Brewer Q & A – Spring 2016 (Issue 23)

97 Rating – DESTIHL Brewery – Wild Sour Series: Flanders Red

Responses from DESTIHL’s founder and brewmaster Matt Potts.

Who came up with this beer’s recipe?
I did.

What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?
Flanders Red is a unique representation of this style with deep flavors of tart cherries, making it one of the more unique canned sours on the market.

Where does this beer’s name come from?
The Wild Sour Series as a whole gets its name from the fact that we have never purchased a sour culture from a lab, and that our wild microflora strain used in all of our sour beers was naturally cultured from the local terroir.

Is this your “desert island beer?”
Our Wild Sour beers could also make great desert island beers since we would not need a microflora culture shipped by lab to brew the beers on the island and could just use what was naturally on the island to ferment our beers.

Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less?
A combination of tart cherries, complex malt and bold acidity.

Photo Credit: Illinois Craft Brewers Guild

97 Rating – Great Divide Brewing Co. – Espresso Oak Aged Yeti

Responses from Great Divide’s founder Brian Dunn.

Who came up with this beer’s recipe?
Espresso Oak Aged Yeti’s reciped was developed by Ryan Fox, Great Divide’s Director of Brewery Operations.

What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?
I love the coffee, and I also like what the oak does to mellow out the rough edges of the beer.

Where does this beer’s name come from?
We came up with the Yeti name a long time ago. I think the beer and the name are a perfect fit. The name really represents what the beer is all about: big, bold and elusive.

Is this your “desert island beer?”
If I was stuck on a desert island, I would want more than just this one beer because I like to mix things up a little.

Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less?
Coffee notes with big roasty malt character and oak overtones.

Do you know a story – or have a personal story – that revolves around this beer?
Ground coffee can be hard to manage in the brewery. One year, we packed a 2-inch stainless pipe with ground espresso – packed it so hard, in fact, that it took hours of work to get it unplugged.

Photo Credit: Great Divide Brewing Co.

96 Rating – Heavy Seas Beer – 20 Year Storm

Responses from Heavy Seas’ brewmaster Christopher Leonard.

Who came up with this beer’s recipe?
It was a group effort. While I made the final decisions on the details, the general idea throughout the brewery was to brew a more potent version of Winter Storm as an homage to the beer that was the first-ever beer branded with the “Heavy Seas” moniker. I decided to use imported Optic malt as the base, tweak the hops more towards an English balance (Winter Storm is a decidedly American-hopped beer) and our Brewing Team Leader, Chris Schultz, suggested the bourbon barrel-aging.

What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?
The balance is what I find most appealing. All of the components came together even better than I had hoped – the nutty English malt, the herbaceous English hops with just the right amount of American hop assertiveness, vanilla and oak from the barrel-aging and the surprising drinkability despite the beer’s considerable heft and ABV strength. It’s a very harmonious beer.

Where does this beer’s name come from?
As I mentioned, Winter Storm, our 8% ABV fall/winter seasonal, was the first ever “Heavy Seas” beer. Couple that with our 20th Anniversary in 2015 and the name was self-evident.

Is this your “desert island beer?”
Only if I were on a desert island in the North Sea.

Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less?
Bold, adventurous, caramel, vanilla, oaky, slightly boozy, rich yet drinkable.

Do you know a story – or have a personal story – that revolves around this beer?
This beer almost didn’t get made. We had a substantial increase in our portfolio for 2015 in which we added more than eight new products. Also, we increased our production by almost 20 percent. So, there were some internal discussions mid-year about whether we could even execute this beer the way we wanted. If we weren’t going to be able to barrel-age it and/or condition it for (what I deemed) a sufficient period of time, we were going to scrap the project. Fortunately, our production team was determined to honor the accomplishment Hugh Sisson has reached with 20 years of Heavy Seas beers. We’re probably as proud of this beer as any we’ve ever made.

Photo Credit: Tristan Gilbert

96 Rating – Avery Brewing Co. – Vanilla Bean Stout

Responses from Avery’s “Barrel Professor” Travis Rupp.

Who came up with this beer’s recipe?
Three years ago our Special Projects department was playing around with a couple of beers and ended up creating a flavor combination we knew we had to bottle. For the sake of experimentation, we filled a few fresh Bourbon barrels with Czar Imperial Stout and a few more with Out of Bounds Stout.

While each project was decent, neither was great… the less astringent malt bill of The Czar left some lingering heat, while the roasted malt in Out of Bounds accentuated the charred oak. We began a series of blind tasting sessions to see if we could come up with a blending ratio that improved both beers. After a few blind panels, it looked like a blend of 2/3 Czar and 1/3 Out of Bounds Stout.

Everyone loved the blend, but the Bourbon barrels still imparted a bit too much charred oak flavor and astringency. Thoma Ledder, our Barrel Romancer, had the idea to balance those harsh flavors with vanilla beans. In the next blind panel, it was unanimous that the blend with vanilla helped the Bourbon and charred oak notes shine without allowing them to overpower the beer. As we do with our smaller experiments, we tapped this beer in the Avery Tap Room to gather feedback from employees and customers. The night it went on tap, Adam Avery drank four pints of it and then ran up to our brewers and said, “We have to bottle this.” Eventually we moved into our new beer palace and had the capacity to work on our dream projects, so we blended the malt bills from Czar and OBS, acquired an absurd amount of Bourbon barrels, and went to town.

What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?
We’re proud of the fact that we didn’t just buy the first vanilla beans or extract we could find and throw them in the beer. Instead we tried eleven different kinds of vanilla beans, split them by hand, infused them into kegs of Czar, and had them repeatedly blind-tasted through our sensory panel until we had a handful of runaway winners. So when we were ready to go big and fill the first 300 Bourbon barrels of this beer, we felt completely confident that this combination of flavors would be great.

Where does this beer’s name come from?
There was definitely some debate on this name, as some of us wanted to come up with something more exotic. But we’re also trying to make this beer year-round to introduce more people to the wonderful world of barrel-aging. The one-off beers in our Barrel-Aged Series have unpronounceable Latin names because those beers are the most experimental beers produced in our experimental brewery, and because it’s entertaining to watch people try to pronounce them. But the beers in our Botanicals & Barrels Series are the product of our decade of experience in barrel-aging, and we’re finally to the point where we feel we can make consistent barrel-aged beers. And sometimes you’re at a bar and don’t want to jump through flaming hoops to figure out what you’re going to order next. You can look at the menu, close one eye to solidify things, and know that you’re about to buy a barrel-aged stout with vanilla beans. As it says on the labels, “Simply Named ~ Complex Creation.”

Is this your “desert island beer?”
When I drink a bomber of Vanilla Bean Stout, my chest hair instantly turns into a shag carpet. Is that good for a desert island? I would think so.

Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less?
Vanillatastic. Beany. Stouty. Smooth. Boom.

Photo Credit: Avery Brewing Co.

95 Rating – Brooklyn Brewery – Black Ops

Responses from Brooklyn Brewery’s founder and brewmaster Garrett Oliver.

Who came up with this beer’s recipe?
The recipe is mine. We’re often asked whether this beer is a “barrel-aged version of Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout.” And the answer to that is definitely not – it’s very different.

What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?
That it manages to be powerful, complex and elegant at the same time. Black Ops is not a big, sweet, cloying sledgehammer of booziness. All of the flavors are well-married and intertwined in a really pleasant way, and the barrel character is fully integrated with the beer. I think that’s the key to successful barrel-aging.

Where does this beer’s name come from?
Back in 2006, I wanted to make a barrel-aged beer, but I only planned to make about 150 cases. The sales team told me that this was far too little, and that it would just get them in trouble with retailers. They said it would be better if I didn’t produce the beer at all. So we brewed it anyway, without telling anyone at the company. So it was called “Black Ops” because it was actually a secret for about six months. We gave everyone at the company a free case during the holidays that year – we actually didn’t sell it the first year.

Is this your “desert island beer?”
That would have to be a pretty chilly desert island. Maybe I would take Black Ops to a “dessert island” instead! No, I think for a desert island I’d go with our Sorachi Ace, which is very drinkable and versatile. I think Black Ops is beautiful, but it’s more of an “occasion beer.”

Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less?
Silky, powerful, voluptuous, complex, balanced, structured, elegant, and surprisingly agile.

Do you know a story – or have a personal story – that revolves around this beer?
After we gave away the first batch to our employees, I started to run into people who would lean in towards me and say in a near-whisper, “I’ve had Black Ops.” It would turn out that they had some close connection to the brewery – maybe a friend of a family member worked there. So the “buzz” about the beer grew organically until we decided that we needed to try and brew enough to sell. The other interesting story, which we have on very good authority, is that Seal Team Six actually drinks Black Ops for toasts. That’s pretty cool.

Photo Credit: Brooklyn Brewery

95 Rating – Smartmouth Brewing Co. – Alter Ego

Responses from Smartmouth’s president Porter Hardy.

Who came up with this beer’s recipe?
The basis for this recipe came from a mix of historical research I did on Belgian farmhouse ales and several group tastings of test batches to find just the right yeast strain. It is very true historically to a non-sour version of a saison. We use German malt, German, French and Slovenian hops and Belgian yeast – all of which would have been available in 1800s Belgium.

What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?
I love the versatility of this beer. It’s a great beer to pair with foods – anything from smoked sausage to seafood to stinky cheese – because it has a wide range of flavors but still manages to be refreshing without overpowering your palate.

Where does this beer’s name come from?
It’s a call to arms for everyone to embrace their inner alter ego. I left my job as a lawyer to embrace my inner brewer and each of our other partners and employees have followed their own passion for craft beer to be apart of Smartmouth.

Is this your “desert island beer?”
Oh, that’s really hard. It might just be since it goes so well with seafood and is great when the weather turns hot!

Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less?
It’s effervescent, peppery, fruity, refreshing and dry.

Do you know a story – or have a personal story – that revolves around this beer?
While the brewery was still under construction we brewed a whole bunch of batches in one of our driveways to get the recipes nailed down. We instituted a sort of March Madness of brewing where we’d take 20 gallons of wort and pitch four different saison yeasts into four different fermenters then have a blind tasting. The two winners would get pitted against two more yeasts and so forth until we had a winner. Those are still some of my favorite memories.

Photo Credit: Ashley Lester

95 Rating – Oskar Blues Brewery – Death By Coconut

Responses from Oskar Blues’ head brewer Tim Matthews.

Who came up with this beer’s recipe?
This beer’s recipe was formulated by former Lyons brewer Jason Buehler in collaboration with Shamrock Brewing.

What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?
The chocolate flavor, which comes from Cholaca. That was great to work with.

Where does this beer’s name come from?
It’s a play on Death by Chocolate, since this is a chocolate coconut porter.

Is this your “desert island beer?”
Our special seasonals are for special occasions. One can has plenty of satisfaction. I would want to bring something more sessionable to a desert island.

Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less?
Delicious and crisp chocolate-covered beer candy.

Do you know a story – or have a personal story – that revolves around this beer?
Making Death by Coconut has been a wild ride. From a successful collaboration to a GABF silver medal to the challenges of production brewing, in the end, what we all think about when drinking this beer are the strained forearms and sore backs from hauling the bags of dessicated coconut into and out of the large tanks where we steep the beer.

Photo Credit: Oskar Blues Brewery

95 Rating – SanTan Brewing Co. – Grapefruit Shandy

Responses from SanTan’s brewmaster Anthony Canecchia.

Who came up with this beer’s recipe?
Gabe Wilson, Head Brewer , sourced local grown AZ Grapefruit from Sun Orchard.

What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?
We love that Shandy has a tart and refreshing flavor but still tastes like a beer.

Where does this beer’s name come from?
A slang term SanTan borrowed from Europeans that would mix beer and fruit soda/juice. Popularized by Cyclists in order to re-hydrate after long rides.

Is this your “desert island beer?”
It’s our desert island, mainland, peninsula, isthmus and archipelago beer!!!

Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less?
A tart, refreshing spring and summer alternative to boring beer.

Do you know a story – or have a personal story – that revolves around this beer?
I lived in San Diego in 2004 and would cycle about 100-140 miles weekly. After a long ride I would get back to Ocean Beach and chain my bike up at Sunshine Company on Newport. I would order a small pitcher of fizzy yellow beer , a pitcher of soda water and as many lemons as the bartender would let me get away with taking then blend them in a pint and watch the green flash at sunset from the second story balcony.

Photo Credit: SanTan Brewing Co.

95 Rating – Terrapin Beer Co. – Poivre Potion

Responses from Terrapin’s brewmaster and co-founder Spike Buckowski.

Who came up with this beer’s recipe?
This is actually a recipe from our Homebrew Team Competition from January 2015. Each year at our Terrapin holiday party (held in January), we divide employees into teams and they brew a beer. The winner is featured as a side project!

What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?
The surprising taste of pink peppercorns. It adds a nice complexity to the beer.

Where does this beer’s name come from?
Poivre is “Pepper” in French. The Homebrew Team came up with it themselves!

Is this your “desert island beer?”
That’s a tough one. It’s maybe a little too high on ABV side to be a “desert island beer.”

Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less?
Complex, spicy, alcoholic warmth, with passion fruit notes.

Do you know a story – or have a personal story – that revolves around this beer?
Part of the homebrew competition involves skits – in an effort to describe their beer in an entertaining way. The team that made Poivre also made a video where they were all running around, wearing ascots and talking in bad French accents about how great the beer was (there was also some dancing involved)!

Photo Credit: Justin Evans

95 Rating – Grand Teton Brewing Co. – Double Vision Doppelbock

Responses from Grand Teton’s brewmaster Rob Mullin.

Who came up with this beer’s recipe?
This one’s mine. My first professional brewing job was at Old Dominion Brewing Company in Ashburn, Virginia, which was primarily a lager brewery. While there, I learned from two of the best brewers I know: John Mallett (now with Bell’s Brewing) and Ron Barchet (Victory Brewing.) Ron had studied at Weinstephan, the Bavarian state brewing school, and had very strong opinions about lager brewing techniques. His and John’s bottling-line discussions about the merits of decoction versus infusion mashing are my seminal brewing memories. Though Grand Teton Brewing Company is primarily an ale brewery, we’ve brewed a strong lager every winter as long as I’ve been here. It’s my tribute to the brewers who taught me most of what I know.

What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?
I was drawn to imported and microbrewed beer in the late eighties because of malt. Long before I learned to appreciate bitterness in beer I loved the traditionally malty flavors created by small brewers at the time. One of my first favorites was Samichlaus, the strongest beer in the world then at 14 percent ABV. Though nowhere near as strong as that classic, Double Vision’s malt profile reminds me of my early love affair with malt. Double Vision’s yeast is from a monastery brewery near Munich, and it works extremely slowly at a very cold fermentation temperature, ensuring that the smooth sweetness comes through with just a hint of alcohol. That’s what I love about the Samichlaus, too.

Where does this beer’s name come from?
When we first brewed this beer it was called Illuminator Doppelbock, following the tradition of ‘ator names for doppelbocks. We later discovered several other beers by the same name, so we changed ours. All the good ‘ator names we could come up with were already taken, so we went with the alliterative and evocative Double Vision instead.

Is this your “desert island beer?”
If that desert island were an Arctic ice floe, then absolutely! It’s my all-time favorite winter warmer.

Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less?
Toffee, cocoa, raisins, molasses, and brown bread in liquid form.

Do you know a story – or have a personal story – that revolves around this beer?
We were recently gratified to learn that one beer ratings website lists this as the number 7 doppelbock in the world. I’d love to take credit for that, but the truth is we’ve cheated. Our brewery water is Teton Mountain glacial runoff, filtered through Teton granite and limestone over the course of 300-500 years before it bubbles up at a spring a half mile from the brewery. When I got here in ’02, I wanted to brew with that water in its pure, untreated form. Our goal is not to mimic styles from great brewing cities around the world, but to brew Teton Valley beer. As luck would have it, our local water fresh from the spring is much like Munich’s water. So it’s easy for us to brew Munich-style beers. We’re using German malt, yeast, hops – and even Munich water!

Photo Credit: Constance Mullin

94 Rating – The Hop Concept – Tropical & Juicy

Responses from The Hop Concept’s lead brewer Steven Burchill.

Who came up with this beer’s recipe?
Our former Head Brewer Matt Webster and I.

What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?
The aroma is definitely a great part of this beer, but I actually really love the color of the beer. It’s straw-colored with a slight hint of red/orange.

Where does this beer’s name come from?
The name comes from the flavor and aroma profile of the beer. With the Hop Freshener series, we strip away all the story and make the name the literal taste and smell of the beer.

Is this your “desert island beer?”
As much as I enjoy this beer, it’s a bit too big to be my desert island beer. I’d have to go with Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.

Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less?
Tropical, juicy, hoppy and bitter.

Photo Credit: Studio Schulz

94 Rating – Boston Beer Co. – Old Fezziwig Ale

Responses from Boston Beer brewer Jennifer Glanville.

Who came up with this beer’s recipe?
With most of our beers, our brewers work together to create recipes. For Old Fezziwig, we really wanted to create a beer perfect for celebrating the holiday season and a beer that incorporated a variety of holiday spices like cinnamon, ginger and orange peel. Getting to the point where all of the ingredients were in perfect harmony takes a lot of experimentation, but it’s always a lot of fun.

What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?
What I love about this beer is the aroma of sweet toffee and caramel. The rich malt character creates notes of sweet toffee, caramel, & roasted chocolate while classic holiday spices like cinnamon, ginger and orange peel add warmth and flavor.

Where does this beer’s name come from?
We named this beer after a character in A Christmas Carol, the classic holiday novel by Charles Dickens. Fezziwig is the counterpart to Ebenezer Scrooge, who we all know to be cold-hearted and stingy. Fezziwig, on the other hand, is jolly and generous, and this beer evokes the celebratory and jovial feel of the season.

Is this your “desert island beer?”
That’s a good question. Old Fezziwig is the perfect beer for the holiday season because of the combination of rich malt character and holiday spices. But the beer that I would refer to as my “desert island beer” would have to our Boston Lager. To me, it is the perfect balance of hop bitterness and malt sweetness and the beer I’d want to drink if stranded on a desert island.

Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less?
Old Fezziwig is like a Christmas cookie in a bottle!

Do you know a story – or have a personal story – that revolves around this beer?
Old Fezziwig is a perennial favorite with my friends and family around the holidays, and particularly my dad who loves heartier, full-flavored beers like Old Fezziwig. It’s sort of a tradition in our house that the first beer we drink on Christmas Eve is Old Fezziwig.

Photo Credit: Boston Beer Co.

93 Rating – DESTIHL Brewery – Barrel-Aged Dosvidanya

Responses from DESTIHL’s founder and brewmaster Matt Potts.

Who came up with this beer’s recipe?
I did.

What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?
My favorite aspect of this beer is its balance of chocolate & roasted malt character in perfect harmony with the barrel character while also being so full-bodied, smooth and not ‘hot’ despite the 12.5% ABV… it just hits all the senses so wonderfully. It’s everything we want in a barrel-aged RIS.

Where does this beer’s name come from?
Dosvidanya was first brewed in 2008 in our brewpub in Normal, and I wanted to brew a special beer for a great employee who was moving & leaving the brewery. So, I came up with the name Dosvidanya to say ‘goodbye’ in Russian, since it was brewed as a Russian Imperial Stout.

Is this your “desert island beer?”
If Dosvidanya was my desert island beer, I would be a happy camper, and I might lose all motivation to try to find my way off the island.

Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less?
Rich, robust, chocolatey, roasty… oh screw it – just simply awesome.

93 Rating – DESTIHL Brewery – Wild Sour Series: Here Gose Nothin’

Responses from DESTIHL’s founder and brewmaster Matt Potts.

Who came up with this beer’s recipe?
I did.

What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?
When we started canning this beer in the fall of 2014, it was one of only a few canned versions of this style. That bold move certainly matches the bold, lime-like sourness of this unique beer and offered people an affordable option to quench their thirst for sour beers.

Where does this beer’s name come from?
The name Here Gose Nothin’ was derived from the all-too-common saying of ‘here goes nothing’ in our brewery when we are about to embark on a Darwinism-challenging/life-threatening task or experimental activity that could easily break bad.

Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less?
Lime-like sourness + sea salt = perfect tequila-chaser beer.

Photo Credit: Illinois Craft Brewers Guild

93 Rating – Upland Brewing Co. – Komodo Dragonfly Black IPA

Responses from Upland’s lead brewer Patrick Lynch.

Who came up with this beer’s recipe?
Caleb Staton came up with this recipe before he shifted the majority of his attention to Upland’s sour program.

What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?
The touch of lavender we add to the end of the boil really makes Komodo unique for a Black IPA. It has the hop presence and roasted malt character you would expect, but the subtle floral notes are truly unique.

Where does this beer’s name come from?
At a basic level, it references our flagship Dragonfly IPA. Digging deeper, a Komodo Dragon is a large species of monitor lizard. Going further, a Komodo Dragonfly is an exotic animal that is entirely made up, yet close enough to reality to invoke a connection with the drinker. In a similar way, the beer is recognizable but does not fit neatly into a written style category.

Is this your “desert island beer?”
A true “desert island beer” can’t be one-note or you would get tired of it pretty quickly. Slightly roasty, hop-forward, and with a floral touch, Komodo Dragonfly has something to suit any mood I’m in.

Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less?
Unique combination of dark malts, flavorful hops, and lavender.

Do you know a story – or have a personal story – that revolves around this beer?
For this year’s batch, we were able to source locally-grown Lavender from right here in Monroe County, Indiana. A server at our restaurant put us in touch with a local grower, and that direct connection to the source allowed us to pinpoint a specific culinary variety of Lavender that really shines in the beer.

Photo Credit: Chelsea Schoch

93 Rating – Motorworks Brewing – Rollcage Red

Responses from Motorworks Brewing’s head brewer Bob Haa.

Who came up with this beer’s recipe?
I did.

What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?
The balance between the sweet caramel malts and the American hops used for bittering and flavor. This is more of a West Coast-style Amber/Red, which I prefer.

Is this your “desert island beer?”
Although I really love Rollcage Red, I would most likely choose a farmhouse style for my “DIB.”

Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less?
Red Ale with sweet caramel malt and piney American hops.

Do you know a story – or have a personal story – that revolves around this beer?
I started designing American Red Ale recipes at home 26 years ago and then commercially for Hops Restaurants starting in 2000. With Motorworks, I have changed the hop additions to better and more readily available types grown in America.

Photo Credit: Motorworks Brewing

93 Rating – Barley Forge Brewing Co. – The Patsy

Responses from Barley Forge’s operations manager Sean O’ Shea.

Who came up with this beer’s recipe?
Our head brewer Kevin Buckley said he had something up his sleeve when he mentioned to us that he had a recipe for a rye stout with coconut. He absolutely was not kidding around – The Patsy is our #1-selling brand.

What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?
I would say the coconut aroma is my favorite aspect of the beer. Second to that would be the dry spiciness of the rye malt that is used in the mash.

Where does this beer’s name come from?
If you have ever seen Monty Python & The Holy Grail, you may remember Patsy. He is the character (played by Terry Gilliam) that made the horse hoof sounds using two coconut halves. Thus you have The Patsy – a Coconut Rye Stout!

Is this your “desert island beer?”
It would be fitting that this beer would be a desert island beer with the amount of island coconut that goes into the brite tank prior to packaging! It certainly reminds me of sitting on a beach somewhere every time I take a sip.

Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less?
It’s like drinking a Mounds candy bar. No joke!

Do you know a story – or have a personal story – that revolves around this beer?
When we attend beer festivals, it is a must that we bring The Patsy with us. I made the mistake once of bringing different beers instead, and that was a huge mistake. Festival goers come far and wide to sip on The Patsy and it is not wise to disappoint the crowd!

Photo Credit: Barley Forge Brewing Co.

93 Rating – Bronx Brewery – Bronx Belgian Pale Ale

Responses from Bronx Brewery’s head brewer Damian Brown.

Who came up with this beer’s recipe?
I developed the recipe in early 2013, and we released the beer to the NYC market as our spring seasonal that March or April. It was the brewery’s fourth beer.

What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?
The yeast plays the starring role in this beer, and I absolutely love the diversity and volatility it offers aromatically. Bubblegum turns to tangerines and eventually to a subtle smokiness on the nose as it warms. It’s a great beer for a slow pace.

Where does this beer’s name come from?
From the fact that we’re apparently not very creative.

Is this your “desert island beer?”
It comes in at 6.7% ABV so I’d probably opt for something a bit lower in strength like our Session IPA, which is super refreshing and has great tropical hop notes. If you’re alone on an island, you gotta make sure you have a beer you can drink a lot of!

Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less?
A South Bronx take on a classic Belgian style.

Do you know a story – or have a personal story – that revolves around this beer?
It has surprised the shit out of me that this has been the best-selling beer in our tasting room – thanks in large part to the guys at the FedEx Hub a few streets away.

Photo Credit: Alan Gastelum

93 Rating – Smuttynose Brewing Co. – Big A Double IPA

Responses from Smuttynose’s head brewer Dan Schubert.

Who came up with this beer’s recipe?
Big A is a collaborative effort from our brewing team. It’s evolved a fair bit since its debut in the Big Beer Series. We deliberately upped the hop levels each year from the 2003 debut release until the 2008 hop shortage hit, which forced us to be a bit more reactive to the hopping based on availability. Even though availability continues to be an ongoing issue in this era of chasing the newest hop varietal, we’ve got the recipe locked in and enough hops sourced out that we now have a set recipe.

What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?
It’s sneaky drinkability. It’s deceptively drinkable for 8.2 percent ABV! Don’t get me wrong, I love the juicy hops, but Big A just goes down so smooth.

Where does this beer’s name come from?
The original name was Big Ass IPA, but we couldn’t get label approval for that in 2002. A lot has changed since then, so it wouldn’t be a problem now.

Is this your “desert island beer?”
I’d be pretty F*&$%ed up on a desert island if this was the only beer I had to drink, so no.

Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less?
Dank, juicy drinkability.

Do you know a story – or have a personal story – that revolves around this beer?
I’ve been brewing here for 13 years, so I’ve had a hand in virtually all the Big A we’ve ever brewed. Winning the Michael Jackson Award for the Best American Beer at the Great British Beer Festival for Big A IPA in 2010 was an incredible feeling of pride, excitement and surprise. It’s the biggest prize Big A has won and this was our third win at the contest.

Photo Credit: Robert Lussier

92 Rating – Smuttynose Brewing Co. – Rocky Road

Responses from Smuttlabs’ head brewer Charlie Ireland.

Who came up with this beer’s recipe?
Our brewing team wanted to brew a beer that was perfect for dessert. I love ice cream and Rocky Road is one of my favorite flavors. New England has hundreds of small, local ice cream stands, so this seemed like a perfect tribute to one of my favorite pastimes. We brewed a pilot batch several years ago at Portsmouth Brewery, our sister brewpub in downtown Portsmouth, and people loved it!

What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?
The use of Fluff while making it! Fluff is made about an hour from the brewery in Lynn, MA, so I got to slide another happy childhood memory into this beer. Besides, Fluff is just really fun to say.

Where does this beer’s name come from?
We named Rocky Road after the ice cream that inspired it. There’s no crazy story story behind the name, but it’s pretty damn descriptive.

Is this your “desert island beer?”
No, it’s way too sweet and heavy for desert weather. I’m not saying it’s not delicious, but it’s better suited to New Hampshire weather.

Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less?
Chocolatey, fluff-tastic decadence that tastes like ice cream for adults.

Do you know a story – or have a personal story – that revolves around this beer?
The Fluff Festival takes place every September in Somerville MA where Archibald Query created Fluff in 1917. The first year we were there, we were pouring Finestkind IPA and lots of folks asked us if we had a beer made with Fluff. Of course, we didn’t, but that helped build one of the wheels that went into motion when it was time to formulate a dessert beer.

Photo Credit: Robert Lussier

92 Rating – Smartmouth Brewing Co. – Cowcatcher

Responses from Smartmouth’s president Porter Hardy.

Who came up with this beer’s recipe?
Our original head brewer, Greg Papp, came up with this recipe. The brew staff has tweaked it a few times over the years to try and get the balance of sweetness and roastiness just right.

What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?
This beer is just so smooth and silky. I love the way it makes me feel on a fall or winter day.

Where does this beer’s name come from?
A cowcatcher is the apparatus on the front of a train that ever-so-gently moves cows off the tracks. Our proximity to the railroad and our connection to Norfolk Southern (some of our owners work for the railroad) make railroad names a natural fit for us. That and we love clever names – cows make milk for the lactose in the milk stout and we are next to the railroad tracks. Get it?

Is this your “desert island beer?”
Only if that desert is cold and blustery. If that were the case, then yes.

Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less?
Cocoa, chocolate, roasty, sweet and cozy.

Do you know a story – or have a personal story – that revolves around this beer?
When we were first starting out and debating names for the brewery, a local radio personality/friend suggested the name “Cowcatcher” because of the train tracks located outside the front door. While we didn’t go with that for the brewery name, we thought it would go perfectly for a milk stout – so we brewed one!

Photo Credit: Ashley Lester

92 Rating – Barley Forge Brewing Co. – Grandpa Tractor

Responses from Barley Forge’s operations manager Sean O’ Shea.

Who came up with this beer’s recipe?
Kevin Buckley, Barley Forge head brewer, came up with this recipe. It is a very clean-tasting example of an almost extinct beer style from the Dortmund area of Germany, which was traditionally enjoyed by coal miners after a long day’s work.

What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?
I really enjoy the clean, crisp bite of this beer. The yeast comes off clean with a slight sulfur aroma (ok for the style) and allows the flavor of the Pilsner malt to shine through.

Where does this beer’s name come from?
This beer is named after Mary Ann Frericks’ father. Mary Ann is our co-founder. Jerry Frericks (aka Grandpa Tractor) got his nickname from Greg & Mary Ann’s son, Gram. You guessed correctly, Grandpa does own a tractor!

Is this your “desert island beer?”
With how clean and easy-drinking this 5% ABV Dortmunder Export Lager is, it could very well be my desert island beer.

Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less?
Full-bodied, balanced, crisp and refreshing session beer.

Do you know a story – or have a personal story – that revolves around this beer?
See above regarding the name. On a side note, we have a group of local regulars that come in almost every night just to drink Grandpa Tractor and nothing else!

Photo Credit: Barley Forge Brewing Co.

92 Rating – Avery Brewing Co. – Double D’s

Responses from Avery’s “Barrel Professor” Travis Rupp.

Who came up with this beer’s recipe?
Our beloved lab geek, Dan Driscoll. He spends most of his time in a rarified lab environment, but he gets very excited about beer. He brought up the idea of a beer inspired by the flavors in the ol’ Whiskey Ginger cocktail. So we made a strong, non-sour amber beer, aged it in fresh Bourbon barrels, then added fresh ginger juice. We had originally planned on adding lime zest, but we did some tastings and decided that the lime mitigated the impact from the barrels.

What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?
My favorite aspect of this beer is the overall flavor balance. It’s pretty easy to throw a bunch of ginger and lime into just about anything, and, of course, it’ll taste great. But we spent months aging this beer in Bourbon barrels because we didn’t want to lose the vanilla and coconut flavors from the charred oak. We had to use a light hand in the spicing too. I love that this beer smells like fresh ginger, but the aftertaste is of huge vanilla from the charred oak.

Where does this beer’s name come from?
Dan “DD’s” Driscoll, Avery Yeast Manager – a brilliant, ginger badass. We wanted to surprise him by keeping the name of the beer a secret, but unfortunately, he found out a week before we were going to bottle it because he’s a sneaky ginger.

Is this your “desert island beer?”
If I were stuck on an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and I’d just caught a fish with my bare hands and I wanted a beer pairing for that fish, Double D’s is the one.

Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less?
Ginger, vanilla, coconut, balanced, awesome.

Photo Credit: Avery Brewing Co.

92 Rating – Oskar Blues Brewery – Hotbox Coffee Porter

Responses from Oskar Blues’ head brewer Tim Matthews.

Who came up with this beer’s recipe?
Hotbox was formulated by the Oskar Blues brewing team.

What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?
The harmony between the fruity malts and Hotbox Coffee blueberry and cocoa notes.

Where does this beer’s name come from?
It’s a shout-out to the killer roasters at Hotbox Roasters who supply the coffee for the beer. It is their coffee that gets us perked up and ready to brew our beer after all!

Is this your “desert island beer?”
Our special seasonals are for special occasions. One can has plenty of satisfaction. I would want to bring something more sessionable to a desert island.

Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less?
Gotta get up to get down; beer and coffee together!

Do you know a story – or have a personal story – that revolves around this beer?
Hotbox Porter was bound to happen. You could see the writing on the wall when people would make cold-brew coffee and Ten Fidy cocktails in the breakroom after work.

Photo Credit: Oskar Blues Brewery

92 Rating – Good People Brewing Co. – Good People IPA

Responses from Good People’s brewmaster and co-founder Jason Malone and head brewer Adam Klein.

Who came up with this beer’s recipe?
Jason created the original recipe.

What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?
Jason’s favorite aspect of this beer is that the hop profile is multi-layered with citrus, pine, herbal, dank, and catty notes. You can ask 10 different people to describe this beer and get 10 different answers.

Where does this beer’s name come from?
With all of our core beers, or “Ales from the Heart of Dixie,” the names are pretty straightforward. We want people to know what they’re drinking and to know that Good People means quality.

Is this your “desert island beer?”
Adam says, “Definitely, yes.” He knows that there are a ton of great beers out there, but GP IPA is his go-to brew.

Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less?
Dry-hopped, aromatic, herbal, earthy, crisp and refreshing.

Do you know a story – or have a personal story – that revolves around this beer?
Funnily enough, this beer was first released at the 2008 Southern Brewers Festival in Chattanooga. Alabama didn’t legally allow beer above 6% ABV to be sold in the state at that time, so our IPA made its debut in Tennessee. Jason and Michael (the brewery’s other co-founder) drove up there to showcase the first few brews under the Good People name.

Photo Credit: Cary Norton

91 Rating – Southbound Brewing Co. – Moondance

Responses from Southbound’s brewmaster Smith Mathews.

Who came up with this beer’s recipe?
I did.

What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?
My favorite aspect of this beer is the dark chocolate and caramel flavors that come together beautifully to make an exceptional mind grenade on the first sip.

Where does this beer’s name come from?
This beer’s name comes from the classic song and album by Van Morrison.

Is this your “desert island beer?”
Coming in at 10.6% ABV, this stout has plenty of strength and flavor to make any desert island your new happy place. Sign me up!

Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less?
It is chocolaty, smooth, roasted and tastefully spiced.

Do you know a story – or have a personal story – that revolves around this beer?
Brewing this beer was a monster. The massive malt bill tested our 30-barrel mash tun’s capacity for sure. We had to dig deep and paddle hard to get this bad boy stirred up. We were nervous that the mash was going to flow over the door, but we knew it was going to be delicious!

Photo Credit: Southbound Brewing Co.

91 Rating – Breckenridge Brewery – Twenty Five

Responses from Breckenridge’s cerllar master Brandon Osha.

Who came up with this beer’s recipe?
John Jordon, our Quality Control brewer, and myself. The base recipe is our Vanilla Porter, but we doubled it up and swapped out some malts. The malt that really stood out is Special W. It has a lot of red fruit and raisin characteristics; it’s a malt that really complements a dark, barrel-aged beer. For the barrels, we ordered 200 rum barrels from Barbados. We also ordered high-quality, fresh vanilla beans from the Veracruz region of Mexico. These beans came from small family farms – they’re hand-pollinated and hand-picked. Once we had the Imperial Vanilla Porter resting in rum barrels, we added bundles of the fresh, wet vanilla beans to each barrel.

What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?
How balanced it is, and how every element worked well together. It’s a strong, very flavorful beer, but each ingredient complements the others, and there isn’t one flavor that overpowers the others.

Where does this beer’s name come from?
This beer is a tribute to our 25th anniversary, thus the name “Twenty Five.”

Is this your “desert island beer?”
Nah, it’s too dark and strong for that. I’d consider it my “stuck in a snowstorm” beer.

Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less?
Twenty Five is a beer to enjoy leisurely with friends.

Do you know a story – or have a personal story – that revolves around this beer?
This beer means a lot to me – it’s the biggest project I’ve led since joining the brewery 7½ years ago. We came up with the idea for this beer when we were hanging out together at the 2015 Big Beers, Belgians and Barleywines festival in Vail, Colorado. I was excited that Todd liked the idea enough to give me the go-ahead to do it.

Photo Credit: Breckenridge Brewery

91 Rating – Upland Brewing Co. – Barrel Chested Barleywine

Responses from Upland’s lead brewer Patrick Lynch.

Who came up with this beer’s recipe?
This recipe has evolved over the years. We used to release our Winter Warmer Barley Wine every winter and would occasionally brew a bourbon barrel-aged version alongside it. The bourbon barrel edition was so popular that, beginning in 2014, we focused solely on that, and Barrel Chested was born.

What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?
The bourbon character from the barrels is retained but not too dominant. There is a complex array of flavors and a soothing warmth from the high alcohol content.

Where does this beer’s name come from?
We wanted a name that made it clear this beer was barrel-aged, but also captured the bold, strong character of the beer. Barrel Chested accomplishes both these goals, and the “Gentle Giant” on the beer label furthers the display of strength.

Is this your “desert island beer?”
To answer that literally, I probably wouldn’t make it through too many of these on a desert island. On the other hand, if I were stranded in a winter cabin, Barrel Chested would definitely be my beer of choice to keep me warm, sane and satisfied.

Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less?
Strong, rich flavors with an approachable balance.

Do you know a story – or have a personal story – that revolves around this beer?
I always look forward to Barrel Chested because even though we brew it in the warmth of April, it represents the cooler temperatures in the distant future. As spring transitions to summer in the brewhouse, I’ll play Christmas music while brewing Barrel Chested and feel a connection to the spirit of the winter season. This beer really does experience all four seasons. It is brewed in the Spring, aged over the Summer and Fall, and packaged and enjoyed in the Winter.

Photo Credit: Chelsea Schoch

91 Rating – Good People Brewing Co. – Good People Brown Ale

Responses from Good People’s brewmaster and co-founder Jason Malone and head brewer Adam Klein.

Who came up with this beer’s recipe?
Jason created this recipe.

What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?
Adam says that this beer holds a special place in the brewery’s heart because it was the first one brewed and the first one introduced in Alabama.

Is this your “desert island beer?”
Adam says that we’re all pretty big hop heads around the brewery, so this wouldn’t necessarily be our first choice for a beer style. But, if this desert island had a grill and/or crockpot, you better believe we would want the Brown around to help marinate meat and flavor our meals.

Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less?
This is a great food beer. Slightly sweet and nutty.

Do you know a story – or have a personal story – that revolves around this beer?
The original version of the Brown Ale recipe remains carved into Michael’s garage workbench ten years after being created.

Photo Credit: Cary Norton

91 Rating – Boston Beer Co. – Sparkling Ale

Responses from Boston Beer brewer Jennifer Glanville.

Who came up with this beer’s recipe?
This beer style was originally brewed in Scotland in the 19th century as an alternative to the heartier ales of the era, but historical recipe details have been hard to trace. Eventually, sparkling ales became popular in Australia as the Scottish moved on to brewing different styles of beer that had become popular in neighboring England. A fair amount of trial and error was required on our part in the nanobrewery here in Boston to get to the desired flavor profile.

What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?
I really like the crisp, clean flavor profile of the beer, and love the hop character that the Noble hops contribute.

Where does this beer’s name come from?
Sparkling Ale is our take on a rare historic Scottish style. Golden in color and effervescent, it combines subtle Noble hop notes with pale malts to create a slightly floral character and a dry finish. At first sip, the word “sparkling” immediately comes to mind.

Is this your “desert island beer?”
I think that if I’m going to be living on a desert island, I’m going to want a slightly heartier beer. But… because this beer is lighter in flavor intensity, its crisp and clean finish allows it to match up well with more intense and flavorful foods, like salty ham. So, if there were any wild boars on my desert island I think I would be all set!

Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less?
Light-bodied, light cereal notes and tart hints of dryness.

Do you know a story – or have a personal story – that revolves around this beer?
For Sparkling Ale, what excited us the most was the opportunity to bring back an old and almost forgotten beer style, and we had a lot of fun throughout the brewing process.

Photo Credit: Boston Beer Co.