Barrels and Maturation

Harrop plans his brewing schedule around when he’ll receive barrels. He aims to use them promptly, and he doesn’t rinse or swell them before use—he wants that spirit character. He also doesn’t top off barrels while aging. He works with barrels that were used for different types of bourbon, and they can each contribute different character. Generally, he prefers barrels from bourbon with spirit-forward character and aged about six to 10 years.

Harrop doesn’t worry about temperature swings in San Diego—he wants those warm summers to “cook” the beer a bit and contribute flavor via evaporation, oxidation, and interaction with the barrel. He also is a believer in pasteurizing these big beers—not only for safety, but also for flavor.