Thomas Creek - Oktoberfest Lager

Dead Soldier

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer
Oktoberfest Lager
Thomas Creek Brewing Company
2054 Piedmont Highway
Greenville, SC  USA
Est. 1998
www.thomascreekbeer.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 6.0 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0

Postmortem Brew Review
Deep, dark golden in color.
Malted barley grain scent like a well grained bread with trace amounts of sweetness and noticeable hops.
Tight and creamy one inch head.
Head retains nearly to the bottom leaving strings of lace.
Finishes malty with a touch of toffee sweetness and just the right amount of bittering hops.
Light, refreshing and sessionable; easy to drink.
Medium, soft carbonation. Medium mouth feel.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
My favorite time of year is approaching. The time of the year when things are plucked from the ground in their season of harvest. Here is a favorite style of mine; the humble yet noble Oktoberfest.

Many brewers attempt it due to the popularity of tying harvest season and fall festivities et cetera, et cetera. It is also known as Marzen from the German word for the month of March,( the season in which it was originally brewed.) Lagered in cold cellars or caves, the fest bier was brought out for the fall harvests. It's origins actually begin with a particular marriage festival of Crown Prince Ludwig to Princess Therese. Since then it has grown into the single largest beer festival, held each year in late September thtough early October. With over 6 million in attendance, that's a mighty big hangover.

In general, while lagers and their yeasts are more difficult to work with, Thomas Creek has captured a very fine example in their bottle. Just the right color, smells and mouthfeel for the finest of lagers, the Oktoberfest.

Reap one soon and see what a great lager tastes like.

Southampton Publick House - Biere de Mars

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Where to Dig Up More About This Beer

Biere de Mars
Southampton Publick House
40 Bowden Square
Southampton, NY USA
Est. 1996
www.southamptonbrewery.com 

Brain Damage Quotient = 6.5% ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0 

Postmortem Brew Review
Hazy orange/golden color.
Smells caramel and a bit nutty with faint hop notes and a hint of wheat.
Off-white two fingered head, covers to wisp.
Some lacing down the side of the glass.
Tastes of caramel malt with dried apple and grape with sour citrus component.
Medium carbonation.
Light bodied mouth feel and enjoyable to drink.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Is this beer from outer space? It has "Mars" on the front! No, it's not. That is the Latin word for the month of March, when it was traditionally brewed.

Biere de Mars is a French Farmhouse style ale that is fermented cool, like a lager beer. It also contains both wheat and barley. An interesting ale that will refresh the palate. Equally interesting to note is that The Publick House has been opened since the 1800's. Located in eastern Long Island, New York, it has seen it's share of historic notables between then and now. No slouch of a brewery either; Southampton has won several awards in the beer industry, including The Great American Beer Festival and World Beer Cup.

Laughing Dog - Dogzilla Black IPA

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Where to Dig Up More About This Beer

Dogzilla Black IPA
Laughing Dog Brewing Company
55 Industrial Park Road
Ponderay, ID USA
Est. 2005
www.laughingdogbrewing.com 

Brain Damage Quotient = 6.9 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 22.0 

Postmortem Brew Review
Deep mahogany red on the pour. (Pour slowly/carefully)
Citrus and piney with hints of roasted malt and even less of coffee.
Billowy tan head, easily three fingers high.
Great amount of draped lacing.
Hops that last throughout the session balanced nicely with a rich malty presence.
Medium to full bodied.


Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Sixty nine IBU's go into the makeup of this Black IPA, (a.k.a. Cascadian Black Ale). A malty backbone bridges the firmament to all those hops and imparts the rich inky blackness of color. This style has come from out of the northwest and is in fast company with The Reaper. I really do enjoy a well done Black IPA.

On the whimsical side, Laughing Dog has taken some poetic license to tweak the words of "Godzilla" from Blue Oyster Cult.

With a purposeful growl and a terrible sound
He pulls the rack of kegs all down

He picks up a bottle and he throws it back down
As he walks through the kegs toward the center of town

Oh no, they say he's got to go

Go, go Dogzilla!

Humorous and true to the name Laughing Dog. If you find some, get some.

Ska - Modus Hoperandi India Pale Ale

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Where to Dig Up More About This Beer
Modus Hoperandi India Pale Ale
Ska Brewing Co.
225 Girard Street
Durango, CO USA
Est. 1995
www.skabrewing.com


Brain Damage Quotient = 6.8 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0


Postmortem Brew Review
Golden amber color.
Sweet malts, then a copious amount of pine hops aromas.
One and a half finger of off-white head.
Rings of sticky lacing down the glass with each sip.
Malt sweetness with citric zinging hops element.
Medium amount of carbonation.
Medium bodied, medium mouth feel with a slight oily hops finish. 


Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Modus Hoperandi IPA is a bang-on pine/citrus sticky hops ale. It is very flavorful and well balanced with sweet malt that rounds it out, but rest assured the hops are there from start to everlasting sticky finish.


This is probably one of the best dozen or so west coast American IPA's that I've come across. Fun too, cause' The Reaper likes the skull dude - this time leading the pack in a snazzy suit and tie combo. As he takes the pony-tailed bobby-soxer into a dip, the words "Lip Up Fatty" are emblazoned above the dancing couple. It pays homage to the ska band "Bad Manners" which managed to bust a record into the UK charts back in 1980.


I also found many other "Easter Eggs" on the can.  The word 'recycle' is listed not once, not twice but three times around the can neck. Subtle word choice such as 'walk', 'kite', 'hide', 'seek' even 'shower' are reminders to do good and have fun along the way in life. Something that this beer and brewer, seem to be all about. After all, even the name Modus Hoperandi is a play on Modus Operandi. Hops is how they roll, down in Durango. And having fun seems to be in their nature.


The best hidden word gem was found on the ingredients list. It seems the folks at Ska have found a way to get around the German Purity Law of 1516 by adding a fifth ingredient and still keeping it Reinheitsgebot. What's that fifth ingredient? Love.


No German Brewer would fault them for that brewing addition. Thanks Ska!

Green Flash - Hop Head Red Ale

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Where to Dig Up More About This Beer

Hop Head Red Ale

Green Flash Brewing Company

6550 Mira Mesa Boulevard

San Diego, CA USA

Est. ????

www.greenflashbrew.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 6.4 % ABV

Fluid Oz. = 12.0

Postmortem Brew Review

Deep amber red color tone.

Pleasant caramel malts aromas mingle with resiny pine hop scents along with fruity citrus hop notes.
Two finger near tan colored, rocky head.

Head leaves spiderwebs of lace and covers to a cap right to the bottom of the glass.
Delicious sticky Amarillo hops that are balanced by creamy caramel malt sweetness.

Nice light carbonation.

Medium flavor, medium bodied.


Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Oh, my God....OH MY GOD! This is one delicious smelling, delicious tasting Red Ale!

Where do I go from here? Back to the fridge to look for more, but alas...it was the only one of these I brought back from the west coast. Arrrrrrggggghhhhhhh!!! So sad! Marvelous little Red that packs a punch of malt and hop taste. Tremendous balance and interplay of the malts and (dry hopped) Amarillo hops.

This is a multi-award winning beer that includes these medals:

• Great American Beer Festival 
  2009 Bronze–American Red Ale
  2007 Silver–American Red Ale
• World Beer Cup 
  2008 Gold–American Red Ale
• San Diego County Fair 
  2011 Gold - American Red Ale

The good elf Lupulin performs a 45 IBU tango for two with Madame Malt, and uses your tongue for their dance floor! Sinfully delicious...must get more....

Breakside - Gin-Barrel Double Wit

Dead Soldier 

Ben Edmunds - Breakside Brewery

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer

Gin-Barrel Double Wit
Breakside Brewery
820 NE Dekum Street
Portland, OR USA
Est. ????
www.breaksidebrews.com


Brain Damage Quotient = 6.8 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0 (3 oz. sample)


Postmortem Brew Review
Cloudy straw/wheat color.
Smell of lemon zest, fruit esters, wheat and wood.
Tightly bubbled near white head.
Spicy coriander and lemony zest predominate. Gin and wood notes present.
Nice lacing down the side of the glass.
Good amount of carbonation.
Light bodied. Flavorful with a clean mouth feel.


Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Round #8
This blog post was done live at the 2nd Annual Beer Blogger's Conference, held in Portland, Oregon. 95 bloggers were in attendance, from over one thousand identified blogs. Luminaries of the craft beer world also attended to serve as presenters and keynote speakers for the event. A "speed round" of blogging was held by brewers, each bringing an exemplary brew to blog. Great craft beers, 12 blogging tables and 60 minutes were allotted in a fun, free-for-all session. 

Deschutes - Jubelale

Dead Soldier 

Veronica Vega - Deschutes

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer

Jubelale
Deschutes Brewery
901 SW Simpson Avenue
Bend, OR USA
Est. 1988
www.deschutesbrewery.com


Brain Damage Quotient = 6.7 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0 (3 oz. sample)


Postmortem Brew Review
Rich, deep red color.
Smell of citrus and pine hops on the nose. Good amount of caramel malt present. Some spiciness also present.
Choppy tan colored head, about one finger high.
Great lacing down the side of the glass.
Caramel toasted malt with hops in balance. Bready and earthy tastes.
Medium bodied. Full flavored mouth feel.


Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Round #6
This blog post was done live at the 2nd Annual Beer Blogger's Conference, held in Portland, Oregon. 95 bloggers were in attendance, from over one thousand identified blogs. Luminaries of the craft beer world also attended to serve as presenters and keynote speakers for the event. A "speed round" of blogging was held by brewers, each bringing an exemplary brew to blog. Great craft beers, 12 blogging tables and 60 minutes were allotted in a fun, free-for-all session. 

Ninkasi - Total Domination IPA

Dead Soldier 

Jamie "Darth" Floyd
& his minion - Ninkasi Brewing

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer

Total Domination IPA
Ninkasi Brewing Company
272 Van Buren Street
Eugene, OR USA
Est. 2006
www.ninkasibrewing.com


Brain Damage Quotient = 6.7 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0 (3 oz. sample)


Postmortem Brew Review
Hazy orange/yellow color.
Smell of rich malts and citrus/spicy hops on the nose.
Sturdy off-white head, about one finger high.
Great lacing down the side of the glass.
Medium bodied. Full flavored mouth feel. 


Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Round #5
This blog post was done live at the 2nd Annual Beer Blogger's Conference, held in Portland, Oregon. 95 bloggers were in attendance, from over one thousand identified blogs. Luminaries of the craft beer world also attended to serve as presenters and keynote speakers for the event. A "speed round" of blogging was held by brewers, each bringing an exemplary brew to blog. Great craft beers, 12 blogging tables and 60 minutes were allotted in a fun, free-for-all session. 

Lagunitas - Censored Rich Copper Ale

Dead Soldier 

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer

Censored Rich Copper Ale

Lagunitas Brewing Company

1280 North McDowell Boulevard
Petaluma, CA USA
Est. 1993

www.lagunitas.com 

Brain Damage Quotient = 6.75 % ABV

Fluid Oz. = 12.0 

Postmortem Brew Review

Clear amber with copper tones.
Smells bready with caramel malt sweetness on the nose.
Nice, fluffy, off-white head, one finger high.
Good amount of ringed lacing on the glass.

Slightly less than average amount of carbonation.
Sweet malt flavor with just a bit of hops bitter finish.

Medium bodied mouth feel.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Got to love the website when it reveals the ingrediatns as malt, hops, yeast and water. Really? What have I been drinking all this time? What? What?!? Whatever! Hey, I didn't start it...

"The original name of this original ale was originally derived from an origin so heinous that we cannot reveal its aboriginal oregeny. sorry. Actually, it's an easy drinking malty Copper Ale that goes easy on the hops. Whatever."

That's from their website, speaking about Censored. We will conclude with the fact that it is good. Gooood. Goooooooood. That is all...I f#ck!n' dig it.

Widmer Brothers - Pitch Black IPA

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Where to Dig Up More About This Beer

Pitch Black IPA
Widmer Brothers
929 N. Russell
Portland, OR USA
Est. 1984
www.widmer.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 6.5 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0


Postmortem Brew Review
Pitch black color, just as the name implies.
Toasted malt notes along with smooth fragrant hops.
Two finger head with creamy tan color that dissipates slowly.
Perfectly draped lace, symmetrically rings the glass.
Soft herbal and citrus hops mingle perfectly with the five malts. Finishes very cleanly.
Modest amount of carbonation.
Medium bodied. Smooth drinking. 

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Once brewed as W'10, for a 2010 annual release, this year marks Pitch Black IPA's entry into the year round production by Widmer Brothers. And we IPA fans are fortunate and grateful for the change.

All your senses will be piqued when you imbibe this brew. Pitch Black IPA is a mean looking, great smelling and fab tasting IPA. It has the creaminess, hoppiness and just about everything you could ask for in a Black IPA. Malt bitterness is erased from the black malts and smooth Cascadian hops even out the score. Five malts and two hops in all make this 65 IBU black beauty spring to life. Each sip invites you back for another. The lace factor is eye pleasing, as it totally envelops the glass with each sip. It's like a whole other sensory feel, by adding a visual appeal to the beer. Another great brew from the 'Brothers'.

Come on over to the dark side. Muaahaahaha!

Ommegang - BPA

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Where to Dig Up More About This Beer

BPA (Belgian-style Pale Ale)

Brewery Ommegang

656 County Highway 33

Cooperstown, NY USA 

Est. 1997

www.omegang.com  

Brain Damage Quotient = 6.2 % ABV

Fluid Oz. = 25.4

Postmortem Brew Review

Translucent apricot golden color.

Citrus fruit, dry yeast and caramel malt made up the aromas.

One finger, fluffy white head. Foam leaves nice spotted lacing.

Deliciously fruity but crisp and dry with a nice dry hopped finishing taste.
Balanced carbonation.

Light to medium mouth feel. Nicely complex flavors.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy

The bottle label claims "Limited Edition", however after researching their website I find it listed under their 'Year-Round Brews'. I purchased this bottle while on vacation at a natural foods store that carried an incredible beer selection. The bottle gives perfect advise for storing, serving and pouring to avoid the yeast sediment. Details such as these are what make the drinking experience produce the most enjoyable outcome possible. Also interesting to note, its a little bit European and a bit American, borrowing ingredients from both regions and combining for a spectacular Belgian-style Pale Ale.


Dry hopping and warm cellaring at the brewery are listed on the bottle's label. This shows the dedication to craft that goes into Ommegang's products. As we allowed our bottle to warm slightly from the fridge, and then again in our glasses, the aromas of the dry hops and Belgian yeasts treated our noses. Citrus and tropical fruit notes wafted up as we took a sip. This is a very nice sipping Belgian Pale Ale. And it was sweet to have found it on the shelves that day. A pure pleasure to share with a loved one on these warm summer days.

Lagunitas - India Pale Ale

Dead Soldier 

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer

India Pale Ale

Lagunitas Brewing Company

1280 North McDowell Boulevard
Petaluma, CA USA
Est. 1993

www.lagunitas.com 

Brain Damage Quotient = 6.2 % ABV

Fluid Oz. = 12.0 

Postmortem Brew Review

Rich gold color with copper tones.
Smell of citrusy hops and malt sweetness on the nose.
Nice, fluffy, near white head, one finger high.
Good amount of lacing on the glass.

Smooth hops up front and nicely warming in strength on the back.
Dry malt flavor coming through from start to finsih.

Medium bodied mouth feel.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Oooooo! Lagunitas has a nice IPA here that while bitter in hops, keeps you coming back for more. Easily sessionable at a mere 6.2%, this is a tasty take on the American India Pale Ale style.

Many of their other offerings also include hops strength, but this one is a keeper with me. The malt and hops balance is smooth and interestingly complex. Both get nicely tangled around all of your taste buds. Try some yourself and see if you agree. Visit their website if you have the time...there's a lot going on there.

Dundee - India Pale Ale

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Where to Dig Up More About This Beer

India Pale Ale

Dundee Brewing Company/Genesee Brewing Company

445 St. Paul Street

Rochester, NY USA

Est. 1994

www.dundeebeer.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 6.3 % ABV

Fluid Oz. = 12.0

Postmortem Brew Review

Dark golden color with copper hues.
Citrus/grapefruit hops notes with a biscuit malt aroma.
Off white 2 finger head that leaves a cap.
Good amount of lacing on the glass.

Nice balance malt and hops taste up front, but not as much hops on the finish.

Active carbonation.

Medium bodied mouth feel.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Dundee's slogan "The Best Beer You Never Had" is curious. I guess you could say that I never had it before now. But where does that slogan leave me now? It was a good beer to have. Hmmmm. Hafta' look up their marketing ploy on that phrase, sometime. It took a little sleuthing to uncover their founding date. Seems that Dundee started marketing a lager in 1994 at the former High Falls Brewing plant in Rochester. This was all done under the Genesee name, part of the North American Breweries Group. Nice to see a seasoned veteran of brewing helping to reinvent themselves. From a handful of beers, they have grown the list to around a dozen that include seasonal beers.

Chinook and Willamette hops combine with Caramel 60 and Crystal 77 malts to produce this balanced IPA. At 60 IBU's this India Pale Ale  is on target to produce the hops sting you might expect. I found that the hops appear to be there up front, but seemed a bit missing in action on the finish. In all, it is still a fine IPA and I would easily consider this again.

Red Brick - Brown Ale

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Where to Dig Up More About This Beer
Red Brick Brown Ale
Atlanta Brewing Company
2323 Defoor Hills Rd. NW
Atlanta, Georgia USA
Est. 1993
www.atlantabrewing.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 6.0 % ABV

Fluid Oz. = 12.0 

Postmortem Brew Review

Cloudy and light brown/amber color.
Sweet caramel malt and hazelnut aromas.
Tan, two finger high head.
Good lacing on glass, early on.

Malt flavors that linger on the palate. There are nutty tastes and a bit of cocoa present.

Medium bodied mouth feel. 

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Another offering from The Atlanta Brewing Company is their Red Brick Brown. I am usually not short on words, but it's enough to say that this is a good and solid brown style ale.

This brewery's quirky yet austere labels promotes pride in their Southern roots. Like I said before, short on words for this one, yet found it to be a very nice, drinkable brown. Words may escape me today, but this ale did not.

Brooklyn - East India Pale Ale

Dead Soldier

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer

East India Pale Ale

Brooklyn Brewery

#1 Brewers Row

79 North 11th Street

Brooklyn , NY USA

Est. 1988

www.brooklynbrewery.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 6.9 % ABV

Fluid Oz. = 12.0 

Postmortem Brew Review

Deep amber gold color.

Carmel malt and some floral hops brightness in aroma.
Off white foaming head goes to about one finger high.

Great streaked lacing up and down the glass.

Malty  and grassy taste mixed with a slight hint of citrus; very tasty.

Light carbonation.
Light to medium bodied mouth feel. 

Grim Reaper's Eulogy

Brooklyn does their IPA in the English style which is flavorful, but as the British say, "...not my cup of tea." I have grown accustomed to the American versions and the different hop varieties they bring to bear in flavor. I found the beer to be drier and lighter than most tried. Just my personal taste interjection and by no means a knock on the brewer. Let's face it, I couldn't brew anything near half as good as this at home with my paltry experience. But let's say for an English Style, it is close to the mark of what the Brits find in their IPA's.

While this is certainly a noble beverage, I will take a pass as IPA's go in my taste book.

Pensacola Bay Brewing - Banyan Brown Ale

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Where to Dig Up More About This Beer

Banyan Brown Ale

Pensacola Bay Brewing

225 E. Zaragoza Street
Pensacola, FL USA
Est. 2009

www.pbbrew.com


Brain Damage Quotient = 6.9 % ABV

Fluid Oz. = 32.0 (Growler)


Postmortem Brew Review

Deep brown color with some red hues.

Roasted malts, bready and caramel with scant hops on the nose.

Stringed lacing, tan head that sticks around for a while.

Caramel and toasted malts giving way to a dry, nutty finish.

Moderate carbonation. 

Medium bodied. Finishes very clean.


Grim Reaper's Eulogy

This one was supposed to be for someone else. After all, I was brought two others; the Lil' Napoleon and the Sawgrass Wheat. Well, I am not one to turn down good beer, especially when it's draught from a growler.


The brown was tasty and finished with a clean pop. Sorta like it started, when that tipper-top was opened.


Time to pop over to Pensacola and check them out.

Liefmans - Cuvee-Brut

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Where to Dig Up More About This Beer

Cuvee - Brut

Brouwerij Liefmans

Aalststraat 200

9700 Oudenaarde, Belgium

Est. 1679

www.liefmans.be

Brain Damage Quotient = 6.0 % ABV

Fluid Oz. = 25.4

Postmortem Brew Review

Hazy and cloudy reddish brown color. Deep red color if held up to light.

Tart cherry fruit nose. Rich malt aroma.

One finger, pale rose' head. Minimal spotted lacing.

Slightly, but not overly sweet. Astringent dryness to palate. Good balance of maltiness on finish.
Lots of carbonation.

Medium to light bodied mouth feel.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy

Liefmans Cuvee-Brut was formerly known as Liefmans Kriek.  The Cuvee-Brut starts with twenty six gallons of old brown ale that is macerated  with more than twenty eight pounds of fresh whole cherries. The nearly one-to-one ration is kept in shallow tanks to mature for one year. Then it is combined with Oud Bruin (a Flanders Brown ale) and Goudenband (a brown ale from Liefmans) to produce this unusually delicious cherry flavored brown ale. This process differentiates it from a Kriek Lambic style. The 750ml bottle itself is a bit bland and perfunctory. So to add a bit more flourish, the whole thing is wrapped in fancy cherry red colored paper.

The care, expertise, the time and the patience these brewers use in creating these ales has had a profound impact on my palate. I'd originally been dismissive of 'fruity' flavored beers. I needed this bottle to earn a beautiful Duvel tulip glass. After drinking, it made me pause and take notice of this whole other universe of beer. Belgian beers are fast becoming my favorites, no matter the style, largely due to the artisan crafting techniques of these brewers.

Some of them are, shall I say - - - to die for.

Mendocino - Blue Heron Pale Ale

Dead Soldier

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer

Blue Heron Pale Ale

Mendocino Brewing Company

1601 Airport Road

Ukiah, CA USA

(Saratoga Springs, NY)

Est. 1983

www.mendobrew.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 6.1 % ABV

Fluid Oz. = 12.0

Postmortem Brew Review

Amber golden color with very slight haze.

Yeasty smell.

Off-white head that covers nearly to the end of the glass.

Moderate carbonation.

Nice amount of stringy lacing on glass.

Crisp taste with light malts and nice hops finish.

Light bodied and easy to drink. 

Grim Reaper's Eulogy 

Another in the "birds of prey" beers by Mendocino. This pale ale is an easy to drink brew. Must be the great ingredients listed from their website such as the premium two-row Pale malted barley and two types of hops; Cluster, used for bittering and Cascade, used for the finishing.


This magnificent bird of prey (the Blue Heron) is found right here in Florida, in great abundance. We are also home to the White Heron variety. Both species frequently drop into the back yard of the crypt, usually with a fish in their beak, caught from the nearby lake.  Next time one stops by, I will reach in the fridge for one of these, Salute!