Smoke Beers

Posted in 4 Hands Brewing, New Beers

4 Hands Smoked Pigasus

4 Hands Smoked Pigasus

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in New Releases, Wild Heaven Craft Beers, Wrecking Bar Brewpub

Wild Heaven & Wrecking Bar Collaborate on “Wrecking Heaven”

This week, Wild Heaven Craft Beers (Avondale Estates, GA) and The Wrecking Bar (Atlanta, GA) unveil a new collaboration. Just in time for Atlanta Beer Week 2012, the two breweries have created a Polish-style Grätzer dubbed Wrecking Heaven. Before we get into the collab, let’s review what Grätzer is.

Grätzer is the German term for an indigenous Polish beer style called Grodziskie. You’ll see mention of the style in Polish brewing history through the late 1900’s. A Grätzer is a top fermented smoked wheat beer. Why is there a German term for the name? Two reasons actually. Grätzer is derived from the town of Grätz, now known as Grodzisk in Poland. Historically, the brew contained a mix of Polish and German hops & wheat. The two breweries recreated this style, at the Wrecking Bar in Atlanta.

Wrecking Heaven’ is a Grätzer, which is a little-known Polish style that is brewed with smoked wheat malt. We added the twist of some Special B malt as well as using Magnum and Nelson Sauvin hops. It clocks in at around 4.2% ABV and is a deliciously sessionable beer with smoky notes and a piney viniferous nose and finish. It is fermented with a Kolsch yeast and has a dry crispness through the finish with hints of tropical fruits and citrus.

This is Wrecking Bar’s first distributed beer. Tappings to follow.

Style: Smoked Wheat Beer (Grätzer)
Availability: Draft only

4.2% ABV

Taps 10/25/12

Locations: 

@BrickStorePub @TwainsDecatur @PorterBeerBar @TheFredBar @MidwayPub @AugustineATL @TrappezePub (Athens, GA)

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Red Brick Brewing, Seasonal Return

Red Brick Smoked Vanilla Gorilla Arrives This Week, With Changes

Red Brick Brewing (Atlanta, GA) is releasing the 2012 round of Brick Mason Smoked Vanilla Gorilla this week.  The 2012 edition is a little different. The vanilla beans aren’t smoked this year, just the malt. The smoke is subtle. brewer Garrett Lockhart wanted the beer to have a bit more silky smoothness. Also, no barrel aging this year. The base beer is still Red Brick oatmeal porter.

Availability: 12oz bottles, Draft.
Arrival: First week of October, 2012

Tasting Notes (Per Red Brick): Vanilla Gorilla is a strong porter with big chocolate and roasted flavors.  It has a delicate addition of vanilla that compliments its subtle smokey finish.

Style: Porter (w/ Vanilla Beans, Smoked)

7.5% ABV 

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in New Holland Brewing, New Releases

New Holland Launches Brandy Barrel Charkoota Rye

New Holland Brewing is now shipping Brandy Barrel Aged Charkoota Rye. Charkoota is a smoked doppelbock lager. For this edition, the flying pig spent time resting in brandy barrels.  The result? smokey beer with a boozy, fruity complexity. About regular Charkoota:

Charkoota Rye is a Smoked Rye Dopplebock. An homage to all things Pig, including Porkapalooza and the age-old tradition of Charcuterie, Charkoota Rye’s malty backbone is derived from a blend of rye and four other malts, including malted barley smoked over cherry wood.

Its smoke-forward body is balanced with tones of deep mollasses and caramel, with a crisp, clean lager finish. Delightful by itself, Charkoota is best served with its succulent counterpart, Pork.

Style: Doppelbock (Smoked, Barrel Aged, Brandy)
Availability: 22 oz bombers, Draft
Released: Late September, 2012

7.75% ABV 

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Evil Twin Brewing, Stillwater Artisanal Ales, Stone Brewing Co.

Stone, Stillwater & Evil Twin Create “The Perfect Crime”

Recently, Stillwater Artisanal Ales  and Evil Twin Brewing, (2 “gyspy brewers”) travelled to Escondido, California to collaborate with Stone Brewing Co. The triumvirate pulled off The Perfect Crime.  The result is a smokey black saison that really fits the mysterious nature of these traveling breweries.

I first heard the term “gypsy brewer” in reference to Mikkel Borg-Bjergso, back in 2008, when we brewed our very first collaboration beer with Mikkel and Peter Zien of AleSmith. And now we are thrilled to welcome two more famous gypsy brewers to our brewery: Jeppe Jarnit-Bjergso of Evil Twin Brewing ( Mikkel’s brother– hence the name) and Brian Strumke of Stillwater Artisanal Ales. Jenne and Brian have brewed together before, and both have excellent pedigrees in brewing unique Belgian- inspired beers. Their shady influence was felt throughout the brewing of this mysterious block beer, and we were excited to be able to brew it. – Mitch Steele

Style: Saison (Smoked)
Availability: 12 oz bottles, Draft
Arrival: TBA

7.5% ABV

Note: Official PR from Stone forthcoming

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Jester King Brewery, New Releases

Jester King Releasing Viking Beer Clone Gotlandsdricka

Jester King Craft Brewery preps for the release of Gotlandsdricka, a new farmhouse ale. The name means “Drink of the Good Land”, and is purported to be a beer of the Vikings. This beer mimics the farmhouse ales traditionally brewed on the island of Gotland in Sweden, using more herbs and berries. (A lot like sahti is.) For this brew, Jester King used birchwood smoked malt, juniper, and sweet gale. Sweet gale (aka myrica gale) has been used as an insect repellent, and a stomach pain remedy.

…From what we can gather, the original beer would likely have been smokey, sour and reeking of juniper and birch. It would not have been the product of fermentation with brewer’s yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) in a temperature controlled, sanitized stainless steel vessel, which is how our rendition of the style was created. Rather, like all historic beers brewed before the rather recent discovery and harnessing of brewer’s yeast, it would have been the product of fermentation involving wild yeast and bacteria.

Style: Farmhouse Ale (w/ Juniper, Sweet Gale, Smoked)
Availability: The first tapping of Gotlandsdricka will be at the Borefts Beer Festival on September 28th and 29th at Brouwerij de Molen in The Netherlands. It will make its stateside debut a week later at the Texas Craft Brewers Festival in Austin on October 6th and at the Pints for Prostates Denver Rare Beer Tasting IV on October 12th. Following its debut at the festivals, a limited amount of naturally conditioned kegs, casks and gravity kegs will be released in Texas with a wider bottle release to follow. A portion of the bottle release will also be made available through the Rare Beer Club.

Arrival: Late September, 2012

6.6% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Allagash Brewing, Brouwerij De Molen, Coming Soon

Allagash’s Next Draft Offering, Smoke & Beards Collaboration

Allagash Brewing (Portland, ME) launched a rotating saison draft only series this year. Edition #1 was Saison Genever. The second release is dubbed Smoke & Beards, and is a collaboration with De Molen.  The beer is a tripel, with lightly smoked cherry wood malt. The yeast is a Chouffe house yeast.

Draft should start arriving late Sept/Oct a various Allagash accounts.

Style: Tripel (Smoked)
Availability: Draft only

?? ABV 

by Reid Ramsay