Follow Sean Inman to the best in craft beer
One of the great little surprises of the holiday season is the unveiling of the label art for Deschutes Brewery’s Jubelale. Granted, it comes way too early for my taste but that hardly dents the long running tradition.
“Cozy up fireside with this festive winter ale full of spice notes and a robust malt character of toffee and dusted cocoa.”
It is tough to pick the beer to start the season with but sentimentality for my home state of Oregon and the fact that I love the rotating artwork each year means that Jubelale from Deschutes Brewing gets the nod.
“Cozy up fireside with this festive winter ale full of spice notes and a robust malt character of toffee and dusted cocoa.”
It is no secret that I am an aficionado of label art and I am quick to give a hot take on designs on bottles and cans.
That is all prelude to the fact that I quite like the new direction taken by Hop Secret Brewing of Monrovia…
It’s bright, the font is new and bold and it has a modern art feel to it, though the lips on the left are a little much. I also like the bottle name, a nod to a funny series.
Flying Dog Brewery is our next stop in Maryland. Easily recognized by a large distribution footprint as much as for their iconic Ralph Steadman artwork on their labels.
Since their beers are seen around the country (and this column is ostensibly to promote people traveling to these breweries), I have chosen from the “rarer” side of their beer ledger for my taster tray from this Frederick based brewery, starting with:
Lemongrass Rice Ale
“This beer was inspired by the unique spice blends in Thai cuisine and is as versatile in matching up with those flavors as a Thai menu is (often) overwhelming. You know what to drink, so the trick will be deciding on what to order.”
Dead Rise Old Bay Summer Ale
“Dead Rise was brewed to highlight the indelible, bold character of OLD BAY with citrus hop notes and a crisp, tart finish. Pair it with tables piled high with shrimp, corn, and Maryland Blue Crab.”
Kujo Imperial Coffee Stout
“With the perfect balance of roasty stout and chocolately coffee notes, Kujo’s bark is just as big as his bite. Flavor notes: Subtle earthiness with prominent coffee, vanilla, chocolate, and toffee flavors Pairs with: Anything nutty, chocolately, or toffee-flavored”
Woody Creek Belgian White
“Woody Creek is light and refreshing for a reason, so be careful not to overpower it with heavy foods. Flavor notes: Refreshing and light citrus notes with subtle wheat, coriander, and orange flavors Pairs with: Light cheeses; Asian foods with wasabi and ginger; light shellfish; fruity desserts”