Casks

CASK ALERT: Terrapin Reunion 2010

Bottles of Reunion are headed to shelves soon.  To commemorate the release Taco Mac will host a release party with 2 casks of this Belgian Style Scotch Ale this Saturday, June 26th from 4-6 pm.

Just to recap-

What is Reunion?  Virgina Continue Reading →

CASK ALERT: Sweetwater Chocolate BSP Quad

Sweetwater’s latest Dank Tank release BSP Quad has been spotted in casks all over Atlanta in many different forms.  During Atlanta Beer Week the “Coffee Quad” was a hit.  I have been privy to a “Raspberry Quad.”  Today in celebration Continue Reading →

CASK ALERT: Peak Organic IPA

Peak Brewing makes organic beers.  Tasty organic beers.  Their most recent release is Summer Session Ale.  Peak also has an IPA in their lineup, and a cask of it will tapping this Friday (6/18.)  The recipe for this IPA came Continue Reading →

CASK ALERT: Sweetwater DP

We are days away from Brickstore Pub’s “Unlucky” 13th Anniversary on Saturday. For13 days prior to the big anniversary, Brickstore Pub will have a special tapping each day.

In a matter of minutes, Sweetwater’s DP (Donkey Punch) Barleywine aged in a Continue Reading →

Posted in Casks

CASK ALERT: Terrapin Reunion 2010

Bottles of Reunion are headed to shelves soon.  To commemorate the release Taco Mac will host a release party with 2 casks of this Belgian Style Scotch Ale this Saturday, June 26th from 4-6 pm.

Just to recap-

What is Reunion?  Virgina McLean, partner in the Reunion project, died from complications from multiple myeloma in June, 2007.   She had a fantastic quote“Cancer can cause my death, but it can only take my life if I give it that.” Virginia is the inspiration for the Reunion project, a way to drink good beer and raise money for the Institute for & Bone Cancer Research.  100% of the proceeds go straight to IMBCR. (www.imbcr.org)  This Institute works to prolong the life of individuals suffering from the currently incurable form of bone cancer, and hopes to one day find a cure. This institute does not have a huge operating budget — and proceeds from this Reunion project really make a difference.

Reunion 2010 is Belgian style scotch ale.   It’s brewed with 5 different malts, and hopped with Kent Golding.  A Trappist yeast was used on a scotch ale recipe… thus Belgian style scotch ale.

Where:

The Fred – Saturday, 6/26 4-6pm
5600 Roswell Rd
Sandy Springs, GA 30342

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Casks

CASK ALERT: Duck Rabbit Barrel Aged Sour Cherry Baltic Porter

Yes, thats a long name.  Lets break it down a little bit.  Duck Rabbit is known as the dark beer specialist.  Porter is one of Duck Rabbit’s flagship beers.  It’s silky, with a touch of chocolate.  As a special treat, brewer/founder Paul Phillipon ships in Michigan sour cherries (as featured in Bell’s and Founder’s beers) that get added to rare releases.  To my knowledge, Atlanta saw one of these cherry casks at Taco Mac Perimeter last year.

This cask goes a little further in depth and complexity.  Not only does Paul add sour cherries, but he also goes as far as to barrel age this beer.  Final result being a Barrel Aged Sour Cherry Baltic Porter.  When can your tastebuds get this beer? Today AND tomorrow at Brickstore Pub.  There are 2 of these rare casks.  5 pm Today, and 12 noon tomorrow (6/19.)

So, until then I leave you with your thoughts on what this cask will taste like…

Brick Store Pub
125 East Court Square
Decatur, GA 30030-2521
Twitter: @BrickstorePub

Fun Fact: The logo is a version of the duck-rabbit diagram, which looks like a duck or a rabbit, depending on the viewer’s perspective, appeared in a philosophy book Paul admires (Philosophical Investigations by Ludwig Wittgenstein).

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Casks, SweetWater Brewing

CASK ALERT: Sweetwater Chocolate BSP Quad

Sweetwater’s latest Dank Tank release BSP Quad has been spotted in casks all over Atlanta in many different forms.  During Atlanta Beer Week the “Coffee Quad” was a hit.  I have been privy to a “Raspberry Quad.”  Today in celebration and lead up to Brickstore Pub’s 13th Anniversary “Chocolate Quad” makes an appearance.

Chocolate Quad is just as the name dictates.  The Belgian Quad born in the Dank Tank infused with chocolate.  After having these different permutations of BSP Quad, I find it a very receptive beer in taking in flavors.  It won’t disappoint I’m sure.

Taps Today 6/17, 5pm

Brick Store Pub
125 East Court Square
Decatur, GA 30030-2521
Twitter: @BrickstorePub

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Casks, Peak Organic Brewing

CASK ALERT: Peak Organic IPA

Peak Brewing makes organic beers.  Tasty organic beers.  Their most recent release is Summer Session Ale.  Peak also has an IPA in their lineup, and a cask of it will tapping this Friday (6/18.)  The recipe for this IPA came from North Shore Brew Club.  I like that.  Straight from the garage, or back deck.  The IPA tapping on Friday a cask conditioned version, poured from the beer engine.  Rob Lucente brewer at Peak describes the cask versions to have a bit more of the Amarillo citrus flavor expressed.  Fred Crudder, beverage director for Taco Mac will be on hand too for this cask.  Feel free to introduce yourself.

Ingredients –

Hops – Simcoe, Amarillo, Nugget.  Dry hopped w/ Simcoe

Taco Mac Decatur – 6/18, Time TBA
240 West Ponce De Leon Avenue
Decatur, GA 30030-3269
(404) 378-4140

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Casks, SweetWater Brewing

CASK ALERT: Sweetwater DP

We are days away from Brickstore Pub’s “Unlucky” 13th Anniversary on Saturday. For13 days prior to the big anniversary, Brickstore Pub will have a special tapping each day.

In a matter of minutes, Sweetwater’s DP (Donkey Punch) Barleywine aged in a J.W. Lee’s lagvulin pin cask.   Basically, BSP had a leftover J.W. Lee’s cask.  It was taken to Sweetwater, where it was filled with Donkey Punch.  Then it was aged for a year in house at the pub.

This beer taps at 5 pm Today (6/14)

Brick Store Pub
125 East Court Square
Decatur, GA 30030-2521
Twitter: @BrickstorePub

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Casks, Heavy Seas

CASK ALERT: Heavy Seas “Loose Cannon”

A Heavy Seas Loose Cannon cask will be tapped at Thinking Man Tavern in Decatur on 6/18.

Heavy Seas Loose Cannon contains more than 3 lbs of hops per barrel and is hopped 3 times.  (Thus the hop cubed in the title.)  First hopping is kettle, second the hop back, and finally — dry hopped.   If you’re a lover of IPA’s this is one tasty cask to try.   What is special about this cask is unknown right now…  Here is the usual ingredients in Loose Cannon –

Hops – Simcoe, Centennial, Palisade, Warrior

Malts – Pale Malt

7.2% ABV

Thinking Man Tavern – 6/18, 5pm
537 West Howard Avenue
Decatur, GA 30030-3110
(404) 370-1717

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Casks, Heavy Seas

CASK ALERT: Heavy Seas “Smoke on the Water”

I had the pleasure of speaking with brewer Kurt Kroll this morning about Heavy Seas’s upcoming release of “Smoke on the Water.”  Smoke is an imperial porter with a touch of smoke.  It debuts on cask tomorrow at Cypress Street for the FIRST TIME on the east coast!!!  According to Heavy Seas, Atlanta will have a taste of this new beer even before Baltimore, Maryland (Heavy Seas home) will.  Feel special yet?  (You better! Start making plans.)

The Mutiny Fleet is a lot like a side project series for Heavy Seas Brewing.  Actually its more a like a showcase – a spotlight where brewers can show off.  Kurt Kroll designed this recipe; Smoke on the Water is his baby.  In addition, Kurt is the artistic talent behind the Mutiny Fleet labels.  (Personal interjection: Kurt, they are badass.)  Smoke is first and foremost a porter.  It was brewed at lower gravity in order to dry it out a bit on back end, giving the beer a bit more porter character.  The smoke is subtle.  Intentionally being a touch, not a flavor blast.  Smoked rauch malt was used for this recipe – no liquid malt.

Ingredients –

Hops – German Noble hop strains.  No aroma hops used

Malts – Smoked Rauch Malts from Germany

Availability –  22 oz bomber bottles (being bottled at Heavy Seas  today)  Draft offerings, but unspecified.  Cask

8% ABV

Again, this beer debuts tomorrow on gravity cask at Cypress Street, part of Beer Geek Tuesday

Cypress Street, 7pm
Ste E125, 817 West Peachtree Street
Atlanta, GA 30308
(404) 815-9243
Twitter: @CypressStreet

Special thanks to Kurt Kroll, and Kelly at Heavy Seas for their time!!!

by Reid Ramsay