Dec 21, 2016

Heritage Brewing Tequila Barrel-Aged American Expedition

I’m not the biggest fan of wheat beers (it’s pretty well documented on the site), but I’ll always try and find examples of the various styles that I enjoy. Heritage Brewing has a few that I particularly like and pickup quite often. American Expedition, their ginger wheat ale, is one with which I routinely fill growlers. It’s an easy drinking brew and is now available from the brewery in this tequila barrel-aged version. Infused with lime and weighing in at 8% ABV, the ale was aged in Anejo barrels for fourteen months.

As expected, there is a fairly strong tequila influence on the wheat beer base yet it presents itself quite smoothly while a good bit of woodiness, lime, a hint of honey and wheat all come into play. There’s also a good bit of hop bitterness that tingles gently through the lasting finish where the elevated alcohol content is hidden well. The beer isn’t as lively on the tongue as the original, but still has enough carbonation to move everything around the palate.

While I believe I prefer the company’s flagship American Expedition, this barrel-aged version was a nice change of pace and offers a vastly different experience. I’d personally prefer a bit more activity to get all the elements jumping around the mouth. That said, I’ve got a couple more bottles stored away for later enjoyment — I’m curious to see how this one develops over time.