Persistence is a beer that was born in lockdown and, while they might be a thing of the past, fortunately the beer isn’t. The barrel-aged imperial stout is a collaboration between Wolf of the Willows and The Gospel distillery, that forms part of the brewery’s Barrel Exchange Project. It sees the Wolf brew crew make an imperial stout with a high proportion of rye malt then get together with the team at the Melbourne distillery to hand-pick some barrels with unique characteristics. The name and maze on the can don't just refer to the trying conditions the first release was created under, but also rye’s ability to grow in harsh conditions – a reminder that with a bit of persistence, people can do the same.
Persistence III is once again an impressive imperial stout, with the 12 percent ABV beer incredibly rich and smooth while still being marvellously drinkable (although you should remember a bit of Persistence goes a long way). Tuck in and you’ll find layers of dark chocolate fudge, molasses, coffee, tobacco, liquorice and spice. If you’re lucky enough to have a bottle of The Gospel’s whiskey on hand, drinking them together seems to bring out more burnt sugar and caramel from the beer’s depths and lift somewhat roasted and dark chocolate elements from the whiskey.
Will Ziebell
If you'd like to learn more about the beer and the collaboration, Wolf of the Willows are hosting a launch at their taproom on July 15.
Published July 14, 2022 2022-07-14 00:00:00
