After spending 2 years in oak, Felons first release of barrel-aged beers is nearly ready to see the light.

The four unique blends will be the first release from Felons Barrel Hall, a purpose-built space that houses over 20,000L of beer in barrel and functions as a spiritual home for Felons to express their creative side.

On a quest to redefine beer, team Felons are proudly pushing the boundaries with this release, crafting beers with fine wine sensibilities and centuries-old brewing techniques.

“Producing Barrel Aged beers out of our riverfront brewery allows us to bring something fresh and exciting to the Australian Beer Market. These beers have taken up to 2 years to mature and to become a finished product. These are beers not as you know them. I find the flavours reflect a modern taste identity of Brisbane and that gets us all very excited here at Felons,” said Felons Brand Director, Dean Romeo.

A true celebration of creativity both inside the oak & out, musicians & artists alike leave their mark on every release. Conditioned with over 496 nights of live music blaring against the barrel, the reverberation of sound plays an integral role in evoking unpredictable and nuanced flavours.

Further developing the creative identity of each barrel, the Hall has welcomed over 40 local artists (and counting) to craft unique artworks on the barrels while each beer has taken shape.

Experimenting with oak as an ingredient, Felons have been able to bring forth some new flavours not typically seen in beer.

Brewery Director, Tom Champion, has said, “The Felons Barrel Hall project has been an exciting opportunity for our team to explore a rabbit hole of creative possibilities in beer through the introduction of quality oak, vibrant organisms, bold sounds, and a whole lot of patience. Using a blend of barrels from a variety of previous lives has given us the ability to create some beers that explore some truly extraordinary flavour territories.

From fine Australian Chardonnay barrels out of Curly Flat, to Australia’s highly awarded Starward whisky – these beers are truly one of a kind. With only 300 bottles of each produced, I’m confident they won’t last long.”

A 2-year journey in flavour, the team are excited to finally release these patiently crafted liquids – the first of many to come from the project. From a brooding Imperial Stout to a delicate French farmhouse ale, prepare for four distinctly different beers.

Available from March 16th at select establishments Australia-wide.

In celebration of the highly anticipated release, the team have collaborated with Essa to host an intimate barrel-aged beer dinner, Thurs March 16th. The menu is set to be a 4-course flavour experience, masterfully curated by head chef, Phil Marchant, to pair with each of the releases. For those looking for a unique beer dining experience, limited seats are now available to book here.

On Sunday March 19th, experience the wonder of Felons Barrel Hall as the team host a Barrel Aged Beer Bash launch event (free entry).

Headlined by Harvey Sutherland, rock up & roll in to experience the magic of barrel aged beer, with all 4x releases pouring on tap alongside a line-up of local talent.

Land at Last (8%)

Oak-fermented French saison, conditioned in French oak white wine barrels. The French saison has been fermented & conditioned in French oak white wine barrels for a period of 18 months. Enjoy delicate stone fruit character with a subtle smooth & spicy finish.

Red Sky at Night (8%)

Oak-matured sour red ale, conditioned in fresh chardonnay, pinot noir & whiskey barrels. This awe-inspiring sour red ale has been patiently maturing in a blend of ex-chardonnay, pinot noir and whiskey barrels for 20 months before being blended & bottled for a bright, crunchy, and deliciously dry finish.

Wild Cherry (6.6%)

Oak-matured sour golden ale, conditioned in chardonnay barrels & fresh lapin cherries.

This golden sour ale has been aged in American oak chardonnay barrels for a period of 14 months before spending a further 2 months in tank with a fresh harvest of whole lapin cherries. Savour a tart, juicy and deep cherry flavour with a vivacious textural finish.

The Depths (10.8%)

Barrel-aged imperial stout – aged in Starward whisky barrels.

This burly black imperial stout spent 4 months in fresh Starward Whisky barrels before a further 15 months conditioning in stainless steel. Enjoy a brooding ale with complex aromas of dried dark fruit and a bitter caramel finish.

Full list of stockists to be listed on our Felons Beer Finder March 16.