Brewer Q & A – Summer 2016 (Issue 25)

97 Rating – Jester King Brewery – Ol’ Oi

Responses from Jester King founder and head brewer Jeffrey Stuffings.

BC: What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?
I think the lactic character is my favorite aspect. It somewhat pushes the boundaries of lactic acid in a beer for me, but ultimately, it presents itself as balanced.

BC: Where does this beer’s name come from?
We make a beer inspired by English Mild called Commercial Suicide. The label art has an English punk rock theme (think Sex Pistols). In some ways, Ol’ Oi is the older, more mature version of Commercial Suicide. So we pictured an aging rocker and gave it the name “Ol’ Oi” as a nod to the subgenre of Oi! music from the UK in the 70s. 

BC: Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less?
Barrel-aged sour brown ale. 

BC: Do you know a story – or have a personal story – that revolves around this beer?
Ol’ Oi was one of the highlights of our first-ever sour beer event at Jester King (the original Funk n’ Sour Fest). A lot has changed at Jester King since then, so Ol’ Oi has a lot of sentimentality attached to it. 

97 Rating – Firestone Walker Brewing Co. – Parabola

Responses from Firestone Walker head brewer Matt Brynildson.

BC: Who came up with this beer’s recipe?
Parabola is a 10-year-old recipe that was one of my creations. It was one of the first barrel-aged beers we brewed at Firestone Walker and it was originally created to be just a blending component for our very first Anniversary beer, which is always a blend we make with local wine makers.

BC: What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?
I’m a huge fan of stouts and Parabola is a huge Imperial Stout. The roasty, espresso, chocolate flavors of the stout pair perfectly with the bourbon barrels that we have selected to age the beer in. After a year in the barrel, all of the sharp edges fade away, beautiful vanilla and coconut flavors start to emerge and the roasty dark chocolate notes turn into milk chocolate goodness. We focus on clean barrel expression and try to limit the sherry and heavy oxidation notes that can come along with warm-cellar barrel programs.

BC: Where does this beer’s name come from? 
Parabola is an interesting word that seems to encapsulate the size and feel of the beer and a brewing project like this. Remember that we built the Vintage Barrel aging program over 10 years ago and we were trying to make a mark in a relatively new frontier in craft brewing. We are close friends with the folks at Three Floyds, Bell’s and Goose Island so they were big inspirations when conceiving this beer. I was also listening to and seeing a lot of heavy metal shows at the time so that comes into play as well.

BC: Is this your “desert island beer?”
Oh no way — Parabola is my ultimate dessert beer and certainly not my desert island beer. Pivo would be the desert island beer. 

BC: Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less?
Massively gorgeous. Huge, roasty malt married with American bourbon oak.

BC: Do you know a story – or have a personal story – that revolves around this beer?
This beer has been known to challenge even the best brewers. It is not easy to make in any way, shape or form. Most of the stories about this beer involve long nights and excessive overtime of impossible lautering sessions and temperamental barrel-racking, which leads to excessive bourbon drinking and sore backs.

BC: What’s a good food pairing for this beer?
All things chocolate and rich. I love pairing Parabola with a simple dark chocolate like a Vosges sea salt, bacon- or chili-infused dark chocolate bar. Pairs well with Elijah Craig 12 year Bourbon (on a single rock) as well.

Photo Credit: Little Films

96 Rating – Founders Brewing Co. – KBS

Responses from Founders head brewer Jeremy Kosmicki.

BC: Who came up with this beer’s recipe? 
Founders began brewing a chocolate and coffee-infused oatmeal stout back in the early 2000s that was known as Breakfast Stout. It was based on a homebrew concept that then Head Brewer Nate Walser and myself had worked on prior to our professional brewing careers. It was the first beer we tried aging in bourbon barrels, and though it came out great, the body seemed a bit thin and the chocolate and coffee flavors had become muted due the extended time spent in the bourbon barrel. So the grain bill was increased and the chocolate and coffee amounts were doubled. That recipe has never changed since.

BC: What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)? 
I personally love the balance of flavors in this beer. There is so much going on, but they all play very nicely together. I like the way the coffee and bourbon jump out in the aroma and first sip, then the chocolate and oak finish up in the aftertaste.

BC: Where does this beer’s name come from?
The beer was originally called Kentucky Breakfast Stout, since it was basically an imperial version of our Breakfast Stout and Kentucky is home of the best bourbons. I believe there were some legal issues though, something about the beer not being made in Kentucky, so we just went with KBS. It’s what everyone was calling it for short anyways.

BC: Is this your “desert island beer?”
No way! If I’m on a desert island I’ll need something pale, hoppy and sessionable. It’s more like my “weekend transition from breakfast to afternoon when I’m feeling fancy” beer.

95 Rating – Ska Brewing Co. – Decadent Imperial IPA

Responses from Ska brewer Thomas Larsen.

BC: Who came up with this beer’s recipe?
The original recipe for Decadent was created for our 10th anniversary and was meant to be a robust reincarnation of Pinstripe (one of our flagships) but, at the time, there was no Imperial Red category so we geared it to an Imperial IPA instead.

BC: What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)? 
I love how the immediate burst of hop bitterness quickly transforms into candied grapefruit awesomeness.

BC: Where does this beer’s name come from?
10th anniversary, from Deca, having ten, and decadent, reflecting a state of moral or cultural decline, or luxuriously self-indulgent. I find them both fitting!

BC: Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less?
Um…..Decadent? That’s one word; yeah, I’ll stick with that.

BC: Do you know a story – or have a personal story – that revolves around this beer?
We just recently had a customer ask if we use grapefruit in the Decadent because she read some reviews and thought it might interfere with her medication. We assured her that there is no fruit of any kind in this beer and that the flavor comes only from the hops.

BC: What’s a good food pairing for this beer?
Coming from the southwest, any spicy Mexican is a natural fit with Decadent, but spicy Indian curry will be just as delicious.

Photo Credit: Scott Smith

94 Rating – Belching Beaver Brewing Co. – Ol’ Dirty Barrel

Responses from Belching Beaver brewmaster Troy Smith.

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

BC: Where does this beer’s name come from?
We age this beer in Ol’ Dirty Barrels, and I wanted to reference the late great ODB from Wu-Tang Clan. 🙂

BC: Is this your “desert island beer?”
My desert Island beer would have to be our Dammed Double IPA, because it has tons of drinkability, a higher ABV to “get the job done,” and you can’t get a DUI on a desert island…

BC: Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less?
Whiskey, figs, raisins, wood characteristics, caramel, sweet undertones. Good Times.

BC: What’s a good food pairing for this beer?
Juicy ribeye steaks or chocolaty desserts.

94 Rating – Ballast Point Brewing & Spirits – Watermelon Dorado

Responses from Ballast Point VP of Brewing & Distilling Jamie Murray.

BC: Who came up with this beer’s recipe?
We like to think that ALL of our recipes are a collaborative effort. There is no one person responsible for the world-class execution of our beers.

BC: What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?
I love the fact that our team decided to use cucumber alongside the watermelon. It gives this beer added depth and really accentuates the aroma and flavor of watermelon and watermelon rind.

BC: Where does this beer’s name come from?
Dorado (Spanish for golden), in this case, refers to the beautiful common dolphinfish or Mahi Mahi (Hawaiian for very strong). With unmatched variations in color, the vivid Dorado astounds San Diego anglers with its strong aerial fighting ability. Their prized fillets make for some of the finest fish tacos in the world! Two Dorado fish, painted by local artist Paul Elder, grace the label to remind you of the double punch of flavor.

BC: Is this your “desert island beer?”
This beer is a little too high-octane for a desert island. Mango Even Keel is more my style.

BC: Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less?
Another home run by the best team in the biz.

BC: Do you know a story – or have a personal story – that revolves around this beer?
We are constantly experimenting with our brands, whether it be in R&D or via our cask program. This happened to be a beer that we ran through our tasting rooms on the beer engines and was very well received. We decided to brew a small batch and “debut” it during LA Beer Week. The response was overwhelming, and we knew we had something special on our hands. That is the beauty of our program: All of the new brands play on core brands, and they all come about organically.

BC: What’s a good food pairing for this beer?
There’s so many options: Gazpacho, Asiago and Manchego Cheeses, Chinese Salt and Pepper Wings with Sweet and Sour Sauce, Avocado, Grapefruit and Shrimp Salad with Buttermilk Dressing, Shrimp Po’ Boy, Tomato Panzanella with Shrimp and Basil, Baby Back Ribs with Kansas City BBQ Sauce, Pineapple Custard, Bacon-wrapped dates stuffed with bleu cheese, Grilled Corn on the cob freshly covered with butter and salt and prosciutto-wrapped watermelon and brie.

94 Rating – Funky Buddha Brewery – Wide Awake It’s Morning

Responses from Funky Buddha owner and brewer Ryan Sentz.

BC: Who came up with this beer’s recipe?
I did, about 5 years ago.

BC: What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?
At this point where the beer is, I really enjoy the balance of all the flavors. I think when we first started brewing it, it was more maple-heavy.

BC: Where does this beer’s name come from?
We tend to use a lot of 80s pop culture references or music references, and this one came from the name of a 2005 Bright Eyes album.

BC: Is this your “desert island beer?”
No way! I tend to think of desert island beers in two ways. One, I always picture it being really hot, so it would have to be something I would want on a hot day. Next, it would have to be something that was kind of neutral, so you didn’t get too sick of any particular flavor. For me, our Floridian Hefeweizen fits the bill perfectly.

BC: Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less?
We’ve always described the smaller 6% version of this beer as “evoking a complete diner-style breakfast in a glass.” So I think that same description applies here.

BC: Do you know a story – or have a personal story – that revolves around this beer?
Not really a story, but I always love seeing people’s reaction when first trying or smelling this beer. We get a lot of “holy shit” reactions, which always make us smile.

BC: What’s a good food pairing for this beer?
I’m not great at pairing, but we’ve done a lot of dinners involving this beer. Typically, this goes well with dark chocolate as the bitterness of the chocolate pairs really nicely with both the coffee and maple.

94 Rating – Rogue Ales & Spirits – 8 Hop IPA

Responses from Rogue founder and brewmaster John Maier.

BC: Who came up with this beer’s recipe?
After making 7 Hop, we thought, “Why stop at 7? Why not use every hop we grow in the rich Willamette Valley soil at Rogue Farms to make what we call the boss of the Hop Family?” So we did. 

BC: What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?
The strong malt backbone that you can sink your teeth into and the big hop punch that follows. ​

BC: Where does this beer’s name come from?
The number of hop varietals in the beer. The bottle uses the hops to form the number 8 — it also serves as a field guide-style drawing; if you were to take the bottle out to the hopyard with you in the summer, you could easily identify each hop in your beer. 

BC: Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less?
Brash, burly, imperial, unforgettable.

BC: What’s a good food pairing for this beer?
Veggie burger with Rogue blue cheese.

94 Rating – Rogue Ales & Spirits – Rogue American Amber Ale

Responses from Rogue founder and brewmaster John Maier.

BC: What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?
The deep, burnt caramel malt flavor. 

BC: Where does this beer’s name come from?
American Amber was originally known as Ashland Amber as it was created at Rogue’s original brewpub in Ashland, Oregon, which was destroyed by flooding not too soon after opening. It was renamed “American” because it represents more than the town in which it was brewed (which is now Newport, Oregon); American Amber reflects Rogue’s commitment to brewing complex ales of distinction and Rogue’s philosophy of placing no restraints on style or amount of ingredients in its quest to revolutionize beer in America.

BC: What’s a good food pairing for this beer?
Oregon crab cakes or Mo’s Clam Chowder (Oregonian-style clam chowder).

94 Rating – Blackberry Farm Brewery – Summer Saison

Responses from Blackberry Farm head brewer Daniel Heisler.

BC: What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?
Its bright, tropical hop flavor and dry, spicy finish.

BC: Where does this beer’s name come from?
The Australian Summer Hop and also the season we release the beer, Summer.

BC: Is this your “desert island beer?”
Summer Saison would be fantastic sipped underneath the coconut palms of Clipperton Island with some fresh, fire-grilled crabs. Let’s go!

BC: Do you know a story – or have a personal story – that revolves around this beer?
We were inspired by a great hop from Australia, “Australian Summer.”  We wanted a tropical and refreshing beer that was a combination of flavors from mixing the Saison and American Pale Ale styles. 

BC: What’s a good food pairing for this beer?
I think Summer is fabulous with grilled meats and BBQ as well as spicy dishes like Curries and Thai cuisine.

94 Rating – Ska Brewing Co. – True Blonde

Responses from Ska brewer Thomas Larsen.

BC: Who came up with this beer’s recipe?
True Blonde was the first beer brewed by Ska and was created by Dave and Bill back when they were still young and good-looking, as well as Kyle Carstens, their brewer/consultant/longtime friend, who was running the Wynkoop Brewery at the time while helping them get started.

BC: What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?
I love the smooth maltiness and the way the hops give it a crisp, balanced finish.

BC: Where does this beer’s name come from?
When Bill and Dave were writing their business plan on the back of a bar napkin, Kyle asked them for a name for their first beer, which, obviously, was a blond ale, and their response was tinged with depravity and something about the short and curlies. In that moment, True Blonde was born.

BC: Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less?
Golden, malty goodness.

BC: What’s a good food pairing for this beer?
True Blonde is excellent with salads. Just enough sweetness to cut the acidity of a vinaigrette and a sparkling personality to cleanse the palate.

Photo Credit: Scott Smith

93 Rating – Ska Brewing Co. – Steel Toe Milk Stout

Responses from Ska brewer Thomas Larsen.

BC: Who came up with this beer’s recipe?
It was originally created by Bill and Jeff Ogden (previous Head Brewer) but we made some changes to it a few years ago and took back-to-back Golds at GABF and WBC!

BC: What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?
The velvety, smooth mouthfeel is out of this world; it still doesn’t come across as heavy, even with healthy residual sweetness. Sometimes it can even come across so balanced you might not think it’s a Sweet Stout.

BC: Where does this beer’s name come from?
This was originally just named Milk Stout but someone beat us to the punch with trademarking and we wanted it to reflect a working person’s choice of tasty beverage so we went with Steel Toe, not to mention an owner’s previous affinity for Doc Martens.

BC: Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less?
Smooth, chocolaty deliciousness.

BC: What’s a good food pairing for this beer?
Nothing difficult here, just desserts! Most sweet desserts (whether fruit- or chocolate-based) will be heavenly alongisde Steel Toe.

Photo Credit: Scott Smith

93 Rating – Rogue Ales & Spirits – 7 Hop IPA

Responses from Rogue founder and brewmaster John Maier.

BC: Who came up with this beer’s recipe?
Rogue Farms came up with this recipe. If taking in deep breaths of air, thick with aroma from hops growing on bines wasn’t inspiration, then I don’t know what was. This was our first IPA from the Rogue Farms Hop Family series and really a catalyst to brew the rest of the Hop Family beers too.

BC: What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?
It’s both bold and balanced. 

BC: Where does this beer’s name come from?
7 Hops — simple and easy to understand. We let the hops speak for themselves and even write the number 7 on the bottle just to be sure.

BC: Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less?
It’s a great synergy of aroma, bitterness and malt.

BC: What’s a good food pairing for this beer?
Spicy tofu curry.

92 Rating – Oskar Blues Brewery – Beerito Mexican Lager

Responses from Oskar Blues head brewer Tim Matthews.

BC: Who came up with this beer’s recipe?
The brewing team at OB collaborated to create this. We had multiple employees taste test a bunch of different fermentation techniques and then do chews on different malts. Then we paired two hops, Aramis and Hallertauer Mittlefrueh, that we had used in past amber lagers that we felt accentuated the malts in the way we desired. Then we ran multiple test batches in Lyons to dial in the grain bill before we let loose in NC and CO.

BC: What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?
How bright the malt flavors are without a fatiguing sweetness.

BC: Where does this beer’s name come from?
The musings of our resident OB innovator, Jeremy Rudolf. He sent a mysterious midnight text about a year ago that simply said “Beerito.”  Next day we all chatted it up and felt like it would be great name for a Vienna/Dark Mexican Lager.

BC: Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less?
Complex yet approachable, this malt treat sinks into your tongue.

BC: What’s a good food pairing for this beer?
Walnut, goat cheese and raspberry vinaigrette salads plus creamy, chocolaty desserts.

92 Rating – Monday Night Brewing – Slap Fight

Responses from Monday Night lead brewer Josh Johnson.

BC: Who came up with this beer’s recipe?
I worked for about 6 months to perfect the base recipe. The dry-hop was chosen by our tasting panel at the brewery.

BC: What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?
My favorite aspect of the beer is that it’s a tomahawk slam jam of flavor, but is still so sessionable. We can drink this beer 24/7 here at the brewery.

BC: Where does this beer’s name come from?
We wanted to create a beer that slapped you in the face with hops, so we did.

BC: Is this your “desert island beer?”
Oh, most definitely. I would love to drink Slap Fight out of a coconut. 

BC: Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less?
A tasty cold snack.

BC: What’s a good food pairing for this beer?
BBQ, steaks, soft cheese, a body of water (i.e. swimming pool, beach, etc.) and of course, other Slap Fights.

Photo Credit: Jason Travis

92 Rating – Heavy Seas Beer – The Partner Ships Series: Maine Beer Co.

Responses from Heavy Seas brewer Courtney Lacey.

BC: Who came up with this beer’s recipe?
It really was a collaborative effort, we went up to Maine and were sitting around with their brewmaster at the time discussing the general processes we use to make our beers and noticed a lot of similarities. We all agreed Zoe was our favorite Maine Beer Co. offering, so making a Red IPA just seemed to be the next logical step

BC: What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?
I like the balance between the maltiness and the hop character.

BC: Where does this beer’s name come from?
We love our seaworthy puns here at Heavy Seas.

BC: Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less?
An easy-drinking, ruby-colored beauty.

BC: Do you know a story – or have a personal story – that revolves around this beer?
It was a challenging filtration, but I am very proud and happy with how this beer looks in a glass.

BC: What’s a good food pairing for this beer?
Personally, I love drinking this beer with a freshly grilled cheeseburger in my backyard.

92 Rating – Dogfish Head Craft Brewery – Festina Pêche

Responses from Dogfish Head founder Sam Calagione.

BC: Who came up with this beer’s recipe?
We brewed a stronger lambic-style beer with local peaches about 13 years ago called Festina Lente, which people dug. I read a story on historic Berliner Weisse beers in Germany and though there might be an opportunity to revive the style in the US. I believe our Festina Peche was the first bottled Berliner Weisse in the US and it was definitely the first fruit-infused version to be packaged and distributed in the states. Now there are hundreds, which is cool, and shows the explosive growth of sessionable sours. Via IRI data, Berliner Weisse beers have seen over a hundred percent growth over the last 12 months. 

BC: What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?
How light and refreshing it is. It appeals to white wine drinkers as much as beer drinkers.

BC: Where does this beer’s name come from?
Festina Lente means “makes haste slowly,” since sour beers take a long time to make. But Berliner Weisse can be made more quickly than lambics, so (long story short) Festina Peche means “swift peach.”

BC: Is this your “desert island beer?”
It is one of them for sure – so light and refreshing. And the fruit can’t be bad for you. 😉

BC: Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less?
Sessionable sour! Stand up and salute: Tart and fruity reporting for duty! Oops – that’s 12. 

BC: Do you know a story – or have a personal story – that revolves around this beer?
When we first distributed this beer about a decade ago – about one-fifth of what we sent out got returned to our brewery by distributors – some of them and some of our retailers thought the beer went bad and wasn’t supposed to taste tart. It shows you how far beer lovers’ palates have evolved in ten years. 

BC: What’s a good food pairing for this beer?
Festina is a great beer to pair with all types of food, especially citrusy salads and grilled fish.

92 Rating – Rogue Ales & Spirits – Good Chit Pilsner

Responses from Rogue founder and brewmaster John Maier.

BC: Who came up with this beer’s recipe?
I wanted to create a beer that lets you experience the barley we grow and floor malt by hand. Floor malting is an old fashioned, eight-day process that not many people are doing any more. Good Chit lets the barley speak and floor malting speak for itself. 

BC: Where does this beer’s name come from?
The chit is the start of the rootlets of the barley that emerges from the kernel once steeping is done and germination then begins. We think it’s pretty good, too. 

BC: Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less?
Crisp, clean, refreshingly bitter.

BC: Do you know a story – or have a personal story – that revolves around this beer?
We had no idea how to floor malt when we first started — we wasted so many batches of barley to finally get it right. We also didn’t have a lot of space so it went from a small space above one of our pubs in Portland to now next to our barley fields located in Tygh Valley, Oregon. 

BC: What’s a good food pairing for this beer?
Black bean chili or a nice summer salad with Oregon pink shrimp and lemon-herb vinaigrette.

92 Rating – Back East Brewing Co. – Tony Goes Dancing

Responses from Back East co-founder Tony Karlowicz.

BC: Who came up with this beer’s recipe?
This beer was designed by our former Head Brewer Stephen Andrews. As with any new recipe, all of our brewers collaborate and give suggestions too. This is a limited release for us and it is exciting because we’ll be changing the hops each time, so each time Tony Goes Dancing, it will be a somewhat different dance. We just brewed a new batch, designed by our new Head Brewer Brian Flach, and this one will be a little bit different from the last.

BC: What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?
I love the body of this beer. It is a double IPA with a nice body, lending it some complexity, but also has nice stone fruit and juicy flavors and aromas that you’d expect from the newer East Coast-style IPAs.

BC: Where does this beer’s name come from?
This was only our second DIPA, and following up on the popularity of Palate Mallet (our first), we knew we had to come up with a good name. Stephen Andrews actually came up with the name, and as soon as he suggested it, I loved it. He basically said, how fun would it be to go to a bar and say “I’ll have a Tony Goes Dancing.” I do like to dance, but I’m not very good at it.

BC: Is this your “desert island beer?”
I don’t think this is. I think my desert island beer would be our Summer Ale, which is light, crisp and hoppy. I don’t think Summer Ale is a desert island beer just because it’s a crushable, lighter ale, but also because I could probably be happy drinking just that beer for the rest of my (short) life on that island.

BC: Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less?
Soft and delicate with juicy stone fruit flavors and aromas.

BC: What’s a good food pairing for this beer?
I’m a fan of simple pairings, and I think it would actually go great with a sweet BBQ pulled pork sandwich (and we’ve got quite a bit of good BBQ here in CT).

91 Rating – AleSmith Brewing Co. – AleSmith Double IPA

Responses from AleSmith brewmaster and owner Peter Zien.

BC: What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?
My favorite aspect of AleSmith Double IPA is the intensity of the hop flavor and aroma without any overpowering bitterness.

BC: Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less?
Scaling the wall of hops against a solid malt backdrop.

BC: Do you know a story – or have a personal story – that revolves around this beer?
In 2005, a happy accident occurred when we set out to brew our winter seasonal, YuleSmith, for a one-off summer release. Apparently, some malt bags had been mislabeled and the expected reddish-hued beer was instead a light copper color. Upon tasting this now lighter-colored hop monster, our Double IPA was born!

BC: What’s a good food pairing for this beer?
Carnitas and carne asada come to mind, but you might be surprised to try this as the base liquid for steamed mussels as well. It’s crazy-versatile as a food-pairing beer!

91 Rating – FATE Brewing Co. – Uror

Responses from FATE head brewer Jeff Griffith.

BC: Who came up with this beer’s recipe?
I’ve been making Gose since there were only four reviews online, two of which were from Germany.

BC: What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?
The surprise on people’s faces once they’ve tasted it. They love the balance and how refreshing this beer is. Many haven’t tried a style like this before and are very intrigued after their first sip.

BC: Is this your “desert island beer?”
Yes. So much so that we like to call it “Brewer’s Gatorade.”

BC: Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less?
Tart, crisp, salty, bready, sour, flavorful, refreshing and surprising.

Photo Credit: Dave Engle Photography

91 Rating – Green Man Brewery – Wayfarer

Responses from Green Man head brewer John Stuart.

BC: Who came up with this beer’s recipe?
Wayfarer started out as a Session IPA in the tasting room called StormTrooper. I made some adjustsment to it after spending some time at Dechutes Brewery in Bend, OR. Their ChainBreaker IPA was my inspiration.

BC: What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?
I like Wayfarer’s crisp hop snap and easy drinkability.

BC: Where does this beer’s name come from?
Dennis, Green Man’s owner, has a pair of Wayfarer sunglasses that he’s quite fond of, and he thought it would make a cool name.

BC: What’s a good food pairing for this beer?
Thai food. Particularly Green Curry. 

91 Rating – Rogue Ales & Spirits – Brutal IPA

Responses from Rogue founder and brewmaster John Maier..

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

BC: What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?
The peachy flavor from the Alluvial hops grown on our farm. 

BC: Where does this beer’s name come from?
When I first made this beer, it was on a different brew system, using all bagged malt and loads of hops. We had to shovel out of the hop-back by hand and the whole process was “brutal,” hence the name. 

BC: Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less?
Fruity and hopilicious. 

BC: What’s a good food pairing for this beer?
Grilled oysters with garlic butter

91 Rating – Great Divide Brewing Co. – Whitewater

Responses from Great Divide founder Brian Dunn.

BC: Who came up with this beer’s recipe?
Whitewater wheat was the name of an American Wheat Ale that Great Divide stopped packaging long ago, yet would occasionally brew for special occasions and celebrations. The R&D team discussed some proposed changes to be made to the original recipe and the Brewing Team ran a pilot batch that hit the specs and everyone was thrilled with the results. 

BC: What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?
Lower ABV and more flavor was the goal of the reworked recipe. The beer doesn’t feel thin and it isn’t too bitter, but rather remains hoppy and refreshing

BC: Where does this beer’s name come from?
Named after the frothing rapids of Colorado’s rivers.

BC: Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less?
Light, refreshing, hoppy, bright, fragrant, clean, summery, unfiltered… and yummy.

91 Rating – Southbound Brewing Co. – Transilience

Responses from Southbound brewer Chris Geerlings.

BC: What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?
The flavor is refreshing and thirst-quenching. Mango and pomegranate notes provide some fruitiness in the sip, and it finishes nice and tart.

BC: Where does this beer’s name come from?
Transilience means leaping forward from one thing to the next, which applies to musical improvisation but also to progress in general. Transilience was the beer that we launched into the Atlanta market last year for the first time — a significant step for the brewery.

BC: Is this your “desert island beer?”
Sure. This beer is our summertime seasonal, and it’s an absolutely perfect beach beer. Light, tart, flavorful and totally refreshing.

BC: What’s a good food pairing for this beer?
Transilience drinks light, sour and fruity, and it also carries a touch more carbonation than our other beers. I think this tart effervescence makes it a great brunch beer. It’s also great with fresh seafood and mild soft cheeses like Brie.

91 Rating – Tröegs Independent Brewing – Nimble Giant

Responses from Tröegs brewmaster and co-owner John Trogner.

BC: Who came up with this beer’s recipe?
We set out on the path to Nimble Giant more than a year ago, but we didn’t know it then. It started with our Scratch Series team doing a small-batch beer with Mosaic hops, which we had never brewed with before. We didn’t set out to release another double IPA, but when we tasted this hop combination, we latched on and couldn’t let go. After seven different recipes, it became Nimble Giant.

BC: What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?
We love how it builds; the layers of Mosaic, Azacca and Simcoe take over your senses. Mango, tropical fruit and creamsicle notes give the beer a silky, juicy underbelly that builds to a punch in the face of grapefruit rind, honeysuckle and pineapple. 

BC: Where does this beer’s name come from?
About 3 or 4 recipes in, we knew we were onto something and wanted to work toward a final recipe. Right around then, my brother Chris saw the word “giant” on a roadside sign. This beer is definitely a giant, but it’s also agile and lively, so we started calling it Nimble Giant. The name stuck. 

BC: Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less?
It’s Pavlovian. Smell it and you’re a drooling mess.

BC: Do you know a story – or have a personal story – that revolves around this beer?
The journey to Nimble Giant took more than a year, with a lot of tweaks, speedbumps and ‘a-ha’ moments. At that point, it becomes very personal. After about four small batches, we were starting to dial in the recipe. Not a whole lot of people get to taste our Scratch Series beers since they’re almost exclusively available in our Tasting Room in Hershey, PA. When we released that fourth batch, I started hearing great feedback from all walks of life, not just beer geeks. One of our dishwashers, a guy at the butcher shop, a turkey hunter at the local sporting goods store… they all came up to me and said: “Your new double IPA is awesome!”

BC: What’s a good food pairing for this beer?
We do food pairings a little differently. I get together with our chef and we come up with flavors, rather than dishes, that might contrast and/or complement each beer we make. That way, someone can take our advice and come up with their own pairings, rather than make what we tell them to. We call them Food Notes. For Nimble Giant, complementary flavors include coconut, caramelized onions, lemongrass, peaches, melons and prawns. Contrasting flavors include cured ham, barbecue chicken, roasted chicken and taleggio cheese. For adverse flavors, we’d stay away from milk chocolate, tomatoes, sauerkraut, garlic and cinnamon. 

All photos courtesy of their respective breweries, except where noted.