Cincinnati-area brewers got together this week at Mt. Carmel Brewing Co. to create a special collaborative beer called Cincinnati Brewmasters' American Barleywine. Mt. Carmel provided me with some photos of the experience (see below) and an update about the beer itself. Mt. Carmel, Christian Moerlein, Listermann, Rivertown, Rock Bottom and Red Ear were involved in making the beer. The brewers came together to help promote Cincinnati Beer Week, which takes place Feb. 2-9. The collaboration beer is expected to be available in mid-January.

"It's only been fermenting for two days and we are all as eager as the next guy for the first taste, but I can tell you what to expect in terms of the style and the characteristics we were looking to bring out," Mt. Carmel brewer Vergil Roesel said. "This collaboration brew is the biggest beer that Mt. Carmel has ever made. That's how barleywines are -- they're huge beers, chock full of malt body. This will be one of those offerings you can cellar -- if you're enjoying it at Cincinnati Beer Week with us you'll pick up on the fresh hop flavor throughout the beer. Cellaring will allow the hops to mellow bringing out a richer, more elegant mouth feel and finish. If this beer were brewed centuries ago, there would be armadas of ships spanning the oceans to seek it out. We'll be able to prove this claim at first taste, which will happen with all the Cincinnati brewers involved at Mt. Carmel Brewing in a few weeks."