Notes on Calicious California Common

Hoppy Friday!

This Wednesday Calicious California Common returned on tap at both of our locations after a surprisingly successful debut in September.

I intended the release of Calicious as an ode to the end of summer and really didn’t know what to expect in terms of customer reception to it. In fact I wasn’t sure how good it was going to be until I kegged it and put it on tap at both locales and (I too) was knocked out by how good it was! For reference there was one other beer in our history that I didn’t realize just how good it was/turned out until tasting it on tap: Grainne’s Special Bitter ESB back in 2015.

Calicious sold out within two weeks back in September. So, we decided to brew a double (two barrel) batch of it and it turned out well.

Calicious: smooth/easy drinking/light-medium mouthfeel yet full flavored. A bit hop-forward (and is dry-hopped with Simcoe) including a somewhat bitter finish that is balanced out by a nice/soft German pilsner malt character. This includes a nice crisp lager finish. Beautiful light amber color, too!

California Common is one of the truly indigenous American beer styles that goes back to the Gold Rush era in the bay area and of course was originally referred to as Steam Beer. It’s basically an amber lager fermented at ale temperatures due to the use of a wonderful lager yeast strain that ferments well at warmer temperatures.For reference: https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/style/132/

Come on by for a delicious Calicious!

Cheers,

Jim

P.S. Who knows? Perhaps Calicious will be the next beer we put in bombers…,

 

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tags: None posted by 12/5/2017

Sweetness Imperial Sweet Stout Release Party Friday Nov. 24th!

Greetings all,

“Black Friday” is the perfect day for the release of SWEETNESS Imperial Sweet Stout! Sweet Stout is the official name for the milk stout style (which means that lactose is used to provide some creamy sweet flavor/aroma as well as adding some weight to the beer’s body/mouthfeel) and at 9.3% ABV Sweetness is definitely of the imperial variety. Rich, creamy, smooth, dark and dangerous, Sweetness will help get rid of that trytophan torpor the day after Thanksgiving!

And, if you’ve already run ouf of Thanksgiving leftovers our good buddies WE GO WAFFLES food cart will be serving their unique Belgian waffles fare from 5 to 8 (and quite possibly beyond).

Sweetness will also be on tap at our Westport Brewhaus starting at 3 on black Friday.

Do your “shopping” on black Friday by supporting your local nano-brewery!

I’m very excited about this one (and yes it’s named after his favorite football player EVER).

Cheers!

Jim

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tags: None posted by 11/5/2017

Grainne’s Special Bitter ESB debut at our Taproom this Friday 10/27!

Hello all,

GRAINNE’S SPECIAL BITTER, our acclaimed Extra Special Bitter (ESB), makes its debut at our Taproom on Friday October 27th!

Robin Shepard of the Isthmus named Grainne’s Special Bitter his favorite beer of 2015 (https://isthmus.com/food-drink/beer/a-look-back-at-the-best-beer-of-2015/) and the following February a firkin (10 gallons) of “GSB” lasted for a whopping five hours at the Malt House during our tap takeover there. 

In fact I recall that back in the summer of ’15 at the Malt House I told Bill Rogers that we had brewed GSB. In response he asked: “So who’s going to drink it?” I replied saying well, Grainne, and Ian, and, umm (the two Brits we could think of offhand who would appreciate it). We both laughed.

What happened afterwards with the first batch was quite a pleasant surprise: it was much more popular than I anticipated and I also recall upon first tasting it thinking to myself: WOW this is really good!!

Our ode to “the” ESB (Fuller’s) is just that. Showcasing English malts (starting with Baird’s Maris Otter) and hops (Northdown, Target, Challenger and Fuggles). I’ve also learned to respect the English yeast strain we use by limiting fermentation temperature to 65 degrees. Any higher (even a degree or two) leads to the production of undesired banana-like fruity esters.

This new batch shows MUCH promise and after two weeks fermentation was clocking in at 6.3% abv. GSB will be on tap when we open at 3 and come on by.

Cheers! Jim

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tags: None posted by 10/3/2017

Oktoberfest Party Sunday October 1st 3PM!

Greetings all,

Our first Oktoberfest party at our Taproom (1444 E. Wash) is happening on Sunday October 1st. It features the debut of WESTPORTIERFEST Oktoberfest at the Taproom AND our good buddies Smokin’ Cantina will be firing up 100 brats from 3 to 7! Don’t put that lederhosen away yet!?! Westportierfest is probably the last Märzen released this year so get ready for nicely lagered Munich maltiness. It’s finished fermenting at 5.4% ABV and has been lagered at 45 degrees for the past week or so. Rich bread crust-like malt character that shall pair perfectly with Smokin’ Cantina’s smokin’ brats!

Also between 3 and 6 original music from:

Jourdan Hines
Kyle Bernander
Anna Wang (from Tortoise and the Finch)

Meanwhile please note that our Westport Brewhaus will be CLOSED that day so our staff (namely me) can enjoy our big Oktoberfest celebration at our beautiful Taproom!

Ein Prosit!

Jim

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tags: None posted by 9/4/2017

Blue Milk Belgian Blonde Ale release party at our Taproom this Saturday 8/19!

Greetings!

Next Saturday heralds the release of a brand new beer at the Parched Eagle Taproom at 1444 E. Wash: BLUE MILK Belgian Blonde Ale brewed with lactose sugar! The release of Blue Milk coincides with the installation of a new Star Wars pinball machine at Maria’s next door and is (of course) a Star Wars reference (think Episode IV). Blueberry extract is an option if you want Blue Milk to be blue!? Initial tastes showed much promise and it will finish out at around 6% ABV.

Also from 5 to 8 the excellent PICKLE JAR food cart will be outside serving up their excellent BBQ and pies! Art In also has this going on that night: http://www.artinmadisonwi.com/event/white-bush-unicorn-presents/

Blue Milk will only be available at the Taproom as it’s a special beer brewed for the new pinball machine installation occasion. Meanwhile that same day Burgeoning Goth Queen Oatmeal Stout, the house beer for the Taproom, will be making its official debut at our Westport Brewhaus starting at 2!

Cheers,

Jim

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tags: None posted by 8/3/2017