Louisville-based Copper & Kings American Brandy Co. has launched CR&FTWERK.
This series of small-batch American Brandy were all aged for 12 months in oak barrels previously used to age American craft beers from 3 Floyds, Sierra Nevada, Oskar Blues and Against the Grain breweries.
The allocated release will be available in select liquor stores and bars in Copper & Kings’ current 22-market footprint.
Each new brandy expression is 55.5% ABV and 111 proof with a suggested retail price of $50 per 750-ml. bottle.
“We have always been inspired by the imagination, fearlessness and balls-to-the-wall creativity of American craft brewers,” said Copper & Kings founder Joe Heron, in a press release. “We hope that a little of this energy and spirit rubs off on us. We work with a lot of fine brewers, and it is fantastic to extend the typical barrel relationship into a two-way partnership with everyone sharing the inspiration and alchemy that lives inside the barrel.”
All Copper & Kings brandies are unadulterated by any additives. The spirits are non-chill filtered, with no addition of boisé (oak flavor or infusion).
Recommended serving – ambient to start, and then add ice (or ice cold water) for a significant transformation.
3 Floyds “Dark Lord” Russian Imperial Stout (Munster, Ind.)
NOSE: Malty, earthy, cloves.
TASTE: Dark chocolate, coffee.
FINISH: Quite viscous, with hints of molasses.
Sierra Nevada Smoked Imperial Porter (Chico, Ca.)
NOSE: Red currant, faint citrus. Hints of smoke.
TASTE: Hoppy, vanilla and malt. Smoky.
FINISH: Mellow and smooth with a slight hoppy return.
Oskar Blues “G’Knight” and “Deviant Dale’s” Imperial IPA (Brevard, NC)
NOSE: Grapefruit, citrus. Hoppy. Renegade florals.
TASTE: Clean, crisp hints of black pepper and a very slight IPA bitterness.
FINISH: Cool, grapefruity.
Against the Grain “Mac Fanny Baw” Peated Scottish Ale (Louisville, Ky.)
NOSE: Smoke, peat, vanilla and oak.
TASTE: Spearmint, with a hint of briny saltiness. Honey and light caramel.
FINISH: Long and lingering.