On Black Friday, November 29th, Highland Brewing Co. released a bourbon barrel-aged version of Black Watch, a Double Chocolate Milk Stout, as the first-ever release from the brewery’s new barrel-aged program — The Southern Nouveau Series.

Black Watch is no stranger to Highland’s lineup as this limited release beer returns every Fall and has developed a cult following in Western North Carolina. This year, fans have a new reason to celebrate. In addition to 6-packs of limited-release Black Watch, fans can also snag the barrel-aged variant in bottles for the first time.

The Southern Nouveau Series will encompass both clean and sour barrel-aged beers from Highland. The first three releases in the series, including barrel-aged Black Watch, are bourbon barrel-aged stouts with exciting additions, like earl grey tea from local tea shop Dobra Tea and cacao nibs from Asheville’s own French Broad Chocolates. The first sour beers in the series will debut in the Spring of 2020 alongside the opening of Highland at the S&W Market.

”There is such excitement and anticipation on our team about these beers,” said Highland Family-Owner and President/CEO, Leah Wong Ashburn. ”The Southern Nouveau Series name was inspired by the architectural beauty of Asheville, which has been called the Paris of the South, and our connection to the history of this place. The beers showcase the innovation and quality at the Brewery Taproom in East Asheville and in 2020, they will shine in the Art Deco glamour of Highland at the S&W Market.”

Trace Redmond, Brewing Innovation Manager, said, ”We have been building the barrel program for two years now and I’m excited to share the fruits of our labor. With the Southern Nouveau Series, we are exploring Southern ingredients and bringing together the beer, barrels and time to create something new. We want these beers to feel true to Asheville and Highland. You don’t get to be a 25-year-old brand without patience. You also don’t get great barrel-aged beers without patience, so these beers will reflect our past and the future we’re building.”

Barrel-aged Black Watch was aged in bourbon barrels for one year. The flavor profile features the brownie batter character fans enjoy from Black Watch, but with spicy bourbon and oak notes that soften the mouthfeel and hearty alcohol content of 11.5% ABV.

All Southern Nouveau Series beers will be released on draft and in 500 ml bottles at the brewery with extremely limited distribution of select beers as the series develops.