The Bruery - Elizabeth Rutherford

The “crown jewel” of this Special Offer is the outstanding Elizabeth Rutherford from The Bruery. They creatively blended 2017 Black Tuesday imperial stout with 100% destemmed Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon grapes from the Rutherford AVA. Officially recognized as an American Viticultural Area in 1993, the Rutherford AVA dates back as far as the 1880’s when Elizabeth and Thomas Rutherford planted vineyards on a 1040-acre plot of land gifted to Elizabeth by her grandfather, early Napa Valley pioneer George C. Yount. The provenance of the grapes used in this blend alone makes this very limited release highly desirable and collectable. Available exclusively in this offering by the Rare Beer Club.

The presentation of The Bruery Elizabeth Rutherford is spectacular. It is bottled in a broad-shouldered red wine bottle that we’ve only seen used on the finest of wines from Napa Valley, with a massive punt at the bottom, which enhances the experience as we appreciate its weight and curves.

We poured Elizabeth Rutherford in red wine glasses to enhance our experience, allowing us to swirl and sip as we would fine cabernet sauvignon. Its appearance was opaque black in the center fading to deep purple towards the edge with a dark garnet rim as we held our glasses at a 45° angle away from us, and there is very little to no carbonation apparent in this beer-wine hybrid. Each swirl left behind a ribbon of wide, stained, slow moving tears which gave off pronounced fruit and non-fruit esters, inviting us in to inhale all the wonderful aromas. Ripe, jammy, and vibrant red and black currant aromas immediately hit our olfactory senses with exuberance and brought with them notes of bramble, huckleberry, and black cherry. The deeply roasted malt of Black Tuesday and toasty vanilla of the new French oak puncheons mingled together seamlessly and brought forth wild lavender, rose petal, and field herbs, as well as exotic spices and earth.

Sipping The Bruery Elizabeth Rutherford was awe-inspiring as all the aromas we experienced were well represented as pronounced flavors and we were treated to even more with notes of cocoa nib, caramel, amaretto, and espresso being revealed. The liquid was mouthwatering, round, and silky smooth. Fruit and malt sweetness were very well balanced by a touch of acidity, subtle hop bitterness, and the signature “Rutherford Dust” tannins of the cabernet grapes. Truly remarkable. Every sip was luscious and luxurious and brought together the elegance of fine Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon and the intrigue of Black Tuesday imperial stout. This wine-beer hybrid is a true testament of the quality and craftsmanship of the brewers at The Bruery. We are honored to feature it in the Rare Beer Club.

Sealed with wax and a wine cork, The Bruery Elizabeth Rutherford is built for long term aging, but is incredibly drinkable now in its youth. Get your hands on a few bottles for cellaring and enjoy a few now and as the years go on. For those large gatherings that are just around the corner, where the tables will be filled with rib roasts, turkeys, and all the trimmings, save the Caymus and Silver Oak; serve The Bruery Elizabeth Rutherford instead.