We set ourselves a challenging task when creating the Pelicon the Leaking Barrel series. We searched the world for knowledge and barrels to provide you with the most luxurious beer experience. The result is unique and complex beers, aged for twelve months in distillate barrels . So take your time, relax, and don't rush when enjoying.
This series currently offers eight extremely strong brews, including the beer with the highest alcohol content ever — 14.5% . We took our first steps into the field of aged beers at the end of 2017, when the first aged Pelicon beer in the Time series was created. After eight years of work and dedication, our perseverance paid off. In Athens in 2023 and in the USA in 2025, we were awarded gold, silver and bronze medals for various brews from this series.
What does the Pelicon the Leaking Barrel beer collection contain:
- Coconut Pirate Stout 2022, Alc.: 13.6% Vol., 330 ml, aged for one year in various Caribbean rum barrels. Dark beer with a small beige foam cap and coconut extract.
- Peated Scotch Ale 2022, Alc.: 14.5% Vol., 330 ml, aged for one year in various types of rum and bourbon barrels. Dark red, almost black beer with a small head of foam and a small proportion of smoked malt.
- Bourbon Stout 2022, Alc.: 14.3% Vol., 330 ml, aged for one year in various types of bourbon barrels. Dark beer with a small beige foam cap. The taste is a classic palette of dark chocolate, whiskey, wood and vanilla.
- Tasting glass with Pelicon the Leaking Barrel logo.
- Beer coaster.
What does it mean for beers to be aged?
For several years, Slovenia has had the oldest sealed beer in the world from the Stare brewery in Mengeš. According to recent discoveries, these are bottles of the oldest beer in continental Europe. Stare's beer may not have been brewed to last more than a hundred years, but many have. Some of them are still brewed and drunk. Perhaps the most infamous of these is the Ratcliff ale from 1869, which the lucky ones say is not only still good, but "magnificent". When it comes to aging, choosing a beer style is the most rewarding. While regular beer is ready to drink in about a month, there are quite a few that are specifically designed for aging. Some even have this emphasized in their names, such as Stock Ale or Bier de Garde.
In recent years, modern brewers have been rediscovering the technology of aging beer. In addition to classic lagering, the most popular method is aging beer in wooden barrels. Used barrels are more interesting than new barrels. Mainly because of the liquid that was previously waiting in this barrel. This plays an important role in the final taste of the beer after aging. In principle, wine barrels are more suitable for fresher beers, while distillate barrels are better for clean, stronger beers. But there are really no rules. Before the invention of stainless steel, wooden containers were used mainly for fermentation, transport and serving. However, since the wooden pores were difficult to clean, all beers in the past were more or less "infected" with various roommates in the beer equipment. Resourceful brewers made their beers with them in mind. English Stock Ale has always had the characteristic aroma of Brettanomyces yeast, and some brewers in Brussels still brew beers with a very low pH and are therefore quite acidic, but tasty.
Today, brewers are more interested in the “breathing” of wooden barrels. Barrels expand and contract as temperatures fluctuate, absorbing and expelling liquid. This way, the liquid takes on the aroma of the wood, while the wood retains the aroma of the liquid. The same thing happens with beer, which over time absorbs some of the previous liquid that was in the barrel. With proper aging, this interaction can create new, more interesting aromas and flavors that would otherwise not be there.
“The Minister of Health warns: Drinking alcohol can be harmful to your health!”
