Robin Shepard
Beer-Lakefront-Brandy-Barrel-Cherry-Lager-crRobinShepard-06152017
Summer seasonals are beginning to hit local beer store shelves, and fruit beers get a lot of attention in summer. Milwaukee’s Lakefront Brewery makes one, Brandy Barrel-Aged Cherry Lager, that’s well worth picking up.
What is it? Brandy Barrel-Aged Cherry Lager from Lakefront Brewery of Milwaukee.
Style: This beer starts as an amber lager with clear deep copper to bronze color and smooth caramel and toffee flavors. Amber lagers are malt-focused, yet balanced and clean. This beer, however, is stronger than a basic amber lager, with the cherries and aging pushing it well beyond.
Background: Lakefront Brewery introduced a cherry lager not long after opening in 1987. The brewery claims it was the first in the country to bottle a fruit beer since Prohibition. Brewery owners Russ and Jim Klisch came up with the original recipe as homebrewers in the mid-1980s. They were inspired by the Belgian kriek lambic style. The Klisch brothers took coolers up to Door County and filled them with cherries so they could make those early versions.
That original cherry lager was a seasonal mainstay for Lakefront until last summer, when it was replaced by the brandy-barrel-aged version. “We thought it was a good beer, but aging it in brandy barrels gives it extra punch, more complexity and depth,” says Matt Krajnak, Lakefront’s director of communications. “The brandy and the barrel really bring out the cherry fruit flavor.”
Lakefront still uses Wisconsin Montmorency cherries from Door County. It takes about 3,000 pounds of them to make an 80-barrel batch. The whole pitted cherries are added during secondary fermentation, and the beer ages in California brandy barrels for several months. The result is fruity, strong and warm at 10.7 percent ABV. It’s sold in six-packs for about $15.
Tasting notes:
- Aroma: A light whiff of brandy, but it’s the cherries that stand out.
- Appearance: Clear, ruby-bronze color. A soft, light tan head.
- Texture: Full-bodied, bubbly with alcoholic warmth throughout.
- Taste: The sweet notes of brandy come in early. The cherries are smooth and fruity next to the boozy, brandy qualities. It all blends nicely with light hints of caramel malt and oaky barrel.
- Finish/Aftertaste: Lingering light cherry aroma and flavor. The alcohol warmth also builds over a glass.
Glassware: A chalice or Belgian tulip are ideal glasses with their gentle outward taper at the lip, which allows the soft sweet aroma of brandy and cherry to expand under the nose.
Pairs well with: chevre and brie. The cherry fruitiness and sweetness of the brandy go well with these soft mild cheeses. The beer’s rich flavors and alcoholic warmth also make it a nice dessert or nightcap just to sip all on its own.
The Verdict: I’ve heard from longtime fans of Lakefront’s cherry lager; many seem mixed in their acceptance of this new brandy-barrel-aged version. While I’m a fan of the old, I like the new version even more due to the brandy and the wood. The barrel-aging adds depth to the cherries and it softens their tartness with warmth and sweetness. Allow this beer to slowly warm and you’ll discover this even more. It’s well suited to be a dessert beer. The drawback is that at nearly 11 percent ABV, having one leaves little room for another.
