Volume 1, Issue 49: Turkey Day and Black Friday Releases
“Spread Roots” Bottles Available Black Friday
Our second collaboration brew in celebration of 25 years being Portland’s Craft Beer playground is with our good friends at Fort George Brewing.
Spreading Roots is the result of a full-day deep dive into the Fort George Barrel Warehouses, where we explored an incredible array of barrel-aged creations. Our one guiding principle? The final blend had to include both a stout and a barleywine.
After tasting through the lineup, we handpicked four standout batches – each aged to perfection in unique barrels. We couldn’t resist the rich, fudge-like density of one stout, the fruity character imparted by a Pinot Noir-conditioned whiskey barrel, the layered complexity of an English-style barleywine, and the decadent influence of a Russell Reserve Bourbon barrel.
The final blend is a masterpiece; 12-month Russell Reserve Bourbon Barleywine, 21-month Westward Whiskey Barleywine, 23-month Westland Whiskey Imperial Stout and a 23-month Freeland Wine Barrel-Aged Whiskey Imperial Stout.
The result? A bold, intricate, and indulgent 13% ABV blend that showcases the depth and artistry of barrel-aging and skilled blending. Very drinkable now but will hold for many years as well – limited batch run in bottles so if I were you… Cheers to roots worth spreading!
B L A C K F R I D A Y C U R I O S I T I E S
Goose Island Brewing – Bourbon County Stout – Chicago, Illinois
Barrel-aged for an average of 12 months, Bourbon Country Original Stout boasts deeply developed flavors of fudge, vanilla and caramelized sugar with a rich, decadent mouthfeel. We have many previous vintages along with this years release! 14.7% ABV (varies by year)
Mad River Brewing Co – John Barleycorn – Salt Lake City, Utah
You can’t get this one any longer (except at John’s!) It pours rubescent garnet in color with a creamy head. Clove, cinnamon, and grapefruit aromas. A moderately peppery and medium dry malt nish cossets the palate. Ages will with optimum maturity reached at one year and beyond. 11.4% ABV (varies by year)
Perennial Artisan Ales – Abraxas – St. Louis, Missouri
An Imperial Stout brewed with ancho chili peppers, cacao nibs, vanilla beans, and cinnamon sticks. Pouring deep brown with a thick head, this beer has a complex body with a delicious lingering roastiness. Abraxas is brewed with unique ingredients intended to challenge and excite the palate. 11.5% ABV (varies by year)
Lagunitas Brewing Co – Willetized Coffee Stout - Petaluma, California
Kentucky’s own Willett Distillery have one of a kind barrel: Wood. And they put two things in them: Bourbon and Rye. Lagunitas put their Imperial Stout in them. It’s a chocolatey, coffee-y, smoky, Bourbon -y beast of a barrel-aged thing. Word. Killer value for all that craft! 12.4% ABV (varies by year)
Fremont Brewing – The Rusty Nail – Seattle, Washington
The Rusty Nail begins life as The First Nail, an oatmeal stout of epic proportions with brewer’s licorice, smoked barley, and pale malt and is then aged on cinnamon bark. She becomes The Rusty Nail after spending 15 months in a 12-year old bourbon barrels, then we cellar some for more character. Curious? 14.5% ABV
Fremont Brewing x John’s – Party Like BBA Stout - Seattle, Washington
This Imperial Mexican-Style Coffee Stout is a collab we did with Fremont. Aged in bourbon barrels for over 12 months, the combination of coffee, ancho chilis, cinnamon, and barrel-aging creates a complex and layered stout with hints of coffee, chocolate, and spice, with just a touch of heat and bitterness. (A little Brew 3000 adds some class.) 13.8% ABV
B L A C K F R I D A Y, November 29
Black Friday is here, and at John’s Marketplace, that means one thing: it’s time to open the cellars and share our most treasured dark beers. These special brews, aged and blended to perfection, showcase the artistry and mystery of brewing through time. This year, alongside the highly anticipated annual Bourbon County release*, we’re thrilled to debut our collaboration with Fort George, Spreading Roots – an extraordinary blend of barrel-aged imperial stouts and barleywine. This rare beer is available in very limited quantities, so don’t miss your chance to grab one.
But that’s not all. We’re also releasing a curated collection of cellar-aged gems from legendary breweries like Fremont, Mad River, Deschutes, Fort George, Perennial, Gigantic, Eclipse, Lagunitas, Hair of the Dog, Alaskan, Firestone Walker, Epic, Ninkasi, Pelican, Oregon Trail, New Belgium, Prairie, and more. Many are one-off vintages or sequential releases, perfect for vertical tastings or simply savoring the season.
Doors open at 11 am at all locations. Don’t miss this annual celebration of exceptional beers – there’s something to delight every dark beer enthusiast. Cheers!