Ferment Brewing releases four barrel aged beers just in time for the holidays

From Ferment:

November, 2021—Hood River’s Ferment Brewing Co. today announced the release of four barrel aged beers that usher in the cold and frosty nights of the holiday season. The Barleywine, L’Or de Noir, and two Imperial Stouts are highly limited, clocking in at 11% ABV, and bottle conditioned in 500ml bottles that can be cellared for years. The beers are available beginning November 18th at Ferment Brewing Co., which overlooks the scenic Columbia River, and through limited distribution to specialty bottle shops and grocery stores throughout Oregon.

Whack and Peel, the first of the Imperial Stouts, was created in collaboration with Zupan’s Market as part of the store’s Farm to Market series. Inspired by the popular holiday orange chocolate candies, the beer was aged in rum barrels and steeped on sweet orange peels from Spain and bitter orange peels from Haiti and Paraguay. Only 55 cases were produced.

The second beer, titled Imperial Stout, was aged in Hood River’s Camp 1805 bourbon and rye whiskey barrels and blended to taste. Adding to the beer’s leather, coffee, and dark dried fruit character, the barrels impart fruit and oak notes without adding an overwhelming whiskey flavor. 125 cases of the beer were produced.

Ferment Barleywine Ale is an English approach to barleywine. At 11% ABV, low bitterness, and a seven- malt grain bill the beer showcases rich, robust, and warming qualities. Brewed in 2020, the beer sat a year in French oak wine barrels, which added a touch of subtle oak character and provided time for complex flavors of caramel, dried dates, and toffee to meld together. 153 cases were produced.

In L’Or de Noir, Ferment Brewing’s founder and brewmaster, Dan Peterson, sought to capture the lost wine-like character of French-farmhouse Bières de Garde. The beer underwent primary fermentation with the brewery’s wild yeast strain collected in the Mt. Hood National Forest. Secondary fermentation occurred over organic wine lees from Idiot’s Grace Winery in Mosier while the beer matured in red wine barrels. Released annually for the third time, and with inspiration shifting each year, drinkers who cellared the first two versions now have the opportunity to taste a true vertical.

About Ferment Brewing Co.
Ferment Brewing Co. opened in 2018 as a 20-barrel brewery and tasting room in Hood River, Oregon. Born out of an appreciation for the art of fermentation, the company prides itself in providing a modern brewery and tasting room experience that fuses traditional farmhouse techniques with a forward- thinking scientific approach. Ferment offers a unique family of beers and kombuchas that tap the wild terrain of the Columbia River Gorge for inspiration.