The Barrel-First Approach

When he knows a beer will age in only one type of barrel, he first considers that barrel when deciding what beer to age in it. When brewing for a single barrel, he’s going for high viscosity and big mouthfeel for a beer that will still feel big after it’s spent many months on oak. San Diego’s warm climate plays a role in the beer-wood interaction, and oxidation can be a welcome component. Oats and long boils tend to be important body-builders, and he goes into further detail on the typical grist composition of these big beers meant for a special spirits barrel.