Saint Arnold Brewing releases latest brew in barrel-aged series

Saint Arnold Brewing Co. released Saint Arnold Bishop’s Barrel No. 6, an imperial pumpkin stout aged for nine months in rum oak barrels. This was the latest release in its series of barrel-aged beers. The oak barrels previously were used by Appleton Estate to age its rums for 21 to 30 years.

Due to the small amount of beer produced from the barrels, Saint Arnold Bishop’s Barrel No. 6 will only be available in pubs and restaurants throughout Texas and Louisiana.

At any given time, Saint Arnold’s brewers have a half dozen or more different beers aging in its refrigerated barrel room on the brewery’s third floor. In the case of Saint Arnold Bishop’s Barrel No. 6, the barrel aging process infused the base beer, which followed the recipe for the Saint Arnold Pumpkinator, with the flavors of oak and rum, adding to the beer’s complexity.

“We always choose the barrels carefully to enhance and complement the characteristics of the underlying beers, and in this case the barrels and the beer were meant to be together,” said Saint Arnold Founder, Brewer Brock Wager. “I can’t emphasize enough that the warmer it gets the better this beer tastes. Its flavors become rounder and fuller when it’s enjoyed over 55 degrees.”

Saint Arnold Bishop’s Barrel No. 6 pours a dark brown black and smells like a pumpkin pie with a hint of rum. The taste is an onslaught of flavors, beginning with sweet malt, chocolate and spices, followed by a warming rum finish.