The Bunkhouse at Waredaca

One of the highlights of the craft beer scene in the Free State is the growth of "farm-to-brewery" movement.  I've written about this movement in a past blog post.  The movement grew out of a bill passed by the Maryland legislature that allows farms to brew beer on their premises and sell the beer on premises provided that the beer is brewed with ingredients grown on the farm.   Farmers began to grow hops on their farms, and, with those vines, came a host of new brewers, including Waredaca Brewing Company.

Waredaca has been known more for its horse farm.  The farm consists of about 220 acres of pastures, hills and woodland.  The farm also is the home of about 80 horses.  The drive up to the brewery takes one through those pastures where the horses roam to the brewery, which sits near a small pond or lake, and, which is near where the hop vines grow.  Once at the taproom, customers can try seven or eight beers, such as the Bunkhouse. 

The Bunkhouse is  Waredaca's saison or farmhouse ale.  The Beer Judge Certification Program defines the style as a pale, moderately bitter and moderately strength Belgian ale with a very dry finish.    The aroma and taste of a saison typically has a low fruit or spice, opening the way to the malt and the hops providing the character of the beer. 

To comply with the Maryland law, Waredaca brews the Bunkhouse with hops grown on the farm.  The brewers describe the beer as having an "expressive yeast" with a "super dry finish."  The beer pours a pale gold color, with a decent foam from the carbonation.  As the foam recedes, the combination of malts and hops provide a balanced aroma.  The aroma suggests a very drinkable beer, which is the case.   The Waredaca hops shine through in both the aroma and the taste.  The hops provide a moderate, piney bitterness that one would expect from a saison.  That bitterness is smoothed out by the malts, with a dry finish.  The beer has an ABV of 5.0%, which is standard for a saison.

The Bunkhouse is available at the Waredaca tap room, where you could get a pint for about $6.00 and sit out on the grounds.   You can do what we did and buy a crowler to take home and enjoy while the sun sets.

ENJOY!

The Rye Guyz Collaboration

There they stood ... the fat man and the gargoyle.  At first sight, the two seem completely at odds, as if they should not be standing anywhere close to each other.  First impressions can often be deceiving.  As one watches the fat man and the gargoyle, it becomes clear that the two are perfect  together.

The fat man is Fat Head's Brewery & Saloon, where the Head Brewmaster -- Matt Cole -- has been hard at work producing some amazing beers.  I have previously reviewed two of those beers: Headhunter India Pale Ale and the Hop Juju Imperial Pale Ale.  Both the Headhunter and the Hop Juju are perfect hophead beers, exploding with the citrus and pine flavors.  

Those hoppy beers are what makes it clear that Fat Head's works very well with the gargoyle, Stone Brewing, and its head brewmaster, Mitch Steele.  I have reviewed many of Stone's beers, including, by way of example, the Double Bastard Ale.  That beer, like Matt Cole's Hop Juju, explodes with hops in both the aroma and taste. 

(t) Fat Head's Brewery & Saloon

So, when I heard that there is a collaboration between Matt Cole and Mitch Steele, I knew that I would have to try that beer. The collaboration was called Rye Guyz.  The "Rye" comes from the use of 22% rye malt in the brewing of this beer. Now, when I think of a rye beer, I think of an ale or Roggenbier (a German rye beer -- a variant of a dunkelweizen -- first brewed in Regensburg, Bavaria using at least 50% rye malt instead of wheat malt). However, Matt and Mitch throw a curve ball, using the rye in the making of a saison.

This is where the Rye Guyz is unique.  I had never seen rye used in the making of a saison.  To me, it seemed different, because I would not normally associate the flavors from rye malts with the flavors that are present in a typical saison.  The beer pleasantly surprised me. The rye does not really contribute a "rye" flavor; instead, it is used to provide spice to the aroma and taste of the beer.  There was a little tartness in the aroma of the beer, which was complemented by the traditional aromas one would expect from a Belgian beer.  The Rye Guyz also provided some of the traditional flavor elements from a Belgian ale.  However, the most prominent flavor of the beer was bubblegum, which I would have never expected from a beer made with rye malt. Needless to say, the spice from the rye malt was also present in the beer.  Overall, the Rye Guyz provided an interesting, and tasty, introduction to new ways to use a familiar ingredient.  (It is also why Matt and Mitch are the professionals, and, I am just a novice who enjoys their beers.)

To my knowledge, the Rye Guyz was available only on draft at Fat Head's.  By the time I post this review, it will have most likely been sold out.  I hope that Matt and Mitch will make this beer again.  If they do, then it is just another in a long list of reasons why you should visit Fat Head's and Stone Brewing.  

ENJOY! 

Our Side, by Two Gypsy Brewers

I have previously blogged about gypsy brewers ... people who brew beer without having their own brick-and-mortar brewery.  Rather than invest in the building and the equipment, they depend on the kindness and generosity of others, borrowing their equipment to brew beer.

Two of the biggest names in gypsy brewing are Stillwater Artisanal and Mikkeller.  Stillwater is an American gypsy brewer based in Maryland but who travels to brew beers like Stateside Saison, Cellar Door and Existent.  Mikkeller is a Danish gypsy brewer based in Copenhagen but who travels throughout the world to brew beers Beer Geek Breakfast, Gypsy Juice, Monk's Brew, Stateside IPA and The Big Hunt.

If you noticed, both Stillwater and Mikkeller brewed a beer called "Stateside."  Having that in common, the brewers joined forces to collaborate on a new beer, Two Gypsies, Our Side.  As the label states, "Mikkel and Brian are two of the world's most unconventional brewers.  By designing beers at various breweries around the globe, they have found the freedom to experiment and innovate, resulting in unique beers that often blur the lines of definition.  After having met at a festival in Bodegraven, Netherlands, the two realized that their first creations both were called stateside.  It was then an obvious decision to make the two recipes into a new product, packed full of piney, resinous hops and backed by the esthers of a farmhouse yeast strain." 

Sounds like a very promising beer.  (That is why they write it that way.)  In any event, Our Side pours like a pale ale or saison, with a golden color.  There is a very big, persistent foam from a lot of carbonation.  The foam is very assertive, providing a thick cloud over the beer.  Aroma is faint but there are some elements that can be discerned from the beer.  The aroma is suggestive of peaches, and is accompanied by some hops and yeast esthers.  While the aroma may be a little faint, the taste of the beer is complete.  The principal flavor of the beer is the piney hops (although not very resinous).  While the hops provide the up front taste, the finish is filled with some lemon and citrus (perhaps some grapefruit).  The beer accomplished the goal of the two gypsy brewers... to combine the Stateside Saison and the Stateside IPA into one beer.  One very good, drinkable beer.

When it comes to pairing this beer, its dual personality (saison/IPA) allows for a wide range of pairings.  Most notably, pork, poultry and seafood could work well with this beer, provided that there are no heavy sauces.  A variety of cheeses could also work with this beer, from creamy cheeses such as Camembert and Tallegio to more pungent cheeses, such as Rogue Blue.  

I found this beer at a local grocery store.  It sells for about $16.99 a bottle.  

ENJOY!

Birrificio del Ducato Nuova Mattina

Nestled deep in the heart of Emilia-Romagna, Italy, outside of the city of Parma, is a craft brewer who makes what is probably my favorite beer.  I've previously spoken about the Italian craft beer tasting that Clare and I attended at the National Geographic Museum, where Garrett Oliver (the brewmaster of Brooklyn Brewery) introduced us to an array of craft beers brewed up and down the Italian peninsula.  We tasted about ten beers from different craft brewers. While we liked all of the beers, we left talking about one beer in particular ... Birrificio del Ducato's Nuova Mattina.

Founded in 2006, Birrificio del Ducato represents the passion of three people ... Giovanni Campari, the head brewer, along with two of his friends, Emanuele and Manuel.  Their first beer was Via Emilia, a pale ale, but, soon thereafter, they began experimenting with ingredients and brewing techniques to produce some very unique and tasting beers.  And, the best of their beers is the Nuova Mattina or New Morning.

According to the brewer, the beer gets its name from the Bob Dylan song, "New Morning," which the brewers chose because of the lyrics, which speak of one's amazement of life and nature.   The label of the beer echoes this inspiration, noting that the beer is "[d]edicated to the beauty of a new spring morning with the first sun rays warming the blossoming flowers...." 

This beer represents what is best about the Italian craft beer movement.  Italians brew beer with just about anything that they can find.  Nuova Mattina is a Belgian style saison that is brewed with spices, ginger, coriander, green peppers and chamomile.  When it is poured, the beer reveals its orange color.  The aromatic elements or the beer's nose greets one with a scent of flowers or wild grasses, with a faint scent of pepper.  The beer is very carbonated, which is perhaps a by-product of being fermented in the bottle.

While the floral aromatics of the Nuova Mattina are very inviting, the taste of the beer is what makes it my favorite.  That taste is an amazing contrast of flavors.  On the one hand, one can taste the ginger and pepper, the latter of which is more akin to cracked peppercorn rather than green pepper.  On the other hand, those ginger and pepper flavors are interlaced with the taste of flowers, citrus and chamomile.  The beer is on the drier end of the spectrum, and slightly bitter.  The beer has an ABV of 5.9%, which is just about right for a Belgian style saison.

These contrasting flavors make this beer a little difficult to pair with food, at least for me.  The distributor, B United International, suggests that this beer could be served with Thai curries or certain types of cheeses, such as Asiago, Fontina or Parmigano Reggiano.  Personally, I think that this beer would be best paired with organically raised  beef, pork or lamb.  Such a pairing would fulfill a dream of many foodies like myself ... namely, a beer that evokes the grasses, flowers and greens that are fed to the animals raised in an environmentally conscious way.

The Nuova Mattina was the first beer exported by Del Ducato to the United States.  I highly recommend it to anyone who is open to trying new and different beers, with one caveat. I've been able to find it in small 11.2 ounce bottles at State Line Liquors in Elkton, Maryland for $8.99 a bottle or the large 1 pint, 9 ounce bottle for $23.99 at Corridor Wine in Laurel, Maryland.  It is also sometimes available on tap at 2Amys in the Tenleytown/Cleveland Park neighborhood of Washington, D.C. for about $10 to $12.00 a glass.  As you can see, the beer is expensive.  However, this beer is definitely worth the price every once and a while as a splurge or for a special occasion.  

For more information about the beer, check out the brewery's website or the distributor's website. 

ENJOY!

Dogfish Head -- Saison du Buff

One craft brewer can make some great beers.  When you get three craft brewers together, they can make some unbelievable beers.  Such is the case of the Saison du Buff, which is a collaboration between Dogfish Head, Stone and Victory Brewing.  The three brewmasters brewed a saison, but the ingredients they used are truly special because they are some of the flavors that I love to use in my cooking.  The ingredients ... parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme.

The beer pours like a saison, light gold in color with a good foam.  But the beer hardly tastes like a saison.  No banana or clove flavors.  It is primarily sage and rosemary, although the thyme and parsley can also be tasted.  The beer is fairly dry, which is also different than a typical saison.  The ABV is about 6.8%.

But one does not expect anything typical from breweries such as Dogfish Head, Stone or Victory.  Each brewery brewed this beer, using the same recipe.  The one I tasted is the one brewed by Dogfish Head although I also have a bottle of the one brewed by Stone.  Dogfish was the last to brew the beer, having brewed it in August of this year.  Victory brewed it in July and Stone brewed it in late April.

The beers are relatively cheap, about $3.50 for a twelve ounce bottle, but they are hard to find.  I bought the Stone version at Binny's in Chicago, Illinois and the Dogfish Head version at State Line Liquors in Elkton, Maryland.  If you can find a bottle, I strongly recommend that you buy it and try it!

ENJOY!

Brooklyn's "Ace"

Garrett Oliver is well known in craft beer circles.  He is the brewer at Brooklyn Brewery, which is located in all places, Brooklyn, New York.   No doubt you have seen bottles of Brooklyn Lager or Brooklyn Pilsner on store shelves.  The core beers of Brooklyn are very good, but, for true craft beer connoisseurs, Garrett's seasonals (like his Blackout Stout and Monster Ale) are special.  

Not only is Garrett an excellent brewer, but his knowledge of beer and his insight into pairing beer with food is unmatched.  He is the author of the Brewermaster's Table, which is a book that any craft beer lover/foodie should read.  Also, Clare and I have benefited from Garrett's knowledge of beer.  We both have attended beer tastings led by Garrett, where we learned about Italian beers (Birrificio del Ducato, Birra Baladin and others) and Scandinavian beers (Mikkeller, Nogne O and others).

Yet, this post is about one of Garrett's greatest contributions to the craft beer world (at least in my opinion) -- the Brooklyn Sorachi Ace.  Brooklyn describes it as a "classic saison" or an "unfiltered, hoppy farmhouse ale."  The hops are the key to this beer.  Brooklyn uses Sorachi hops, which are a cross between the British Gold and the Czech Saaz hops.  The Sorachi  hops are noteworthy for the lemony flavors they impart into the beer.  These hops are only grown in Oregon.  Not only are hops used during the brewing, but also post fermentation.  

Some more about the process.  Brooklyn uses champagne yeast and two-row German pilsner malts.  The beer also goes through a secondary fermentation in the bottle.  The beer registers at a 7.6% ABV.

According to the label, one should be able to experience the smell of lemon zest.  And, I can definitely smell lemons.  But it is the taste that is truly remarkable.  It is hard to put into words, as you can experience the taste across your mouth.  There are definitely citrus notes, but, when drinking the beer, one can definitely taste pepper or coriander.  

Although a bit pricey at $15.99 for a large bottle, it is definitely worth the experience.  I was able to find it at Whole Foods.

ENJOY.