Tag Archives: grape must

Dry-Hopped Wild Ale – Field House Brewing

by Mike

From Field House Brewing in Abbotsford comes their “Dry-Hopped Wild Ale”.  The beer pours a red colour with a reddish head.  The aroma consists of fruit, grape must and sweetness.  The flavour is of grape must, citrus, tropical fruit, brettanomyces funk, some sweetness but little bitterness.  The alcohol content comes in at 8% with an IBU of 25.  This was an interesting take on a Wild ale and I enjoyed it.

Commercial Description:  An experiment with hops & grapes, this aromatic ale was dry-hopped with Citra, Mosaic & Amarillo and then conditioned on Brett and a blend of grape must.

 

Sanctuary – Steamworks Brewing (Blasted Church Vineyards)

by Mike

From Steamworks Brewing in Burnaby BC in collaboration with Blasted Church Vineyards in Okanagan Falls comes their “Sanctuary” a Saison with Gewurztraminer Grape Must.  The beer pours a cloudy yellow colour with a white head.  The aroma consists of citrus, yeast, spices, Gewurztraminer Grape and wheat.  The flavour is of lemony citrus, spices, wheat, yeast funk, mild Gewurztraminer Grape and pith.  The alcohol content comes in at 7.5%.  This is an absolutely delicious blend of both beer and wine.  Make sure to rush out and buy your bottles before it sells out.

Commercial Description:  Trying to decide between a glass of wine or pint of beer? Now you can have both, with the release of “SANCTUARY”; the heavenly new collaboration beer from Steamworks Brewing Co. and Blasted Church Vineyards. Sanctuary is a bottle conditioned Saison featuring Gewürztraminer grape must and is a departure from the ordinary for both producers.  The making of the beer has been a true labour of love for the brewers and vintners involved. The process started with Blasted Church pressing fresh Gewürztraminer grape must from their Okanagan Valley fall 2017 harvest. The must was then rushed to Steamworks brewery and added during fermentation within 24 hours. The beer was then bottle conditioned for over 2 months in a special facility kept at an optimal temperature.  All of this effort has led to a truly unique and spectacular flavour profile. Subtle grape and fruit notes give way to an effervescent mouthfeel and dry finish with a floral yet mildly spicy saison character.

 

 

Bird Of Prey 2014 – Driftwood Brewing

by Mike

From Victoria BC’s Driftwood Brewing comes the “Bird Of Prey” a re-release of Driftwood’s first every Sour Ale a Flanders Red Ale.  The original release came out in November 2011 and started their Bird Of Prey series of Sour Ales.  This version was released in February 2014.  This Flanders Red Ale pours a deep amber/red with an off white head.  The aroma consists of sweetness, sour cherries, fruits, oak and mild funkiness.  The flavour is of grape must, sour cherries, oak, tannins, candies, mild funky sourness.  The beer comes in at an alcohol content of 7.5%.  I think this beer will be amazing in a year or two with aging.  Currently the flavours a muted and a bit  muddled much like many very young sours.  I have 5 bottles of this beer put away so I will keep everyone up to date on how this beer ages.  I recommend picking up a few bottles and aging them.

Commercial Description:  The return of the original Bird of Prey from Driftwood Brewery’s Wild Ale series, this sour ale was inspired by a Coopers Hawk that took residence in the brewery for 24 hours in November 2011. Brewed in its honour, this very unique sour beer has been conditioned in a mix of American and French oak wine barrels for a year, creating a dry, sour & funky profile that will continue to evolve in the bottle for a very long time.

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Sixty-One – Dogfish Head Brewery

by Mike

From Milton, Delaware’s Dogfish Head Brewery comes their “Sixty-One” the Continually hopped India Pale Ale brewed with syrah grape must.  This beer is the 60 Minute IPA with one added ingredient Syrah Grape Must.  Syrah Grape Must is the freshly pressed grapes that includes skins, seeds and stems of the Shiraz grape (also known as Syrah).  The beer pours a reddish/copper colour with an off white head.  The aroma consists of grapes, wine, citrus and floral hops.  The flavour is of red wine, fruits, malts and a good hops bitterness.    The alcohol content comes in at 6.5% with an IBU of 60.  This may not be for everyone but this mix of fairly big IPA with the grape must really did it for me!  I will be picking up more of this if I can find it.

Commercial Description: Sixty-One, our first new core beer since 2007, was born at the crossroads of serendipity, experimentation and brotherhood.  Whenever Dogfish Head President Sam Calagione and his neighborhood friends gather for drinks, they give each other a big ol’ man-hug and order a round of 60 Minute IPA. A few years ago, Sam also ordered a glass of his favorite red wine and poured a little into each pint of 60 Minute. They all dug the combination of fruity complexity and pungent hoppiness, and the blend became a beloved tradition.  Sixty-One captures that tradition in a bottle and marries two Dogfish Head innovations: beer/wine hybrids — which Dogfish has focused on for well over a decade with beers like Midas Touch and Raison D’être — and continually-hopped IPAs.  The name Sixty-One is a reminder that this beer is Dogfish Head’s best-selling 60 Minute IPA plus one new ingredient: syrah grape must from California. The label, painted by Sam, is a twist on a typical watercolor. Rather than using water, Sam mixed the green pigment with beer and the red pigment with wine. And because Sixty-One pairs so well with chocolate, he painted the browns on the label with melted chocolate.

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