Introducing the Ample: An Amber Maple Bourbon Oak Aged Brew

The Ample is our newest addition to the family of brews categorized as barleywines, this one having the special additions of northern Minnesota maple syrup and bourbon oak aged.

Ample Amber Maple Ale

• SRM: 13
• IBU: 30
• ​ABV: 15.1%

Getting a horn of plenty with a strong amber ale, northern Minnesota maple syrup and bourbon oak aged. Includes a blend of pale, honey, caramel and chocolate malts, Galena and Centennial hops, maple syrup from the northern shores of Lake Superior, and to smooth it out to perfection, aged in bourbon flavored oak.

This brew is significant for us in a few ways including:

• The first to use Maple Syrup, which was found to be extremely fermentable, so much so that we had to add a bit more at the very end to provide a bit more maple flavor enhancements.
• The second to be oak aged, using a slightly different charred oak, producing flavors of honey, roasted nuts, and hints of coffee and spices. The oak does a great job in smoothing out pretty much everything, and having done it now twice, am confident with future experimentations for what to expect.
• The first with the oak being bourbon flavored. With every flavor change producing different results, the bourbon flavor adds a nice touch to the rest of the brew, icing on the cake you could say.
• The strongest fermented brew to date, clocking in at 15.1% ABV. This was done using a barleywine yeast, able to handle these stronger brews much better than normal beer yeast. As it was another new variable, wasn't sure how it would do and are pleasantly surprised with how well it went.
• The first to be with a serving size of 5 oz, the same as a wine serving. At 15.1%, a regular pint would be far too much and too accommodate, we've added new Belgian style brew glasses for serving.

All of the above being important as being key stepping stones for other new creations, giving a wider range of variables and ingredients to work with.

For those that would like some but not able to make the journey to the brewery, it's also available for shipping throughout Minnesota.

Cheers,
The Brewing Loony