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Craft Beer: Carlingford Brewing Company rolls out the barrel with aged version of Taffe's Red

Taaffe's Red, Carlingford Brewing Company’s first foray into barrel-aged beers
Taaffe's Red, Carlingford Brewing Company’s first foray into barrel-aged beers Taaffe's Red, Carlingford Brewing Company’s first foray into barrel-aged beers

NOT all scientific endeavours have a pre-determined goal, and not all scientific discoveries are a result of a clearly defined plan. Many of history's most important 'eureka' moments have come about purely by chance. The discovery of penicillin and radioactivity may have gone on to save many lives, but they are equally famous for having been stumbled upon accidentally.

So it came to pass with barrel-aged beers. Nobody set out to 'invent' barrel-aged beers and there are conflicting claims of their origins, but all suggestions were that sticking beer in whiskey or bourbon barrels was more to solve a storage issue then embue it with complex flavours.

The style has now become one of the most sought after by discerning beer drinkers. One of the reasons is that barrel-aged beers tend to be special releases, often for the simple reason that barrel-aging takes a long time and the longer beer sits in a brewery, the less chance it has of being bought.

And so, special occasions tend to drive these special releases, as is the case with Carlingford Brewing Company’s foray into the barrel-aged brigade. The Cooley-based brewers are marking their first birthday with a series of barrel-aged brews.

First up is an aged version of their Taaffe's Red Ale. It pours a beautifully dark red, almost mahogany colour. It has been aged in whiskey and bourbon barrels and, having recently tried out the conveniently conditioned Taaffe’s Red, I can testify that the aging certainly gives it a new dimension.

For a start, it’s a lot stronger, at 7.5 per cent, and it comes in a pint bottle, so either share it around or make sure you don’t have an early start in the morning.

There are lovely aromas of toffee and caramel with just a hint of chocolate. You get a woody whiff from the barrel too and those aromas follow into the flavours. There are nice roasty notes to it and flavours of caramel and vanilla, and just a sneaky hint of whiskey. The flavours are subtle and not overpowering and it is velvety smooth and quite quaffable – just keep an eye on the strength!

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