Oh. My. Goodness. An old ale and a barley wine in the truest sense of the word. Back in the day, the brewers of Olde England saved the designation “No. 1” for their biggest, beefiest, strongest, finest, most superlativest, most age-worthy efforts. Like a grand cru vintage or a cask-strength single malt, these were above-average, exceptionally strong examples of the craft. This was not an everyday beverage; it was brewed for keeping ... for a long, long time. Have you ever tasted a strong ale wort pre-fermentation? Imagine that viscous, dense, intense, sweet-bitter hop/malt soup, but with about 12% abv: that is an idea of what Northern No. 1 will be like young. If you like, it's certainly drinkable at a tender age (beers like this were enjoyed only a few weeks out of primary fermentation in Edwardian England, as aged beers were falling out of fashion), but it is definitely well-suited to long-term cellaring, too. Between one and two years, pie-cherry sourness and horsey notes from the Brett emerge from the malt as the hops recede. Really extended aging will bring out heightened Brett character alongside praline, pecan, and oloroso sherry flavors. Brew a batch and then forget about it. If you just had a baby, save a six pack for his or her 21st birthday. Making this beer is easy - your only job is to keep the equipment clean and protect the fermented beer from oxygen. Waiting, as the man once said, is the hardest part. Recommended: 2-stage fermentation and yeast starter. The suggested yeasts include a separate Brettanomyces culture; this can be added to secondary. This product group approximates a former limited edition recipe, however it is not a beer kit and does not include instructions. You will have to measure out the exact quantities of each ingredient yourself. See the associated inventory for item quantities and addition times.