Original 40 Head Brewer Kyle Fjalstad explains the naming of his new barrel-aged pastry stout, Magnetic Ribbon: Final Cut Edition: “When trying to think of names for our series of BBA pastry stouts, I was trying to think of something that is ‘Original.’ This eventually led me to think of blank media, and how it is often used as a medium for storing original copies for many different types of artists. The imagery for the can art on this release is modeled off a VHS, which contains a magnetic ribbon inside. ‘Final Cut Edition’ refers to the adjunct bill used, and if people are familiar with my previous work, they may recognize that it is the same adjuncts used whenever ‘Final’ was used at my previous brewery.”

The limited-edition beer (only 250 16-ounce cans were produced) comes in at 13.3% ABV, and was aged in Elijah Craig eight-year bourbon barrels for 45 months, which adds a significant oaky flavor to the deep caramel, burnt brown sugar, and touch of vanilla notes that come through in each sip. Magentic Ribbon’s circuitous journey to Original 40 actually began at Modern Times, where Fjalstad worked as the brewery’s barrel-program manager. During his tenure at Modern Times, Fjalstad won two medals at the Great American Beer Festival in the Pastry Stout category: a sliver for Mega Devils Teeth – Double Dutch S’mores Edition and a Bronze Medal for Chaos Grid: The Final Final Course.
When Original 40 founder Steve Billings hired Fjalstad, barrel-aged beers were top of mind. Billings notes, “While Kyle is certainly versatile in his brewing, there is no doubt that barrel-aged beers are always a home run for him. It was an easy decision to work out an agreement to purchase the barrels from Modern Times once we hired Kyle.”
Fjalstad believes that the “dessert in a can” pastry stout should appeal to people who are not usually interested in big, dark stouts, as well as even some non-beer drinkers. He explains, “The base beer is very roasty, with notes of coffee and baker's chocolate. On top of that, we added Ugandan vanilla, which imparts a marshmallow quality, three types of coconut (which is very evident in the initial aroma), cocoa nibs (more chocolate and a touch of dark fruit), almonds (adds a pleasant nuttiness and softer mouthfeel), and coffee (more roast and a touch of acidity).”
Although this is the first time Fjalstad has served as a Head Brewer, he’s well-versed in local beers. He started his brewing career off as an intern at Council Brewing in 2016 and became a full-time brewer there the following year, before eventually moving on to Temecula’s Black Market Brewing. He worked at Modern Times from September 2019 until its Midway brewery closed last November. One month later, Fjalstad landed at Original 40, and, in addition to bringing Magnetic Ribbon to his new home, Fjalstad plans on introducing some of his barrel aging experience to Original 40’s other offerings. He concludes, “The plan is to release a limited barrel-aged offering every few months, hopefully every quarter.”
Original 40 Head Brewer Kyle Fjalstad explains the naming of his new barrel-aged pastry stout, Magnetic Ribbon: Final Cut Edition: “When trying to think of names for our series of BBA pastry stouts, I was trying to think of something that is ‘Original.’ This eventually led me to think of blank media, and how it is often used as a medium for storing original copies for many different types of artists. The imagery for the can art on this release is modeled off a VHS, which contains a magnetic ribbon inside. ‘Final Cut Edition’ refers to the adjunct bill used, and if people are familiar with my previous work, they may recognize that it is the same adjuncts used whenever ‘Final’ was used at my previous brewery.”

The limited-edition beer (only 250 16-ounce cans were produced) comes in at 13.3% ABV, and was aged in Elijah Craig eight-year bourbon barrels for 45 months, which adds a significant oaky flavor to the deep caramel, burnt brown sugar, and touch of vanilla notes that come through in each sip. Magentic Ribbon’s circuitous journey to Original 40 actually began at Modern Times, where Fjalstad worked as the brewery’s barrel-program manager. During his tenure at Modern Times, Fjalstad won two medals at the Great American Beer Festival in the Pastry Stout category: a sliver for Mega Devils Teeth – Double Dutch S’mores Edition and a Bronze Medal for Chaos Grid: The Final Final Course.
When Original 40 founder Steve Billings hired Fjalstad, barrel-aged beers were top of mind. Billings notes, “While Kyle is certainly versatile in his brewing, there is no doubt that barrel-aged beers are always a home run for him. It was an easy decision to work out an agreement to purchase the barrels from Modern Times once we hired Kyle.”
Fjalstad believes that the “dessert in a can” pastry stout should appeal to people who are not usually interested in big, dark stouts, as well as even some non-beer drinkers. He explains, “The base beer is very roasty, with notes of coffee and baker's chocolate. On top of that, we added Ugandan vanilla, which imparts a marshmallow quality, three types of coconut (which is very evident in the initial aroma), cocoa nibs (more chocolate and a touch of dark fruit), almonds (adds a pleasant nuttiness and softer mouthfeel), and coffee (more roast and a touch of acidity).”
Although this is the first time Fjalstad has served as a Head Brewer, he’s well-versed in local beers. He started his brewing career off as an intern at Council Brewing in 2016 and became a full-time brewer there the following year, before eventually moving on to Temecula’s Black Market Brewing. He worked at Modern Times from September 2019 until its Midway brewery closed last November. One month later, Fjalstad landed at Original 40, and, in addition to bringing Magnetic Ribbon to his new home, Fjalstad plans on introducing some of his barrel aging experience to Original 40’s other offerings. He concludes, “The plan is to release a limited barrel-aged offering every few months, hopefully every quarter.”
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