Mar 2, 2017

Heritage Brewing Edison’s Lost Invention

The past couple of years, I’ve been fortunate enough to hang out with Sean and the Heritage Brewing crew amongst their ever-growing mountain range of barrels. Whether woken from their slumber in an impromptu taste test or blended and released over a year later, everything I have sampled has presented unique flavors as well as shown the company’s focus and growing experience in this realm of brewing. And what better way to celebrate three years in business than concocting Edison’s Lost Invention.

This big (15% ABV) strong ale is a balanced blend of brews that have rested for 22 months within select gin, whiskey and red wine barrels. The flavors here are not surprising as raisin, fig, molasses, old wood and a smooth array for gin, whiskey and wine are all present from start to finish. The interesting fact about this brew is the carbonation — as designed, there is none. The brewery had done this previously with their barrel-age White Marsh back in 2014. And much like that beer, the lack of carbonation in Edison’s Lost Invention does not effect the overall presentation, instead creating an even more unique drinking experience.

Edison’s Lost Invention probably won’t be a beer for everybody. The lack of a bubbly mouthfeel can be a tough interaction for the brain to decode when it’s expecting a beer and not something that would be more port-like if it had a stronger sweetness present. Heritage Brewing have themselves a unique product with this big beer that I thoroughly enjoyed last December. That said, it’s definitely a sipper best shared over dessert with friends. I feel the other bottles that I have cellaring will continue to develop over time, hopefully adding a bit more body (a personal preference) to the brew in years to come.