Minor Dementia Bourbon Barrel Imperial Stout

Jeff at Blue & Gray Brewing has announced the winning name in his "name that beer" contest. Subscribers to the brewery's email newsletter were given to chance to suggest, and then vote on, a name for the brewery's new oak bourbon barrel-aged imperial stout. The new beer will be called "Minor Dementia Bourbon Barrel Imperial Stout".

Jeff provided background on the beer's namesake:

William Chester Minor was Union Army surgeon and served at the Battle of the Wilderness in May 1864. W. C. Minor later made many scholarly contributions to the Oxford English Dictionary while confined to a lunatic asylum. Minor had to punish fugitive soldiers by branding them with a D for "deserter". Some were Irish immigrants, which would later play a role in Minor's dementia delusions.

There's more history on William Minor at the Crime Library website. Shortly after Minor moved to London from the U.S, he came to the attention of English authorities. In the early morning of February 17, 1872, he shot and killed George Merrett of London. Interestingly Merrett worked at the Red Lion Brewery and was on his way to work when he met his end. This new beer is a barrel-aged version of General Sickles Temporary Insanity Imperial Stout, which is named for another Civil War veteran once described as "separated not only from family but from reality".

A request for label approval has been submitted to Virginia authorities. Upon approval the beer will be available for sale. Stay tuned.

My review of the beer is here.