To be honest, the bourbon barrel aged craze has not really done much for me. Every brewery under the sun seems to have their own version these days, and in general, people go crazy, even waiting in long lines to get them. But I never have been overly impressed. That is until I had Aardwolf Brewing Company’s Whiskey Barrel Aged Early Bird Special.

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This breakfast stout is brewed with cinnamon, Madagascar vanilla beans, and locally roasted coffee. Then Aardwolf aged the beer for ten months in ten-year-old bourbon barrels. 10 + 10 = awesome!

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It is definitely called Early Bird Special for a reason, and I really enjoyed drinking it during brunch. You smell the coffee immediately, along with a hint of woodiness and whiskey provided by the bourbon barrels. The flavor is big, rich, and sweet and brings to mind french toast. As the beer warms up the coffee notes build and balances out the sweetness of the vanilla and cinnamon. The body is surprisingly light for a stout that comes in at 9.1% ABV, a feature which I think complements the flavors.

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Aardwolf opened in 2013 and immediately stood out in the Jacksonville, Florida craft scene with the quality of their beers. They are located just south of downtown and spin up exciting beers that push the envelope and taste delicious. They already have a Great American Beer Festival (GABF) Bronze for the Belgian Pale Ale and I have a feeling the awards will continue to come. Being that I live here, I can say that Aardwolf has improved the Jacksonville brewing scene and pushed the other breweries to create new and exciting stuff. Although Early Bird Special sold out in less than an hour this year, you have to make it down to Jacksonville and make this place your first stop!