This incredibly intriguing ale is made by aging our Old Heathen Imperial Stout in oak barrels that were used for making fine Kentucky bourbon! The result is an extraordinary, dark, and mysterious stout whose very essence has been enhanced. The aroma is filled with vanilla, cocoa, and roasted coffee beans.
This silky-smooth brew has notes of oak, whiskey, roasted barley and vanilla that meld together on the tongue to create an incredible sensation.
Heresy weighs-in at 8% ABV and is released in February.
Hints from the kitchen: Try this beer in brownies, over ice cream, in icing or in lieu of your morning coffee! (kidding on the last bit there…. you should wait ’till noon)
I love this beer dearly. It changed my life, and it changed my customers’ lives. I can’t wait till next Feb. Wish you could make it year round…or KEG it??!?!
xoxo
Very nice, medium bodied dark ale. The oak adds a pleasant smoothness. Hope i can can continue to get it in Minnesota
Just an FYI Scott, Heresy is a February Seasonal so when what you see runs out, you will not see it again until then! Enjoy it while you have it!
CW
My beer guy was spot on in recommending ‘Heresy.’ Wow! What a terrific stout. I became an immediate devotee upon the first sip. Now I’m getting my grubby little paws on as much of it as possible.
“Heresy” was my introduction to Weyerbach and “15″ was my follow up. Sometimes life is very good!
We will be making Heresy again very soon for release in February. Put it on your calendar! You can also try Insanity, which is our barrel aged barleywine. CW
Lucky me! I was able to score the last bottle of Heresy at the local pub. The bar keep remembered seeing a stray bottle in the backroom cooler. One of my few FTW moments this past year.
Anxiously waiting ’til February. Tough choice but I think Insanity will be the first one opened.
This is another beer I’d love to see in 6-packs, as a year-round release.
Again 4packs but no year-round. I have to see my wife on occasion. CW
Brilliant Beer…I am a big fan of stouts and porters and this is one of the best I have ever had.
[...] Heresy – Weyerbacher – Imperial Stout aged in Oak barrels — This one had many thumbs up. Perhaps one of the favorites of the tasting. Commets ran like “full body with strong aroma of bourbon”, “like chocolate Jack Daniels, very smooth”. None of the tasters panned this one. [...]
Hi, I was wondeirng how long i can age heresy?
Opinions vary – I love mine the older the better. I’ve got it in my cellar going back to 2005 and it’s dong F-I-N-E!
Thanks i was worried i just bought two cases and they said freshed before Oct 2011. I didnt think that made sense
Yeah… we sorta have to put SOMETHING on the box, I mean the beer will change with time. It is MY opinion that it gets BETTER. ;^)
Siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiick Beer…New Belgium 1554 used to be my favorite black ale….Go Magic!
Next batch of Heresy, keep two barrels aside for a full 12 months ala Founders KBS as a Brewer’s Reserve. The complexity of the beer from extra 11 months Oak aging will be well worth the wait!
This is the best beer I’ve had in a long time will it be available again soon….?
March, 2012!
will Heresy be distributed to Upstate NY Syracuse area and possible locations if so
Hi Jimmy!
Contact your wholesaler here to find out where it will be available!
Cheers!
wish there was a way i could buy this in colorado.
[...] by volume. Once a year, in February, they release the barrel-aged version of Old Heathen called Heresy. Heresy is literally the same beer as Old Heathen except that it been aged in Kentucky Bourbon [...]
can’t find heresy in NJ
Tom, Please try searching it on http://www.greatbrewers.com and you should get some results. This site works for NJ, NY, MD and WI or MN as well…. search for the beer, then once on the page for Heresy, choose ‘find it’ or something similar in upper left (magnifying glass) and enter your zip and a radius. Good luck!
Hi Tom,
Heresy was just released in NJ last week. You should start seeing it on shelves this week. I can list more specific stores if you’d like… what town or county do you live in?
Finally had this on tap yesterday at Capones….and got some bottles from Epps. One of my all time fav’s! can anyone comment why it was late this year? Just curious
It was late because of all the Insanity we made… so instead of doing them simultaneously as we usually do, we did them sequentially. Cheers!
When will Heresy make it down to Orlando?? Been bugging our local stores for a month
[...] I sampled Weyerbacher’s Heresy, I was a changed woman. If you like the stoudt style of beer you might like it too. It’s [...]
I’m from Charleston, South Carolina. Our local Total Wine still don’t have this year’s Heresy and they’ve had Insanity for over a month. They told me it’s gonna be another month before they get it. How come??? Thanks.
Alex,
Heresy was made AFTER Insanity… and we’re still pulling it out of barrels as I type. you’ll get it!
B
Thank you very much for your response. Can hardly wait. One more question. Which Kentucky bourbon were the barrels used for? Isanity and Heresy, thanks.
We don’t use any specific branded barrels, we get similar quality barrels from a cooperage broker in Kentucky. It could be any brand you can imagine!
[...] and started giving me some recommendations. He was genuinely surprised that I had never had Weyerbacher Heresy since it’s really highly regarded and relatively easy to find here in Florida. I happily [...]
I am heartbroken because I can no longer find Heresy in the Lehigh Valley and it is only June!!! Heresy is literally the “perfect beer.” Please consider brewing year-round.
Michelle,
Sorry, seasonal only! Good News: We still have a few cases at the Visitors Center! Go to http://www.weyerbacher.com each Thursday evening to see the updated link called “What’s on Tap?” for a complete listing of the beer we have available for that weekend!
There is! (ssssooooooo sorry for the delay in response!)
Coca Cola Park http://brewfest.wlvt.org/
Insanity is without a doubt the best beer I’ve ever had, and I found this out by buying the last 4-pack at my local store. PLEASE tell me how I can buy more Insanity without waiting a year! It’s not fair to tease!
SIGNED, an adoring fan in NorthernNJ
Hi Emily! Did you mean to post this on the HERESY page? Too much Insanity? You should come visit the Weyerbacher Visitors Center right away as we have a beer out (brewery-release only in bottles) called “Whiskey Barrel Aged”. I jokingly call it Insanity Lite. It’s about 2 points lower in alcohol but biiiig bourbon nose. Check it out here.
Just had Heresy for the first time tonight at Barelys Tap Room in Greenville South Carolina. Awesome stout! New favorite! A little bumbed that it is seasonal, but optimistic that I can still find it in July. Keep up the good work!
I have been drinking craft brews for 15 years and Heresy is a top 5 on my list I buy 4 cases when it comes out I drink 2 then save 2 for the holidays
Prior planning! Nice work! Have you saved any for the following year and comared different years to each other? That’s my fav thing to do with the barrel aged beers. Cheers!
Any reason Heresy had a best by date of usually 9 months out from the bottling date? Seems odd for a bourbon barrel RIS.
Hey Greg! Heresy is a oak-aged stout and is susceptible to strong oxidation characteristics with time. In a Barleywine (such as Blithering Idiot or Insanity), the oxidation melds with the flavor of the the beer whereas it stands apart from a RIS. As always, if your palate receives it well, drink up! It all depends upon personal preference. With time, it just won’t taste as our brewers intended it to.
I cellar-aged Heresy for almost 2 yrs (since 5/11). WOW – what a totally different beer. I wish I aged a case. Phenomenal. I love Old Heathen, this beer, with time to age, is like a fine wine. Harmonious, blends nicely, great taste profile, and making me kick myself for not aging more! I am blown away.
You know how to fix that this year, right?
Is there / was there a Feb 2013 release? I haven’t seen it anywhere and have had no problems finding it over the last couple years.
Hi Michael! The Jan / Feb and March releases for this year are Insanity, Heresy and Riserva. We discontinued Slam Dunkel and Fireside for 2013. With that increased capacity, we really ramped-up our Insanity and Heresy production and we are also producing more White Sun Wit (formerly known as ‘Blanche’) than ever before!
heresy is amazing!! i have recently come to understand the concept of aging beer and i am proud to be from the same state as wyerbacher beer!! we love you in Reading!!
[...] Werebacher Heresy conforms to my ideals of a tasty bourbon stout… any beer drinker that denies this must be a heretic! This entry was posted in Uncategorized by Beer Destroyer. Bookmark the permalink. [...]
I’m a recent convert to home brewing. I doubt I could even come close to making something this delicious, but any hints you care to drop on how to make something similar to this would be awesome! I love beers that are a bit less hoppy, so this is ideal for me!
What year was Heresy first released?
Tom, I am unsure! Suspect early 2000′s… will research.
thanks!
Survey says? 2004!