O’so Brewing Company - King Louis XIII

O’so Brewing’s King Louis XIII is a delicious imperial lager aged in second use bourbon barrels with the addition of terpenes (naturally occurring aromatic compounds found in hops, among other botanical sources, which are responsible for giving hops their vibrant character), creating a unique and flavorful beer. It pours a deep golden amber, with slight mahogany highlights due to the barrel aging. Though moderately clear, there can be a bit of chill haze initially, but we allowed it to come up slightly in temperature before enjoying it. There’s also a creamy off-white head with moderate retention and fine lacing. There are notes of toasty oak with hints of vanilla, toasted coconut, and caramel. We also detected subtle notes of char and smoke from the bourbon barrels, as well as notes of dried apples and pears. The terpenes added bright notes of lemon and grapefruit zest, a resinous pine aroma, floral, herbal, and slight dank notes as well.

The O’so King Lous XIII on the palate was nicely malty with notes of light caramel, toasty bread, and hints of toffee. There was also a great balance of hoppy bitterness that complemented the malt notes. The bourbon barrels, though they were second use, still added hints of toasted oak, vanilla, and a touch of tannins. The presence of the terpenes however was bright and zesty with a great floral and herbal character that balanced out any perceived sweetness.

The O’so King Lous XIII is medium to full bodied, velvety smooth, with a slightly creamy texture from lagering and barrel aging. It has moderate carbonation, enough to lift the rich flavors while keeping a silky overall feel, with a long and warming finish. Its notes linger with bourbon barrel caramel, toasted oak, malty sweetness, and terpene-driven resin and citrus.

The O’so Brewing Company King Louis XIII delivers a remarkable blend of traditional beer craftsmanship and modern innovation. Perfect for sipping slowly to appreciate the layers of flavors, it’s an adventurous yet balanced beer. Serve it between 49-55° F to allow the full spectrum of aromas and flavors to develop as it warms. Pair with smoked meats, roasted nuts, or desserts like pecan pie to highlight its bourbon and terpene characteristics. Enjoy!

O’so Brewing Company, in the small village of Plover, Wisconsin, has quietly become one of the very best breweries in the state—and we’re pumped to be able to offer up a very special limited release from O’so this month brewed with terpenes and aged in second use bourbon barrels. O’so was founded in 2007 by husband-and-wife team Marc and Katina Buttera, who both grew up in Kenosha, Wisconsin. It took a whole lot of steps in-between to get O’so Brewing Co. running, as Marc and Katina raised two young children while working and going to school. Marc earned a degree in mechanical design and Katina earned hers in accounting, and, after establishing their careers and even moving their family away to Tennessee (for Marc to take a promotion at the foundry he worked for), they realized that something was missing.

As these stories often go: homebrewing soon changed everything. After moving back to the middle of Wisconsin, they opened O’so Brewing in 2007. O’so has been one of the fastest growing breweries in Wisconsin, allowing them to open O’so Amore Kitchen to complement their taphouse.

Some of our Rare Beer Club members will remember O’so’s Space Ace Oddity, a delicious white IPA brewed with Sorachi Ace, Nugget, and Galaxy hops, and bottle-conditioned with Brettanomyces, which we featured in the club some years back. We were also lucky enough to get a club-exclusive version of Project LO, a sour blonde ale aged in oak barrels and dry-hopped with Huell Melon. Since then, we’ve also featured a delicious offering from O’so called Convenient Distraction: an imperial porter brewed with Madagascar Bourbon vanilla beans and locally made Ruby Roasters coffee. This month is something exciting and new: a bourbon barrel-aged imperial lager flavored with terpenes. We think the base lager taking on the bourbon barrel notes, plus the playful terpenes, work beautifully in this beer and we’re happy to bring it exclusively to our Rare Beer Club members.

Should you happen to find yourself anywhere near the center of Wisconsin, O’so Brewing’s Taphouse offers up an extensive selection of the brewery’s beers, ranging from kettle sours and barrel-aged sours to a gamut of hops to some maltier things on nitro—with 30+ beers total at any given time. Also, make sure to check out the O’so Amore Kitchen with great pizzas, appetizers, and lunch specials. For more info on O’so, upcoming events, and more, visit www.osobrewing.com.