Ingredient Insight: Kentucky Rye Barrel IPA

While snow, ice or blistery cold is blanketing much of the country, conjure up images of warmer days with a new spring seasonal brew. Hoppy, spicy and crisp, Kentucky Rye Barrel IPA is a new, limited edition seasonal beer from Alltech Lexington Brewing & Distilling Co. that is aged for six weeks in Town Branch Rye whiskey barrels, as well as Kentucky bourbon barrels.

The unique rye India pale ale is brewed with rye grain and dry-hopped in the barrel and boasts a citrusy character in the nose and finish, as well as soft notes of vanilla and woody ribbons of oak and rye from the barrel. Alltech Lexington Brewing and Distilling Co.’s barrel-aged seasonal program allows the brewery to step outside of its year-round offerings to experiment with new tastes.

“Distillers discovered rye decades ago and embraced it for its spicy, complex character,” said Ken Lee, master brewer for Alltech Lexington Brewing & Distilling Co. “Today, more brewers have also embraced rye thanks to the complex notes it can add. With the spice from our Town Branch Rye barrels and the unique dry hopping we did in the barrel, I think craft beer fans will love this crisp seasonal beer.”

Alltech Lexington Brewing & Distilling Co. also launched a limited Town Branch Bourbon Single Barrel to be sold exclusively at its Visitor Center in downtown Lexington. Master distiller Mark Coffman recently hand-selected two barrels of the company’s bourbon that had “strong vanilla and floral notes, and almost candy-like toffee notes” for the first run of the single barrel program.

Yielding roughly 150 bottles from each barrel, both single barrel versions boast cask-strength proofs, hovering close to 125 proof. Be sure to stop by the Alltech Lexington Brewing and Distilling Co.’s website for more information.