With alcoholic warmth, woody sweetness and boozy hints of spirits, barrel-aged beers are a special treat as the weather turns cool. Louie’s Resurrection is a rich amber ale with hints of brandy and bourbon and is among Milwaukee Brewing’s bestsellers, with a near cult-like following.
What is it? Louie’s Resurrection from Milwaukee Brewing Company.
Style: Amber ales have deep reddish-copper to brown color with medium-bodied mouthfeel. The style emphasizes malty balance with light hints of roasted or toffee notes. They range from 4-5.5 percent ABV. The amber ale is often selected for barrel-aging because it allows the flavor and aroma from wood of the barrel (and that barrel’s original contents) to emerge in the beer.
Background: Louie’s Resurrection has been a fall seasonal for Milwaukee Brewing since 2009. The beer’s annual release at the brewery occurs every Halloween. However, it takes a few weeks to make its way through the distribution channels and appear in Madison.
Louie’s Resurrection is based on the brewery’s popular Louie’s Demise, a beer that’s often credited for the early success of the brewery. It was an original homebrew recipe of brother-owners Jim and John McCabe. Louie was McCabe’s great-great-uncle who lived in Sheboygan until in 1886, when he died after being hit with a beer glass during a bar fight.
It’s made by taking Louie’s Demise and ramping up the ingredients to make it much stronger — 10.2 percent ABV. Louie’s Resurrection is aged for about 100 days in oak barrels. In 2016 it was done all in brandy barrels. This year, the vintage was in either Heaven Hill bourbon barrels or Copper and Kings brandy barrels; the results were then blended. Over the years Louie’s Resurrection has garnered some impressive awards with both gold (2014) and silver (2016) medals at Chicago’s Festival of Barrel Aged Beers.
This is also an excellent beer to cellar. Don’t be shy about holding back a bottle or two for a few vintages. This fall I was pleasantly surprised how well the 2016 version matured in sweetness and how well its smooth warmth stood up to the 2017 release.
Louie’s Resurrection is sold in four-packs for around $10. The brewery made about 2,000 cases of it this year. It can be challenging to find; however, if previous years are an indication, we’ll see it turn up sporadically in Madison liquor stores over the next couple of months. You’ll also want to watch in mid-December for Louie’s Cherry Bounce in 750 mL bottles. It’s a version of Louie’s Resurrection that ages two additional months with Door County cherries.
Tasting notes:
- Aroma: Mild malty nose, with hints of oak and spirits.
- Appearance: Clear copper color with a deep reddish-brown hue. A medium bubbly tan head.
- Texture: Medium-bodied with alcoholic warmth midway through the flavor profile.
- Taste: Firm caramel maltiness with a smooth brandy sweetness in the background.
- Finish/Aftertaste: Smooth maltiness with lingering sweetness and warmth from the bourbon and brandy.
Glassware: The brandy snifter is great for slowly sipping and allowing Louie’s Resurrection to slowly warm, which allows more of its smooth malty, brandy and bourbon sweetness emerge.
Pairs well with: slightly nutty or sweet soft cheeses, especially those made with a blend of goat and sheep’s milk such as Mobay.
The Verdict: Louie’s Resurrection is among the beers I’m on the lookout for every fall. It has a firm malty backbone that blends well with the qualities of barrel aging. With this beer, the barrel traits of both bourbon and brandy — sweetness, warmth and oakiness — emerge in their own right, without getting carried away and overshadowing the beer. The hints of brandy stand out especially well, melding a fruity sweetness with the caramel malts. While this 2017 vintage does have a touch of bourbon, that remains more in the background and finish. This is strong beer in strength and in flavor, and one I like for being complex and inviting.
