We’ve raved about them on here before, but now they’re back in a big way! Copper & Kings Craftwerks represents the best give and take from beer and liquor possible. It’s a Reese’s peanut butter cup scenario. “You got your beer flavors in my brandy!” “No, you got your brandy flavors in my beer!” Copper & Kings gave used brandy casks to four select breweries around the country, and they patiently aged a variety of beers in those beautiful barrels. After disgorging the beer from the barrels, they were shipped back to Louisville where Copper & Kings aged their flagship American Craft brandy for 12 months in each variety. This yielded some truly incredible spirits, each with their own unique song to sing. All bottled at 111 proof, priced at $54.99, and impeccably packaged, we’ll walk you through each style and what you can expect from them. Remember, once these bottles are gone, they are GONE!

Copper & Kings “Craftwerk” Sierra Nevada Smoked Imperial Porter:

The base brandy already has a pretty woody flavor (for a brandy), and so this beer barrel finishing is perfect for it. The body from the wood helps it stand up to the robust influence of the smoke. It perhaps has the most well-balanced flavor of the bunch, and if tasted blind could easily be mistaken for a mild Highland whisky. There’s classic toffee and vanilla, all mixed with this savory smoke and grain influence from the beer. There’s a roasted note from how dark the malt from the beer is that carries through into the brandy in a most excellent way.

Copper & Kings “Craftwerk” 3 Floyds Dark Lord Russian Imperial Stout:

Yes, you did read that last part correctly. Somewhere in the country, there is some Copper & Kings finished Dark Lord. If you can somehow find it, drink it, because it must be TASTY. Buzzworthy 3 Floyds gave Copper & Kings some BOMB barrels, and the brandy reflects it. It tastes like you let a big knob of walnut fudge soak into the spirit. Rich, chewy and chocolaty to say the very least. The inherent fruitiness of the brandy marries well with these flavors as well as the vanillin from the wood. It truly is greater than the sum of its parts and could be up there with the best after-dinner drams we’ve seen.

Copper & Kings “Craftwerk” Oskar Blues G’Knight & Deviant Dale’s IPAs:

This is far and away our favorite of the bunch. A truly unique and fresh take on what brandy can be. The flavors of the Copper & Kings DNA strand are there. The fruit, the spice, the everything nice. But there is a clear and resonant hop/resin note too. It is piney, citrusy and DANK. Big pepper aromas round it out but the big takeaway is how well the IPA and brandy meld. Surprisingly balanced for how dissonant the two components are, and ripe for cocktail use. We never want it to go away!

Copper & Kings “Craftwerk” Against the Grain Mac Fanny Baw Smoked Scottish Ale:

This is perhaps the most nuanced of the crowd. The beer influence is more subtle, so you need to revisit it a few times before a clear picture comes into focus. Again, the base spirit comes through with their woody brandy flavors, but there is an extra maltiness as well. It perhaps has the most classic “beer” flavor coming through. There is a smoke note, but not as intense as the Sierra Nevada expression. It combines all the pleasures of both a pint and a dram in one!