Critiques, please: "Bourbon Barrel"-Aged Tripel

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heywolfie1015

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Inspired by Allagash Curieux, I'm planning on brewing a tripel aged on bourbon barrel oak for a few months. I was curious to see what people thought about the proposed recipe and process. (Recipe is HuRRiC4Ne's Dragonmead Absolution clone, with tweaks.) My goal is to have the noticeable, but not overwhelming, oak flavor from Curieux. Such a damn delicious beer.

Thanks!

Grains/Adjuncts

12.8lbs Pilsner
1.6lbs Munich Malt (2row)
1.6lbs Sugar (probably table)

Hops

2 oz. German Hallertau 3.8%AA 60min
1 oz. Styrian Goldings 3.4% AA 30min
1 oz. Saaz 2.8% AA 3min

Yeast

2 x WLP500 Trappist Ale Yeast

Mash

148F for 90 minutes. Batch sparge at 168F.

Fermentation

-2-3 weeks in primary, starting at 68F for first day and letting temp naturally rise through the rest of fermentation.
-2 weeks in secondary
-After first 2 weeks in secondary, 6-8 weeks in secondary on 1-2 oz. of bourbon-soaked medium toast American oak cubes.
-Bottle condition after ~3 months in fermenter.
 
I was thinking about soaking the cubes in bourbon for 2-3 weeks and dumping them into the secondary. I have a bottle of Bulleit at home, but Allagash uses Jim Beam barrels, so I might have to make a special trip to the liquor store. :)
 
Your inspiration is some damn good stuff and I think you're on the right track. Good thing I'll be in Portland next week, I may just have to stop by.
 
Yeah, I think this is my next brew. I've been planning on it for such a long time, but there were other ones I wanted to try first. I now have three fresh kegs on tap and an empty carboy, so I think it's time. I'm firmly convinced the tripel recipe is perfect for the bourbon/oak combo. Can't freakin wait.
 
How did the Allagash Curieux recipe turn out ? I had the Allagash Curieux for the first time at a beer tasting wow thats a great beer.
 
Unfortunately, I still haven't made it. Unfortunate combination of too much work and a lot of other life events that took precedence. One of those is a move into our new house, which is supposed to happen in the next few days. Once I'm in, this is the first brew I plan to make. I'm itching to start.
 
I was thinking of doing something similar but with medium toast Hungarian oak cubes and soaking in jim beam for a month or better. Keep us posted how close to the original it is so we can know which route to take. BTW, if you ever make it out to the east coast, the allagash brewery tour is awesome! come on out and try some more of their beers, they are amazing!
 
Just had this for the first time on Saturday....WOW!!!! That was delicious!!!! After years away from brewing, this beer has has got me back into the scene. Thanks for posting a recipe to go off of. How accurate do you think it is? Or better yet, please tell me it gets somewhat close, something to start off with at least!

Thanks again,
B.
 
I'm still letting it age a little, but I have been really, really happy with the hydro samples. I wouldn't say it is identical to Curieux; maybe more like a cousin with a strong family resemblance. If it continues as I hope, should be one the better beers I've ever made.
 
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