Oak barrel aging is nothing new. Bourbon makers use it, and winemakers have been using it for centuries. Beers are aged in oak too, although its more commonly done in Europe than in America. That is changing however; as American brewers have caught on to the complexities that oak brings to beer. Subtle nuances that are conveyed by new oak, bourbon barrels, or wine barrels, are now being utilized by savvy brewers to bring beers to a new level of flavor. more ›

As 7:30 a.m. rolled around, we were ready for breakfast and tired of slowly following the STP riders through Kent, so we made our way back to I-5 and headed south to the first of two stops that took us away from the bicyclists' course. more ›