800.625.8238
chatRare Beer Club 2-Bottle Selections - April 2025
Skrip’s Big Brew
Brasserie Fantôme - Soy, Belgium
[Saison brewed with Cayenne and Strawberry Tea - 6.5% ABV]
Brasserie Fantôme has come to represent unabashed creative freedom of expression, and has earned itself a reputation for being, well, borderline insane. Between the ghost stories, the wild variation from beer to beer, being exceptionally guarded about what spices have been used in the recipes, or experimenting to the point of acute eccentricity, you can maybe understand why some people think there may be a madman involved. Well that madman is brewer Dany Prignon, who uses local ingredients and herbs, spicing his numerous farmhouse ale variants with such skill and panache that people have been taking notice since the brewery was founded in 1988. Dany almost never gives up the complete ingredients list to Fantôme releases, but we do know this month’s selection includes cayenne and strawberry tea. It’s our pleasure to bring this unusual saison to our members this month. Outside of the club, only about 10 cases total will make their way to eight US states – so this will be one very hard to find brew.
Brewed in collaboration with adventurous New Jersey-based brewing company Phresh Phlavors along with Dany’s friend Nick Sarlo, nicknamed Skrip, this gorgeous saison pours a rich copper red and delivers a classic Belgian saison nose, with fruity esters, clove, and coriander notes that mix with an assertive cayenne aroma, all backed by pale malt elements. As it comes up in temperature, subtle strawberry notes present themselves, but never become too sweet or cloying. The first sip brings the cayenne heat, lasting through the sip and into the finish. Beyond that, fruity esters, herbal notes, and subtle strawberry balance perfectly. The cayenne aligns with some bracing dryness at the tail end. In our tasting, we described it as “sour adjacent” – a saison for sure, but there’s definitely a lactic acidity present that makes it a wonderful springtime beer.
Barrel Aged Northwind
Two Brothers Brewing Company - Warrenville, IL
[Imperial Stout aged in Two Brothers Artisan Spirits Bourbon Barrels - 11% ABV]
Two Brothers Brewing Company is a family-owned brewery based in Warrenville, Illinois, just outside of Chicago. The company was founded by brothers Jim and Jason Ebel, who first opened The Brewer’s Coop, a homebrewing and home winemaking shop. Both were avid homebrewers and for years they dreamed of starting their own brewery – a dream they turned into reality in 1996 after Jim earned his law degree and Jason completed his brewing degree at the renowned Siebel Institute. Two Brothers’ guiding philosophy, “Craft With A Conscience,” is rooted in their family’s farming background and their commitment to giving back to their community and the environment. It’s been a successful vision, as the brewery has enjoyed almost 30 years of growth and success, reaching distribution in about a dozen states. This month’s featured Barrel Aged Northwind is exclusively available at Two Brothers’ Roundhouse and Tap House locations and through the Rare Beer Club.
Two Brothers’ Barrel Aged Northwind starts with the brewery’s beloved Northwind Imperial Stout and revs it up by aging it in Two Brothers Artisan Spirits Roundhouse Small Batch Bourbon barrels. The beer hit the barrels in November of 2023, and spent over 12 months maturing before being packaged. It pours deep and dark, offering up a sweet bourbon aroma, with a slightly musty wood note and smoke from the barrel. Big roasted elements backed by caramel malt come through, too. This one delivers a perfect balance of bourbon and stout flavor, with the barrel notes enhancing and enriching the malt without overpowering it or disappearing into the background. Big roasted notes you’d want from an imperial stout along with chocolate, vanilla, and caramel give way to barrel char and bracing bitterness in the finish. This is an outstanding beer, perfectly balanced with a velvety mouthfeel and a nice finish that belies the 11% ABV.
Barrel Aged Northwind is packaged in 16-oz cans, so instead of one 750-ml bottle, your shipment will include two 16-oz cans.
