Scotch Ale ABV 8.1% IBU 21 Fermentables: 2-Row, Smoked malt, Roasted Barley Hops: Goldings Scotch Ales tend to be higher ABV beers, with a pronounced caramel-sweet malt flavor, a low hops bitterness, and sometimes a subtle smokiness. This pretty much describes Begbie. But instead of using caramel malt, we opted for an extended boil to concentrate the wort and create that brown sugar sweetness. Begbie is named after a character in Trainspotting. Read the book first if you haven’t already seen the movie. Seriously, read the book first.
LEUVEN SPOONFUL
Hoppy Belgian Amber 7.4% ABV 50 IBU Fermentables: 2-row, Munich, CaraMunich, Special B, Brown Sugar Hops: Cascade, Columbus We brewed this beer in collaboration with Full Pint Brewing Co. and Hops On Lots Pgh (HOLP), which is a local urban hops growing initiative. This year marked the initial planting for HOLP, so there wasn’t a useable crop for our brew. But we did feature Cascade hops, which is a variety that will likely be grown locally. So what we came up with is a hop-forward amber ale fermented with our …
4TH TIME AROUND
Belgian Extra Pale (5.3%) [IBU 35] Fermentables: 2-row, CaraPils, Flaked Oats, Sugar Hops: Santiam, Crystal, Meridian, Goldings We wanted to get one more use out of our latest Belgian yeast, which would mean its fourth time around. And we wanted to do something light with a floral, herbal, slightly citrusy hoppiness. In fact, it ended up being a sort of “Belgiany” version of Five Believers, our other extra pale ale. And as luck would have it, there is a song called “4th Time Around” on Bob Dylan’s Blonde On Blonde, …
Cinnamon Ghoul
Pumpkin Ale ABV 5.4% IBU 20 Fermentables: 2-row, Special Roast, Honey Malt, Pumpkin Purée Hops/Spices: Horizon, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Ginger, Vanilla Just a few things to know about this beer. It’s a “pumpkin ale,” which probably has more to do with the spices than anything else. We add cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and vanilla after fermentation, when the beer is transferred to the serving tank. We do use a small amount of pumpkin purée in the mash. It adds, perhaps, a smidgen of texture and color and fermentable sugars but not …
ASTRID
Belgian Pale ABV 5.4% IBU 22 Fermentables: 2-Row, Munich, Aromatic Hops: Santiam, Goldings, Crystal Sort of elegant, a little sophisticated, but gentle and approachable. There are a few simple flavors and aromas at play here. The foundation of lightly toasted, bready malt. Earthy, floral, spicey hops. And a subtle fruitiness from Belgian yeast.
TURTLE ECLIPSE
Tropical Stout ABV 7.4% IBU 43 Fermentables: 2-Row, Black, Roasted Barley, Chocolate Malt, CaraMunich, Special B Hops/Flavoring: Horizon, Pineapple/Mango/Passion Fruit Compound Tropical Stout is another name for Foreign Export Stout, a style of beer that originated as a high-gravity stout brewed for consumption in tropical markets, such as Jamaica. They tend to be higher ABV and may be fruity sweet from malt and yeast. They do not usually contain fruit flavoring, but we wanted to have some fun with the style when dreaming up the concept. The tropical fruits are …
FOREVER SINGLE 3
Single Hop IPA ABV 7.5% IBU 72 Fermentables: 2-Row, CaraMunich, CaraPils Hops: HBC342 This is the third installment in our single-hop IPA series. Today’s episode is sponsored by the letters & numbers HBC342, which is the working title given to this experimental variety of hops. As with the other versions of Forever Single, we’ve cranked up the bitterness higher than our typical IPAs. Otherwise, this hops variety is somewhat mild, with gentle notes of citrus, melon, and tropical fruits. The underlying malt character adds a subtle sweetness behind the …
JULY 27: POST 9/11 VETERANS EVENT
A Night of Stories & Beer – July 27th 6:30pm – 8:00pm RSVP Required – Email: [email protected] MORE INFO…The Veterans Breakfast Club has appointed Nick Grimes as Director of its new Post 9/11 Veterans Storytelling Project. In April 2016, VBC launched a special effort to reach younger veterans who do not regularly attend weekday storytelling breakfast events. The goal of this special project, generously supported by the Jefferson Regional Foundation, is to provide those who served since September 11th 2001 opportunities to tell their stories—in their own words. The Veterans …
COLD DRIP DOPPIO
Double Coffee Ale (8.0%) [IBU 33] Fermentables: 2-Row Pale, Vienna, Crystal, Flaked Barley, Lactose Hops/Spices: Horizon, Goldings, Coffee This is the amped up version of our coffee ale, Cold Drip City. And like the original, it starts out as a golden to light amber ale, which we infuse with a strong cold-brewed coffee after fermentation. The base beer is designed to deliver a malty sweet background for the coffee, with a full, creamy mouthfeel from the addition of lactose (milk sugar). What makes it a “double”? First, the ABV is …
FAINTHEART
RED LAGER ABV 4.9% IBU 30 Fermentables: 2-Row Pale, Munich, CaraMunich, Chocolate Malt Hops: Horizon, Santiam In the most basic sense, there are two types of beer: ale and lager. The key difference between the two is the yeast. Ale yeasts prefer warmer fermentation temperatures, and they tend to produce esters that contribute a fruity flavor and aroma. Lager yeasts prefer cooler temperatures, and they impart a “cleaner,” less fruity flavor, allowing the malt and hops to really stand out. Faintheart is the first of several lagers that we …
FOREVER SINGLE 2
SINGLE HOP IPA ABV 7.1% IBU 75 Fermentables: 2-Row Pale, CaraMunich, CaraPils Hops: Chinook This second installment of Forever Single features Chinook hops. We think it’s piney, spicey, and a little earthy. What do you think?
ICARUS WIT
BELGIAN WIT ABV 6.4% IBU 21 Fermentables: Pale, Wheat, Chocolate Malt, Black, Special B Hops/Spices: Ultra, Ginger, Star Anise, Orange Peel, Cocoa There happens to be a Pittsburgh-based power metal group called Icarus Witch, and we happen to be friends with them. So ever since when, we knew we wanted to do a riff on a Belgian witbier and call it Icarus Wit. So, what’s the weirdest thing you could add to a Belgian witbier? That’s correct – the answer is chocolate. But Jason (bass) loves chocolate beers, …
BACKDOOR SLIDER
DRY-HOPPED SOUR ABV 5.2% IBU 7 Fermentables: 2-Row Pale, Wheat, Vienna Hops: Santiam, Citra A “backdoor slider” is a deceptive pitch that starts outside the strike zone but then catches the back corner of the plate. Backdoor Slider is a simple sour ale that leads with Citra hops into a tart finish, with a touch of wheat crackers.
EL DOPA
PALE ALE ABV 6.9% IBU 17 Fermentables: 2-Row Pale, Munich, Crystal, Flaked Oats Hops: Bravo, Cascade, Goldings, Crystal, Meridian A relatively strong (“double”) pale ale brewed with flaked oats, which account for the softer, fuller mouthfeel and the hazy appearance. El Dopa has a restrained bitterness with an intense herbal, floral, almost tea-like flavor and aroma. Incidentally, the name is an acronym for Double Oatmeal Pale Ale. And it is also a play on the naturally occurring biochemical L-DOPA, which makes you and me happy.
HOW NOW
Brown Ale ABV 5.4% IBU 23 Fermentables: 2-row, Victory, CaraMunich, Chocolate Malt Hops/Spices: Santiam, Willamette, Peanut Butter This version of How Now is flavored with PB2, which is a dehydrated peanut butter. Much of the natural oils are removed, which makes it compatible with beer. The base beer is the same as usual, with a hint of caramel malt sweetness, a touch of biscuit, and roasty dark chocolate.