This month we’re pleased to have the opportunity to work again with the fine folks at South Street Brewery in Charlottesville, Virginia, which holds an extensive tradition as Charlottesville’s longest-running brewery and pub. They had new life breathed into the operation when the brewery was purchased in 2014 by Blue Mountain Brewery, winner of numerous GABF medals since their founding in 2007. Blue Mountain founder Taylor Smack’s brewing path has been circuitous: he cut his teeth at South Street before attending the famous Siebel Institute brewing school in Chicago, becoming head brewer at Goose Island, returning to South Street as head brewer, and then founding Blue Mountain – which then bought South Street. Blue Mountain and South Street will be familiar names to long-time members, as we’ve featured several of their delicious barrel-aged beers over the years.

This month’s selection, Imperial Satan’s Pony, is brewed infrequently, typically every few years. Four years ago we managed to snag it as a club feature, and when the opportunity presented itself again in 2025, we jumped at the chance to bring it to our members. This is one tasty beast. The majority of this year’s batch is earmarked for RBC members with the remaining bottles only available at South Street Brewery.

The original Satan’s Pony amber ale is one of Virginia’s longest-running beers, and its imperial counterpart uses twice the malt bill and twice the hops, while aging the outcome for two months in freshly emptied Willett bourbon barrels. Very much into barleywine-like territory, but especially smooth overall. Generous aromatics of dried dark fruits (dates, raisins…) and caramels lead, though this stays fresh and vibrant overall. Plenty of plush red fruits and cola character, plus hints of maple syrup and an enjoyable, satisfying bourbon presence that never overwhelms the base beer. Burnt sugars, spicy malts, and some modest char from the barrel. It’s exceptionally smooth on the palate, emphasizing a robust, toasty amber core and the streamlined, focused impact of its time spent in bourbon barrels. Ripe red fruitiness, lightly salted caramel, a hint of high-ABV Zinfandel… We unpacked enormous amounts of core maltiness overall, with pinpoint texture and effortless drinkability. Its bourbon-barrel impact never oversteps, offering spicy, toasty, oaky primary notes that work hand in hand with the imperial red base.