Living in Buffalo and being a craft beer fan is an embarrassment of riches. Each week, seeming each day, I’m blessed with an overabundance of great options each time I open my fridge and reach for a beer. Through the Buffalo Beer League, I am always looking for new ways to promote all of the delicious liquid being created right here in Western New York, so consider this column, The Best Thing I Drank This Week, just another vehicle to help spread the word of great local craft beer.
In this column, each week I will highlight the best beer I had the pleasure of imbibing the previous week, and will ask my BBL cohorts to submit their selections as well. So, not only will you get the best thing I drank this week, you will also be presented with further options and opinions from the rest of the guys as well. That way, if you’re looking for some new stuff to stock your beer fridge with (and you always should be), then you’ll have more than one item to add to your shopping list.
The Best Thing I Drank This Week: Big Ditch Brewing Rare Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout
Rare, Big Ditch’s Towpath Imperial Stout aged in a single Heaven Hill barrel for a year, starts out with big notes of oak, barrel and bourbon, which wonderfully smooths as it warms. Notes of roast and dark chocolate emerge as the beer warms. Rare features a nice balanced body that’s not overly thick or heavy.
Others receiving votes:
- Scott: Big Ditch Rare
- Jesse: Old First Ward Brewing Barleywine
- Mark: Big Ditch Peanut Butter Mudlarked Imperial Milk Stout
For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/bigditchbrewing.
Brian Campbell is co-founder and Brand Manager of the Buffalo Beer League, and writes the weekly Buffalo Beer Buzz column. If you have beer news that should be included in the Beer Buzz, Brian can be reached at brian@buffalobeerleague.com, on Twitter (@buffbeerleague), Instagram (@buffalobeerleague), and Facebook (@thebuffalobeerleague).
