A range of limited-edition premium beers matured in whisky casks are part of a new collection released by independent brewer Bath Ales.
The Sulis Collection, named after the Roman goddess of the thermal springs that still flow through Bath Spa today, features beers with ABVs ranging from 9.1% to 11.4%.
Four of the brews are imperial stouts that have matured in Scottish whisky casks for eight months. They are Speyside (ABV 10.8%), Islay No 1 (11%), Islay No 2 (11.1%) and Highland (11.4%). The fifth in the collection is a barley wine with ABV of 9.1%.
Bath Ales brewer Shane O’Beirne said: “We’ve wanted to create a premium collection of beers for a while and we were keen to do something really different.
“We chose to mature the beer in whisky casks as this gives the beers very interesting taste profiles with subtle, complex flavours.
“Each beer in the range is very distinctive and will offer the consumer something exciting this Christmas – the new range is perfect for enjoying in the colder months as they’re rich and satisfying.”
Speyside contains flavours of coffee and delicate rose, Islay No 1 is smoky with a spicy kick, Islay No 2 has a smoky taste with toffee, and Highland evokes liquorice and chocolate.
The Barleywine, a neglected traditional style of beer, is fruity and strongly malted, with a complex bitterness to the beer.
Shane said: “The whisky beers will only get better with age and they actually continue to mature in the bottle.
“In our bid to create something extra special, each bottle is wax sealed by hand and individually numbered, with a limited number available.”
The ales will be sold at Bath Ales’ pubs and bars and online at www.bathales.com as well as at the brewery shop in Warmley, near Bristol.
Bath Ales operates sites across the south-west including three Graze, Brasserie & Chophouse sites in Bath, Bristol and Cirencester and the Café-Bar and Bistrot at Colston Hall in Bristol.
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