2nd March, 2016 by Kristiane Sherry

Louisville-based Copper & Kings American Brandy Co. is introducing CR&FTWERK, a series of small batch American brandies aged in craft beer barrels.

The brandies have been matured for 12 months in oak barrels previously used to hold beers from the 3 Floyds, Sierra Nevada, Oskar Blues and Against the Grain breweries.

The resulting expressions have been named 3 Floyds “Dark Lord” Russian Imperial Stout; Sierra Nevada Smoked Imperial Porter; Oskar Blues “G’Knight” and “Deviant Dale’s” Imperial IPA; and Against the Grain “Mac Fanny Baw” Peated Scottish Ale.

“We have always been inspired by the imagination, fearlessness and balls-to-the-wall creativity of American craft brewers. We hope that a little of this energy and spirit rubs off on us,” said founder Joe Heron.

“We work with a lot of fine brewers, and it is fantastic to extend the typical barrel relationship into a two-way partnership with everyone sharing the inspiration and alchemy that lives inside the barrel. We are very proud to be associated with some of America’s very finest craft brewers.”

Head distiller Brandon O’Daniel added: “This is far more than monkey-dust marketing. Our ambition was to directly infuse the character and personality of the crafted beers within the American brandy with honest authenticity.

“Brandy distillate is so responsive to its maturation vessel. The way that it works with the craft beer flavors is deliciously complementary – like-minded spirits one might say!”

The CR&FTWERK series will be available in select liquor stores and bars in Copper & King’s 22-market footprint: Arkansas, California, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia.

Each expression is bottled at 55.5% abv / 111 proof, retailing at US$50 for a 750ml bottle.

Last year, Copper & Kings embarked on a “sonic ageing brandy” experiment, where the Kentucky distiller played loud music to its maturing stocks.