Collaborating with the Cellar Wizard (Shady Oak Barrel House)

Tucked away in a warehouse in downtown Santa Rosa, CA is an amazing one-man brewing operation you may not have heard about if you aren't a NorCal local. Steve Doty has been releasing various oak aged, mixed culture beers under the name Shady Oak Barrel House over the last four years and has been very well received by craft beer fans in his native Santa Rosa as well as beyond. In 2016 he was ranked as one of the top new brewers in the world according to RateBeer.com. 

Having been a fan of his beers we reached out and began a dialogue that eventually lead to a great friendship. A few months ago Steve invited us to his facility and along with a mutual friend we tasted a variety of barrels. Once we had selected a few contenders we began discussing interesting additions we might be able to make. We introduced Steve to Amani/Omani limes, dried Persian citrus traditionally used in dishes throughout Iran and Iraq (more info here). These limes added a candied lime and margarita quality when paired with one of the funky golden base beers we had chosen. We decided to add some complimentary hop character by adding Citra and Amarillo and Steve blended just a touch more acidity into the mix from a second barrel that had a stronger lactic-acid character. We packaged our collaboration and it took a rest in bottles so carbonation and refermentation could gently take place.

We have seen this beer slowly trickle out of the barrel house at occasional events this month as one of Steve's special releases he calls the Cellar Wizard Series. Be sure to follow Shady Oak on Facebook and Instagram if you'd like to know when and where you might find this rare beer.