Mmmmmm...yummy. Now that we have gone through all the delicious beer that Ballast Point brought in, we are super happy to announce our next Tuesday Tap Takeover with The Bruery! We will be pouring out their brews for you guys on March 5th, 2013 AD, mark your calendars - please.
You guys will be enjoying the maiden tapping of Mrs. Stoutfire - The Bruery's own tasting room hasn't even tapped this brew yet!
Jerry and I have never been shy about spreading our love for the fellas over at The Bruery, so without further ado, here is the lineup for the evening straight from the guys there:
Grandma Katz's Oatmeal Cookies - Oatmeal Stout. One of our long-time brewers, Kevin Hammons, came up with the recipe for this smooth, sessionable oatmeal stout. His creativity was aided by a recipe for oatmeal cookies used by our CFO Carl's late grandmother, who became the beer's namesake. This is also our first ever nitro beer, contributing to the luxurious mouth feel. (ABV: 4.1%)
Mischief - Hoppy Belgian-Style Golden Strong Ale. This wickedly good golden ale is fiendishly dry-hopped with American hops to add a layer of complexity and mystery to its fruity, dry Belgian-style character. Citrus and resin diabolically combine with ripe melon, pear and slight peppery spice in a precariously effervescent mixture. Enjoy it, but you'll want to keep an eye out. (ABV: 8.5%, IBU: 35, SRM: 5, Release: Year-Round)
Smoking Wood - Barrel-Aged Smoked Imperial Rye Porter. Brewed with cherrywood smoked malt and aged in whiskey barrels, Smoking Wood is a delicious demonstration of what wood has to offer when it comes to beer. This imperial smoked porter is brewed with a hefty amount of rye malt, contributing to a full body and light spiciness. Toasty oak, caramel and vanilla flavors balance the smokiness, contributing to an intense yet refined flavor profile. (ABV: 13%, Release: December)
Humulus Lager - India Pale Lager. We promised we wouldn't brew an IPA, and this is the closest we've come to breaking that promise. Humulus Lager is an extremely aromatic hoppy beer, with citrus, pine, and intense herbal characteristics. We brew this beer with more than 3 lbs. of hops per barrel, and it shows. We also use rice, a typically despised ingredient in craft beer, to lighten the body and make it more true to the American lager style. (ABV: 7.4%, IBU: 70, SRM: 5, Release: whenever we can brew it!)
Melange #3 - Meaning "blend number 3", this is a very special, equal blend of three bourbon barrel-aged beers: Black Tuesday imperial stout, our anniversary ale, and White Oak Sap wheat wine. Extended barrel-aging lends notes of vanilla, spice & rich caramel to a background of chocolate & dark fruit. Rich in mouthfeel, huge in flavor, yet surprisingly drinkable despite its hefty 15.5% ABV. The perfect finish to an evening.
Mrs. Stoutfire - Imperial Smoked Stout aged on wood. A smoked beer was the natural choice for a collaboration with our friends over at Beachwood BBQ & Brewing. We hand-smoked the malt for this rich stout in Beachwood's smoker, lending a distinct barbecue-like character not found in commercial smoked malt. We continued that "house" character by aging the beer on the same wood varieties used in the smoking process: white oak, pecan & apple. The result is a full-bodied smoky stout with a surprisingly dry, easy finish; perfect with a plate of barbecue or just sipping on a cool night. (ABV: 9.5%)
Loakal Red - Oak-aged American Red Ale. Our tribute to the growing Orange County beer scene. A hoppy red ale at heart, we, like many other SoCal brewers, chose the citrus & floral notes of the Centennial hop to balance the light caramel sweetness of the malt. But, of course, we couldn’t leave well enough alone. So a portion of an older batch, left to mature in new American oak barrels, is blended with the fresh dry-hopped batch. The resulting blend has notes of toffee, orange peel, crushed herbs, vanilla & freshly sawed oak, for a beer that is intricate yet unassuming. (ABV: 6.9%, IBU: 40, SRM: 15, Release: Year-Round in Orange County only)
Rugbrød - Julebryg-style strong brown ale. We took our inspiration for this beer from the traditional Danish dark, whole-grain rye bread. Instead of the caraway flavor found in American-style rye bread, the Danes allow the spicy, slightly bitter character of the rye to shine through. We do the same with this robust ale, adding bready, nutty malts with a hint of roast to complement. And don’t worry, we can’t pronounce it either. (ABV: 8.0%, IBU: 25, SRM: 20, Release: Fall/Winter)
Sour in the Rye - American Wild Rye Ale. A challenging beer to brew due to the substantial amount of rye malt, but you’ll be glad we took the time. The character of the rye asserts itself with clove and pepper in the aroma and flavor, and contributes a full body not generally found in sour beers. Pleasantly sour with notes of tart cherry, rustic earth and vanilla notes from a year-plus of barrel aging. (ABV: 7.8%, IBU: 20, SRM: 10, Release: February)
Hottenroth Berliner Weisse - Brewed in memory of Patrick's grandparents, this tart German-style Berliner Weisse is as authentic as it gets. We used lactobacillus and a hint of brettanomyces to sour this very unusual, low gravity wheat beer. To cut the tartness for those with sweeter tastes, raspberry or woodruff syrup is a traditional way to sweeten the beer. Almost an extinct style, we hope to help revive the Berliner Weisse in memory of two great people. (ABV: 3.1%, IBU: 2, SRM: 2, Release: Limited Spring/Summer)
Len & Jerry