Tap Handle #682: Uinta - Anniversary Barley Wine

February 12, 2018

Tap Handle #682: Uinta - Anniversary Barley Wine

Tap size: 12"
Rarity: less than 10 seen
Mounting: 3/8" ferrule on 5/16" anchor bolt

There's something appealing in the simplicity of this tap. A bundle of wheat stalks form the shaft; near the bottom of the shaft are hop vines, while on top sits a barrel with the words "Barley Wine" at each end. The barrel signifies the aging process of the Barley Wine. At the base is an area with a label with the name of the beer and the brewery, and a faint, sepia image of a man cutting wheat. The tap was not formed perfectly straight - it tilts a bit towards one side. The front and back of the tap are identical to each other, as are the two sides to each other, so I have reduced the number of photos taken. If you've never seen this tap before, that's understandable. In Utah, anything over 4% ABV cannot be sold on draft. Coming in at a whopping 10.4% ABV, Uinta's Anniversary Barley Wine can only be sold in bottles, and since Anniversary Barley Wine is a limited beer, it would be rare to see it on draft except perhaps at special events outside the state of Utah. I've only ever seen one other besides mine.

Click through to read more about Uinta Brewing, their Anniversary Barley Wine, and to see more photos of this understated tap...

Uinta Brewing was founded in 1993 in Salt Lake City, Utah by Will Hamill. A homebrewer that had been brewing in a bathtub (and an avid skier), Hamill decided to move to Utah for the skiing and opened a brewery by leasing a refurbished mechanic's garage. The name Uinta comes from the only major east-west running mountain range located in the continental U.S. Hamill started with a 15bbl system, with two 30 bbl Fermentation tanks and a 30 bbl Brite tank. The first kegs of Cutthroat Pale Ale (named after Utah's State Fish) hit the market in early 1994. In Utah, beer can be manufactured over 4% but it must go through the liquor commission and can only be sold in bottles, not draft. Due to these restrictions, Uinta focused on and became known for their 4% beers during their early years. What many now refer to as "session beers", Uinta perfected in the 90s. These beers proved to be so popular, Hamill's 5 year plan to sell 5,000 barrels was achieved in year 2.

Uinta installed a bottling line capable of capping 130 beers a minute in 1996. In 2000 Uinta moved into a newly constructed 26,000 square foot building, and in 2001 a 40bbl brewhouse was installed in the new space, while the brewery became 100% wind powered. In 2005 they created an offshoot brand called Four+ Brewing Company, and in 2007 they added four 240 bbl indoor fermentation tanks. A barrel aging program using bourbon and rye barrels was implemented in 2009, and a one-of-a-kind Italian bottling line custom built to bottle 750ml bottles was installed in 2010. That same year, their flagship beer, Cutthroat Pale Ale, took home the Gold Medal at the Great American Beer Festival. In 2011 solar panels were installed on the brewery.

In 2012 Uinta bought and demolished a church south of the brewery to build a 34,000 sq. ft. packaging facility. The brewery expanded again in 2013, installing a canning line capable of cranking out over 300 cans per minute, a 5-vessel 135bbl fully-automated brewhouse, and six 520bbl outdoor fermentation tanks, which required expanding their north building and adding an outside fermentation farm. This expansion cost $18 million dollars but also made Uinta the 38th largest craft brewery in the U.S. After taking on debt for the expansion, Uinta started looking for a long-term investor to manage capital so that they could focus on the brewing. In 2014, The Riverside Company, a Cleveland-based private equity firm specializing in acquiring and investing in growing businesses, made a significant investment in the brewery. Hamill remained as Uinta’s CEO and significant owner after the Riverside deal, until he brought in a new CEO: Steve Mills, a former Vice President of Sales for Duvel USA and Boulevard Brewing Company. Hamill transitioned to Board Member and Founder with a restored focus on brand development and brewery innovation.

By the end of 2015, further expansion had occurred with the installation of new fermenting tanks, increasing production to 200,000 barrels annually. Today, Uinta beers are sold throughout Utah, with 90% of that sold in grocery stores, convenience stores, and bars, and the other 10% (of 4% ABV or above) through the liquor commission. Uinta is also distributed to 32 states and Washington, D.C. Hopnosh IPA is Uinta's top seller, while Cutthroat Pale Ale, available in Utah only, is the top session beer. Unique offerings include a grapefruit IPA, a lime pilsner, and a tangerine IPA, as well as seasonal and limited releases, and a limited "Brett" series that uses Brettanomyces yeast. Uinta has won over 100 awards in various beer competitions.

First brewed in small batches annually to commemorate Uinta’s founding, Anniversary Barley wine is now available year-round. The winner of 13 beer awards (including a silver at the 2004 World Beer Cup and silver and gold at the 2009 and 2010 World Beer Championships, respectively), this ale has a dark amber hue with a rich malty character. Serious amounts of hops are used to balance its hardy alcohol content of over 10% ABV. Unlike most beers, barley wines age remarkably well, so if you have the will power, set an Anniversary Barley Wine aside for a year or more.