Ale Asylum’s evolving barrel-aging program has been creating a lot of excitement. In the past few years the brewery has experimented with various type of barrels for darker, bolder beers. The barrel program isn’t large, but what’s been coming out of it has been very special. The latest is a Russian imperial stout aged in bourbon barrels. It’s called Wӧrtlord.
What is it? Wӧrtlord from Ale Asylum Brewing of Madison.
Style: The Russian imperial stout originated in the 18th century as an export from England to the Russian Empire. The strongest and most flavorful of the stouts, the Russian imperial is full-bodied, dark black, with roastedness, sweetness and sometimes bitterness. Commonly they range from 7 to 12 percent ABV and offer lingering alcohol warmth.
Background: Bourbon barrel-aged beers take on the characteristics of what was in the barrels previously. In addition, the length of the aging and the conditions where the barrels are kept during aging all impacts taste. About a year ago Ale Asylum’s barrelmaster, Brian Sebak, was able to purchase a few barrels from the Four Roses Distillery of Lawrenceburg, Kentucky. Sebak is in charge of Ale Asylum’s overall barrel aging program and he’s making a name for himself and the brewery by finding high-quality barrels and matching them with the right beer. Four Roses’ bourbon is known for its rosy, grainy, spicy, honeylike sweetness. Those qualities are well-suited for the chocolate and caramel notes found in dark malts of the imperial stout.
Wӧrtlord is a new beer, and the first specialty bomber bottle release of 2019 for Ale Asylum. It takes the spot of the brewery’s previous imperial stouts that went by the names Impending Dissent (Belgian-style imperial stout) and Impending Descent (Russian imperial stout). Wӧrtlord is made with a robust grain bill of six different malts. There’s a light addition of Sterling hops to lend spicy herbalness for balance. The beer ferments for about four weeks before going into the bourbon barrels, where it ages for nearly eight months.
The name Wӧrtlord is a nod to the ownership group of the brewery building, Wӧrtlord LLC.
This is a strong imperial stout at 10.5 percent ABV. It sells for $10/glass in the Ale Asylum taproom. Bomber bottles ($20/each) have been in high demand and are becoming hard to find in local liquor stores.
If you miss getting any Wӧrtlord, you should know that it’s not likely to turn up again until late spring or early summer in 2020. That’s because of its extended barrel-aging time and Ale Asylum’s busy production schedule for limited releases. In the meantime, Ale Asylum has just released a new American stout called Kraznak that it plans to offer in 12-ounce cans by the end of the month. And, there’s a little good news for barrel-aging fans in that the brewery has also taken some Kraznak and is aging it in Four Roses barrels for a May-June 2019 release.
Tasting notes:
- Aroma: Deep hints of chocolate malt, and the aroma of bourbon.
- Appearance: Black color with a soft, bubbly brown head.
- Texture: Full-bodied, soft and silky, and alcohol warmth throughout.
- Taste: Rich chocolate maltiness with light soft hints of caramel. There’s also a light underlying roasted coffee accent that melds very well with the bourbon sweetness.
- Finish/Aftertaste: Rich, smooth chocolate and bourbon sweetness that lingers with the warmth oaky-bourbon.
Glassware: The snifter, small chalice or wine glass are excellent to get the most from the beer’s aromas of roasted chocolate malts and bourbon.
Pairs well with: desserts featuring lots of chocolate.
The Verdict: Wӧrtlord is in the same class with Surly Brewing’s Darkness and 3 Floyds’ Dark Lord. I consider it among a very small number of exceptional barrel-aged beers in the Midwest, if not the U.S. Wӧrtlord offers a superb blending of dark roasted malts, spirit sweetness and woody character. It is strong and boozy with lots of flavor.
Wӧrtlord is a full-bodied, robust stout with smooth rich chocolate and caramel notes that combine in silky fashion with the warmth of bourbon. This is among Ale Asylum’s best. Now is the time to find it on tap at the brewery. If you are fortunate enough to secure a bomber bottle I recommend tucking it away for a few years of extended aging.
