Follow Sean Inman to the best in craft beer
Ya’ gotta admire The Bruery for sticking with sours whilst also doubling down on pastry flavors at the same time. The latest to get my attention is a sour blonde ale, Hold the Cart. This beer brings together tangerine flavors, milk sugar and pistachios. An Italian sorbet of a beer.
As much as I enjoy both Bourbon and Bourbon barrel-aged beers, I like to see alternative barrels being used which is why I am highlighting this upcoming release from The Bruery…
This month the theme is unique and hard to find and I have three that will test your mettle as both a beer shopper and a beer drinker.
Homage Brewing – The Flower Called Nowhere Barrel Aged Saison – 6% – “This marks the 5th blend of one of our favorite beers to make. A few years ago we conceptualized a Saison with delicate nuances of flowers. We trialed various flowers and settled upon Europe Rose for its soft and fragrant aroma, as well as Osmanthus, which has a unique fragrance of peach and apricot that compliments the stone fruit qualities of the wild yeast. Lastly, we added Chrysanthemum, which has a sweet, hay, and honey like quality that supports the aged hops in the beer, adding a rustic touch.”
New Belgium – Tart Lychee – 7.5% – ” sour ale brewed with lychee and a hint of cinnamon that combine to create a beautiful balance between sweet and tart.”
The Bruery – Cire – 18.9% – “Produced through painstaking care and attention from our Bruers, Cire is more than just a beer; it’s our Solera Blended Anniversary Old Ale. Blended from the best of the Bruery’s stock each year & aged in Buffalo Trace and Heaven Hill Bourbon barrels, Cire carries a deeply complex, layered flavor profile. The perfect way to commemorate 16 years of leadership in the industry.”
If I had to pick a state that The Bruery would add a location to, Idaho would not have made the list. But apparently, this summer (or thereabouts) there will be a Bruery in Boise.
I would have thought that anywhere in California might be easier, or Las Vegas but Idaho it apparently is.
We do not have enough Belgian-style table beers in the world, so I am glad to see that The Bruery has canned up their La Petite Provision, an “easy-drinking and full of flavor thanks to additions of Thai basil and lemongrass to the brew. Herbal, floral, and slightly sweet…”
With all the economic distraction around the craft beer niche, it is good to see milestones reached, such as Offshoot Beer Co. attaining the seven year mark!
Here is to another year of beers from The Bruery’s younger sibling.
The Bruery has a trifecta of bigggg beers coming out. Let’s go low (but still high) to really high.
14.7% – Fireproof will be an imperial stout (Bayonet) aged in Port barrels that previously held Balcones Distilling Hechicheros single malt Whiskey barrels.
17.7% – Demon Water will be an imperial stout aged in Newport Craft Distilling Thomas Tew Rum barrels.
19.7% – The Malt Mill will be an imperial stout (Black Tuesday) aged in Westward Whiskey barrels.
I am a sucker for a bourbon barrel-aged beer and I am also a sucker for a great beer name, so The Bruery’s Strange Case Of Dr. Elijah And Mr. Cacao is on point. It is their Monster Stout base aged in 18-year Elijah Craig Bourbon barrels for 12-months with both powdered cacao and freeze-fried cacao.
The Bruery has a lot of very creative beers each year. I do scroll by many of them but each time I do see one or two that pique my interest. Such as….
…rye and barrel is just a great start and barleywine and smoked make things unique so I will look for it.
The Bruery is now at the 15 year mark and that means a special barrel-aged beer of course.
“Le quinzième anniversaire of The Bruery brings another celebratory ale true to tradition. We bring you Cristal: the 15th edition of our annual Anniversary ale, meaning it has 15 years of Bruery history blended right in— and you’ll want to savor every drop.”