Side Project Tres Leches | Barrel-Aged Barleywine | Missouri

Technical Details

Tasting Profile

Side Project Tres Leches is one of the most decadent and deliberate releases to emerge from Cory King’s Maplewood, Missouri cellar — a barrel-aged barleywine of uncommon depth and intention. Built on the MJK recipe, the brewery’s hallmark sweet, sticky barleywine, the base beer is already rich before a single barrel is involved. It pours a deep mahogany-amber with garnet highlights and a fine, persistent tan head that slowly retreats, leaving trails of caramelised lacing on the glass. On the nose, the bouquet is immediate and enveloping: waves of toasted oak and Willett bourbon barrel char, followed by sweet condensed milk, brown sugar toffee, Madagascar vanilla, and a whisper of coconut cream — every element evoking its namesake Latin dessert.

The palate is full and luxurious, with a velvety mouthfeel delivered by lactose and caramel sauce additions. Sweetness is assertive but never cloying, balanced by a gentle warming spirit presence from the bourbon barrel and a restrained hop bitterness in the background. Vanilla bean and caramel dominate the mid-palate, with toasted oak, dark stone fruit, and a subtle pecan note deepening the experience as the beer warms. The finish is long and indulgent, trailing off with residual vanilla cream and soft bourbon heat. An exceptional candidate for cellaring — or for drinking immediately beside something equally extravagant. Discover this release on Untappd: https://untappd.com/SideProject.

Food Pairing

Side Project Tres Leches barleywine is a natural partner to classic crème brûlée — the vanilla custard base and caramelised sugar crust echo the beer’s lactose sweetness and toasted bourbon depth perfectly. Equally compelling alongside a wedge of aged Comté or a buttery Époisses: the salt and umami of the cheese cuts through the richness while amplifying the barrel character. A singular pairing experience for collectors.

Side Project Tres Leches — Barrel-Aged Barleywine with Caramel, Vanilla Beans & Lactose (Willett Bourbon Barrel-Aged)