Friday, May 14, 2010

Tomorrow at Iron Hill in Media, PA

Iron Hill in Media, PA. Saturday the 15th. Home of one of the region's most decorated brewers, Bob Barrar. One of the regions most-anticipated May beer events. Brandywine Valley Craft Brewfest. Most local breweries are in attendance every year. There actually are just a few handful of tickets remaining. (oops, as of last night, strike that last comment...head to the secondary market or hang around the front gate to find people looking to get rid of tickets they can't use) Interesting beers are usually the order of the day under most tents. Then, not to be outdone, Iron Hill takes it to the next level. Bob Barrar will be pouring Methuselahs (those are the really big bottles :) As in, the equivalent of eight 750ml bottles. Methuselahs at 2:30pm and 4:00pm. Stop by for a sample pouring. I hear Bob's been working out at the gym a little more to make sure he's up to the task. Just follow the flash mob scene to Iron Hill's tent. (Hint: if that doesn't really appeal to you, that may be the best time to check out other tents that would ordinarily have longer lines.) One more insider tip...well, not really an insider tip for any of you that have attended in the past. With your VIP/Mug Club Membership, you'll have access to special beers (Very Interesting Pourings) that the general admission crowd will not. And, if I'm not mistaken, Iron Hill--being the ever-enterprising folks that they are--will even take your application for Mug Club Membership on the spot. From my experience (which obviously can differ from others, many mug clubs favor the establishment far more than they benefit the consumer...this Iron Hill Mug Club is one of the best that I've seen) Here's what your Mug Club Membership gets you this year: Dr. Drie (yes, this is still as good as I've been saying all along); Cherry Dubbel (look out, this one packs a flavor and ABV punch...save some for me!); Bourbon Imperial Pumpkin Ale; and Orange-Ginger Honey Saison (haven't tried this one yet...but, it's a saison, so I think I already know how I deal with this one). Beer Details down below. And, all of that is on top of their "regular beers" under the Iron Hill big top: Raspberry Wheat; Pig Iron Porter; Ironbound Ale; Hefeweizen; Saison; Maniac Alt; Chi-Town Brown; Abbey Single; and a firkin of "something tasty". See you there... Dr. Drie We’ve managed to lay our hands on a very special strain of Brettanomyces that seems to be found only in the family brewery at Fonteinen. We used it to barrel ferment a beer made from a blend of high dried and pale malts in heavy toast French Oak. Despite the simple recipe, the beer is un-endingly complex, explosively fruity with the aromas of tangerine and musty wildflower honey. The finish is dry with a touch of oak and caramel. O.G. 12.3P (1.050), IBU: 20, ABV: 5.5% Cherry Dubbel 2008 Silver Medal Winner GABF Wood and Barrel Aged Sour Beers. This beer starts out life as our award winning Abbey Dubbel. This base is a Trappist inspired beer that is rich, raisiny, and Burgundian. After primary fermentation it gets a second with one pound per gallon of dark sweet Oregon cherries. The cherry adds obvious fruit character, increases the alcohol content and begins creating natural acidy. Next the beer is racked with the wild yeast Brettanomyces bruxellensis into second use medium toast French oak Pinot Noir barrels where it ages for over 6 months. Strong and explosively fruity with aromas of cherry pie, a touch of wood, vanilla, fresh grass, raisin and other dark fruits. 19°P, IBU: 28, ABV: 8.1% Orange-Ginger Honey Saison Traditional Belgian farmhouse-style ale brewed local orange blossom honey (NJ) and popular L'chouffee yeast, lending a nectarous honey note and a crisp, champagne-like effervescence. Finished beer was aged on fresh ginger root and california naval orange zest, and a leaf of basil. O.G. 1.063, IBU: 33, ABV: 6.5% Bourbon Imperial Pumpkin Ale Our Pumpkin Ale’s big brother. Brewed to a higher gravity with additions of molasses and Belgian candi sugar in addition to the pumpkins and spices then aged in a used Bourbon barrel. O.G. 1.089, Color: 20 IBU: 25 ABV: 9.5%

No comments: