Milwaukee-based Lakefront Brewery Inc. earlier this month released a whiskey barrel-aged version of their Beer Line Organic Barley Wine. The brewery claims it is the first USDA-certified organic barrel-aged barley wine in the United States.
The brew containing 14 percent ABV, held for 18 months in USDA-certified organic rye whiskey barrels sourced from Catoctin Creek Distillery in Purcellville, Va., is Lakefront’s “most ambitious release in our 27-year history,” said Chris Johnson, Lakefront Brewery’s director of business development. Johnson stated that he believes Lakefront will change the brewing industry’s and consumers’ perception of organic beer.
In 1996, Lakefront Brewery created the first USDA-certified organic beer in the United States, Organic E.S.B.
“At that time, there were few organic malt and hop varieties available, so that limited the number of possible organic beer styles,” Johnson said. “I think past impression of organic beers is that they are ‘boring.’ Now, there’s much more ingredient diversity, so breweries have a lot more to work with. We challenged ourselves to push the boundaries, and create a really unique and special all-organic beer.”
The Beer Line Aged in Organic Whiskey Oak Barrels comes in a limited 22-ounce bottle. Approximately 3,100 bottles were produced.
Lakefront Brewery, which was started in 1987, currently produces 45,000 barrels of beer per year and distributes its products to 36 states, Canada and Japan.
