Another year, another attempt to get me some Beer : Barrel : Time

It should not be lost on anyone, that one of the highest-rated beers in the country, or the world for that matter, is brewed right here in St. Louis. Legions of fans will agree, that Side Project‘s Beer : Barrel : Time series is more than a beer, it’s art.

Getting a hold of any of Side Project’s renowned barrel-aged offerings has never been easy, and probably why this beer lover has only had the pleasure of trying a BBT, just once in 2019, and that was just about 2 ounces poured by a lucky friend.

What makes this series of beers so special is that no year is like any other year and once that year is complete, it doesn’t come back.

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Beer : Barrel : Time

BBT is an imperial stout aged in bourbon barrels that according to the brewery “is meant to highlight the three things that make up the stout: the beer that was brewed, the barrels that the beer aged in and the time the beer spent aging in those barrels.”

The series has become a yearly release every Thanksgiving weekend and has developed an almost cult-like following.

“We have brewed 15 different stout recipes, aged them in a variety of barrels, and then always thoughtfully selected and blended,” says the brewery on its website. Each release features a unique recipe, unique barrels and the amount of time it was aged. In 2019, the BBT I got to try consisted of:

- O.W.K. recipe aged in Willett Bourbon barrels for 21 months
- O.W.K. recipe aged in Eagle Rare barrels for 21 months
- Derivation Blend #3 recipe aged in Knob Creek barrels for 22 months
- Derivation Blend #3 recipe aged in Knob Creek barrels for 28 months
- Derivation Blend #2 recipe aged in Willett Bourbon barrels for 20 months

O.W.K. is another beer I’ve not had the pleasure of, but it too is always described by many as “one of the best stouts ever.” O.W.K. is described as a massive stout intertwined with several recipes and then aged for 15 months in 15-year-old Willett Family Estate Bourbon barrels.

Beer : Barrel : Time 2022

This week Side Project released information online about the 2022 release.

“We all know Cory and our team of brewers love brewing stouts with delicious adjuncts, but we also enjoy creating Side Project Barrel-Aged Stout in its purest form with nothing hiding behind any integrated ingredients. We want the vanilla, the coconut, the chocolates and all of the other robust flavors found in this style to come from our process, our recipes, our barrels, our blending and our time.”

This year’s edition is made up this way:

Beer Recipes – O.W.K. and Vibes
Barrels – Van Winkle 10 year, Willett Family Estate Bourbon,Willett Bourbon and Eagle Rare
Time in Barrels – 17 to 37 months

How To Get Some

This Sunday, November 6th at 10am CST, Side Project will begin releasing Beer : Barrel : Time 2022 on their website for to-go orders.

What you’re buying is a special package of beers that include:

1 – Beer : Barrel : Time 2022
1 – Coeur de Cuvée Blend #11
1 – Pulling Nails Blend #16
1 – La Ruche Blend #5
1 – BBT Glass

Unlike years past, there will be no set pick up times. Instead you can pick up your package during regular business hours, beginning Friday, November 25th and you have more than month, as the day is Friday, December 30th.

Side Project Brewing is Open Friday – Sunday from 1pm to 8pm and Monday from 3pm to 8pm. Here are the dates you can pick up your BBT package:

November 25th-28th: Open regular hours
December 2nd-5th: Open regular hours
December 9th-12th: Open regular hours
December 16th-19th: Open regular hours
December 23rd: Open regular hours (1pm-8pm)
CLOSED December 24th & 25th
December 26th: Open regular hours (3pm-8pm)
December 30th: Open regular hours (1pm-8pm)
CLOSED December 31st, Jan 1st & 2nd

Fair Warning

As I said, I’ve never successfully purchased a BBT package of any kind, and no price is listed on the website and don’t recall what the price was last year. My fear is that if I have to ask, I probably can’t afford it, but that said, I’m ready to give it another try this year.

Good luck.

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