Brau Brothers Rainwater Oak-Aged Stout

Brau Brothers Brewing is located in the small town of Lucan in southwestern Minnesota. Their logo even lists the population of Lucan so you know how small it is: 220. They seem to be proud of their city and they make some pretty decent beers.

There isn't much history listed on their website, but I've picked up a few nuggets of information over time:

• Brau Brothers started in a brewpub in Lucan before becoming a full-fledged brewery.

• They are actually members of the Brau family, so brewery is named appropriately. There are 3 brothers, and their father is also involved in the business.

• The name Brau means brew or beer in German. Maybe they were born to start a brewery...

• The brewery was officially started in the spring of 2006.

• They have their own barley fields and hop gardens, which I think is pretty cool.

Today I have a bottle of one of their newest offerings, Rainwater Oak-Aged Stout. They don't have this beer listed on their website, so you can't get any info there. However, I can give you a quick run-down of the description. As far as I know, this is a limited brew. It's an imperial stout made with the addition of belgian candi sugar which is then aged extensively on Madeira oak. They designate it as a VSOD, or Very Special Old Dark. It is 10% ABV and should be perfect for cellaring. I've been excited to try this beer, so let's do it!

This beer is corked and caged. The last time I did a session with a beer that had this setup, it took me a while to open it. I've had other corked beers since then and haven't had a problem, so let's hope this one goes well... Nope, this cork doesn't want to come out. Rather than take 5 minutes to slowly wiggle and twist it out, I decide to grab a pliers. Work smarter, not harder, right? With the help from the pliers, the cork comes out quickly.

I pour the 750ml bottle into my big snifter glass. A 1-finger tan head is generated, which then gradually dissipates into a thin layer on top of the beer. The body is black in color and doesn't seem to let any light pass through.

The smell is making me thirsty! There are some sweet dark chocolate and roasty malt aromas. I'm also picking up some dark dried fruits and just a hint of coffee. There is also a bit of alcohol in the nose.

Wonderful flavors emerge on the first sip. Rich sweet malt comes first, along with definite oak and vanilla qualities. Dark roasted coffee is also present before the mellow bitterness finishes everything off. It's odd that I could smell alcohol, but I can't taste it. It's covered up very well.

There is a medium thick weight to this beer. I actually think it seems lighter in body than many other imperial stouts I've had. There is a creamy smooth character that is pleasing on the tongue, and a nice alcohol warming effect.

This is an awesome imperial stout! It's rich with dark malts and the flavors associated with them. I'm not sure how much flavor comes through from the belgian candi sugar, but it definitely adds to the alcohol. I recommend sharing this beer with a friend or two, because it's strength could be dangerous. Without a doubt, this is the best beer I've had from Brau Brothers and I hope they brew it again.