Valmiermuiža Craft Brewery Distilled Lager Barrel Aged for Four Years | 350 ml

During a visit to some cider makers in France, our brewmaster concluded, “If the French can make world famous Calvados from Normandy cider, then we can make an equally fine distilled lager at Valmiermuiža from Valmiermuiža beer.” No sooner said than done! To fulfil this vision, German expert Arnold Holstein forged a special still, which is installed at the brewery alongside the kettles for boiling beer.

It is Valmiermuiža’s brewmaster’s dream to offer a Latvian alternative to whiskey. It is well known that “God is hidden in the details”, which explains why distilled barrel aged lager is made with such great care and patience.

It is made up of three Valmiermuiža products: amber lager, dark lager and winter bock. By distilling 150 litres of beer in a small copper still, we obtain just six litres of distilled lager with 85 % ABV. To this we add a little water and then at 65 % ABV, we pour it into 30 litre European oak barrels that previously contained sherry. The barrels are then stored in the Valmiermuiža barn cellar. Over the course of four years of aging, the barrel makes the distilled lager silkier and enriches it with a distinctive bouquet of flavours, while a fifth of the volume evaporates – earning it the moniker of “the angel’s share”. Before it is poured into bottles, Valmiermuiža’s brewmaster mixes all three distilled barrel aged lagers and adds Valmiermuiža artesian well water to them to obtain the required 43 % ABV. To preserve the flavour, we filter the distilled barrel lager without cooling it, which may produce a hint of smokiness. Only 900 numbered bottles are filled in this batch.