Black IPA, a anew cask beer infused with the flavour of Buffalo Trace bourbon, will be previewed in selected Brighton pubs from March 21.
The 5% ABV beer is the result of an innovative collaboration between Kissingate Brewery, based in Horsham, West Sussex, and Hi-Spirits, the UK distributor of multiple award-winning Buffalo Trace.
Gary Lucas, head brewer at Kissingate, has created a dark beer with a distinctive hoppy character, balanced by rounded fruit and floral flavours. Barrel char from oak barrels used to age the bourbon at the Buffalo Trace Distillery in Franklin County, Kentucky, is added during fermentation
Buffalo Trace is aged for a minimum of eight years, which gives the charred interior of the barrels plenty of time to absorb the complex flavours of the spirit. This barrel char has infused the beer with some of the vanilla, citrus and spice notes which characterise Buffalo Trace.
Gary said: “With any brew, the more ingredients and flavours you work with, the greater the challenge. I wanted to reflect the distinctive flavour of the bourbon without allowing it to overpower the beer, and using the barrel char was an interesting way to achieve this. I’m delighted with the end result.”
Beer writer Melissa Cole, author of “Let Me Tell You About Beer”, describes the combination of the beer and bourbon flavours in Buffalo Black IPA as “coming together in a symphony of floral confection and spirituous song”, adding “complex, warming and sinfully delicious, it is a beer to be savoured.”
Buffalo Black IPA will be previewed at the Wick Inn, Hove, operated by Brighton based Indigo Pub Company. The limited supplies of the first batch brewed will be exclusively available in Indigo’s pubs, followed by a national launch.
Chris Broomfield, director of Brighton pub group Indigo, said: “Both Buffalo Trace bourbon and Kissingate’s beers are popular with our customers, so we have high expectations that Buffalo Black IPA will have a strong appeal on the bar. The fact that this is a craft beer from a respected UK brewer, rather than just another bottled lager flavoured with a dash of spirit, gives Buffalo a real point of difference. Authenticity is very important to our customers.”
Jeremy Hill, chairman of Hi-Spirits, said: “The Boilermaker, a beer with a shot of Buffalo Trace on the side, is one of the most popular serves at the Buffalo Bourbon Empire pop-up bar, which has so far appeared in London and Brighton. The strong affinity between bourbon and beer inspired us to work with Kissingate to develop Buffalo Black IPA. With both craft beer and bourbon increasing in sales, Buffalo Black IPA will have a strong appeal to consumers in both camps.”
To stock Buffalo Black IPA, please contact Hi-Spirits on 01932 252 100, email info@hi-spirits.com, or visit www.hi-spirits.com. For details of the range of beers from Kissingate Brewery, please call 01403 891335 or visit www.kissingate.co.uk.
ENDS
For press information please contact John Porter at ShielPorter Communications 07734 054389 john@shielporter.com