Happy almost winter! This batch will be an oatmeal stout to test out HBC 472 as a dark beer flavor hop.

472 is a newer hop with some pretty unusual taste descriptors: wood, coconut, vanilla.

I got to try an IPA that was dry hopped with this a little while ago. It was definitely different. I didn’t really get the wood/vanilla but there were some coconut notes. It was a bit odd in IPA form but I thought it might make a good dark beer.

This beer is the first brew to go into my 15 gallon Dad’s Hat rye whiskey barrel. That barrel is destined for sour solera duty, but first I want to brew a couple of big clean beers to make the most of the barrel’s fresh whiskey character.

This stout is based on a KBS clone recipe from Zymurgy that I first brewed way back in 2013. That was a great beer, and I’m excited to try making it again.