Our 2nd GABF winning stop is in Norfolk, Virginia and Benchtop Brewing. They won in the Gose category (Leipzig-Style or Contemporary) for their Mermaid’s Scorn. But they have even weirder beers that I would put into my first taster tray….
Sage Conclusion – Butternut Squash Saison w/ Sage
“This is our take on a fall saison. We first soured this one in the kettle a little for a nice tartness. We then used our typical saison malt bill with plenty of wheat and oats for body. We topped this one off with 300 lbs of butternut squash and some fresh sage. The herbal notes from the sage play nicely with th saison yeast. This beer displays many layers of flavors. You start out with some tartness and then move on to a subtle sweetness from the squash and then finally you finish off with a nice grainy flavor and dryness while maintaining a rich mouthfeel.”
Quick Pickle – Carrot Cucumber Gose
“We have taken the idea of a veggie beer to another level with Quick Pickle. It is named after the culinary technique of rapidly pickling veggies in a sour/salty/sweet solution. This is very similar to what is happening in our fermenter. It has amazing color from the addition of North Carolina carrots and a cool, fresh aroma provided by Virginia Beach cucumbers from Cullipher Farms. The tartness of this beer is complimented beautifully by the a subtle sweetness from the carrots and a gentle salinity from some sea salt. This beer also have some subtle guava notes from the a small late addition of El Dorado hops.”
Elegant Ego — Citra Basil Saison
“An exercise in collaboration, this beer was brewed with our friends and neighbors down the street at Smartmouth Brewing. A mash-up of our saison Elegant Titration and their flagship Alter Ego, this beer hits you right away with a fresh herbal aroma from the addition of fresh basil grown at Smart Basil in Suffolk. We also blended our house strains for this for a nice mix of peppery phenolics and fruity esters. This beer has a nice dry finish and is supported by a hefty dose of oats to smooth it out.”