This Alaskan Brew Has One Of The Most Devoted Followings In Craft Beer

What if we told you there's a small craft brewery in Anchorage whose owner doesn't do much advertising (per Tulsa World) but makes an ale that can sell out almost immediately? On top of that, people have hopped on planes to get their hands on the drink, which landed on Mashed's list of the best craft beers in every state. It might make you wonder if the product's name, A Deal with the Devil (ADWTD), was inspired by a real-life contract with the dark lord himself.

All kidding aside, this ale was originally (and less inventively) named Anchorage Brewing Barley Wine. Characterized by notes of fruit, caramel, and sugar, it gained various accolades, including a perfect score in Craft Beer and Brewing's blind taste test. It purportedly won so many awards that a beer writer jokingly told the owner-slash-brewer, Gabe Fletcher, that he must have made a deal with Satan. Fletcher was inspired to rebrand (via KTUU), and judging from the frenzied reception, the beverage has lived up to its new name.

In fact, Fletcher told the Brewing Industry Guide that when the Anchorage Brewing Company held its first public release of ADWTD in 2017, people camped in the parking lot in 10-degree weather. He also said he was surprised (and upset) that many buyers resold the barley wine online at a tremendous markup. Some have charged as much as $900 for a box of six beers that initially cost a steep $300. (With some individual bottles falling within the price range of $70-$100, ADWTD earned a spot on our ranking of the most expensive beers.) In 2020, when the beverage became available through an online retailer, the stock sold out within 15 minutes (via Craft Brewing Business).

Of course, tastes vary. Barley wine, an ale with a high alcohol content that may fall between 10% and 17%, isn't for everyone. (You can find out more about barley wine in our piece on what you need to know about IPAs.) However, A Deal with the Devil (whose ABV exceeds 17%) consistently receives high marks from beer aficionados. On the online forum Beer Advocate, it earned a score of 100 and a community rating of 4.53 out of 5. Additionally, the product scored a 4.49 out of 5 on Untappd, another community site. According to a Redditor, "It's a bit sweet, but so d**n smooth for something this high in ABV. The beer's bourbon notes open up the warmer it is."

Those bourbon notes are no accident. Usually, barley wine barrels have previously aged another beverage. As a result, the beer takes on some of the former occupant's flavor. In the case of bourbon, the barrel adds notes of chocolate, caramel, oak, and vanilla. According to Tavour, ADWTD ages for seven months in Heaven Hill bourbon barrels before spending another nine months in recently used Woodford Reserve Double Oaked barrels.

If barley wine is your thing (or even if you just have some cash burning a hole in your pocket), you may want to judge for yourself whether ADWTD deserves a cult following. If you can get to Anchorage, you can monitor the brewery's social media posts. Otherwise, be prepared to pull the trigger when the ale is released online. One thing's guaranteed: it won't be cheap, wherever you find it.