Brewyard Beer Co. must have heard my calls for something English in cans as they have a new beer out…
Since it is an ESB, I will overlook the O.E. of the design.
More ESB Please
All About Beer Brewery # 3 – Black Mesa Brewing
Our third stop for January is Oklahoma City and Black Mesa Brewing. In a refreshing twist they seem tilted towards ESB’s and coffee beers. Nary a hoppy driven beer. Here is what I would want to try when visiting the Mesa….
“Endless Skyway Bitter finds inspiration in the English style but derives its grapefruit bitterness from West Coast hops. Like the finest English examples, the bitterness is assertive but balanced with a nutty maltiness. “Endless Skyway” is a nod to Oklahoma’s favorite son, Woody Guthrie.”
“A refreshing and lively Kolsch anchored by a hearty malt backbone. Kept crisp by the gentle bitterness and subtle spice of Saaz hops. The snappy carbonation releases an aroma of grainy sweetness punctuated by lightly floral hops.”
“Los Naranjos is our 3rd and current collaboration with Oklahoma City’s beloved Elemental Coffee Roasters. The stout is brewed with de-bittered black malts that do not compete with the Columbian Naranjos coffee bean known for its silky body, big tangerine acidity, and cocoa finish.”
(I love that the first coffee beer collab was named Red Badger)
“The trajectory of our Endless Skyway Bitter recipe lands here. We doubled it, then allowed the Double ESB rest in cognac barrels for 7 months. The unfolding layers of oak and vanilla take an already decadent beer and make it Extra Special.”
Review – Deep Roots from Three Weav3rs
Deep Roots is my favorite beer from Three Weav3rs. And now that they are bottling their stuff, I have the chance to see how the ESB fares in the bottle.
First off, I really like the design. No matter the color, you know you are looking at a Three Weav3rs beer with the wavy lines painted on the bottle. I also like that the beer description is in a nice sized font and not the Stone eye test font.
On to the beer, the aroma has a woodsy-sawdust aroma to it that I really enjoy. The flavor has a good bite of hops that compliments the malt focus that is really the star of the show. There is a nutty taste that I associate with British beers here as well. Maybe a little to citrusy for a traditional ale but compared to the prevailing West-Coast style it is very Great (Britain).
Fishy Strategery
Now, I am all for craft beer tie-ins and promos. Game of Thrones beer? Sure. Beer Cheese? OK, fine. But it really does have to be tied to something equally craft driven. Which is why I can’t get behind this whole Carl’s Jr. Fish Sandwich collaboration with Redhook.
“Now you can have your beer and eat it, too. Carl’s Jr.® and Hardee’s® today announced a partnership with Seattle craft brewery Redhook® to bring the gastropub flavors of beer-battered cod to their menus. Featuring the distinctive flavor of Redhook’s ESB (Extra Special Bitter) ale, the Redhook Beer-Battered Cod Fish Sandwich is now available at Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s restaurants.”
Even though it might bring beer awareness to a larger/different audience, I just wish they had partnered with say Chipotle or another chain of a bit higher pedigree. I mean, Rubios is advertising Stone beer. Sounds snobby and I know that everyone (myself included) has our guilty pleasures of processed foods. I just wish Redhook had aimed higher. (especially considering the male-centric sexist advertising that Carl’s specializes in)
Review – There & Back from New Glarus & Sierra Nevada
Oh how I have been looking forward to this collaboration. One because it is New Glarus and two and ESB. I love this style and I don’t see many out there, and back. How does Sierra Nevada do Extra Special bitter?
T&B pours a dark orange color. Not much head or lacing here. Rapidly faded on both counts. There is a spice note in this beer very similar to Orange pekoe tea. I like it. Good balance of malt here, I’m getting some toast notes. It is light but well away from watery. Good carbonated bubbles really add to it. Simple but not boring. I think I might be due a trip to England because my taste buds seem to be leaning English of late. I would have to rank this up there with Torpedo Pilsner and Electric Ray and close to Maillard’s Odyssey. Top tier stuff.
The Goose at 25
A Big American ESB ringing in at 6.4% sounds like a good way to ring in XXV years in the beer biz. Congratulations to Goose Island for the achievement!
30
Redhook has been changing labels and bottles but the outside doesn’t matter as much as the inside. And I am glad to see the ESB added to the new Blueline Series. Of course the “B” in this case stands for Birthday, as in 30th.
Here is the info… “a highly modified version of ESB that replicates the flavor profile of Redhook ale in the early 80s, lovingly referred to by Seattle locals as “banana beer.” A Belgian yeast is used to create these spicy banana notes. This special brew has a deep red color, bold hops, and rich malty body.”.
50 from 50 – Kansas
One of the states that I thought I would never get! Thanks to Tallgrass for increasing distribution so that I could sample their line of great beers.
