out of this studying, evolved our "Oude" beers – Beers that are barrel fermented in and aged in French Oak for at least 1 year before being bottled and then naturally conditioned until ready to share.

This process led us to developing the very limited beers of Oude du Blé (Blend 1, Blend 2 and Vintage 2016), Oude Fermier (Release #1 was a single barrel, and Blend 2 – blend of 2 barrels) and the harmonious blend of those two beers to form Tête de Cuvée (Blend 1 and Vintage 2015). Each of these beers will now be vintage dated as the youngest thread of their blend.

As with the Premier Cru and Grand Cru distinctions of the White Wines of Burgundy, we want our "Oude" beers to receive some of the best barrels, have some of the freshest and most balanced oak on the palate and let them showcase some of the best of our Missouri Saison production.

For Oude du Blé Vintage 2016 we share with you a beer that was brewed in 2016. This Saison du Blé recipe, which is the base for our Missouri Wheat Saison, was fermented in and aged in fresh, French Oak Chardonnay barrels for more than a year before being naturally conditioned in the bottle for 2 months before release.

On January 27th, 2018, at both The Side Project Brewery at 7458 Manchester Road and The Side Project Cellar at 7373 Marietta Ave in St. Louis, we will have bottles of Oude du Blé Vintage 2016 available to-go. Bottles will be $30 and the limit for purchase will be established at the time of the release.

We have always enjoyed trying to intertwine our love for wine into our brewery, our techniques, our processes and into the flavor experience of our beers and we think that none of our beers showcase this as well as Oude du Blé.

Cheers and Thank you,
Cory King