Vocation Brewery launches Barrel Aged beer collaboration with rare whisky experts

Vocation, one of the UK’s largest and fastest growing independent breweries, is launching two special-release barrel-aged beers aged in whisky barrels supplied by Lady of the Glen.

Vocation’s Barrel Aged Imperial Stout is a classic expression of the style, first aged in ex-Bourbon barrels before transferring to Laphroaig casks for 11 months. Notes of cacao and cinder toffee from seven malt varieties are used to create this dark, rich, roasted stout, accentuated by Laphraoig’s signature herbaceous harmony of smoke, citrus and seagrass. Vocation Brewery X Lady of the Glen BA Imperial Stout has an abv of 12.9 per cent and is available via Vocation’s online shop www.vocationbrewery.com from Wednesday 13th July in 300ml bottles, with an RRP of £6.75.

Vocation’s Smoked Imperial Barrel Aged Stout features a robust and complex mash of eight malts, including a generous percentage of rye and smoked malt for a spicy, peppery bite, balanced out with notes of sweet, smoky molasses, rich dried fruits and dark chocolate. The beer is aged in Aberlour and Caol Ila casks selected to highlight the stout’s inherent flavour profile of sweet baking spices, Lapsang Souchong, and earth, smoky peat – adding roundness and complexity throughout – before being carefully blended and bottled. These whisky barrels were chosen in order to accentuate the properties already present in the stout, such as sweet spice, smoked tea and peat. Vocation Brewery X Lady of the Glen BA Smoked Imperial Stout has an abv of 11.5 per cent and can be purchased from Vocation’s online shop next week in 330ml bottles (RRP £6.75).

“We’re really pleased to be working with Vocation to launch these Barrel Aged Stouts and to be able to make use of these wonderful casks with their complex flavour profiles,” said Gary Farlow, Innovation Brewer at Vocation Brewery. “We have long been admirers of Vocation’s consistent and genuine innovation, and the fact that they feel it their duty to produce the best example of each particular beer style, consistently.”