Year of New Beer: Double Barreled Shotgun Wedding, Country Boy Brewing (Lexington)

Written By: Dion on 11/25/2014

I guess it was about three and a half years ago that a beardless, baby-faced Daniel Harrison excitedly told me about the brewery that he and his friends were going to open in Lexington. I remember thinking "Wow, I hope they make it." After all, I'm old enough to have witnessed the birth and demise of the Lexington City Brewery, and I just didn't know if Fayette County would give a fair shot to another craft beer enterprise. Fast forward to the quickly approaching Third Anniversary of Country Boy Brewing, and I think we'd all agree that the enthusiasm of that (then) Galvin's bartender was certainly warranted. The beer brewing ability of DH, Evan, and Jeff has never been in doubt. From day one, the CBB crew has been cranking out delicious beers to an incredibly diverse fan base. Would you like an in-your-face, punchy, citrusy IPA? A rich, malty brown ale? A deep, mysterious stout that leaves you wondering what happened to the last 2 hours? Variety has been the name of the game in the CBB taproom, and for that, I am thankful. With their growing popularity has come a ridiculous expansion of brewing capacity and a subsequent capability to distribute beyond Chair Avenue. Hot on the heels of the first bottle release, Nacho Bait, comes the first of the real "treats" in the CB lineup--Double Barreled Shotgun Wedding. The delicious subtleties of Shotgun Wedding aged in bourbon barrels? Yes, please! Straight in to the snifter, this beer is all about the bourbon. Hot, sweet, oaked...it's all there. But over the course of a couple of hours (which is how this beast has to be enjoyed), the vanilla sweetness and cocoa powder comes out. There are much bigger, more established breweries across this country that have yet to produce a beer that offers this type of aroma. On the tongue, the bourbon is again the star of the show. At 11.2% ABV, it's not for the faint of heart. Deliciously sweet and layered, the bourbon gives way to a mild hop bitterness, which in turn allows the roasted grains, chocolate malt, and silky vanilla to shine through. Perhaps a touch hot if you rush through it, but quite satisfying to those who are patient, I believe this beer will fair quite well in the cellar. So you say you hadn't planned on getting out of your PJ's on Black Friday? That could be a big mistake. If I were you, I'd plan on making my way down to Country Boy at noon and snagging a couple of bottles of this limited release. I doubt you'll spend $12.99 any better in your post-Thanksgiving shopping frenzy. Huge thanks to DH, Evan, Jeff, and Daniel Sinkhorn for giving me the opportunity to preview this Kick-Ass Kentucky beer.