New releases from NABC's Grant Line brewery: Bretted Phoenix, Single Hop series, and Imperial Belgian IPA.

Jared Williamson provides this wonderful update of new NABC draft releases from his realm within the garage brewery at the Pizzeria & Public House.

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“Bretted” Phoenix Kentucky Komon

The first beer, which is not a "new" release, was actually tapped on
Saturday (November 7) by Mike Bauman at the Public House and is now pouring on the hand pull. It is a firkin of Phoenix Kentucky Komon that has been aging for over 6 months with Brettanomyces lambicus. This is a wild yeast strain mostly used in Lambics and certain other Belgian styles. Given a proper period of aging, the result is a very complex sourness added to the base of Phoenix. There are two more firkins of this “Bretted” Phoenix, and at some point Bank Street Brewhouse also will have it on tap.

Opening tandem from the “Single Malt, Single Hop APA” series

The first two beers in the “Single Malt, Single Hop APA” series will go on tap at the Pizzeria & Public House on Wednesday, November 11. A firkin of each will go on the Bank Street Brewhouse handpulls for BSB's ribbon cutting ceremony on Wednesday, November 18.

My idea with this series is simple: Brew two beers that use the same malt, have the same alcohol by volume and the same IBUs, but use a different hop for each. This will allow consumers to learn about individual hop flavor profiles and also allow us to audition new malts. NABC’s “Single Malt, Single Hop APA” series will loosely be run as a tournament, with the first of the paired APAs to deplete deemed as the winner and permitted to advance to the next round. There will be four (4) first rounds of eight beers, two (2) semifinals of four beers, and then the final two beers. During each of the first rounds, we will try out different hops and malt. I will keep track of the tournament and post a bracket.

The first two beers: Cascade vs. Nugget, both brewed with Rahr's North American Harrington 2-Row Barley. The beers clock in around 6% ABV and 60 IBU. See below for specs.

Debut of The Livery/NABC collaboration brew: "Le Douche Mental" Imperial Belgian IPA

The long awaited release of The Livery/NABC collaboration brew, an Imperial Belgian IPA, is slated for Friday, November 13. This is the first ever collaboration project for both breweries, and The Livery’s brewmaster, Steve Berthel, is returning to town to help celebrate. Not only that, but he’s also bringing two beers from his Benton Harbor, Michigan, brewery to share with us: A dry-hopped Imperial Dopplebock, and a American IPA. These two 1/6 barrel kegs will be tapped as soon as Steve gets to town on the 13th, and they won't last very long.

What Steve and I collaboratively brewed is Imperial Belgian IPA, dubbed "Le Douche Mental", and clocking in at 8.5% ABV and 75 IBU. This will be served as a 10oz pour, and is a very limited release. Most of the batch is being aged with oak for 2010 release(s). It was brewed using two Belgian malts, one English malt, and three American hops, with fresh “wet” Fuggles used in the mash. It has a strong bitterness, and the alcohol is very noticeable in the big malt body. This is a very uniquely flavored beer owing to the Belgian Saison yeast used.

Check out The Livery's web site for more information on the great work Steve is doing in Michigan.

Jared

NEW RELEASES FROM GRANTLINE BREWERY: Updated 11/9/09

Single Malt, Single Hop APA Series
Cascade vs. Nugget
Malt: Rahr North American 2-Row Barley
Hops: Cascade and Nugget, respectively
ABV: 6%
IBU: 60
Yeast: Bankstreet House Ale

The Livery/NABC Le Douche Mental Imperial Belgian IPA
Malts: Castle Pale (Belgian), Castle Biscuit (Belgian), Simpsons Medium Crystal (English)
Hops: Wet Fuggles in mash; Nugget, Fuggle, and Cascade
ABV: 8.5%
IBU: 75
Yeast: Belgian Saison