Wood aging - which style is best?

[Valis_2k]

Hi all,

I recently purchased on a whim a bag of french oak chips.

I tried soaking one in vodka, just to see what kind of taste they were going to produce and after a week it tastes fantastic, mellow and, surprisingly, it has a strong vanilla aroma.

I'd like to know what type of beer would you add the chips to. Given the mellow flavor of the oak, I was thinking of a malty beer with a taste not too strong - such as a brown ale. I'd rather not go with a porter or a stout, since I want the taste of the oaks to really shine through.

I'd use the Old Nut Case Brown Ale from Radical Brewing with a English Ale yeast.
What do you think about all this?

6 lb amber dry extract
2 lb biscuit malt
1 lb medium crystal

0.75 oz Northern Brewer @ 90 mins
0.5 oz Northdown @ 20 mins

OG 1067
Bitterness: 26 IBU

 

[kingwood-kid]

Oak is a nice choice for big and malty, and does a nice job in long-aging beers of providing some bitterness as hop-derived IBUs fade. It will add vanilla and tannins. The tannins will increase the sensation of dryness, so you might condider adding your hops at 60 and 10 to compensate. The chips work pretty quickly, so you'll want to monitor the beer daily to make sure you don't overoak. Oak cubes are another option; they work more gradually and provide more levels of flavor.