From the depths of the Chesapeake Bay rises Very Special Old Chessie, a bourbon barrel-aged barleywine as bold and mysterious as the creature it’s named after. This beast of a beer has been resting in wheated bourbon barrels for 27 months, soaking up the rich, layered flavors only time and oak can provide.

Pouring a deep chestnut brown with a thin wispy tan foam, Chessie VSOC greets you with intense aromas of English toffee, caramelized honey, Amaretto, and dates. On the palate, it’s full-bodied with robust oaky texture, rich vanilla and almond spirit notes, and a warming hit of bourbon that leaves a lasting impression. The malt sweetness, alcohol warmth, and oak tannins meld together to create a smooth, sweet finish reminiscent of wheated bourbon—lingering long after the last sip.

This is a beer for those who savor complexity, warmth, and the kind of mystery that the Chesapeake Bay’s elusive creature—Chessie—brings with it. Maybe there’s magic in the Bay after all. Maybe Chessie is real, and maybe this beer is the closest we’ll ever get to meeting her.