The Bruery So Happens It's Tuesday 16OZ

The Bruery So Happens It's Tuesday 16OZ is a bourbon barrel-aged imperial stout from Orange County, California, ranging from 14.6–15.3% ABV in a 16oz format. Carrying a 4.2 out of 5 rating on Untappd across more than 31,000 reviews, this release has become one of the most sought-after barrel-aged stouts on the West Coast.

Quick Facts: ABV: 14.6–15.3% (varies by vintage)  |  Origin: Orange County, California  |  Style: Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout  |  Brewery: The Bruery

Production & Heritage

The Bruery was founded in 2008 by Patrick Rue in Placentia, California, and has built a national reputation for barrel-aged and high-gravity beers. So Happens It's Tuesday is aged in Heaven Hill and Henry McKenna bourbon barrels, and each vintage involves approximately 150 individual barrels hand-selected for blending. The result, as the brewery has noted, is a final beer that transcends the sum of its parts — a meticulous blending process that gives each release its own character while maintaining the expression's signature richness.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Dark chocolate and toasted malt lead immediately, followed by waves of vanilla, oak, and unmistakable bourbon warmth. Underneath, subtle hints of molasses and dried dark fruit round out the nose.

Taste: The entry is dense and lightly sweet, with cocoa and roasted malt setting the stage. Mid-palate, bourbon-soaked vanilla and caramel develop alongside dark fruit notes — cherry, fig, and plum — creating substantial complexity. At its peak, coffee and chocolate syrup flavors merge with oak tannins and a whiskey-like heat that reminds you this beer sits well above 14% ABV.

Finish: Long and warming, with lingering dark chocolate, dried fruit, and a persistent bourbon character. The oak tannins provide gentle structure that keeps the sweetness in check through the final sip.

How to Drink So Happens It's Tuesday

Pour into a snifter or tulip glass at cellar temperature (50–55°F) and let it open for a few minutes; the complexity rewards patience. This is a sipping beer through and through, but for those inclined to experiment: a Barrel-Aged Stout Float with high-quality vanilla ice cream leans into the beer's natural dessert qualities; a Black Velvet variation using this stout in place of a traditional stout alongside sparkling wine creates a decadent contrast of textures; and a small pour used in a Chocolate Stout Affogato over espresso gelato amplifies the coffee and cocoa notes already present in the beer.

Best For

• Sharing as a dessert course replacement at a dinner party
• Gifting a craft beer collector who tracks barrel-aged releases
• Cellaring alongside other vintages for a vertical tasting
• Slow sipping on a cold evening alongside a fireplace and good conversation

Frequently Asked Questions

What does So Happens It's Tuesday taste like? It delivers a rich, layered profile dominated by dark chocolate, vanilla, and bourbon, with supporting notes of cherry, fig, molasses, and roasted coffee. The body is full and lightly sweet, with noticeable but well-integrated alcohol warmth.

How does So Happens It's Tuesday compare to Black Tuesday? Black Tuesday is The Bruery's flagship barrel-aged imperial stout and typically carries a higher ABV (around 19–20%), making it thicker, sweeter, and more intensely boozy. So Happens It's Tuesday is positioned as its slightly more approachable companion, offering much of the same barrel-aged complexity with better balance and drinkability.

Is So Happens It's Tuesday good for sipping neat? Absolutely — this is designed to be savored slowly from a snifter or tulip glass at around 50–55°F, where the bourbon barrel character and dark fruit nuances are most expressive.

Where is So Happens It's Tuesday made? It is brewed at The Bruery in Placentia, a city in Orange County, California. The brewery was founded in 2008 and specializes in barrel-aged and experimental ales.

What foods pair well with So Happens It's Tuesday? Dark chocolate truffles mirror the beer's cocoa and vanilla notes. Smoked brisket stands up to its bold barrel character. Blue cheese provides a sharp counterpoint to the residual sweetness. Crème brûlée echoes the caramel and vanilla tones. Pecan pie aligns with the beer's oak, molasses, and dark fruit flavors.

What sizes does So Happens It's Tuesday come in? The standard release format is a 16oz can, though past vintages have also been released in 750ml bottles depending on the year.

Is So Happens It's Tuesday worth the price? It positions as a premium limited-release barrel-aged stout, competing with some of the most respected names in the category. Given the hand-selected blending of roughly 150 bourbon barrels per vintage and consistently high community ratings, it represents strong value within the upper tier of American barrel-aged stouts.

Why So Happens It's Tuesday?

What separates this beer from the crowded barrel-aged stout field is The Bruery's meticulous approach to blending — hand-selecting from approximately 150 individual Heaven Hill and Henry McKenna bourbon barrels to build each vintage. That process yields a complexity and cohesion that single-barrel releases rarely achieve. With a 4.2 out of 5 average on Untappd from over 31,000 ratings, the beer has earned a consistent following that speaks to its quality across multiple vintages. For anyone serious about bourbon barrel-aged stouts, this release belongs in the conversation alongside the best the category has to offer.