The Bruery Adding Midnight Bark Imperial Stout With Peppermint

Today I have an intriguing new flavor combination coming from The Bruery in Placentia, California. The 2026 edition of The Bruery Midnight Bark combines the brewery’s love of bold, dessert-inspired beer with a distinctly holiday direction, bringing together a rich bourbon barrel-aged imperial stout with peppermint, cacao nibs and vanilla beans.

According to the label, The Bruery Midnight Bark is a bourbon barrel-aged imperial stout with peppermint, cacao nibs and vanilla added. At 15.7% ABV and packaged in 12.7-ounce bottles, this is clearly designed as a slow-sipping, high-gravity specialty beer rather than an everyday stout. The label recommends storing and serving The Bruery Midnight Bark at 55°F, reinforcing the idea that this is a beer meant to be treated more like a cellar-worthy dessert experience.

The flavor concept is especially interesting. Imperial stout already brings the foundation of roasted malt, dark chocolate, coffee, caramel and a full, heavy body. Aging that stout in bourbon barrels can add layers of oak, vanilla, bourbon warmth and caramelized sweetness. The Bruery then pushes the profile further with peppermint, cacao nibs and vanilla beans, creating a flavor combination that should evoke the familiar experience of chocolate peppermint bark, much like The Bruery Midnight Bark.

The label describes aromas of mint, chocolate and vanilla, followed by flavors of peppermint bark, toasted caramel and graham cracker. The beer is also described as full-bodied with a lingering finish. Those details suggest Midnight Bark could deliver a complex progression from sweet and aromatic to rich, warming and intensely chocolate-forward.

I’m not typically a fan of mint beers, so The Bruery Midnight Bark is going to be an especially interesting one for me. Peppermint can be difficult to balance in beer because too much can overwhelm malt, roast and barrel character. In the right amount, however, mint can create a refreshing contrast to a rich imperial stout, while cacao nibs and vanilla can soften the edges and reinforce the dessert-like character.

Discovering the Flavors of The Bruery Midnight Bark

At 15.7% ABV, Midnight Bark is also firmly in the big-beer category. That alcohol level, combined with bourbon barrel aging, should make this a beer worth approaching slowly. The 12.7-ounce bottle format is well suited to sharing or enjoying in smaller pours, particularly during the holiday season.

The label suggests pairing The Bruery Midnight Bark with honey-glazed ham or chocolate yule log: the beer’s bourbon, caramel, chocolate and vanilla character should have plenty of intensity to stand alongside rich holiday foods.

Midnight Bark continues The Bruery’s tradition of pushing beyond conventional beer styles and using culinary flavors to create memorable specialty releases. Whether the peppermint becomes the star or simply adds another layer to the bourbon barrel-aged imperial stout, this 2026 edition looks like a fascinating holiday beer.

For collectors and fans of The Bruery’s annual and limited beer releases, the 2026 edition also has the visual and seasonal appeal of a holiday bottle release. The combination of bourbon barrel aging, peppermint bark flavors, cacao nibs and vanilla makes Midnight Bark a natural candidate for a winter beer cellar and a conversation piece at holiday gatherings.

Related news from The Bruery on MyBeerBuzz.com:
The Bruery has been keeping its lineup busy, from the recently featured The Bruery Adding Cloistered Gold Tripel to its 2026 Reserve Society announcements, including additional barrel-aged and specialty releases.

Fans of the brewery can also check out The Bruery Announces Reserve Society 2026 Details, while Offshoot Beer Co., the brewery’s hop-focused sibling brand, has also been featured in MyBeerBuzz coverage including Offshoot Beer Adding 8 DDH Double Hazy IPA.

Stay tuned to MyBeerBuzz for release details, packaging information and tasting notes as Midnight Bark from The Bruery makes its way to beer lovers.

Label Text:

MIDNIGHT BARK

BOURBON BARREL-AGED IMPERIAL STOUT WITH PEPPERMINT, CACAO NIBS, AND VANILLA

A holiday classic, reimagined. Midnight Bark is a bourbon barrel-aged imperial stout with peppermint, cacao nibs, and vanilla beans added. Aromas of mint, chocolate, and vanilla give way to notes of peppermint bark, toasted caramel, and graham cracker. Full-bodied with a lingering finish, it’s a decadent pairing for honey-glazed ham or chocolate yule log.

2026 EDITION

ALC. 15.7% by vol.

About The Bruery:

The Bruery is an innovative craft brewery in Placentia, California, known for creating adventurous beers that blur the lines between traditional brewing and culinary experimentation. Founded by Patrick Rue, The Bruery grew from a passion for exploring what beer could become, developing a reputation for bold flavors, barrel aging, specialty releases and beers designed to challenge expectations.

The Bruery’s brewing philosophy is centered on taste rather than being limited by a single traditional beer style. The brewery draws inspiration from classic beer traditions, culinary ingredients, wine, spirits, desserts and unexpected flavor combinations. That approach has made The Bruery particularly well known for complex barrel-aged imperial stouts, strong ales, sour beers and experimental specialty releases.

One of the brewery’s defining strengths is its barrel-aging program. The Bruery has long invested in aging beer in spirit barrels, allowing time, wood and residual spirit character to transform already complex beers into layered, cellar-worthy releases. Bourbon barrel-aged imperial stouts have become an important part of the brewery’s identity, often combining dark roasted malt with chocolate, coffee, vanilla, coconut, fruit, nuts and other dessert-inspired additions. The brewery has previously reported maintaining a substantial barrel collection as part of its aging program.

The Bruery also emphasizes limited and specialty beer releases. Its Society membership programs provide access to beers produced in smaller quantities, including sought-after barrel-aged beers and experimental creations. This release model has helped build a dedicated following among craft beer enthusiasts who enjoy collecting, cellaring and tasting distinctive high-gravity beers. The brewery currently promotes its Preservation Society and Reserve Society programs as avenues for accessing exclusive beers and member benefits.

The brewery’s history includes acclaimed beers such as Black Tuesday and numerous anniversary and barrel-aged releases, establishing The Bruery as one of California’s recognizable producers of strong, complex specialty beer. Its approach consistently emphasizes creativity, brewing skill and the pursuit of flavors that create a memorable drinking experience.

The Bruery’s Placentia home remains an important destination for craft beer fans. The brewery operates a tasting room at 717 Dunn Way, where visitors can explore a rotating selection of beers and experience the brewery’s Orange County presence through events, specialty releases and direct access to its beers.

The Bruery is also closely associated with Offshoot Beer Co., its brand focused heavily on hop-forward and modern beer styles. Together, the brands demonstrate the breadth of The Bruery’s approach, ranging from hazy and West Coast IPAs to lagers, Belgian-inspired ales, sour beers and massive barrel-aged imperial stouts.

For fans of bourbon barrel-aged beer, The Bruery remains a brewery to watch. Midnight Bark demonstrates why: peppermint, cacao nibs and vanilla are layered into a 15.7% ABV bourbon barrel-aged imperial stout, creating another ambitious specialty release built around the brewery’s philosophy of bold, memorable flavor.

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