For our third beer in the ‘12 Days of Christmas’ series we decided to take a little creative liberty when approaching the barrel aged version. We were able to acquire an abundance of syrah grapes from the Santa Ynez Valley, which are full of rich, dark berry flavors and a wisp of black pepper which seemed almost too perfect for Three French Hens. The grapes were pressed and the juice was added to the beer which was then aged in wine barrels for one year. The result is a satisfyingly tart, dark ale with hints of oak and dried fruit that finishes with a clean, vinous character typical of a deep red wine.