What happens when award-winning leaders in craft beer and craft whiskey get together? The result became deliciously evident with the release of Sierra Nevada Rye Ale, a limited-edition beer brewed with Maryland-grown rye and aged for six months in rye whiskey barrels from Sagamore Spirit.
That time in the barrel graces Sierra Nevada’s legendary red ale with distinct notes from Sagamore Spirit’s signature rye whiskey, like clove, nutmeg and hints of walnut and brown sugar. The result is a crisp yet round red ale that delivers an herbal and spicy jolt at 10% ABV.
“We know the magic that happens when our whiskey ages in freshly charred oak, so we couldn’t wait to see what amazingly crafted beer that met our barrels would taste like. It was love at first sip,” said Brian Treacy, President of Sagamore Spirit. “Our team is always looking to bring the taste of Maryland-style rye whiskey to more people, and thanks to this collaboration with Sierra Nevada, we’ve found a whole new way to do that. We couldn’t wait to taste this beer, aged in our charred oak and then barrel-aged at Sierra Nevada.”
The collaboration produced Sierra Nevada’s first-ever beer in aged rye whiskey barrels. Sagamore Spirit has worked with wineries to create limited edition whiskies and with local Maryland brewers to donate their used barrels.
Sierra Nevada Rye Ale is available at select off-premise and on-premise accounts throughout Maryland for a limited time only. To learn more about this collaboration and find out where you can purchase Sierra Nevada Rye Ale, visit sierranevada.com.