The Queen is Coming Soon

Today we spent a lovely day in the mountains harvesting snow to make our latest batch of the LSQ. We were joined by our good friends Lenny, Lexi, Sean, and Kay. The weather was great and the snow was plenty. After finding a great spot we collected a 24 gallon bucket of snow, then we're treated to the best bbq at Chicken Hill BBQ. This is always one of our favorite part of the brewing season and we're looking forward to what kind of water this snow makes. Its always a gamble, but it makes some damn good sake.

Leadville Snow Queen - Barrel Aging Experiement

So this experiment went interestingly. We had some leftover Leadville Snow Queen that wouldn't clarify so we decided to let it sit for a few months...then we decided to try and "barrel" age it as an experiment. It was a hit with some and a flop with others. The medium French oak stave that we placed in it brought out some of the earthy flavors, added a bit of caramelness, and some hints of the oak. Those that enjoy whiskeys and scotches really enjoyed it. They loved that it held many of the characteristics of a short aged whiskey, but removed all of the burn. It is an interesting experiment that I would love to try again at an earlier stage of resting the sake. I may try this with a small portion of each batch going forward. I realize that aging sake is a rare occurrence, but I think the flavors would appeal to quite a few people. Let me know how you feel about it.

- Marc