Posted in Coming Soon, Devils Backbone, Heavy Seas, New Releases

Heavy Seas & Devils Backbone Create Land Ho!

Heavy Seas is on the cusp of releasing a new collaboration brewed with Devils Backbone (Roseland, Virginia).  The beer is quite befitting a pirate – a “black pilsner.”  Jason Oliver, brewmaster of Devils Backbone grew up and brewed in the Baltimore/DC Area and known Heavy Sea’s Hugh Sisson for long time.   Hugh approached Jason to work on a new collab and of course he took the opportunity.

A few months back, the Heavy Seas crew went down to Devils Backbone in Virginia to start work on Land Ho!.  The first round was brewed on Backbone’s pilot system.

We designed it to have subtle dark malt notes without being too heavy and balanced by the pronounced noble hop character of a pilsner.  With both our breweries doing multiple black versions of previously paler beer styles this approach seemed to satisfy our collective tastes and fill a niche neither of us have done before

Next stop was to scale it up to Heavy Sea’s 50 barrel brewhouse to keg and bottle.

About Land Ho!
This black pilsner adheres to tradition: Noble hops contribute a delicate aroma and slight bitterness to the malt-forward beer, which has a hint of roasted character. The dark color belies the beer’s clean finish and light body. Land Ho! was designed to have some heft, but still maintain drinkability. The style was chosen by Heavy Seas’ brewmaster Ernie Igot, a black pilsner aficionado, and the initial recipe was formulated by Jason Oliver, brewmaster of Devils Backbone; the brewers of both Heavy Seas and Devils Backbone refined the beer to have just the right nose, color, and taste.

Style: Pilsner
Hops: Warrior, Tettnang
Malts:  2-Row, Carapils, BlackPrinz, Caramel

Availability: 22oz bombers, Draft
Arrival: Already avail at Devil’s.  HS release May, 2012.

5.25% ABV