Goodwood Brewing Company and Chicken Cock Whiskey have collaborated to release Chicken Cock Barrel Aged Brown Ale

Charleston, South Carolina (August 21, 2017) - Goodwood Brewing Company and Chicken Cock Whiskey have collaborated to release Chicken Cock Barrel Aged Brown Ale. The cultivated relationship between Goodwood Brewing and Chicken Cock Whiskey came by way of a discerning introduction from Breakthru Beverage South Carolina, the area distributer both companies utilize. The Chicken Cock Barrel Aged Brown Ale will be released exclusively in South Carolina as a draft-only offering.

At Goodwood Brewing, aging beers in wood stands at the cornerstone of the brewery’s commitment to exceptional beers with extraordinary depth of flavor. Hailing from Louisville, Kentucky, the barrel aging process is an homage to the region’s distilling legacy and bourbon barrels that have so much flavor left to give. Now, Goodwood Brewery couples expertise with uncharted territory as the partnership with Chicken Cock Whiskey marks the brewery’s first brand collaboration.

“We’ve seen brewery collaborations for years. Breweries partnering with spirits brands is a new and exciting thing we’re seeing in the adult beverage world. We barrel age beers all the time, but creating a single batch beer with one brand produces a truly unique beer and experience. It’s also a great way to showcase both brands to a new audience,” said Ted Mitzlaff, Goodwood Brewing CEO.

Grain & Barrel Spirits recently debuted the Chicken Cock 160th Anniversary Limited Release, Single Barrel 8-Year-Old Bourbon. While the bourbon brand was popular during the 19th century, Chicken Cock really hit its stride during prohibition. Multiple attempts were made to bring “the famous old brand” back to its former glory. In 2013 Grain & Barrel purchased Chicken Cock and is now restoring it to its rightful pantheon among the great American whiskies. “We’re proud to collaborate with Goodwood Brewing Company, a brewery as serious about their craft as we are at Grain & Barrel. This is a partnership that places a premium on quality. The Chicken Cock Bourbon Barrel Brown Ale is a distinctly delicious and artful expression. There are whiskey connoisseurs and beer lovers for whom it will be innovative and exciting. We couldn’t be more thrilled,” said Matti Anttila, CEO and Founder of Grain & Barrel Spirits.

Thanks to the official rules of making bourbon, which state that the whiskey must be aged in new American oak, there is a thriving secondary market for bourbon barrels. Just as with hard alcohol, beer picks up a richness and sweetness from the wood and even a bit of the liquor’s flavor. Distillers carefully created the bourbon that is now the 160th Anniversary Chicken Cock Whiskey with 70% Corn, 21% Rye and 9% Malted Barley. Fresh white American oak barrels are charred
before filling with Chicken Cock whiskey for maturation. The barrel staves are charred to level four, the highest commonly used char level also known as the “alligator char” due to the rough, shiny texture the staves acquire. The barrel heads are gently charred to a level two.

The Chicken Cock Barrel Aged Brown Ale by Goodwood Brewing Company spent a month in the 160th Anniversary, 8-year-old bourbon barrels. The brew is nutty on the front end, and finishes with notes of vanilla and toasty wood. With just the right amount of booziness at 6.5% ABV, this brown ale offers an excellent synergy between bourbon and beer.