Two small oak barrels. Successive fills. An ongoing brewing journal.
Clover Leaf Brewing · McDonough, Georgia
What the wood brings to the beer
These experiments follow two separate five-gallon barrels. One began with whiskey character and a succession of strong, malt-forward beers. The other is dedicated to more adventurous fermentation, from Georgia sumac witbier to a Brett saison. Each fill is part of the story of the barrel, not just the beer inside it.
A five-gallon, Jack Daniel's-seasoned oak barrel used for big beers. Its first two fills are bottled; a Scottish wee heavy is currently aging inside.
Capacity5 gallons
CharacterWhiskey-seasoned oak
Completed fills2
Currently agingWee Heavy
01First fill
Black Forge Reserve
Bottled
Imperial Stout · approximately 10% ABV. The inaugural whiskey-barrel beer, aged about four weeks before bottling.
From the tasting journal: Early bottles showed pronounced hop bitterness. One had a musty, wet-wood impression, while a later bottle did not. The batch remains part of the ongoing tasting record as it matures.
02Second fill
Widowmaker
Bottled
Strong Ale. Original gravity 1.093. Entered the whiskey barrel July 10, 2026, and was bottled in late September.
From the tasting journal: The first bottle was an outstanding result: smooth, malty and rich, with wood, vanilla and whiskey undertones.
03Current fill
Wee Heavy
Currently barrel-aging
Scottish Strong Ale. Brewed in September 2026 and now occupying the whiskey barrel.
In progress: The fermentation ran warmer than intended in the stainless fermenter. Final barrel character, packaging date and tasting impressions are not yet recorded.
Barrel No. 2 · Two fills
The Funky Barrel
A separate five-gallon barrel previously used for Welch's, now dedicated to distinctive fermentation projects. Its first beer is bottled; a Brett saison is currently aging.
Capacity5 gallons
BackgroundFormer Welch's barrel
Completed fills1
Currently agingGeorgia Brett Saison
01First fill
Georgia Sumac Wit
Bottled
Barrel-aged Belgian Witbier. A Georgia sumac experiment that produced approximately 4.75 gallons at bottling. Bottle-conditioned with CBC-1.
From the tasting journal: The finished beer turned out excellently—a successful first chapter for this barrel.
02Current fill
Something in the Wood — Georgia Brett Saison
Currently barrel-aging
Brett Saison. The second funky-barrel fill, built around a saison fermentation and Brett character.
In progress: Still aging in the barrel. No finished-beer tasting notes or bottling date yet.
Ideas, not yet brewed
Possible Next Fills
These are candidates for the barrel programs, not commitments or completed beers. The next choices will depend on how the current batches develop.
Whiskey barrel candidate
English Barleywine
A rich, malt-forward strong ale that could benefit from another round of oak aging.
Whiskey barrel candidate
English Imperial Porter
A substantial dark porter also under consideration for the whiskey-barrel rotation.
Funky barrel candidate
Oud Bruin
A Flemish-inspired dark sour ale, considered for a later fill of the funky barrel.
Living journal
What comes next
When the Wee Heavy and Georgia Brett Saison are bottled, their status will change here and the journal will grow with tasting observations. New fills will be added to the appropriate barrel timeline. All completed beer recipes remain in the main collection.
