Goat Patch Brewing: Barrel Aged Red Ale

Everything good comes from barrels: Whiskey, wine, monkeys, people going over Niagara Falls, and (of course) beer.

This is a version of Goat Patch’s popular red ale that’s been aged in whiskey barrels for a few weeks. It gives off a nice caramel smell with a dark red, almost brown, color. The barrel aging isn’t long enough to give it a overbearing whiskey taste. I think this is a good thing since most barrel aged beers tend to over do it. I prefer my whiskey without beer and my beer without whiskey. What the brief aging does do, however, is give the beer a nice caramel and somewhat bready body. The normal red is a little too light in body for me, so this is a step up. Maybe another week in the barrel would have been nice, if only to give it a deeper oak flavor, but without the dryness that comes with aging in wood barrels for too long.

If it’s a heavy oak, whiskey, boozy flavor that you’re expecting, just dial that expectation back a bit. If those flavors scare you, then you’ll be happy with the smooth, nearly toasty, caramel taste. There’s also a nice sweetness and very little bitterness (if any). A nice break from the overbearing hop additions that tend to characterize American beer styles. In fact, this has the quality of a German bock style.

I’m drinking this beer at Goat Patch’s newly opened taproom on the north side of town on Voyager, just north of Interquest. So, a different crowd than the brewery on Cascade. I generally prefer the crowd down there, but only because I’m not a big fan of suburban neighborhoods (even though I live in one). I can’t complain, however, since I can now get some Goat Patch beer close to home. I just have to endure the high pitched screams of the little kids running around, and the mundane conversations going on around me. I mean, who wants to eavesdrop on boring conversations of suburbanites. If I’m going to intrude on someone’s privacy, I want some juicy stories that are told with vigor. A few expletives would be nice too. Maybe I’ll just have to shout some out to get things started. Regardless, I’ll tolerate the suburbanites for a pint of good beer as I ponder my life choices.