Urban South Brewery and Castle & Key Distillery Celebrate Third Year of Collaboration with the Return of Black Castle Brew

The imperial stout brew is aged over a year in Castle & Key rye whiskey barrels and hand-packaged at Urban South’s New Orleans taproom

Urban South Brewery is proud to announce the highly anticipated return of Black Castle on Friday, Nov. 28. The brew is a bold and complex Imperial Stout aged in Castle & Key Distillery rye whiskey barrels. In its third year, this collaboration between the New Orleans-based brewery and the Kentucky distillery has become one of Urban South’s most celebrated annual releases.

The partnership began in 2022, when Castle & Key sent freshly emptied rye whiskey barrels from Louisville, Kentucky, to Urban South for aging. After resting for over a year, the result was a beer that captured the depth of whiskey barrel character with the rich, velvety body of an Imperial Stout. Each bottle of Black Castle is hand-packaged and wax-dipped by the Urban South team, underscoring the brewery’s commitment to craft and care in every release.

On Black Friday, Urban South will release wax-dipped bottles of three distinct variants of Black Castle:

• Black Castle – A velvety smooth Imperial Stout fermented using Kveik Voss and aged in Castle & Key bourbon barrels.
• Black Castle Coconut, Macadamia Nut, Vanilla – An Imperial stout aged in Castle & Key wheated whiskey barrels and conditioned with coconut, macadamia nuts and vanilla beans.
• Black Castle Turtle – An Imperial Stout aged in Castle & Key wheat whiskey barrels then layered with cacao nibs and caramel before resting on toasted pecans.

Black Castle: Double Barrel will also be available on draft for taproom guests, offering an even deeper, richer barrel-aged experience. To commemorate the release, Urban South will offer a limited-edition embossed glass, available exclusively at the New Orleans taproom.

“Our collaboration with Castle & Key is a reflection of what great partnerships in craft can achieve,” said Jacob Landry, Co-Founder of Urban South Brewery, “Black Castle is more than a beer release; it is becoming a tradition our community looks forward to because it delivers something truly special each year and lets us celebrate a shared appreciation for the process.”

The Black Castle limited-edition bottles will be available only at the Urban South Brewery taproom.

For more information about Urban South Brewery and the Black Castle brew, visit www.UrbanSouth.com or follow the brewery on social media at @urbansouthbeer, @urbansouth_nola.

About Urban South Brewery

Founded in 2016, award-winning Urban South Brewery has established itself as one of the leading Southern regional craft breweries. From its original New Orleans taproom to its recently acquired Perfect Plain Brewing Co. in Pensacola, Florida, the brewery produces high-quality, affordable beers that are easy to drink and a great way to enhance any occasion. Known for its flagship Paradise Park American Lager and Holy Roller IPA, fruited sours and hard seltzers, recent accolades include: 2022 U.S. Open Beer Championship (Gold and Bronze), 2021 Can Can Awards (Gold and Bronze, 2020 U.S. Open Beverage Championship (Silver) and 2020 Great American Beer Festival (Gold). Urban South prides itself on being a strong community partner with a belief that beer is a family affair. For more information, visit www.UrbanSouth.com or @urbansouthbeer @urbansouth_nola on social media.