CHICAGO — This November, the culinary brewing company is excited to announce the 2019 vintages of their popular Bourbon Barrel Aged 12 Layer Cake Imperial Stout and Bourbon Barrel Aged Gingerbread Imperial Stout, as well as the first-time release of the Scotch Barrel Aged Peated Scotch Ale— which President and Brewmaster Jared Rouben created using rare and sought after Laphroaig Scotch whisky barrels.
The new release of the peated Scotch-style ale will coincide with the fall opening of their new brewery location and their two restaurants concepts within—The Dining Room and The Bar at Moody Tongue— with the bourbon-barrel varieties to follow thereafter. All will be available in bottle at authorized retailers, bars and restaurants nationwide.
“This past year, we were incredibly fortunate to find the perfect vessel for aging our Scotch Ale: Laphroaig Scotch whisky barrels. Laphroaig is my favorite Scotch distillery because of its iconic peat aromatic and flavor– and these barrels were the necessary ingredient to provide both balance and peat to the caramel and toffee notes in our Scotch Ale. We are excited to show the marriage between this beer and these historic barrels,” said President and Brewmaster Jared Rouben.
Scotch Barrel Aged Peated Scotch Ale
A medium-bodied Scotch ale that embodies the signature smoky peat of Laphroaig Scotch whisky along with a note of caramel on the nose. While drinking, the deep flavor of Scotch and toffee can be tasted, making this mahogany hued beer the perfect by the fire, cold-weather ale.
Bourbon Barrel Aged 12 Layer Cake Imperial Stout
Inspired by Moody Tongue’s renowned 12 Layer German chocolate cake, Brewmaster Jared Rouben incorporated ingredients used to create its trademark layers in this barrel aged beer as a way to bring the infamous cake flavors to the beer drinker. The full-bodied stout—barrel aged in Four Roses bourbon barrels for 12 months—offers aromatics reminiscent of the rich chocolate cake such as toasted coconut, caramel and graham cracker crust while the flavor imbues a bourbon-soaked slice of the decadent confection.
Bourbon Barrel Aged Gingerbread Imperial Stout
Taking you back to the nostalgic days of baking gingerbread cookies as a child for the holidays with one sip, the Bourbon Barrel Aged Gingerbread Imperial Stout features flavors of bourbon-soaked gingerbread cookies and warming aromatics of vanilla, cinnamon and good bourbon. Like the 12 Layer German Chocolate Cake Imperial Stout, the full-bodied— yet lighter than typical— stout is also barrel aged in Four Roses bourbon barrels for 12 months, and results in decadent holiday flavors without the guilt of overindulgence.
About Moody Tongue Brewing Company
Founded in 2014 in Chicago by cousins Jared Rouben (President & Brewmaster) and Jeremy Cohn (CEO), Chicago’s Moody Tongue Brewing Company is built on the philosophy of culinary brewing, appealing to those with a discerning palate—or as Rouben describes, a “moody tongue.” A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in New York and the Siebel Institute of Technology—one of the world’s leading beer schools founded in 1900—Rouben worked in Michelin-starred kitchens including the Martini House in Napa Valley, California and at Thomas Keller’s Per Se in New York City before beginning to brew. Utilizing his extensive culinary background and brewing education, Rouben approaches brewing with a chef’s mindset, carefully creating balanced beers that encompass layers of flavors and aromatics using three principles — sourcing high-quality ingredients, understanding how best to handle ingredients, and knowing when and how they should be incorporated during the brewing process. Each year, the brewery offers six perennial beers, such as the Sliced Nectarine IPA, Steeped Emperor’s Lemon Saison, and Caramelized Chocolate Churro Baltic Porter as well as a selection of limited release beers and wine or whiskey barrel-aged beers. The distribution of Moody Tongue beers focuses on culinary markets throughout the United States with a presence in major cities including Chicago, Las Vegas, Charleston, Houston, Atlanta, Asheville and more across nine states, as well as internationally across China in cities like Shanghai, Beijing and Hangzhou. In 2016, Moody Tongue Brewing Company expanded to open The Tasting Room within a 125-year-old abandoned glass warehouse in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood. The venue serves a menu of both year-round and limited-release beers in an intimate mid-century modern space showcasing a library, which houses the largest collection of beer books in the country. The stylish space quickly garnered critical acclaim and three years later, Moody Tongue’s Tasting Room earned the 2019 Jean Banchet award for “Best Bar”. Later in 2019, Moody Tongue began moving operations to an entirely new 25,800 sq. ft. space in the city’s South Loop. The large-scale expansion, located at 2515 S. Wabash, will immediately double the brewery’s current production capacity and will house two all-new dining concepts— a casual, à la carte tasting room, The Bar at Moody Tongue, as well as an upscale, intimate restaurant, The Dining Room at Moody Tongue led by nine-time Michelin-starred Chef Jared Wentworth. For more information, please visit www.moodytongue.com, call 312.600.5111 or find them on social media @moodytongue.