Follow Sean Inman to the best in craft beer
Two Tigers from Auburn University, Chris and Stephen Bivins are the folks behind the Torched Hop Brewpub.
Here is what I would put into a taster tray if/when I make it to Atlanta…
Anthem of the Angels – a Porter with coconut & cocoa nibs
Southern Haze – a Hazy Pale Ale
Once You Go Nelson – a 100% Nelson Hopped IPA
Cinnamon Golden Crunch – a Cinnamon Vanilla Cream Ale
Raspberry Lucy – a Berliner Weisse w/ Raspberries and Blackberries
This month we head to Durham, North Carolina. A family friend was in town from the land of Duke and it prompted me to take a peek at breweries in the area. Let’s head to one now….
http://ponysaurusbrewing.com/
Ponysaurus Brewing has an origin story unlike others in that they started brewing in an attic. In what must have been a claustrophhically tiny space that was above the entrance to The Cookery in Durham, NC.
They have been named a “Next Level Brewery” by Food & Wine, and thrillist.com calls their beer “the best pint in Durham, and one of the 50 most underrated breweries in America.”
So here is a sample taster tray to peruse….
Oyster Saison
“Brewed originally in collaboration with Durham’s St. James Seafood Restaurant and Raw Bar, this dry, hoppy Oyster Saison is the perfect ode to the sea. 50 pounds of fresh, whole oysters infuse a whiff of ocean breeze, along with underlying notes of minerals and brine.”
Don’t Be Mean To People. A Golden Rule Saison
“North Carolina Farmhouse Ale. Proudly handcrafted and canned by Ponysaurus Brewing LLC in Durham, NC, with the help from other proud brewers and people, who believe in Rule No. 00000001.”
Bière De Garde
“An homage to higher-gravity French farmhouse ales, Biere de Garde roughly translates to “beer for keeping.” Our version reflects the historical realities of this style of farming, when brewers made do with what was on hand. With three types of barley, wheat, rye, and oats, its aroma smacks of apple, pear, almond, and vanilla, with just a hint of lemon rind.”
“Weizenbock”
“German style, using many of the same ingredients in the Weissbier/Weizenbock but with the addition of some darker malts and a little higher ABV. We brew this beer with all German malts, hops, and yeast.”
Our final stop for 2017 is in Minnesota and true to their name, Able Seedhouse and Brewery does both grain and beer. Two very different disciplines to master.
Here are the beers that I would give a whirl (focusing on the malt)….
PROPERS PUB ALE – “Back to the land of pubs properly pouring smooth, toasty, caramel-noted ales.”
HOUSE RED – “Building a beer is not unlike building a house. It needs a solid foundation. It has to feel familiar and updated. And you have to be able to return to it each day without hating the color, or the broken garage door. Our House is built on a sturdy foundation of berry-hinted hops, as well as biscuit and caramel malts. It takes those familiar American Red Ales and updates them with a hopped finish.”
BLK WLF STOUT – “Black wolves were once thought to be their own unique species. Then a smart person declared them variants of red wolves. Until an even smarter person determined they’re actually a gray wolf. Our very own BLK WLF perpetuates the confusion. Dry like an Irish stout. Hoppy like an American stout. Nutty like an oatmeal stout. Creamy like a milk stout.”
FOUR CORDS OLD ALE – “It takes roughly four cords of wood to heat a Minnesota home for the winter, if you’re a Renaissance man bucking the modern heating system. But it’s gonna take more than that to heat yourself. You’re gonna need a hearty, bready, slightly fruity, totally malty 7.9% Old Ale to warm your northern soul.”
The first “random” brewery tour for December is one that might be sending some of their NE IPA our way. Saw a job posting for a sales manager for Lord Hobo on the West Coast.
Massachusetts brewed for both “Lords and Hobo’s alike, we all deserve to drink like royalty.” Here are the four cans that I would drink from a regal chair or couch.
Steal This Can IPA
“This West-Coast inspired IPA features 4 notable hop varieties to produce poignant citrus notes with pine and hop bitterness. A malt bill that includes Pilsner malts and American Red Wheat gives this IPA a healthy mouth feel.”
Consolation Prize Double IPA
“A full-bodied Double IPA that glows a magnificent hazy orange. Heavily dry-hopped with Jarrylo, Azacca & Mosaic resulting in big notes of pineapple, mango, honeydew with a notable Pilsner malt backbone. Dangerously drinkable and surprisingly mellow.”
Glorious Galaxy Pale Ale
“This beautifully smooth New England-Style Pale Ale pours a hazy, straw color. A double-dose of sought-after Galaxy hops delivers a silky peach-grape aroma, tropical fruit flavors, and an elegant mouth feel.”
Hobo Life Session IPA
“Hobo Life Session IPA is heavily dry-hopped with Citra and rests on 20% flaked oats. Refreshing and bright with notes of lime and grapefruit zest to entertain the palate, Hobo Life is a go-to for any session.”
Our first GABF Gold stop is in New Jersey and their new democratic governor.
The beer that won was a Porter Aged on Palo Santo Wood. and the brewery is Spellbound Brewing based in Mount Holly.
Here are the beers that I would try if I found myself in their taproom…..
Peach IPA
“Light in color and body, refreshing hoppy citrus notes intertwine with the peach. The peach rounds the edges of the hop.”
Pale Ale
“Light in color and body. A classic American pale ale dry hopped with Citra hops to give it a bright citrusy aroma and flavor. Low in ABV, high in flavor.”
Belgian Tripel Cherry
“Dark golden in color. We add sour cherries to the fermentation on our tripel. Aromas of cherry and fruity esters from the yeast. Finishes with a hint of honey sweetness and lingering cherry.”
Vices Coffee Porter
“VICES – Coffee Porter is our porter aged on Small World Coffee Crispy Hippie Coffee beans. The result is a huge coffee aroma with notes of roasty malt and chocolate.”
Most brewery websites have the same generic “origin story” on their About page. The Honky Tonk Brewing site has that too, but they also convey this funny story about a classic Johnny Cash song that “tells the tale of a GM assembly line worker’s ingenious plan to steal all the parts to build a Cadillac one piece at a time and put it all back together before he retires. Johnny’s plan worked out just about like our plan to build this brewery one piece at a time. It’s fired up and running but we get a few strange looks every now and then. The beer tastes mighty fine and “It didn’t cost us a dime!” I like that a brewery has a sense of humor and isn’t full of themselves.
Now onto what beers I would put into a taster tray….
TN Jed
“A unique American wheat beer created especially to be a year- round beer for a broad TENNESSEE audience. It’s crafty, but you don’t need to twist your mustache to enjoy. Slightly sweet from a healthy does of Caramel malts, finishes clean with low bitterness.”
LeBrown James
“A dark, chocolatey brown ale brewed with flaked oats making it smooth & full bodied with a dry finish. This beer is rounded out with a generous dosage of hops, giving it just the right amount of bitterness.”
West Coast IPA
“True to the style, our West Coast IPA is a Hop BOMB! loaded with “C” hops to 85 IBUs. We dry hop it for a big hoppy aroma. It’s dry, citrsuy, with notes of grapefruit & orange with a lasting bitterness.”
Blackberry Berliner Weisse
“Our Spring Seasonal Blackberry Berliner Weisse is tart & approachable. The addition of ripe Oregon Blackberries is the perfect compliment to the taste bud tingling sour affect of the Berliner Weisse style. This beer pours a beautiful magenta color and sits at 4.3% ABV”
March Madness is almost done and it is time to settle in the heart of spring. That means reading about apples and hops and agriculture since it is integral to our beloved beer. Plus the following monthly features….
~ e-visits to three breweries from Oakland, Sacramento and Anaheim. Trebek says, where Golden Road has plopped down “local” pubs.
~ special featured reviews of Double / Imperial IPA’s
~ Heads-Up on Los Angeles Beer Events
~ Three suggested beers to buy this month. One light, one medium and one dark
~ A Book & A Beer reads The Apple Orchard by Pete Brown
~ I will tap the Firkin and give my no holds barred opinion on the craft beer world.
Here are two events to get your April started in the Los Angeles craft beer world:
1) April 13th – Lessons in Beer at Verdugo West Brewery
2) April 29th – Session Fest at Eagle Rock Brewery
We have landed at our last foreign destination of the month and it is in Italy for the very Valentine’s Loverbeer.
Here are the (primarily sour) beers that I would sample first….
BeerBera
“Fermented and maturated in oak vats. No adding yeast. Spontaneous fermentation because of adding freshly pressed Barbera grapes juice that contains the skins, directly from a viticulturist near Alba. Brewed once a year at vintage time obviously.”
Madamin
“Oak amber ale. Fermented and maturated only in oak vats. The name “Madamin” is a piedmontese word meaning “young lady”.”
Nebiulin-a
“Blend of three vintages with grape juice added.”
Papëssa
“Beer inspired to the old real Russian imperial stout style. Dark beer made with a generous quantity of roasted cereals as black roasted and chocolate. After-dinner or with chocolate. The name you can translate with “high priestess”.”
Our final hop stop is at Odd13 Brewing in Colorado.
This brewery has a heroes and villains and comic book theme running through their beers so lets get to the lupulin threshold which is more powerful than any infinity stone out there.
Noob – American IPA
“The first batch brewed at our production facility, n00b is an American IPA. Heavy dry hopping with Mosaic and El Dorado combine with restrained bitterness to create a juicy flavor and aroma profile. The hops and yeast work together to provide hints of blueberry and orange candy.”
Thirdeen Cent – 100% Centennial
“Thirdeen Cent is an IPA with Centennial hops that was initially brewed as a celebration of our 100th batch. It was too good not to bring back in our rotating IPA series. The Centennial imparts an intensely fruity citrus character.”
Bad Guy with an Agenda – American IPA
“Bad Guy With an Agenda is an American IPA designed to showcase Experimental Hop 07270 from Hopsteiner. The hop is so new it doesn’t even have a name yet. 07270 imparts a resiny pine flavor and aroma complemented by strong citrus characteristics reminiscent of mandarin orange. Chinook, Mosaic, and Equinox add complementary flavors of pine and tropical fruit. The malt bill is extremely simple, intended to showcase the hops.”
Fairy Hopmother – IPA
“Fairy hopmother is a ridiculously delicious IPA featuring hops from three different continents. New Zealand’s Nelson Sauvin adds flavors reminiscent of white wine grapes and gooseberries. Notes of honeydew and strawberry come from German Huell Melon. American Mosaic rounds out the hop bill, kicking in notes of blueberry. A full body with slight caramel sweetness balances the rich fruity flavors from the hops.”
We make our final Icelandic stop with a day to spare in the month. But here we are at Vifilfell. Also known as the Viking Beer. They are known for their Thule and Viking labeled beers but here is what I would put into a taster tray.
Organic Pils – Pilsner
Katla Geopark Lager – Helles
Thule Jólabjór Lager – American Amber
Thule Svartbjór Lager – Euro Dark
Black Death – Stout
Viking Stout – Stout
Happy New Year to everyone and if you have a hankering for Icelandic beer, your best and easiest to find are the beers of Einstok.