Crosby's Kitchen & CocktailPlank II

To make Plank II, six-foot planks of yellow poplar and eucalyptus woods were placed in the fermenter and the base beer—a velvety doppelbock—was allowed to age with these planks for six weeks. The eucalyptus wood lends notes of chocolate, balanced with a hint of toffee and smoky dryness from the yellow poplar. Months of taste-testing determined Plank II's beer style and the types of wood used in the brewing process. The final product is the brainchild of Heavy Seas brewers, firkinmeister Steve Marsh, wood expert John Gasparine, and MD Homebrewers' Guild President Les White. Plank II is the second edition in our Plank series, which was established to feature a unique wood aging treatment pioneered by Heavy Seas and wood expert John Gasparine. In this process, we “deconstruct the barrel,” putting the wood in the beer; this process adds flavor differently than barrel-aging or adding toasted wood does. The wood we mature the beer on has been retified. This revolutionary thermal process was adapted from the construction industry by wood expert John Gasparine, and it can transform mundane species of wood into flavor powerhouses. We brew and release Plank beers periodically.