Style: Barleywine
Brewery: Otter Creek Brewing Company (Middlebury, VT)
ABV: 12%
IBUs: 38
Availability: unknown
Pairing:

Big Beer Month kicked into high gear the other night as I got a chance to taste all the new offerings from the Otter Creek Brewing Company at their NYC relaunch. Each of the new beers was impeccably crafted but their new barleywine, the Quercus Vitis Humulus, was my hands down favorite. QVH is an amber sipper somewhat akin to a strong Belgian Ale but with a load of complex flavors from the use of two yeast strains (including warm fermented lager yeast) and Sauvignon Blanc grape juice.

Appearance: Pours a rich orange with light head and very nice lacing

Smell: There is no overpowering nose on the QVH and comes across bready at first. As it warms, subtle notes of honey and citrus come forward along with hints of chalk and oak.

Taste: The taste here not overpowering but, instead, is loaded with several complex layers that change as the beer warms. Initially, there are honey and citrus notes in line with the nose as well as some limestone flavors from the use of lager yeast. But as the temperature changes, more pine notes come forward in the hop character along with subtle flavors of oak and dry red wine. The alcohol is balanced well and does not interfere with the flavor palate at all.

Mouthfeel: QVH holds a fine carbonation and – while a bit dense in the mouth – it is not as syrupy as you would expect at 12% alcohol. Crisp, dry finish.

Drinkability: The alcohol is hidden so well in this one that it creeps up on you. With its lighter mouthfeel, I could easily put a few of these back in an evening. They sit somewhere between a sipper and casual drinking beer but pack a punch at 12% ABV.

Overall: If QVH is any indication of what’s to come from Otter Creek then I’m fully on board. This is an incredibly complex ale with layer upon layer of subtle flavors that result from an intense and unorthodox, brewing process. I’ve never tasted a lager yeast perform this well and it combines flawlessly with Champagne finishing yeast. Quercus Vitis Humulus is an excellently crafted beer all around and one to stock up on and share with friends.

Brewing Note: “QVH is our brewers’ tribute to the mighty oak, luscious grape, and humble hop. The homage begins with a bold 27 degree plato barley-wine, warm-fermented with Bohemian lager yeast, then blended with Sauvignon Blanc grape juice and fermented a second time with a pure culture of Champagne yeast. When this intricate brew was complete, our brewers aged it on lightly toasted French Oak. The six week journey through our brewery results in a deeply complex ale which clocks in at 12% ABV, with 38 IBU.”

There’s no better time than Big Beer Month for Vermont’s Otter Creek Brewing Company – who make the amazing Stovepipe Porter – to launch their new imperial series. Otter Creek recently hired Dogfish Head brewer Mike Gerhart as their new brewmaster and he has crafted three big beers (10% – 12% ABV) brewed in smaller batches with unique yeast strains and extended aging. The new beers, Russian Imperial Stout, Oak-Aged Imperial IPA, and Quercus Vitis Humulus, are a departure from the standard Otter Creek line of classic brews and a nod towards what’s happening now in progressive craft beer.

This week, Brewmaster Mike Gerhard is in New York City to help launch the brand at nine of the city’s finest bars. You can get the full list of pubs over on BeerMenus.com but only a few will offer all three new beers. To keep your mid-week bar crawling to a minimum, check out Rattle ‘n’ Hum (Feb 2nd), Blind Tiger Ale House (Feb 3rd), Valhalla (Feb 3rd), and Amity Hall (Feb 4th) as all of these will cary the Imperial Stout, Imperial IPA, and QVH.

Here are the three Imperial Series bottle labels and descriptions:

“We brewed this beer with double the malts and four times the hops of regular stouts! Otter Creek Russian Imperial Stout clocks in around 10% ABV- a beer to be savored responsibly. True to style, this beer will last for years so you may want to stock up on a few bottles for your cellar while it’s available.”

“The fruity and citrusy hop aroma intermingles perfectly with an assertive malty backbone. Our brewers added a generous supply of hops to this brew throughout the entire process to provide an enormous hop flavor and balance the elevated alcohol content.”

“QVH is our brewers’ tribute to the mighty oak, luscious grape, and humble hop. The homage begins with a bold 27 degree plato barley-wine, warm-fermented with Bohemian lager yeast, then blended with Sauvignon Blanc grape juice and fermented a second time with a pure culture of Champagne yeast. When this intricate brew was complete, our brewers aged it on lightly toasted French Oak. The six week journey through our brewery results in a deeply complex ale which clocks in at 12% ABV, with 38 IBU.”