Let’s talk about my friend Dan. Quite franky, Dan has a peach problem. It started small, sure, with just regular ol’ fruit, but then he graduated to pies, then to cobblers, crumbles, peach scented candles, peach body wash, and even peach salsa. The guy sure loves his peaches.

But when it comes to peach in craft beer, he’s never been satisfied.

I’ve given him peach beers like Lambics and Sours, but nothing wowed him. He wanted more. Alright, I said, I’m not gonna hold back. I called up my pals at Funkwerks in Colorado to see if they still had some of their Peachy King on hand. They told me “well, we usually only have it in the taproom, but since your buddy’s so peach crazy…”

Let’s just say Dan was not prepared for the peachy power of this 8.5% ABV Whiskey Barrel-Aged Saison. It’s built upon Funkwerks’ two-time GABF Gold-winning Saison, and their imperialized version Tropic King. Peachy King adds real peach puree which, upon taking a whiff, Dan shouted “Son of peach, that’s fruity!” Then his eyes opened up real wide, which told me he wasn’t prepared for the layers upon layers of whiskey sweetness from 15 months of barrel-aging. Then he screamed “by golly,” alluding to the Sour bite he felt, like he just bit into a fresh peach at the start of summer.

Dan finally reached the Mt. Everest of peach beerdom, and now Peachy King is all he ever wants to drink. I’m not sure I have the heart to tell him Funkwerks only makes it once a year -- sometimes, life’s a real peach.

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