I'm still on Cottrell's side. It's not like microbreweries are devoting 60% of their resources towards barrel aging. You're still able to enjoy their other offerings if you're sick of the barrels.

In Reply To #4 Mmmmm... bourbon aged keller pils.... ;) Seriously though, is this really a problem? It's not like you're sorting through a bunch of barrel aged beers to get to the regular edition stuff, how many do you really see? As for covering up flaws, I'd have to argue that one. Beers that are barrel aged are big to begin with, lots of hops, lots of malt, and lots of alcohol. If anything is hiding a flaw, it's the original recipe's hops and malt. The barrel adds complexity, and couldn't possibly hide the flaw anymore than it already was. But I will agree that I'd like to see more breweries pumping out kellerbiers, kolsch, and more subtle beers.

Isn't barrel aging more of a revisiting of tradition rather than a fad?

In Reply To #7 Oak Barrel aging is the tradition. The fad has risen from the barrels which used to hold Whiskey or Bourbon or Merlot or Calvados, or anything else that may impart another, unnatural flavor to the beer.

In Reply To #3 Too bad your missing the best barrel aged beer made (Alesmith Barrel Aged Speedway Stout), simply an amazing brew. The Alesmith BA Old Numbskull is slated to be almost just as good. I'll be cracking my bottle open this saturday.

Interesting topic. MacTarnahan's Oak aged IPA has become one of my favorite IPA's

I think the barrel aging is interesting. I will go with the oak and whiskey barrels but beer in a wine barrel sounds like a bad idea. Beer and merlot shouldn't mix IMO

Oh it's interesting. And a Belgian Quad aged in a Merlot barrel is awesome! Don't get me wrong, I still like a good beer, but I would also not mind if less brewers made BA beers.

In Reply To #12 Which Quad are you referring to? I'd love to get a hold of a bottle, sounds very interesting.

In Reply To #13 Iron Hill makes a Quad, and for their Barrel Aged fest, they had a 1/4 barrel of the BA version on tap. It was nice, but I think that was the only time its available, cept for maybe fests.