Southern Brew News April/May 2013 : Page 7
www.brewingnews.com 7 TASTING NOTES: Southern Brewed and Imported By Ed Hamrick Herbal earthy hops add complexity and lend a bit of bitterness. The finish is long and includes a dash of roasted peanut flavor and ends up semi-dry. The body is medium and the mouthfeel is silky. The carbonation is moderate and the alcohol warming is smooth and barely perceptible. This Northern English Brown Ale has been given an American touch and is very tasty and definitely sessionable. The Maduro was a Gold Medal winner at the Best Florida It was a cold and rainy night, when I ran into Garrett Lockhart, the Head Brewer of Red Brick, at one of my favorite local watering holes, Westside Pizzeria. There perched on top of the bar was a firkin hold-ing a mysterious and flavorful cask ale. I inquired of the young, but gifted, brewer about the origin of the mystery brew. I was to find out from Garrett, by his own admission, that Red Brick had great brew-ers, but poor mathematicians. Red Brick, formerly known as Atlanta Brewing, was founded in 1993 and is the oldest continu-ously operating craft brewery in Georgia. In 2012 they released the third beer in the Brick Mason series as their 17th anniversary brew. Obviously a slight miscalculation. And to add to the confusion, there were no 18th or 19th anniversary brews. Hence the name,The Lost Years, is most fitting for their actual 20th anniversary brew. The Lost Years is actually a blend of three different stock ales, all are American style Old Ales that have been aged in 70+ Jim Beam bourbon barrels since last sum-mer. One is flavored with star anise, one is flavored with sweet and bitter orange peel, and the last is the straight Old Ale. The Years pours a medium dark copper cast with rich ruby highlights and is crowned with a creamy ivory head that leaves lace and telltale legs in the glass. The aroma is awash with fruity esters and scents of caramel and toffee. In the background is a hint of lico-rice, and orange peel. There is a pleasant bouquet of subtle bourbon, oak and vanilla. The flavor has a saporous malty sweetness balanced with a spark of spice, licorice and orange, followed by bourbon, oak, and vanilla flavors that linger into the off sweet finish. Carbonation is moderate and the mouthfeel is creamy. There is a whisper of alcohol warming that makes this brew deceiving, dangerous, and very drinkable. At such a well hidden high abv, you could easily get "lost in the cups" before you real-ized it. Maduro Brown Ale Cigar City Brewing Tampa, FL 5.5% abv Recently released in cans, the Maduro Brown Ale is a deep mahogany hue and is blanketed by a frothy ecru head that leaves a trace of stringy lace in the glass.The nose is a complex mixture of toasted malts, choc-olate, caramel, toffee and a whiff of nuts. A low herbal earthy hop aroma is barely perceptible. The palate is brimming with brisk toasted and roasted malt. There is a capacious semi-sweet chocolate taste, clues of caramel, a touch of toffee, an exquisite innuendo of espresso, a nuance of nuts and an iota of oatmeal. Beer Championship in 2010 and at the US Open Beer Championship in 2012. Grab a Maduro Brown, find a cozy fireplace and a mild cigar and settle in for the evening. The Duck Rabbit Milk Stout The Duck Rabbit Craft Brewery Farmville, NC 5.7% abv The Duck Rabbit Milk Stout is an opaque black color capped by a creamy brown head that leaves behind a thin lac-ing in the glass.The aroma is full of dark roasted grain with dark coffee and milk chocolate notes moderated by a cream like sweetness. The flavor shows a fine balance between the roasted grains and dark malts and the unfermentable lactose milk sugar. Black coffee and dark chocolate flavors dominate with just enough sweetness to add complexity. Hop flavor and bitterness is low, as is fruity esters. The dark grains and roasted malt flavor linger along with the lactose sweetness into the long off-dry fin-ish. The mouthfeel is creamy and the body is full. The carbonation is medium-low and the alcohol warming is smooth and partially masked by the level of residual sweetness. This milk stout is full bodied and sweet with a dark roasted flavor akin to sweetened espresso. This stout is made for slow con-templative sipping. Good stuff, It is just per-fect to help you relax and ease the worries of the day. Why, I think I might just have another one.
Tasting Notes: Southern Brewed And Imported
Ed Hamrick
It was a cold and rainy night, when I ran into Garrett Lockhart, the Head Brewer of Red Brick, at one of my favorite local watering holes, Westside Pizzeria. There perched on top of the bar was a firkin holding a mysterious and flavorful cask ale. I inquired of the young, but gifted, brewer about the origin of the mystery brew. I was to find out from Garrett, by his own admission, that Red Brick had great brewers, but poor mathematicians. Red Brick, formerly known as Atlanta Brewing, was founded in 1993 and is the oldest continuously operating craft brewery in Georgia. In 2012 they released the third beer in the Brick Mason series as their 17th anniversary brew. Obviously a slight miscalculation. And to add to the confusion, there were no 18th or 19th anniversary brews. Hence the name,The Lost Years, is most fitting for their actual 20th anniversary brew.<br /> <br /> The Lost Years is actually a blend of three different stock ales, all are American style Old Ales that have been aged in 70+ Jim Beam bourbon barrels since last summer. One is flavored with star anise, one is flavored with sweet and bitter orange peel, and the last is the straight Old Ale. The Years pours a medium dark copper cast with rich ruby highlights and is crowned with a creamy ivory head that leaves lace and telltale legs in the glass. The aroma is awash with fruity esters and scents of caramel and toffee. In the background is a hint of licorice, and orange peel. There is a pleasant bouquet of subtle bourbon, oak and vanilla. The flavor has a saporous malty sweetness balanced with a spark of spice, licorice and orange, followed by bourbon, oak, and vanilla flavors that linger into the off sweet finish.<br /> <br /> Carbonation is moderate and the mouthfeel is creamy. There is a whisper of alcohol warming that makes this brew deceiving, dangerous, and very drinkable. At such a well hidden high abv, you could easily get "lost in the cups" before you realized it.<br /> <br /> Maduro Brown Ale Cigar City Brewing Tampa, FL 5.5% abv <br /> <br /> Recently released in cans, the Maduro Brown Ale is a deep mahogany hue and is blanketed by a frothy ecru head that leaves a trace of stringy lace in the glass.The nose is a complex mixture of toasted malts, chocolate, caramel, toffee and a whiff of nuts. A low herbal earthy hop aroma is barely perceptible. The palate is brimming with brisk toasted and roasted malt. There is a capacious semi-sweet chocolate taste, clues of caramel, a touch of toffee, an exquisite innuendo of espresso, a nuance of nuts and an iota of oatmeal.<br /> <br /> Herbal earthy hops add complexity and lend a bit of bitterness. The finish is long and includes a dash of roasted peanut flavor and ends up semi-dry. The body is medium and the mouthfeel is silky. The carbonation is moderate and the alcohol warming is smooth and barely perceptible. This Northern English Brown Ale has been given an American touch and is very tasty and definitely sessionable. The Maduro was a Gold Medal winner at the Best Florida Beer Championship in 2010 and at the US Open Beer Championship in 2012. Grab a Maduro Brown, find a cozy fireplace and a mild cigar and settle in for the evening.<br /> <br /> The Duck Rabbit Milk Stout The Duck Rabbit Craft Brewery Farmville, NC 5.7% abv <br /> <br /> The Duck Rabbit Milk Stout is an opaque black color capped by a creamy brown head that leaves behind a thin lacing in the glass.The aroma is full of dark roasted grain with dark coffee and milk chocolate notes moderated by a cream like sweetness. The flavor shows a fine balance between the roasted grains and dark malts and the unfermentable lactose milk sugar.<br /> <br /> Black coffee and dark chocolate flavors dominate with just enough sweetness to add complexity. Hop flavor and bitterness is low, as is fruity esters. The dark grains and roasted malt flavor linger along with the lactose sweetness into the long off-dry finish. The mouthfeel is creamy and the body is full. The carbonation is medium-low and the alcohol warming is smooth and partially masked by the level of residual sweetness. This milk stout is full bodied and sweet with a dark roasted flavor akin to sweetened espresso. This stout is made for slow contemplative sipping. Good stuff, It is just perfect to help you relax and ease the worries of the day. Why, I think I might just have another one.
