Barrel-Aged Cassidy (Hunter's)

Hunter's aged their Cassidy stout in a Girard Petite Sirah barrel. I waited a year for this...staring over the bar at it slowly aging. I even bought a couple of bottles of the 2012 petite sirah to get an idea of what flavors the barrel might impart. I really had no idea how this would work. A malty stout with a fruity, spicy wine? I love stout, and I crave petite sirah, but the mix sounded a bit odd to me. I trusted the brewers at Hunter's though. They seem to always do it right.

I thought I missed the release. It had been so long. Facebook isn't showing me all Hunter's posts. They have a mug club that might have gotten to tap and finish the brew. Maybe I was on vacation again when they tapped it, like when they released one of the barleywines. I've been out of the game and expected the worst. Then I saw the post on Facebook. They were tapping it for Stout Day. It was a Thursday. It was cold and rainy. I was less than fully mobile. But Mr. K and I made the trek out to Chesterton. We weren't disappointed.

I had a delicious, fruity, chocolatey, spicy sip. It pulled everything it could out of that barrel. The flavor was complex and had depth, but it wasn't so heavy I couldn't finish a glass. The dark jammy fruit wasn't overpowering, it was a nice addition. At 6.5% it wasn't as boozy as most barreled brews, but it still got all the richness.

I took some home to drink side-by-side with a glass of the 2012 petite sirah.

Now I'm waiting and hoping I didn't miss the brew they had slowly fermenting in the tequila barrel. I will wait for that much anticipated Facebook post...