Heavy Seas Black Cannon Returns, Siren Noire & 47,000 Barrels in 2013

Siren Noire
Imperial Chocolate Stout Aged in Bourbon Barrels, 9.5% ABV

The first release in our new Uncharted Waters series, this velvety smooth stout owes its full body to the additions of imported grains that add hints of mocha, fig, raisin, and roasted coffee. Belgian cacao nibs provide its decadent chocolate flavor. After fermentation, we aged the beer in freshly emptied bourbon barrels with Bourbon-Madagascar vanilla bean, creating an unparalleled flavor experience. Siren Noire is perfect for the winter, this brew pairs well with a warm blanket and a roaring fire!

This past year was a good challenge. We added capacity–not without growing pains–and also developed and improved our brewing and production teams. We now have enough in-house capacity to brew about 47,000 barrels in 2013, and a few more tanks coming. We added an additional 15,000 square feet and are now figuring out what to do with it. We continued to grow and refine/redefine what it means to be Heavy Seas, leading to some branding and concept changes for 2013. We had a lot of fun, which is (among other things) what the beer business is supposed to be all about. And I got to repeat an experience my father had–working now with one of my children–and I can see that it is going to be a learning experience for us both!

For 2013, we decided that creating a section of our portfolio called Uncharted Waters made a lot of sense; this wood-aging series allows us to experiment and grow, and is consistent with our branding. The first beer in that series will be Siren Noire aged in a bourbon barrel, to be released just after the New Year. We decided that growing our cask program–the nation’s largest I believe–also makes sense, and you can look for more cask offerings as the year progresses. We also decided to put our toe in the canned beer arena with Loose CANnon, coming out in late March, and two other beers to follow.

I am looking forward to 2013, but much the same way that I have looked forward to the last few years. While the brewery is hard work and certainly has its frustrations, for the most part, we all are happy with the work and seem to have a “seize the day” attitude. Looking back and then looking forward, I think that may be the greatest blessing of all: to like what you do and step to the plate every day swinging for the fences. I am sure I will miss the ball a few times, but you can bet I am enjoying the game.

I wish you all the best of holidays and the brightest of hopes for the year to come.

-Hugh Sisson
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