Those who have extensively followed Barrique Brewing and Blending know that they’re in for a treat whenever a new “wax top” release is announced. While often high gravity and brewed in small batches, one thing that always holds true is that these releases are particularly special to the team in Nashville. Static Between Worlds was no different. A collaboration with former Orpheus Brewmaster—and current owner and Head Brewer of The Hollows in Amsterdam, Netherlands—this massive Vienna Wine sought to capture the essence of the past and promise of what’s to come through a complex tapestry of flavors.

Barrique Brewing & Blending

This small Nashville brewery formed in 2018 as a 100% barrel-aged brewery specializing in unique open-fermented, blended/fruited sour beers and lagers. Joel Stickrod founded Barrique as a one-man operation, fueled by a love of sour beer discovered through his European travels. In 2019 the first Barrique bottles were sold, with about 3,000 total sales. Stickrod consistently expanded in the years following, eventually moving into Little Harpeth Brewing’s old facility and purchasing their equipment. By the end of 2021 the Barrique barrel room held 600 wine barrels and had opened its first public tasting room.

Barrique Brewing prides itself on being one of the more specialized and unique craft breweries in Tennessee, expressing their unique terroir through their beer, and always maintaining a focus on tradition. While sour beers are their specialty, they’ve shown immense versatility as their portfolio of beers continues to expand.

Static Between Worlds

To celebrate the end of Dry January 2024, the Barrique team released a massive beer, well over a year in the making. In contrast to previous waxed releases, this was also an in-person exclusive release, with a total bottle count of 252. Collaborating with Jason Pellett of The Hollows Brewery in Amsterdam, Static Between Worlds can arguably be described as the brewery’s richest and most complex beer to-date.

Beginning by step mashing huge amounts of Vienna malt, the beer was then decocted for 30 minutes, boiled for seven hours and then fermented with Barrique’s favorite English ale yeast before resting the Vienna Wine in barrels for 12 months.

Head Brewer Spencer Longhurst was generous enough to send a bottle to PorchDrinking for a deep dive into this decadently layered beer. A huge thank you to him and the team for the opportunity to share our experience.

The Review

On the pour, a beautiful deep brown coloration cascades into the glass. Agitation brings about clinging beige head, slow to trail down the inside of the glass and back into the dark liquid abyss.

It’s clear out of the gate when first breathing in those aromatics that the rich, toasty Vienna malt is going to be the star of the show here. Notes of caramel mingle with undertones of cherry jam and candied dates. The soft notes of vanilla on the finish combined with oaky tannins brings a woodsy, almost savory component to balance the initial wave of richness.

Like the nose, the palate heavily relies on the strength of that emphatic malt base. While the maple is more subdued than perhaps expected, its influence elevates the underlying barrel character while simultaneously complimenting notes of baking chocolate and butterscotch pudding.

Subdued in overall richness compared to expectations, it didn’t alter our consensus that this Vienna Wine is a beautiful ode to the pioneering, “old school” high-gravity beers that in today’s community seem like such a distant memory. It reminded us so much of those beers that—at the time—pushed the boundaries of traditional brewing and incorporated simple ingredients and bold flavors to create rich, complex beers. They didn’t rely on anything beyond skill and creativity to produce world-class applications for quality ingredients. At first, Static Between Worlds might seem unassuming, but it deserves the time to bloom and develop into the complex, layered beer that it is.

PLEASE BARLEYWINE RESPONSIBLY.

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