Odyssey Beerwerks and Banded Oak Brewing Collaborate On Blood & Beer Barrel-Aged Barleywine

From Odyssey Beerwerks:

BLOOD AND BEER BARREL-AGED BARLEYWINE
Collaboration Beer with Banded Oak Brewing Company
Created for Collaboration Fest 2019
ABV around 13%

INSPIRATION AND DESCRIPTION
Inspired by the Blood And Sand cocktail, which traditionally is comprised of Scotch whisky, sweet vermouth, cherry brandy or liqueur, and orange juice or flamed orange zest. “Blood” represents the cherry liqueur and the “sand” is the orange zest/flavor.

Our Blood And Beer Barrel-Aged Barleywine pays tribute to this classic concoction. We started in December 2018 by brewing a traditional English Barleywine, then we divided it up to age in different spirit barrels. To avoid excess smokiness found in many Scotch barrels, we substituted bourbon barrels from our friends at Breckenridge Distillery to give a more rounded, smooth flavor. To create our own version of a cherry liqueur, we added tart cherries to a separate barleywine-filled Breck barrel. Finally, due to being unable to source barrels that have been used to age vermouth (note: these don’t really exist), we utilized a gin barrel from our Arvada neighbors at Talnua Distillery & Tasting Room (grand opening 3/16/19), along with botanicals, herbs, and spices in an effort to mimic the flavors of a sweet vermouth. All in all, we think the results are pretty spectacular! If you like cocktails, you’ll love this beer. If not, you should at least appreciate the effort that went into crafting it!

BREWERS / BREWERIES
Chris KIRK at Banded Oak learned everything that makes him an amazing brewer while he was brewing at Odyssey Beerwerks a few years back (seriously, just ask him). Despite his treachery in leaving Odyssey to open Banded Oak, Chris HILL from Odyssey Beerwerks and Kirk have remained fast friends and get together on occasion to enjoy the finer things in life (music, food, cocktails) and talk “beer stuff.” The concept of this beer originated during one of these excursions, joined by Odyssey Head Brewer Jeff Griffith, when Hill — possibly inebriatedly — suggested “we should try to make a great beer modeled after this cocktail” (known as a Blood And Sand). Thus, Blood And Beer was born.
Banded Oak is releasing the beer at their place today (Friday 3/15/19), we’ll be serving it at the 2019 Collaboration Fest tomorrow (Sat 3/16/19), and we’ll release it at our place (Odyssey Beerwerks) on Monday 3/18/19 to kick off Colorado Craft Beer Week.