Rolling them out

Twelve String’s second annual BarrelFest returns on Sunday, bigger and better than before.

From noon to 5 p.m., the Spokane Valley brewery will pour 17 beers aged in a variety of wine, whiskey, rum, tequila and cognac barrels.

“We expect it’s going to be even busier,” says Twelve String’s Terry Hackler, recalling last year’s jam-packed event. “It’s going to be crazy.”

There’s quite the collection of offerings to draw drinkers of all tastes. Some are old-timers dating back to Hackler’s early experiments, like two-year-old tequila barrel Imperial Mango Mambo and syrah barrel Blackberry Stout, and a whiskey barrel sour Electric Slide Imperial IPA that’s been aging for three years.

Some are more recent wrinkles, including two more sours – a pale ale aged in French cognac barrels with agave and sweet orange, and another with grapefruit – and a pair of imperial porters from Jamaican rum barrels, one with coconut and the other with pumpkin.

Also look for the likes of:

– Electric Slide out of Dry Fly wheat whiskey barrels, both six-month and two-year-old vintages.

– Don’t Fret Porter in two different whiskey barrels, Dry Fly wheat and Woodinville.

– Drop D Stout aged in Woodford Reserve bourbon barrels, and Double Drop D out of Heaven Hill bourbon barrels.

– Last year’s 12 Strings of Winter seasonal from Dry Fly triticale whiskey barrels.

– Volume 3 anniversary Imperial Red IPA in Woodford Reserve bourbon barrels.

– The recent Belgian Dark Strong specialty aged in Woodinville whiskey barrels.

– Plus there’s a surprise “WTF” for the more adventurous to try out.

Like last year, all will be served out of plastic cups in 5-ounce pours for $3 each. And you’ll again order them by number off a printed menu.

“The names of these beers are too long to try to order them that way,” Hackler explains.

He has close to 50 barrels on hand these days, about twice last year’s total. More are coming all the time – how often they can be reused for adequate flavor depends on the age of each barrel, and what was in it – including additional Woodford Reserve barrels, which are among Hackler’s favorites.

“The beers that have come out of those have been fantastic,” he says.

He also has eight Cruzan rum barrels on the way. “From the sounds of it, they’re the nicest rum barrels I’ve come across so far,” says Hackler, who’s toying with the idea of a mojito-flavored beer in those with lime and mint.

In the meantime, another new creation is on the way for Twelve String’s fourth anniversary party Dec. 13: a big barleywine that’s been aging in Woodinville Whiskey barrels for six months.

“It’s really mellow,” Hackler says. “It’s going to blow you away.”