Like a fine wine, some things just get better with age. Among those things: A fine beer. Barrel aging is the newest trend for Houston's craft breweries, allowing the flavors to grow bolder and more complex and to soak in some of the character of the barrel itself.

After its debut as a special small-batch offering created for Hay Merchant earlier this year, Karbach Brewing Company's first barrel-aged beer, Bodacious, was released Monday, with limited amounts available at Houston liquor stores like Spec's. To create it, Karbach brewers aged their Rodeo Clown double IPA in merlot barrels.

Karbach isn't the only local brewer getting into the barrel game. Last year the brewers at Saint Arnold started aging different beers in bourbon barrels. Dubbed the Bishop's Barrel series, the first beer to be released will be an imperial stout that's been aged for nine months. With bottling set to begin this week, the first Bishop's Barrel beer will be available in early November at Houston bars and restaurants only (not for retail sale).

Other beers in the series include one beer with fruit elements and cocoa nibs that founder Brock Wagner says tastes like a banana split.

Buffalo Bayou Brewing Company put about 100 gallons of its gingerbread stout in whiskey barrels last year, and co-founder Rassul Zarinfar says that based on a keg of the aged beer that they cracked in July, "it tastes like magic." Zarinfar says the ultra-limited supply of aged gingerbread stout will be hitting bars in mid-November, with most of it reserved for special events.

If you miss it, you might have better luck in 2013: Zarinfar says Buffalo Bayou is aging Smoke on the Bayou in a Buffalo Trace whiskey barrel for release next year, and is planning on aging a bigger amount of this year's Gingerman Stout for release during the next holiday season.