Country: Italy

Region: Piedmont

Previous life: Barolo (Nebbiolo grapes)

Wood: Salvonian Oak

Size: 58 hL

Age: 18 yrs

Resident beers: Fox in the Snow, Blackberry Fox in the Snow, Cognac Barrel Aged Blackberry Fox in the Snow

Currently Holding: Fox in the Snow slated to become Cranberry Fox in the Snow

Barolo 3 Foedre

We've never release any beer from this foedre as is so far. In this one we've added a Belgian ale strain to puncheon lees from a couple of our more acidic puncheons. Barrel lees are the yeasts left in the bottom of a barrel after you remove the rest of the beer. Over time, intentionally (and unintentionally) a barrel will develop its own micro-colony of microorganisms. It's very difficult to keep a barrel “clean” with only the yeasts you pitch into them as wood is by its very nature porous with lets the barrel breathe as well as creating billions of crevices deep within the wood for yeasts, bretts, and bacteria to live in. One can only use a handful of chemical cleaning agents such as citric acid, as unlike stainless steel it’s impossible to fully rinse the residues out of wood and even if you steam sanitize a barrel, like we do, the steam can only reach so far into the wood. Typically, after a couple years a barrel will mature and take on its own unique character at which point it's practically impossible to reverse the process so either barrels are phased out of production if we don't like where they are heading or, if they are maturing well, we can use that as seed stock to inoculate other barrels. There were two puncheons we particularly liked. The first we made Whiskers in and the second was Bonaparte's Revenge. Both produced higher levels of acid that we typically do, but in a pleasant way so we used their lees to seed this foedre. Similar to Flemish Red production methodology, we ferment a dark, malty base beer called simply called 'Fox' that we will then further process either through refermentation in stainless with fruit or we'll double age it in other specialty barrels.

Pomegranate Fox [2021]

Pomegranate Fox American Wild Ale aged for 12 months in one of our Italian Barolo wine foedres then refermented with Pomegranates and aged an additional six months in Dinosmores barrels. A modern riff on the age old tale of Persephone, daughter of Zeus and Demeter who serves a dual role as both goddess of the Underworld and that of Spring after being abducted by Hades and tricked into eating six pomegranate pips. A etiological myth explaining the changing of the seasons.Garnet hued, fruit forward and brash with a deeply vinous character. Rakish bursts of pomegranate followed by notes of black cherry, caramel, blackberry candy, and vibrant, faceted acidity. The additional double barrel aging in bourbon barrels which previously cradled our Imperial Marshmallow Stout add subtle yet thematic elements of dark chocolate, roasted coffee, and marzipan. The duality showcasing both the darkness of the underworld and zeal to which we cling to life during frigid nights as we wait with bated hope for the promise of spring and re-emergence of warmer, more carefree days

Cranberry Fox in the snow [2020]

This Fox in the Snow version spent 11 months in Barolo foedre #3 and then re-fermented for a month with Michigan grown cranberries. Garnet red in color with an intense, acidic pop of cranberries and supple, tannic body. Mid palate notes of red currants, slate, and black cherry. A dalliance of Grenache Noir heavy Châteauneuf-du-Pape follows through to an extended, wild finish

Blackberry Fox in the snow [2019]

Fox in the Snow is our foedre aged kriek named in honor of these wily, untamed forest princes. This year we wanted to change things up a little replacing cherries with blackberries. (Does that make it a blackberry kriek? Not really sure of the nomenclature) Whatever you call it, 10 months in foedre and a further two aging on blackberries lends an auburn hue, vibrant fruit, and tannic, seedlike profile. Pleasantly in tandem is a wild complexity, balanced acidity and round, deep vinous notes from the foedre itself.

Fox in the snow [2018]

A shock of red as if glimpsing a fox dart into the forest’s edge, bursting with it’s namesakes unbridled wild edge and vinous tannin from an 11 month rest in one of our Barolo foedre then refermented for a further two months with cherries.