The number of breweries in the United States has been climbing for over a decade, rising 4.5% to over 8,000 breweries from 2019 to 2020. With brewers experimenting now more than ever, the possibilities forbeer enthusiastsare endless.
But have you heard of thelatest craze in the brewery world? Amburanawood is all the ragesince an Amburana stout took home top prize in the Wood-Aged beer category at the Great American Beer Festival in 2018.
There’s no doubt that Amburanawood barrels will soon spread to breweries across the country.But what’s so special about this particular oak? And where did it come from? Read on to discover the Amburana’s unique origins and enticing characteristics.
All About AmburanaWood
The Amburanawood is also known as Cerejeira wood in its native country of Brazil. This impressivetree can tower at over 100feet with a diameter of2-3feet. Its color ranges from yellow tolight brown, with atexture ranging from medium-coarse.
With a waxy appearance and interlocked grain, the Amburana is an attractive wood that offers a special aroma. Most important to brewers,the Amburana gives off a vanilla scentand a spicy-sweet flavor.
The Brazilianwood’s purpose before the discovery of its craft beer capabilities lies in the lumber industry. Its use varies from construction to furniture making.Let’s dive into Amburana’s particular history in Brazilian liquors to understand its current rise in popularity.
Brazilian Brewery Origins
The Amburanawood beginnings are in the dry regions of Brazil and Argentina.Brazilians aged cachaça in Amburana and blended it with cachaça aged in European oak barrels. These blends create intense aromas and fascinating flavor.
It’s proven that the Cerejeira wood and other Brazilianwoods created a high amount of maturation compounds. In alcohol speak, that means strong flavor and complexity in sugar cane spirits. So the science proves that Brazilianwoodslead to tasty alcohol!
AmburanaCachaça is a rum-like spirit that features warm notes, makingfor a great savory ingredient in various co*cktails. The aging process of cachaça in Amburanawood creates a singular flavor profile only achieved by wood from the Brazilian region. So why not use the sameincredible wood for aging beers?
Small, local homebrewers of Brazilbegan to get noticed by brewers from the United States when the South Beer Cup launched in Buenos Aires in 2011. Eventually, an Amburana-aged beer was awarded a medal. And the Amburana Brazilian beer fascination was born.
Oak Wood Barrel Aging
Wood barrel-aging can be instrumental in the craft brewing process. Usually,beer is aged in barrels formerly used to agespirits or wine. Bourbon barrels are the most popular choice, as the charring process helpsbring out thevanilla wood flavors for the beer.
The different levels of charring used by each distillerydistinguish each barrel. This provides a wide array of flavor opportunities for brewers.On the other hand, aging beer inwine barrelsoften leads to more bacteria production. This makes formore sour and acidic beer varieties.
A quicker and manageable method for brewersis wood-aging.Wood-agingmaysoundsimilar to the barrel-aging process, butwood-aging involves adding cubes or chips of wood into the beer instead of placing the beer in a wooden barrel. This method provides a different kind ofwood flavor to the beer.
Riseof the Craft Brewery
Major beer companies still dominate the beer industry in the U.S. Butthe small, independently run American breweryis on a steady ascent. Craft brewers specialize in experimenting withwacky flavors and ingredients. So they offer unique beers that consumers can’t get from leading beer brands.
The Americanpursuit of a good beer experience and the rise in talented craft brewers collided to spike craft brewery popularity. Nowadays, certain states even produce up to 3 million barrelsof craft beer per year!
Craft brewers arealways working tocreatethe next bigcraft beer. To stand out, experimentation in the barrel-aging process is necessary.Enter the fascinating foreign wood- the Amburana!
Why Brewers LoveAmburana
So what is the special appeal of the Amburana wood?Toasted Amburana wood chips give off a fragrant aroma like that of baked goods. It’s spicy and warm and inviting. Some even describe it as cinnamon-like and similar to holiday spices.
When Americans first encountered Amburana-aged beer in Brazil,they metaflavor, unlike anything they’d ever had before. The Brazilianwood offers many possibilities for brewers. Some brewers have used spiralized Amburana wood to infuse barrel-aged beer. Others combine Amburana-aged beer with bourbon barrel-aged beer varieties.
The word is out! Now all that’s left is the hurdle of importingAmburanawoodto the Northern Hemisphere. The use ofthis attractive wood will certainly open the floodgates to the many flavor opportunities from Brazil. Beyond the Amburana, Brazil offers many unique kinds of wood and exotic tropical fruits.
The Amburanawood proves that there’s no better time to start broadening the horizons of your brewing options than now.
The Best in Oak Barrels
Now that you’ve learned about Amburana wood, think of the flavor profiles you can create by barrel-aging your craft beer. Amburana barrels are the future and we are excited to start offering Amburana wood barrels and chips.Other unique options we offer like mezcal barrels and bourbon maple syrup barrels are the brewing present.
At Northeast Barrel Company, we keep on top of the trends in the barrel-aging process of beer, wine, and spirits. We have high-quality barrels trusted by distributors, distilleries, and brewers worldwide. Shop our barrel inventory for all of your barrel-aging needs today!
