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Avery Brewing Co. Special Projects Brewer Colin Quinn Talks Double Barreled Maple Stout
We spoke with Avery Brewing Co. Special Projects Brewer Colin Quinn about Double Barreled Maple Stout.
BC: Do you know a story – or have a personal story – that revolves around this beer?
Double Barrel has an interesting creation story. During our 1st annual Avery Invitational in 2018, we ran an employee challenge where any employee in the company could enter an idea for a beer that they wanted us to brew for the festival. We received over 100 entries that we narrowed down to 10 finalists. Then our customers picked two winners out of the finalists. One of the winners (to my excitement) was a breakfast stout. For the first iteration of Double Barrel Maple, we hand-selected a single oak barrel of base beer from another project. We added maple syrup, Ceylon cinnamon, and Ozo Isabelle Espresso Roast. The final product was a fan favorite at the festival, and our Research and Development team decided more people needed to try it! We adjusted the base beer recipe to complement the adjuncts and we fine-tuned the ingredient amounts. It was during this process that we decided to do something we had never done with a beer before: age the liquid in two different types of barrels. Double Barrel was first aged in Bourbon barrels for 4 months, and then transferred into maple syrup barrels for another 4 months. We added Ceylon cinnamon, Ozo Isabelle Espresso Roast and a small amount of maple syrup to create the delicious final iteration of Double Barrel Maple Stout.
BC: What's a good food pairing for this beer?
My personal favorite food pairing for this beer would be sausage, egg and cheese on an everything bagel. That is my all-time favorite breakfast food, and I think the savory aspect of the sandwich plays off the rich sweetness of Double Barrel well!
BC: Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less?
The perfect breakfast when you're tired of smoothies.
BC: What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?
My favorite aspect of this beer is how well balanced it is while still being extremely complex. It is not overwhelmingly sweet from the maple syrup or harsh from the alcohol, and the cinnamon and coffee add a layer that intertwines well with the barrel character.
