Rare Opportunity

Love Casks? Get to 5 Seasons Brewing

Beer Engine on Left, Frank Tate hop tower on Right

Crawford Moran, Brewmaster at 5 Seasons Westside, and 5 Seasons North (Alpharetta) is doing a lot for casks and craft beer in Atlanta.

Every Thursday at both locations, at Continue Reading →

Posted in Left Hand Brewing, New Releases, Rare Opportunity, Terrapin Beer Company

Terrapin/Left Hand Collaboration – Depth Charge

Terrapin / Left Hand Collaboration # 2

Terrapin / Left Hand Collaboration # 2

By now I’m sure many of you have at least heard the name “Depth Charge.” DC is the 2nd installment of Terrapin/Left Hand Brewing’s Midnight Brewing Project.

The Midnight Brewing Project was born over a few pints at the Brickstore Pub late one night. Spike Buckowski was drinking with Left Hand brewer Ro Guenzel, dreaming up a beer dinner in Colorado. What started as a beer dinner, ended as a collaborative brew — the first taking place at Left Hand. The result was a black rye lager named Terra-Rye’zd. Terra-Rye’zd debuted at The Great American Beer Festival, and was so successful, the second installment was brewed at Terrapin. AKA — Depth Charge.

Depth Charge took a little time to design. Emails were passed back and forth from brewery to brewery coming up with the concept. Looking into the successful brews by each brewery — Left Hand’s Milk Stout, and Terrapin’s Wake and Bake Oatmeal Porter, an Espresso Milk Stout wasn’t far stretch.

The coffee beans in DC come from Jittery Joe’s in Athens, Ga. When Left Hand got to Athens, the brewers took a stroll over to Jittery Joe’s Roasting House to test out beans. The coffee beans were tasted to look for the beans that would present the best mouthfeel for the brew, without being too light or too acidic. Ultimately, a blend of beans was roasted and used — consisting of Nicaragua, Brazilian, and Sumatra.

DC is a blend of these beans, lots of German malts (Spike of Terrapin loves them,) and a version of Left Hand’s milk stout. Created in merely 2 days, Depth Charge is a very unique 1 time brew that is a very balanced, espresso infused stout. It really changes how one views coffee beers.

Currently tapping at Brickstore, and Taco Mac Metropolis, it is expanding to many more T Mac taps this week. Depth Charge is also available in 22 oz bottles — average price found — 7.50. Also, Jittery Joe’s is selling limited release coffee cans of Depth Charge ( non alcoholic of course.)

Tasting Notes:
I loved this brew. There is a strong coffee (espresso) flavor at first taste. Mocha is very prevalent. Honestly, the coffee flavor is so bold that its easy to forget you are drinking a beer. The milk stout is a sweeter than a regular stout, and that really brings it all together. If you love coffee, don’t miss this beer! (7% ABV)

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Rare Opportunity

Love Casks? Get to 5 Seasons Brewing

Beer Engine on Left, Frank Tate hop tower on Right

Beer Engine on Left, Frank Tate hop tower on Right

Crawford Moran, Brewmaster at 5 Seasons Westside, and 5 Seasons North (Alpharetta) is doing a lot for casks and craft beer in Atlanta.

Every Thursday at both locations, at 5:55 pm a cask has been tapped. Casks have ranged from IPA’s, Brown Ales, and Porters. Today is no exception as we are just hours from 2 more casks about to hit the beer engine.

Westside location today is featuring an Oatmeal Porter cask. Crawford describes it as “A nice, easy drinking, sessionable porter. It’s brewed with floor malted Maris Otter barley – simply the best malt in the world. The oats add another dimension to the character, a little more complexity, and a fuller mouth feel. It should be a great style for the beer engine.”

NOTE – THE HOP BOMB EXPRESS WILL BE TAPPING OCTOBER 1st at WESTSIDE!

The cask at the North location is a real treat. It’s dubbed the “Hop Bomb Express.” HBE is the Plan B IPA that has been dry hopped, again IN the cask, and then as it is gravity tapped (on the beer engine, essentially “pumped” into your pint glass,) it is run through a device called the “Frank Tate” a tower full of whole leaf hops. (See image above.) At this point the beer is passing through whole leaf hops on the way to the glass adding more hop character. Finally, the actual pint glass is dry hopped. Hopheads, you CAN’T miss this.

Another note, the 5 Seasons North location has bottles of their Haiku Trippel aged in French Oak cask. Also, bottles of the Reserve 500 — an imperial stout aged in a Woodford Reserve Bourbon Barrel for 500 days, then bottle conditioned with a Belgian Trappist Yeast strain(Trappist = special Monk strain.) Both are 750 ml, corked.

One last bit of news, 5 Seasons Westside location will be keep a cask full time now. So, if you can’t make it to the cask tapping, you will always have access to one. Another big step for beer in Atlanta, thanks to Crawford. I’m sure craft beer newbies & beer geeks alike will rejoice! Keep up the amazing work Crawford Moran and brewing team!

Interested but can’t make it to the casks tonight? Follow me on twitter for pics @atlbeermaster & @atlantabeer and check out my Facebook page here — http:bit.ly/LFqsX

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Rare Opportunity, Red Brick Brewing

Brick Store Pub/Atlanta Brewing Collaborative – Taps @ 5pm Today!

Brick Store Pub

Brick Store Pub

Ok, so TECHNICALLY summer is over. That doesn’t mean you should sit at home and mope. There is new beer to be had, and today is no exception. Brick Store Pub in Decatur has a unique beer tapping today.

On Tuesdays, Lee Dickson of Brick Store Pub conducts “Beer School” education for his employees. (Basically teaching the staff more about beer.) Atlanta Brewing Company (ABC) holds beer education courses at the brewery Wednesday-Friday, but on one particular Tuesday, had the staff from Brick Store come over and take a shot at actually brewing beer themselves.

So, on that particular Tuesday, the Brick Store gang stopped by Hop City, picked up some Peated malt and other supplies, headed to ABC. The staff even went as far as grinding the grain themselves.

The result? A smoked porter, dubbed “Smoke Break.” Named for the 12 hour shifts that the employees pull at the store quite often, and the short break amidst all the action. Smoke Break is made with Pale Malts, Peated Malt, and un-malted Roasted barley. Also Apollo hops were used, more for bittering than aroma.

In the end, 2 small batches were produced. ABC blended the batches together, and next stop is Brickstore. Tapping today at 5 pm!

Brickstore Pub
125 E. Court Square
Decatur, GA 30030

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Duck Rabbit Brewery, Meet the Brewer, Rare Opportunity

Meet the Brewer – Duck Rabbit Brewery – Wrapup

Duck Rabbit Brewmaster Paul Phillippon (in grey)

Duck Rabbit Brewmaster Paul Phillippon (in grey)

Last evening I had the honor of meeting and speaking with the president of Duck Rabbit Brewery Paul Philippon from Farmville, NC.

He was very gracious with his time to give me some history of Duck Rabbit, and how it all came to be.
Paul was previously a professor of Philosophy at East Michigan University. A homebrewer since 1987, Paul started taking a look around at his colleagues situations, and feared for his own future. It was time to take the next step.

Next stop for Phillippon was Siebel Institute of Technology & World Brewing Academy in Chicago, Illinois. By 2004 Duck Rabbit was started, and the first beer was produced in August of that year.
Now 5 years later, Duck Rabbit has gained a lot of popularity as the “Dark Beer Specialist.” Logically I had to ask Paul where the name Duck Rabbit came from. I should have known this answer armed with the knowledge that he was a philosophy major. Paul gave me some homework. Discover the origin of Duck Rabbit. Well, I have done the work, and here is the spoiler. Thomas Kuhn used the duck rabbit illustration in 1962 book The Structure of Scientific Revolutions. It is an optical illusion used to demonstrate paradigm shift that can cause an individual to see the same information in an entirely different way.

Don’t know what I’m talking about? Turn your Duck Rabbit bottle sideways. See a rabbit? Talk amongst yourselves.

Finally, the cherry porter cask was unbelievably tasty. Paul added cherry directly to the cask and allowed it to condition. The beer was very balanced with cherry hitting your palette first, blending nicely porter tones as it finishes. This cherry cask is a rare one Duck Rabbit brought here just for this event. Don’t go looking for it, you won’t find it. It’s a shame you missed it.

Finally, it is absolutely a pleasure to sit and have a beer with the individual who made it. The insight of the actual craft brewer is worth it’s weight in gold. Paul, it was an pleasure meeting you. Keep up the great work.

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Rare Opportunity, SweetWater Brewing

RARE BEER ALERT – Bourbon Aged Sweetwater – Ron Burgundy

RARE BEER ALERT!

In celebration of Taco Mac’s 30th Anniversary, Sweetwater dedicated a run in Sweetwater’s Dank Tank to the occasion. It’s name? Ron Burgundy. A scotch ale by style, Ron Burgundy clocked in at 7.5% ABV. The bad news is, if you were looking for it, it’s already gone.

The better news is that is has returned with a vengeance. Sweetwater brewer Nick Nock set aside 4 kegs of Ron, and this round – aged the San Diego anchorman in Woodford Reserve Kentucky Bourbon casks – and giving Ron a more formal title – Ron W. Burgundy. (W for Woodford we are assuming. After 2 or 3 you forget to ask.)

First of all, its smells amazing. The bourbon flavor is very prominent, without being overwhelming. The taste?? Very complex. Oakey with each sip, with hints of Vanilla -subtle ale finish. Bourbon is strong throughout. If you like Whiskey aged, bourbon aged, strong liquor flavored beers (or Woodford Reserve!), this is the beer for you.

I loved this beer. I will be drinking it until it’s gone forever. It started Tuesday at the Lindbergh store, and tapped today (July 23) at the Suwanee location. I’m 90% sure it will be at the Decatur location Friday July 31st… I will update the 4th location once I confirm it.

If this even slightly interests you… DRINK IT. If not… whatever. It’s your life.

You stay classy Atlanta.

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Casks, Left Hand Brewery, Rare Opportunity, Terrapin Beer Company

Rare Beer Opportunity TONIGHT! – Left Hand/Terrapin Collaboration Casks Tonight!

Another rare “beerportunity” is upon you this July 16th…

If you don’t know already, Left Hand Brewery has been in Athens, Ga this past week working on a collaboration brew called “Depth Charge.” (Espresso Milk Stout.) More to come on that later…

In celebration of this collaboration, Left Hand and Terrapin will be bringing a cask each to Brickstore Pub in Decatur.

Left Hand is bringing Left Hand is bringing Jackman’s Pale Ale, Dry Hopped w/ Mt. Hood and Cascade Hops. Just a little knowledge – Mt Hood Hops are a genetic combination deriving from Hallertau hops around 1983. Mt Hood has a spicy flavor, and is implemented in many lagers. Cascade Hops are a derivative of Fuggle hops, dating back to the mid 70’s and are more floral. Often used in pale ales.

Dry hopping a beer ( for instance this cask) is an act of introducing hops after you have boiled your wort (wort = beer mixture.) Dry hopping gives your more hop flavor to your final product without adding a lot of bitterness. Trust me, is sounds complicated, but hopefully you get the general idea of what makes a special cask like this interesting…

Terrapin Brewery is bringing a sneak preview of their recent addition to their side project series – Maggie’s Farmhouse Saison. After speaking to a couple a of people at Terrapin, I can tell they are QUITE excited about this release.

Maggies Farmhouse Saison is a mixture of rye malt, wheat malt, and Dupont House yeast strain – the same yeast strain that is used in Saison Dupont. (Another Belgian beer. Tasty. Find it, try it… ) All the Terrapin Side Project series have been absolutely tasty, so I hope you are excited to taste this release as I am.

With that said, I hope to see you there. Don’t miss out. If you see me there, say hi…

Need to know info –

Brickstore Pub
125 East Court Square Decatur, Ga 30030
404.687.0990
www.brickstorepub.com

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Great Divide, New Releases, Rare Opportunity

Great Divide – 15th Anniversary Double IPA

A new offering from Great Divide Brewery has hit the market in Atlanta, 15th Anniversary Wood Aged Double IPA. This limited time offering has already been tapped at various Taco Macs in and around Atlanta, and is current for sale at Hop City.

Great Divide Brewery was started 15 years ago (obviously,) in 1994 by Brian Dunn in downtown Denver, Colorado. Within 3 months of brewing, Great Divide was taking home medals for its creations.

What’s so special about this? Well, I always encourage beer drinkers to try something new every time the chance arises. More so, I encourage you the beer drinker to drink a special release while you have the chance. 15th Anniversary is based on Great Divide’s Denver Pale Ale — by far their most award winning ale. It uses both American and English hops, and aged American and French oak. The oak gives this ale a hint of vanilla.

Again, it’s new and short time opportunity to advance your beer taste buds. Grab it while you can…

Taco Mac Draft locations — Metropolis, Perimeter, Suwanee (As of July 14th)
22 oz Bottle locations — Hop City – (As of July 14th)

by Reid Ramsay