Pairing Bourbon Barrel-Aged Beers with Craft Chocolate
by David Nilsen
Bourbon barrel-aged beers are among the most coveted and prestigious in the craft beer scene, combining the flavors of decadent oak-aged spirit with the bold flavors of the base beer. Let’s look at some of the basics of these beers and then talk about how to pair them with craft chocolate.
The first bourbon barrel-aged beers emerged in the early 1990s as brewers sought new ways to expand the flavor horizons of craft beer. Goose Island Brewing in Chicago (owned by AB-InBev—the parent company of Anheuser Busch, among many others—since 2009) is generally credited with the first example, releasing Bourbon County Stout around 1992 (the brewery itself admits the exact timeline is hazy). This Imperial Stout aged in bourbon barrels quickly gained a cult following, and many other breweries followed suit. It is now quite common to find strong beers in several different styles aged in barrels once used for bourbon.
While barrels used to age all varieties of spirits can be (and are) used for aging beer, bourbon barrels are by far the most common, and there are several reasons for that. The first is a simple matter of availability—barrels can only be used to age bourbon one time for the resulting spirit to legally be called bourbon, so there are a lot of these excess barrels available. They’re commonly sold to other alcohol producers for aging beer, rum, or other spirits as a way for bourbon distilleries to recoup some cost on single-use oak. This limitation on use means retired bourbon barrels are often still in good condition and have a good deal of oak character left in them. Additionally, bourbon is a popular and distinctly American spirit, making beers aged in these barrels easy to market.
Much of the flavor of bourbon (and other oak-aged spirits) comes from the oak itself, not from the base spirit, and these flavors can be passed on to beers aged in these barrels. Oak contains vanillin, the primary aromatic compound in natural vanilla, which lends a distinct vanilla note to many bourbons (you can listen to my interview with vanilla scientist Dr. Alan Chambers here). Oak also contains cis-oak lactones, which are chemically very similar to one of the main aromatic compounds in coconut, potentially lending a recognizable coconut flavor to bourbon. Finally, the toast level of the oak can impart various caramel and spice notes to the spirit as well. It’s easy to see how all of these flavors might complement the right beer. Breweries will sometimes use barrels from multiple distilleries and blend them together after aging, and will sometimes use a single distillery’s barrels or even a single bourbon from that distillery. Each bourbon barrel will impart slightly different flavors.
Which styles of beer typically get aged in bourbon barrels?
Barrel-aged beers are typically stronger, high-ABV styles that can stand up to the intensity of the barrel without being overwhelmed. The strength of these beers, the cost of the barrels, and the commitment of time and space needed before they’re ready to be packaged are all reflected in the higher price of bourbon barrel-aged (BBA) beers.
By far the most common style for bourbon barrel-aging is Imperial Stout. Imperial Stouts are typically 8-12% ABV, and feature roasty flavors that evoke various forms of chocolate and/or coffee, as well as burnt caramel, darkly toasted baked goods, and other related flavors. These flavors work very well with the bourbon/oak influences mentioned above, and bourbon barrel-aged Imperial Stouts are often among the most coveted, prestigious beers in a brewery’s line-up. Imperial Stouts are typically aged in bourbon barrels for anywhere from a few months to a couple years, with around one year being most common.
Barleywine is also a very common candidate for time in bourbon barrels. Barleywines are strong beers—usually 10% ABV or higher—with a complex malt profile with flavors of dark and dried fruits, caramel or toffee, and various breads and baked goods, often with a moderately sweet presentation. These flavors naturally work very well with the caramel, vanilla, and spice contributions of bourbon barrels!
Many other styles are occasionally aged in bourbon barrels, including strong Brown Ales, Baltic Porters, strong Belgian styles like Tripel and Quadrupel, and others. The only limitations are the creativity and, perhaps more importantly, the skill of the brewer.
It’s easy to see from the flavors described above that these beers can harmonize very well with chocolate, so let’s look at how to pair bourbon barrel-aged beers with craft chocolate!
Considerations & Challenges
Sweetness—BBA beers often have a somewhat sweet presentation that can be from a variety of factors. One can be the actual presence of residual sweetness in the beer itself. Alcohol can also increase our perception of sweetness, so these higher ABV beers can come across more sweet than they might actually be. Related, the flavors notes from BBA beers are ones our brains are primed to read as sweet even when sugar doesn’t accompany them, amplifying any actual sweetness in the base beer. The perception of sweetness in these beers can of course vary, with some breweries working to make their beers drier, so they don’t come across as cloying. Some examples can be balanced by bitterness as well, whether from hops or from roasted malt and grain. In any case, this sweetness can be beneficial in the pairing environment, as sweetness is the great equalizer when pairing with chocolate, softening edges and serving as a glue between flavors.
Intensity—BBA beers are typically high in alcohol and are fairly intense in flavor, which can overwhelm many foods—including many chocolates—in a pairing. Because of the relatively small volumes of chocolate and beer you’ll be combining in a pairing, the easiest way to moderate this intensity is by adjusting the ratio of chocolate to beer. Allowing a slightly larger piece of chocolate to melt before introducing the beer, and/or taking a smaller sip of the beer, will generally allow us to calibrate the intensity of the pairing.
Variations—The sheer variety of beers aged in bourbon barrels makes perfect prescriptive guidance impossible. It’s important to taste test a specific beer and then fine tune a pairing, especially if you’re planning for a guided pairing. Also, it’s common for breweries to add additional flavor ingredients to barrel-aged beers to make them even more special, and these ingredients can obviously have an impact on chocolate pairings.
Seek Out
While keeping in mind the variability mentioned above—and the myriad consequent exceptions—here are chocolate types that often pair well with bourbon barrel-aged beers:
Barrel-Aged Chocolate—Many craft chocolate makers are making bars using cacao nibs aged in various spirit barrels, and they can potentially work well with BBA beers, particularly sweeter examples. I would largely steer clear of Imperial Stouts here, as the roast can make the oak-tinted chocolate seem harsh and bitter. Bourbon barrel-aged Barleywines can work well, as long as their hop bitterness is low. There’s no need to worry about canceling flavors here—the barrel character presents differently enough in beer and chocolate to lead to a harmonious layering. It’s important to note the barrels the beans were aged in don’t have to be bourbon!
Toffee/Caramel Inclusions—This is the surest path to success, as the sweetness of these inclusions (or cacao flavors) casts a wide net and so, so many flavors work with caramel or toffee. Surprisingly, you can dip to pretty low cacao percentages here, as long as there’s moderate sweetness and an assertive base caramel/toffee note.
Smoked Cacao or Tree Inclusions—Results can vary here, but when they work, they really work. Dark chocolate made with smoked cacao, particularly if there’s an element of sweetness to the smoke quality, can work very well with BBA beers, pulling forward both the oak and char of the barrels and harmonizing with the bourbon flavors. Related, bars with inclusions like pine or spruce can work in similar ways, though the risk for harsh bitterness increases.
Coconut Inclusions—Bars with coconut can pull forward the coconut notes in bourbon barrels and harmonize with others flavors present. These work particularly well with BBA Imperial Stouts and other strong, roasty styles, bringing coconut together with chocolate or coffee flavors in the beer.
Single Origins—Single origin dark chocolate pairings are always difficult to predict, but sweeter examples of BBA beer—Barleywines and Belgian styles, for example—often have the body and sweetness to cast a wide net and work with many single origin bars. Look for origins with a more naturally “chocolatey” profile, and/or notes of caramel or dried fruit.
Avoid
High Percentage Bars—The potential bitterness and low sweetness of high percentage dark chocolates can cause harsh reactions with BBA beers, making the alcohol content seem solventy and the oak taste bitter. There are exceptions, but this is a general rule.
Bitter Inclusions—There are exceptions depending on how the inclusions are handled, but spices, citrus peels, coffee, and other inclusions with a sharp edge to them can react with BBA beers similar to how high percentage bars can.
Milky Bars—It’s important to note here we’re not talking about all milk chocolate bars—some can pair beautifully with BBA beers! But milk chocolate bars (and pretty much all white chocolate bars) with a “milky” profile can come across bilious or rubbery in the presence of a high alcohol beer, and should be avoided here.
Examples
Warped Wing Baltic with Omnom Caramel
Warped Wing in my stomping grounds of Dayton, Ohio, releases a coveted BBA Imperial Stout each December called Whiskey Rebellion, but this BBA Baltic Porter released each spring to less fanfare is quietly my favorite BBA beer they put out. The lower roast intensity allows for more chocolatey notes to move forward, and the barrel character interacts with that chocolate base luxuriously.
This beer works well with several bars I’ve tried, including Stranger Belize 70% and Firetree Solomon Islands Guadalcanal 40% Milk, but absolutely sings with Omnom Caramel, a 50% milk chocolate bar with Nicaraguan cacao and house-made caramel. It’s not a complicated pairing—caramel, vanilla, and rich-but-regal dark chocolate, with an impression of really good chocolate liqueur—but it’s such an indulgent tasting experience. I plan to find a way to include this combo in a professional pairing soon!
Central Waters Bourbon Barrel Barleywine Ale with Crow & Moss Vanilla Smoke Chocolate
BBA Barleywines typically have a higher level of sweetness than BBA Stouts, but this can be balanced a bit by potential hop bitterness or even the oak character itself. Central Waters in Wisconsin released this Brewer’s Reserve BBA Barleywine a little while back, and it has a bit of bitterness that tempers the sweet bran muffin, toffee, and dark fig jam flavors of the malt, accented by the caramel of the bourbon.
This beer pairs well with a few different smoked bars featuring sweet smoke profiles, but pairs best with Crow & Moss Vanilla Smoke, a classic 69% dark chocolate with hickory-smoked cacao. Vanilla and spice rush to the forefront, with the deeper caramel and sweeter smoke coming in behind.