There we are, rowing along on the Yarra River at a Goose Island and Boatrocker collaboration launch, when the ducks show up. Maybe it would’ve been more poetic if they were geese, but we were already rocking on a boat, so it also would’ve been just a touch too on-the-nose.
Back on land, we taste a barrel-aged October beer. October is the name of the beer, but it's also the lesser-known style that Boatrocker’s Matt Houghton explains is a forefather to Barleywine. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the flavor is strong, malty, and rich. Aged in local whisky barrels for four months, it’s slightly sweet and loaded with vanilla and dried fruit flavors.
Come to think of it, I feel a little guilty saying that it would pair nicely with roasted duck.
