Anyone have any clue what the grain bill, hops, etc…are for Kentucky Bourbon barrel Ale is. Also, how would I go about getting the bourbon flavor into the beer, with out added bourbon?
A lot of breweries make bourbon barrel porters and stouts.
I’d recommend starting with an imperial porter or stout. then adding bourbon in small increments until you find the flavor you are looking for. or letting it age on oak cubes (oak is the primary flavor in bourbon IIRC).
I have a Imperial stout on tap. and i add bourbon to the glass. by the teaspoon. usually 1 teaspoon is plenty, and sometimes i do half a teaspoon. sometimes i’ll add bourbon that i let vanilla beans soak in, for a vanilla bourbon stout.
IMO its better to add to the glass rather than the entire batch. that way i have many options. (Russian imperial stout, Bourbon Russian imperial stout, Vanilla bourbon Russian imperial stout) and tonight I’m going try a nice peat Scotch for a ‘Scotch whiskey Russian imperial stout’.
edit: there is nothing wrong with adding bourbon. I do it with good results, but add it slowly, you don’t want to over-do it
If you want Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale don’t brew a stout or porter. The real deal is much lighter. They use their Kentucky Ale as the base, think of an English Pale Ale crossed with an Irish Red for the base beer. Then they age the beer in Woodford Reserve barrels for 6 weeks. I would soak chips in Woodford and then dump the chips and the remaining bourbon in your secondary. This is different that most barrel aged beers in that it is lighter and the bourbon is the focus. Hope that helps lead you down the right path. Sorry I don’t have a recipe…but I have had the beer many times.
