When Light Beer Doesn't Cut It, Reach For This Bottle And You'll Be Satisfied

There is a time and a place for light beer. In fact, there are many of them. Sitting on a sun-strewn patio on a hot afternoon, setting down your pack at the top of a mountain after a steep hike. In moments like these there is nothing that hits the spot like a cold, crisp lager that isn't too heavy or too strong. There is, after all, a reason why light beers are so popular. But sometimes a can of pale, mild-tasting beer just isn't the move. Particularly in the winter months, when the chill wind blows and the dark of night outlasts the day, the body yearns for something stronger. This is the time for beers that are heavy and complex, sweet and bitter. Beers that drink like a meal and bring inner warmth to the long dark. This is the time for Barrel-Aged Abraxas.

According to Stephanie Brennan, the beverage director for Chicago's Hopleaf Bar, this imperial stout is an underrated and expert-approved beer. It is a seasonal offering from Perennial Artisan Ales that finds its complexity in not just the heavy, dark grain bill, but also the addition of a fine balance of ancho chiles, vanilla beans, cacao nibs, and cinnamon sticks. These additives imbue the brew with just the right amount of sweetness, spice, heat, and bitterness to balance the heavy malt. Clocking in at around 12.8% alcohol by volume, this beer is not for the faint of heart, delivering a boozy kick to match its powerful flavor. But the true secret of this edition of Abraxas is found in the aging process.

As if the blend of flavors in this heavy and complex drink were not enough to delight the winter palates of stout lovers, the brewers chose to add another layer by aging the beer in used bourbon and rye barrels. While it is not specified on their own website, others report that Barrel-Aged Abraxas spends a whopping 26 to 31 months aging in barrels that previously held Willet bourbon, Willet Wheater bourbon, Reclamation Rye, Willet Rye, and Wild Turkey Rare Breed. During this long steep, the beer takes on additional notes of not just bourbon, but also the charred oak itself, which adds aromas of caramel, vanilla, and smoke. Layered onto the already deeply complex base, the products of long-term barrel-aging transform this beer into something truly remarkable, making it a rare beer that is worth tracking down.

You should be warned, however, before locating one of these unique bottles, that it may be difficult. First off, Abraxas is a seasonal offering, only available from Perennial Artisan Ales in the fall and Winter months, and the barrel-aged version is rarer still. Additionally, just as your palate must be prepared for the heavy bill of flavors in this strong and complex imperial stout, so too must your wallet make ready for the toll that this bottle will take. Wine-sized 750-milliliter bottles of Barrel-Aged Abraxas are available from various sellers online, but the price tags average around $60 to80 for each. It's a high cost for a beer, but at 12.8% ABV, it drinks like a strong wine, and the unique craftsmanship makes this beer worth every penny.