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You ever have one of those days?

A few weeks back, we were knee deep in a bottling marathon. It just seemed like every single time that we had a batch of beer ready to go, it needed to be bottled. These days, we are bottling about 80% of our beers with the rest going towards draft. The planets sometimes align and we get a whole week without having to operate the bottler(s)- we have two separate units. One for Six Packs and one for our bottle conditioned beers.

Sometime around Valentines Day, we had tanks of IPA, Old Viscosity and Judgment Day all ready to be packaged around the same time. This meant that in a 10 day span, we bottled 5 out of the 10 days. Bottling is an incredibly monotonous thing and as our bottling line(for the 22oz and 750mls bottles) is labor intensive. It means that we are often left spending hours on end doing the same task.

That particular week, I scheduled a bottling run for Monday-Thursday to get large batches of IPA and Old Viscosity packaged. It was on Wednesday around lunch that things got more interesting. Josh and I were running the filler with Vince capping all the bottles. I saw a flicker out of the corner of my eye over by the garden hose on the east side of the brewery.

I didn’t pay too much attention to it but then it moved again. So, I stopped my side of the filler and went to investigate. I found a very small mouse looking concerned about having ventured out of the wall from whence it came not knowing where to go next. This incredibly timid little creature managed to get trapped in the garden hose pile. Being “concerned” for his safety, I managed to corner him and “convince him” to jump into one of the cases from our bottling run. In the box, he knew that the walls were closing in on him and his days on this earth were numbered. He must have known because he started going bezerk and jumping up and down.

I laughed. “Escape is futile my friend. Your in my world now.” I showed Vince and Josh my prize new possession and we resumed bottling the beer with Josh seemingly very interested in our new little brewery mascot. As the bottles were going up and down, Josh must have dozed off like a high schooler in science class. Coming to, I soon found Josh filling a bottle cap with some Old Viscosity. “Hey, you think he’ll drink this?” He said?

“I don’t see why not,” was all I could come up with. And so it was that we began that afternoon a science experiment of our own. I have been called lots of things as a brewer and more often than not, people say we make some pretty incredibly experimental beers. I take it as a compliment. But this was an experiment of a different nature.

Josh set the bottle cap with Old Viscosity in the box and we watched as our new little friend investigated the merits of the dark oil slick like beer inside. Like a beer snob, the little bastard first smelled it. I’m surprised the alcoholic aroma didn’t burn his nose hairs. But like a good student of life (let’s not forget this was seemingly his first venture out into the real world), he plowed on. And plow on he did. He kept taking small nips out of the cap consuming Old Viscosity at an alarming rate.

The volume of liquid to body mass of beer he consumed was quite shocking. If he’d been human, I think he would have blown .44 for the officer that afternoon. We kept bottling and watching our new fury little friend become happier and happier with each sip. After a while, it was apparent that we had taken our new friend on a epic journey.

He started this epic journey with each step falling into the next. He would put one foot out straight before taking three steps sideways and falling over. Clearly this mouse was housed, pickled, polluted- 18 sheets to the wind. It was amusing to watch as he began walking in to the walls of the box and then chasing his tale.

At about 3 hours into the process, the mouse passed out. We weren’t even sure he was breathing (we were fresh out of miniature stethoscopes). Eventually the mouse (like most of us) passed out on his left side with his two right feet very much left hanging in the air. It must have been an amazing sleep. I can only think about it in these terms as drinking nearly ½ your bodies weight in Old Viscosity would have me reeling.

We finished bottling not knowing how our new home boy was doing. Josh took mercy on his condition and offered a piece of bread and some water (wait he wasn’t in jail for being intoxicated in public was he)? We left Mighty Mouse to “sleep it off” and retired for the night not knowing if our friend would ever recover from the happiest day of his life…I see trees of green… red roses too. And I think to myself…what a wonderful world!

Well HOLY MOSES! The next day when I arrived for work our little trooper was probably enduring the most wicked headache of all time. He was alive, awake but cowering in the corner twitching to the oldies. I was shocked that he was moving. Although to be perfectly fair, I don’t think he was moving all that well. We sort of watched from a distance that Thursday as he didn’t do all that much. Aren’t some friends just better when they’re not sober?

I don’t think that Mighty Mouse was feeling too terribly mighty that Thursday. We left him to his devices(he should have drank more water) before heading home that night. Friday was Black Friday. Josh had killed our little friend. Well, at least that’s how I view it. When we arrived on Friday, he wasn’t moving. Not a peep. “Come on little buddy. Give me one sign…” None came.

I gave him a proper dumpster burial and saluted his long and fortuitous life. I consider him to be the luckiest mouse to have ever lived. He got to enter the world being born at a brewery and it’s the only world he ever knew. He also got Stinking Drunk on Old Viscosity clearly leaving this world for a higher calling on his terms.

And so kiddies the moral of this story goes like this. You can drink all the Old Viscosity your body can handle. But if at the end of the day you try to drink your weight in beer, you may end up meeting a fate like our friend and fallen comrade. A toast then as we spill some beer for “the little guy.” Like the engine who could, he did. Sad to see him go. We’re going to miss you Amigo. “Say, I think I just saw your brother run by…I think I will introduce him to beer as well.

Happy April 1, 2007

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1869- You Can Almost Smell the Gunpowder

Have you ever seen the movie “American Pie” where the one girl phrases her whole life by referencing “this one time at band camp.” Well, two weeks ago, I was presented with an amazing opportunity to sample a beer bottled in 1869. With this in mind, I have decided that from now on, all of my stories will be started with this in mind. “Man we brewed a batch of Double IPA last week that almost killed me. Still, it had to be easier than those guys who brewed that beer from 1869. How about last week when I found myself in a conversation. “You know, this one time in 1869…” Hopefully you get the picture. To most historians,1869 is a very important year- include me on that list.

So follow me as we go back in time through the pages of history. It’s 1869. A civil war has recently ravaged our country. Think North vs. South. That’s what our history books have always led me and my Manifest Destiny brethren to believe. Yet, lately I become much less American Centric in my views of history. Stepping off planes, trains and buses in Europe has a way of shaking the foundations of importance and the educational system of our country that views our history above all else. I suppose it’s due in part to not having been bombed or marched through as part of a longer running timeline?

Out West, we forget that our country, the one we currently occupy, started innocently enough in 1492. That is if you believe that Columbus was the first to land on our shores. So way back in 1492, we were “discovered.” Yet looking towards Europe and England around the same time period, we’re left considering a whole separate world of discovery on the doors of a church.

But really you’re thinking. Enough of the history. Let’s talk beer. Well, 1869 is now an incredibly important to the life of Tomme Arthur as it frames the oldest bottle of beer that I have ever had the privilege to taste. And for the record, I would drink water from 1869, if I didn’t think it would kill me. Just so that I could see how miserable it was.

Prior to this bottle of beer from 1869, the oldest bottle of beer that I was able to sample was a Thomas Hardy Ale from 1968. Thanks to the generosity of Tom Nickel of O’Briens Pub and Dr. Bill Sysak, I had the opportunity some three years ago to sample not one but three vintages of this epic ale. As a brewer, I considered myself incredibly lucky to have sampled the entire vertical of the Thomas Hardy Ales. It was another once in a lifetime opportunity.

But let’s get back to the beer from 1869. Recently, our great friend Mark Dorber of the famed White Horse in London, acquired some incredibly rare vintages of Vintage Bass Ales. The 1869 was rumored to be part of this stash and Mark indeed received 15 bottles. I had heard this to be the case and figured “I need to taste that.”

It’s one thing to want, it’s another to need but sometimes, you just have to beg the crack dealer to give you some dope when you need it. And I was in need of some serious 1869 smack.

So it was, that when our European adventure was being planned, Mark ask innocently enough if there was something that we might “fancy” in the realm of English Specialty beers. As a publican of one of the best bars known to man, I didn’t doubt his ability to acquire this beer. Also, I didn’t ask for one beer as to seem overly needy so I started with a request for some JHB (Jeffery Hudson Bitter) that I fell in love with many years ago. This was a slam dunk even for white British guys who have no leaping abilities.

Next, I lobbed a mid grade request for something cask conditioned and vintage. The White Horse is famous for things in its cellars. To tell you the truth, I don’t even recall what it was. Last time we were there, it was Theakston’s Old Peculiar with Brett that was indeed Peculiar and Awesome!

In closing my email, I instructed Mark that he better have not one but TWO bottles of the 1869 Ratcliffe Ale waiting for us. We were important Americans and one bottle wouldn’t suffice. I didn’t actually expect that we would get to taste this beer but I was to be pleasantly surprised.

That Thursday night after our mini pub crawl through London, we dined at the White Horse. After dinner, and prior to the stinky cheese platter, we followed Mark downstairs into the infamous White Horse Cellars. Like a proud father, he presented us with a decanter full of a ruby liquid. Immediately, I thought we were sampling some sort of dessert wine.

Mark procured a set of glasses and we were left swirling and sniffing history. None of us knew it at the time. He had conveniently left the bottle stashed. None of us correctly guessed what we were drinking nor were we even close on our dates. My best guess was something that was 20-30 years old. Certainly missed by “oh, I don’t know a hundred years!”

The beer was dark ruby red with streaks of mahogany racing through its depths. Obvious signs of oxidation were present but then again, they were not destructive in their character. The standard caramelized notes of staling beer were well into a fifth realm that turned the flavors to Sherry. I detected a pervasive smokiness and there was a rawhide quality to the beer as well.

The first sip was an explosion of confusion (under my breath thinking the whole time…”no known pathogens can live in beer- I will not die from drinking this beer”)! There was a tremendous amount of acidity but the tartness presented itself before giving way to the huge overbearing caramel notes. I’m not sure how much of something like this you are supposed to drink. But in my world, when someone opens something so scarce, you make like you are baking brownies at home and ask with politeness in your voice and a glisten in your eye “would it be acceptable to lick the bottle clean?”

Now, I have met some of the largest certifiably nuts beer enthusiasts in the world. And the thing that always amazes me about them is how magnanimous they can be with their beers. It’s very endearing. I suppose this happens in the wine world as well with oenophiles wishing to display their collections with stunning brilliance?

But here’s the rube, Mark is probably (without fail) sitting on thousands of pounds (that’s dollars) of beer. He mentioned that only 15 bottles of this Ratcliffe 1869 Ale were found. There’s no way to predict what these bottles are worth on ebay but, we’re certainly not talking about Stone 02.02.02 either.

I’ve got to believe that these bottles would easily fetch north of 5K per bottle if not more. Somebody, would have to have them. And price would follow accordingly. I have to say this was a surreal experience. It’s not that often you can touch the past in such a tangible way.

One hundred years from now when I am dead and stiff, I can only hope that the 2 cases of Angel’s Share that I have stashed will be unearthed and in sufficient shape that it will be coveted and written about. History can be pretty cool like that. Especially when it finds you 750ml at a time.

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The Duvel Made Me Do It!

It starts simply enough. There is no finer Road Soda in the world then Duvel. As a fan of Belgian Beers, I make it a point to keep at least three beers on my drinking radar at any given time. They are Duvel, Saison Dupont and Rochefort 10. They each serve my taste buds in their own special ways and are readily available.

Duvel may be the quintesential Belgian Beer of the three. At the very least, it demands to be held in such regard. Atypical by most conventional understandings of beer(think Homer Simpson and Duff style lagers), Duvel is one of the greatest beers in my estimations. This is found in its ability to belie the senses. It acts like a merry pranqster sent from the Devil himself. It is a pale as the blandest lagers while at the same time presenting itself as a kind wolf in sheep’s clothing. And for all of this, I am thankful.

Two weeks ago, I started an incredible journey through London, Belgium and back on the East Coast for a quickie visit to our nations capitol. We left San Diego and arrived in London with a scheduled dinner at the world famous White Horse pub in Parson’s Green. Our good friend Mark Dorber is leaving after many years of serving as head cellarman for Suffolk and his own pub.

Mark and his staff were more than gracious in their reception of 6 Americans with Jet Lag but we more than made up for it drinking everything that landed on our table. Sufficient libations always ensures that conversations remain and friendships prosper. As we were well satiated and lubricated as an American in London can be, we made nice and began our journey back to the hotel. The beauty of leaving a bar where you have recently engaged the sympathies of a great publican can be found in the time honored tradition of the “Road Soda.”

For those who are unfamiliar with said tradition, it works thusly. At the point that a group of people decides it is time to leave an establishment, invariably one or more of this larger group is not ready to retire. Fighting the urge to rally against the dying light, a round of “Road Sodas” are procurred.

In most circles(at least mine), there is but one beer that I request when it is time to walk and talk. My prefered road soda is almost always Duvel. It has amazing drinkability, potency and sensibility to spank me in the morning and not on my way home. Mark being a proper publican(or wanting to get rid of the riff raff) offered our group of 6- four road sodas(I didn’t want to push our luck).

I’m not sure what time we actually left the White Horse but we suddenly found ourselves standing on the platform for the tube with Two Duvels and Two Hommel Biers from Poperinge being passed around. Sucking on Duvel after four hours of cask conditioned ales must be somewhat akin to mother’s milk for a nursing child. Incredibly rewarding to say the least. And at the very least it can get you to temporarily shut up.

Yet, like a great mother, Duvel also is known to act as a parent punching you silly should you get out of line. The next morning, I was reminded( if only slightly) that Duvel is a fun loving Jester one moment and Jekyl and Hyde the next seeking exacting revenge for indescretions. Or, was it the Jet Lag that made me feel so the next day?

Fast forward to Saturday in Brussels, Belgium and our last night in town. Contemplating my good friend Belezebuth and his progeny, I unflichingly ask the waiter for one Duvel, two Duvel’s and why not finish with one more? He’s probably laughing on the inside at the American who’s about to meet his Dark Lord Maker. The joke was on him as I stood confidently from my chair having conquered my fears and the marble floors of our hotel. That’s one point Good Guy and one point Duvel for those keeping score at home.

On Tuesday, we collectively decided we should ring up our friend Mr. Hedwig Neven who is the Technical Director for Moortgat- simply known to most as Duvel. We arranged for a 2:00pm visit for the next day. In many ways, this is a scary journey. You are heading directly into the depths of hell to look squarely in the eyes of our midnight maker. Repeat after me, “I am strong, I am young, I must be effin Stoopid.”

We are met thusly at Duvel by Mark the QA/QC Director who has been instructed by his boss Hedwig to give the Americans a tour. “Well, any great tour starts and ends with a beer,” Mark decrees. I shoot back, “I didn’t come here to drink pils,” and suddenly we are staring at 5 of the most gloriously fresh Duvel’s imaginable.

We also sample our way through the Maredsous line of beers that are produced here. At this point, Mark points out a new building under construction over yonder where they will be installing the 480 Hectoliter brewing system this summer. WOW!!!

Mark takes us up to the current brewhouse explaining their brewing process and we make the first of numerous discoveries. On the brewhouse floor are numerous boxes of Warrior Pellet hops… Later, we pass a pallet of Tomahawk Pellets. It’s soon clear to us that Duvel must be working on a new pilot batch of Double IPA to ensure they aren’t left behind when the fad gets really big.

Soon, we’re standing outside the lagering hall staring at rows of lagering tanks that look somewhat like giant washing machines at a laundromat. “Hey did anybody else see those tanks of Hennepin slumbering away? Oh that’s right, the sign outside said “Shhh hier ripien Hennepin.” Leaving the lagering area, we are off to the fermentation area. A great conversation about pitching temps, cell counts and bottle refermentation has me scrambling for a pen. It’s too bad the welder wouldn’t part with his sharpie, I could have used it. I find myself mumbling under my breath, “damn this is a great tour…” Perhaps, I am being seduced by the sirens of hell?

Mark offers us a chance to taste Duvel from the fermenter and before I can feel all that special, he announces that those on the regular tour get this chance as well. So much for VIP treatment. I’m outta here. It was great to sample the beer in its raw state and we all noted elevated levels of SO2 present.

On our way to the bottling hall, we pass a chemical storage area with some very sticky and resinous chemical bins. “They must be doping the employees with black tar heroin around here,” I am left musing. Or, could it be they really are serious about a Double IPA beer? Dunno but there was alot of said resin hanging out. In the bottling hall, we are shown the ridiculous high speed line capable of 55,000 bottles per hour of Duvel. Um, O.K. last time I checked, GOD didn’t have a line that ran that fast. Score one for the thirsty sinners then.

Bottles explode around us as they are bottling lager and my head is spinning watching the 176 head filler cycle bottles like a well oiled machine. I am instantly reminded that back at home we fill 4 bottles per cycle and in a good hour, we can make 960 bottles of Sharkbite Red in that time. Technology is everywhere in Hell and the Devil makes his presence felt everywhere.

We’ve now seen everything there is to see except the dry storage and warm conditioning areas. As I alluded to earlier, the warehouse visible from the highway says: “Shhh hier ripien Duvel.” NO KIDDING!!! Everywhere we went, there were massive amounts of Duvel waiting to be cellared and sold. We framed up for a few pictures and soon we were back at the new tasting bar area.

The Devil Went Down to Georgia suddenly rips off in my head as if Charlie Daniels and the boys were playing fiddles in the corner calling out my soul. I look around and there’s no one in sight. I must be hearing things. Mark offers, ” A beer and conversation then?” To which I firmly reply with My God as my co-pilot, ” I have come to the house of Captain Badass himself. Let’s Dance!” We’re easily through the first round(our second Duvel of the day) when Mark intimates we clearly must have another. Damn his Minions, they can be so convincing.

Granted, hell hath no fury like a liver scorned. There’s no time like the present. Pick any Euphemism- “We’re doing God’s work here!” We are angel’s of the lord sent to be tempted by the Duvel himself and God willing, we will be saved(we will won’t we)? Duvel # 3 is easily dismissed and signs of leaving present themself. Mark has a 7:00pm appt. that he must keep. But thankfully, this angel of hell has gone recon on our asses and brought in the closer Fast Freddie who is the Head Brewer who has recently returned from Africa. Apparently Freddie specializes in anchoring the Devils’ Four man drinking team along with Hedwig, Mark and Belezubuth himself. Duvel #4 presents manifests itself with nary a whimper from God’s children.

I quickly survey the situation knowing full well, God has armed me and my team with some epic livers and we nod in approval with an air of confidence. It’s not like you go on a pilgramage without expecting some sort of crusade against your health to ensue. If we’re lucky, we’ll only catch shrapnal and we’ll make it out alive with minimal damage.

At the end of beeer #4, I am convinced today I will be losing my 6 pack Duvel Virginity in one sitting- all in the name of research. In my short but illustrious drinking career, I have coddled up to Lucifer himself many times but 6 in one setting seems ludricous. My liver trembles in anticipation of the battle we’re waging knowing full well that all battles have winners and losers. Yet, he and I had that conversation this morning and I know too well, he’s a man of his word and we’re marching on like Napoleon himself.

Empty and parched(it’s hot in hell), Freddie offers a half round of Duvels which we sensibly oblige. He’s starting to see a weakness in my eyes or my speech is slurring. Either way, I’ll never know. After slogging back Duvel number 5.5, I can honestly say that I have survived. The fiddle playing comes to a soulful ending and we are alive- Numb, but nonetheless, alive.

Handshakes ensue. We are worthy of the good fight it seems. There is talk of us reprising the generous hospitality in San Diego during the Craft Brewers Conference in 2008. If Mark or Fast Freddie should be so kind as to accompany Hedwig to our town, we wil break dance our own personal Double IPA styled dance all the while trampling their souls in an opiatic jihad of sorts far away from the lupulin desert that is known simply to many as Belgium. And when this happens and they are running naked through the streets of our town. We will then and only then be able to look at the scoreboard and take note of the score:

God’s Children 1

Duvel 1.

Bring on the grudge match I say.

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Stout by the Sea Side

I have been brewing professionally for almost 11 years now. Inevitably I get asked that oh so fun question. “What is your favorite beer.” Like a proud father, I respond…” They are all my children and I like them equally as much.” Of course this is the PC answer but I am also an Uncle in real life and I would be remiss if I didn’t point out that I most certainly have a favorite niece. Does this mean that I am entitled to have a favorite beer? Absolutely although you most likely won’t hear me speak about it publicly.

Yet, if you want to know what beer a brewer likes the best, ask them what they drink when they’re not working. On a side note, I can’t believe I just wrote that. Anytime a brewer is at their brewery, they are inevitably working no matter what time of day or week it is. More often than not, when I was brewing in Solana Beach at the Pizza Port, I could be found coaxing the life out of Seaside Stout our homage to the Irish Dry Stout.

It started out easy enough. I was sitting at the Santa Barbara Brewing Company one day enjoying a pint of their State Street Stout. In true session beer fashion, it weighed in at a whopping 3.8% ABV. And it was everything delicious that a dry stout should be. At first, it was creamy like a cocoa frosting. It was instantly more acrid with a hint of burnt bitterness that ended in a smooth rounded finish of espresso without heading off into that territory of beers that finish with all the panache of an ashtray at last call. But this beer was a revelation that low alcohol goodness was possible even in Southern California.

I spoke with my good friend Eric Rose who was responsible for making this beer. A recipe was developed for the Pizza Port in Solana Beach and we were on our way to low abv riches. We released the beer to coincide with St. Patrick’s day a few years back and the tank lasted less than a month. This is an incredible achievement for Stout beers AND more so for low alcohol beers as well. Apparently, we were on to something?

Later that fall, we entered the beer in to the Great American Beer Festival. Seaside Stout was awarded a silver medal in 2003. The next year, it won the Gold and the following year another silver. Last year marked the first time in four years that Seaside Stout did not win a GABF medal. Was I bummed? Absolutely. You see, no matter how many esoteric or exotic styled beers I make, I will always have a soft spot for the everyday dark beer that is Seaside Stout. It may not be talked about in brewing circles but that doesn’t mean it is without merit.

Many people call my brewing style innovative, envelope pushing and at the forefront of American Brewing today. While these are certainly great things to be called. I would hope that consumers recognize the value of our range of beers from top to bottom. Seaside Stout was knocked off the GABF podium last fall. We’ll make sure that beer finds its way back to the top. Still, I can still sleep at night knowing full well that another beer we brew around 4.0% called Dawn Patrol Dark is on a great streak as well having won two medals at the GABF in 2005 and 06 as well as another at the World Beer Cup in 06 where it hit the top of the tote board.

So next time you want to know what a brewer considers to be their favorite beer. Step back and examine what it is they are drinking. If you’re lucky enough to see them order or pour themselves a second pint, you may have your answer. AND, if that brewer happens to be me and our drinking paths cross in Solana Beach, you won’t even have to squint to make out the heart of darkness that is Seaside Stout which is always by my side.

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Something From Nothing?

As you all know by now, we opened Port Brewing with two sets of beers including a whole new package and label called The Lost Abbey. It’s something that we have wanted to do for many years now. Each new beer that we release comes with the challenges of scaling up old recipe favorites AND the ceation of labels and artwork.

In my duties as Steward of the Lost Abbey Vision, I am responisble for getting the message about each beer out. Essentially, I work from start to finish on the recipe through the fermentation to the bottling and labeling to ensure each matches my thought process for the beer.

These days, it isn’t enought to just make a great beer and sit back as it sells. There is so much marketing and strategy that goes into these beers as well. Lately, I have been paying a lot of attention to wineries and their brands when I am out shopping. Mostly I am watching their labels and positioning to see what is out there. AND for the most part, I am very amused.

It appears that wineries can just pop out of thin air in the something from nothing principle. Mostly, it start out with someone having a vision. Typically a name is developed(this is really why I started this thread) because winery names are so damn interesting to me.

You need to be romantic. So you start with a natural element- perhaps something like fog. Perhaps your vineyard gets a ton of shade? Or maybe your soil is rocky and terraced. So you start playing around with these terms. And you need to sell the story of the winery.

Let’s go back to the Fog. Perhaps there is a coastal fog that creeps in every summer afternoon during harvest. Surely this is what makes the Pinot so soft and supple? Inevitably, you’re going to tell people about this unique microclimate. So your winery needs to be built around this. Maybe your brand will be coastal fog(too generic). It’s possible there is a valley connected with the property. Let’s go with the argument that coastal sage grows in this valley. The next working title becomes Sage Fog Winery conjuring up images of a sweet smelling Fog?(Too Esoteric). Perhaps you were out drinking wine on a Sunday when you saw this parcel of land?

You parked the car…walked out into the fields with your sweetheart. A picnic broke out. In the midst of amazing wine and cheese(because they pair so well) you were both suddenly enveloped in this afternoon fog sweeping through the valley? It was then that you decided it best to buy this parcel of land and start up your own winery. But what to call it? How about Sunday Fog? Nah that’s too Romantic. How about Sunday Sage? Coastal Sage, or better yet Sunday Valley?

Bingo! Sunday Valley. I mean who doesn’t love Sunday and valleys are amazing places full of discovery right? And so it is that Sunday Valley Winery is launched and a whole set of wines from grapes not grown anywhere near Sunday Valley(a very real place in most peoples minds I might add) is created. Sales of Sunday Valley Pinot Noir ensue and the story of a coastal sage fog creeping through the valley are now fully embedded in the minds of wine drinkers everywhere looking for an escape from this world.

People notice and across the valley another winery opens. There’s a little rise in this parcel of land with an oak tree standing like a sentinel on watch. And the new winery opens with a name like Shady Oak or Oak Springs because wineries always have two word names. I think it would most likely be Oak Springs beause the nice people across the way at the Sunday Valley winery have the Fog thing going for them as well. So, they’ve cornered the market on Summer Fog but what about Spring Rains?

Oak Springs then sets out to tell the story of April Showers bringing May flowers and the importance of early rain to a great harvest. And then the story of the mighty old oak standing watch over the Oak Springs Winery takes over. Suddenly, land is getting scarce in this area what with all that great Fog rolling in.

So the guy at the outskirts of the valley suddenly is stuck with one of the oldest and previously least desirable parcels. It’s full of rock and the land was previously terraced for some sort of fruit trees that will become important later when the story is created.

So Johnny come lately with rocky soil is tasked with creating his brand and winery name. He begins mulling his options and starts out knowing he must incorporate those damn rocks somehow. So immediately he starts with Rocky Terraces(too generic). He gets more in touch with his feminine side and thinks about those fruit trees. He closes his eyes and is surrounded by Peach trees. Stoned Fruit winery he thinks to himself. That’s a little too esoteric as well(not to mention Dazed and Confused in a cloud of smoke sort of way. Then he opens his eyes, looks out over the parcel and realizes that he has the best view of the valley and Peachy Orchard Bella Vista winery is born. Sure he’ll have to overcome a four word winery name but most people will just drop the Bella Vista part. He won’t of course because he will need the vista sales pitch to open the most spectacular wine garden patio in the area.

His story will be about the old fruit orchards and their importance to the commerce of the valley. Of course he will incorporate a fruity wine into the mix(not even knowing how possible this will be given his steely terrior). Life will be good at Peachy Orchard Bella Vista as people will fill the valley to tour the area famous for its Sagey Coastal Fog which thickens on Sundays but only after the rain soaked Spring Oaks have dried out and thoughts turn to ripening stone fruits and Rocky Terraced Peachy Orchards. Too bad most of the grapes will come from the Central Coast area of California because the land surrounding the Sunday Valley, Oak Springs and Peachy Orhards Bella Vista wineries only gets a blossoming coastal sage infused fog on Sundays.

The funny thing is, we all know and were taught on the 7th Day God rested. So how do they do it? The mystery remains. So if you will please excuse me, I have some tannin units to go measure.

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Extra! Extra! Read All About It!!!!

I have been chasing this blog for the past 6 weeks now trying like hell to get it written. In the 11 short months that our beers have beers have been flowing out of this establishment, we have garnered some pretty darn cool press and we wanted to share these things with you.

Some of you may have seen the Men’s Journal Magazine from October 2006. In this issue, they reviewed a ton of beers and developed a list of the top 25 American Beers. The Lost Abbey Avant Garde landed on the list at number 23. This was a great list of beers to be on and it included many of our friends in the business. We even shared the list of 25 beers with our San Diego friends down at AleSmith Brewing Co.

More recently, The Lost Abbey beers have graced the cover of Saveuer magazine. This is an amazing food and gourmand magazine which highlights all things great and artisinal from cheese to curries. Each year the magazine creates a list of the Top 100 best things to look out for. The Lost Abbey landed on the list at #42. Just being on the list was an honor but our bottles even graced the cover of the magazine with 11 other of the Top 100. If you visit the brewery in the future, this will most certainly be framed and mounted on our walls.

No sooner had the Saveuer magazine hit the newstands when our newest copy of Draft Magazine landed in our mailbox. This is a very new publication about the lifestyle of beer. The issue featured an article by Don Russell considering the Top 10 Breweries to pay attention to in 2007.

Much to our surprise, The Lost Abbey landed at the top of the list. Being named # 1 on the list came as a complete shock. Starting a new brewery is hard enough. Launching another brand to go with it is nuts. To have that brand land in two magazines “Best of” lists is crazy and puts an enormous amount of stress on us to make the best beers possible.

Is it worth it? Sure thing. Do we love the attention? Who wouldn’t? I also wanted to point out that I was bummed when we weren’t named to the Playboy list of beers. I’d like that tax write off. Um…a one years subcription to a “gentlemans magazine?” Yes sir they cover beer you know.

Yet, even without Playboy and their nice “articles” or lack there of in terms of articles of clothing, it sure is nice to be held in such a high regard. Do these lists make our beers taste any better? Certainly not. What they do make for is nice promotional opportunities to get our beers and messages in front of new consumers. As producers of unique beers, this is all we can hope for.

I also wanted to pimp our wares and share with you some of our competitive successes from the past 6 months. In November, the Innagural Barrel Aged Beer Festival was held in Hayward, California at the Bistro. The Bistro has been hosting IPA and Double IPA festivals for many years now. When I was brewing in Solana Beach, we were fortunate enough to win each of these festivals. Swamis IPA and HOP 15 each were named Best of the Fest during a previous life.

Back in November, we sent four different beers to the barrel aged beer festival. When the results were tallied, The Angel’s Share finished second in its category. Older Viscosity finished first in the Bourbon Barrel category and went on to compete against 5 other beers in the Best of Show round where it garnered the BOS award.

Fast forward to this last weekend in San Francisco at the epic annual Toronado Barleywine Festival. We again sent a keg of The Angel’s Share and out of a field of almost 60 beers, we finished 2nd. Congrats to the boys(and girls) at Alaskan Brewing Company who bested one of the best beers I have ever made.

In less than a year, we have cranked up this great brewing facility and continued the great spirited brewing that our friends and customers have come to expect from Pizza Port and Port Brewing. It feels good to know that our high expectations of ourselves and our beers continue even though we aren’t brewing within a stone’s throw of the ocean anymore.

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One Bourbon, One Scotch and Too many Beers?

We just returned from a week long trip to the East Coast and as such, there were more beers than I could shake a stick at. So tonight, my musings are coming at you care of Clynelish 14 year old Scotch. Last week, I tried to start a blog on a Friday night at the brewery but alas, my wit was no match for the Knob Creek Bourbon that was tempting me from my office. And so it is, that I am sitting here now writing about beer with a Scotch in hand. Life is cruel. I know.

You ever have one of those weeks? You know the kind where no matter how hard you try, you end up leaving four hours of work on the table each day knowing full well that the weekend won’t offer a respite? Life has kind of been this way for me since the start of the new year. Those of you who have visited our brewery may have noticed that we have ramped up production big time and are now seemingly bottling beer no less than twice a week. This is fantastic as it allows for more beer to head out the door. However, this is not so good as bottling days usually require about 11 hours of my time each day that we bottle.

Typically, I arrive at the brewery around 7 AM (depends on how well Syd Vicious slept the night before). My day then starts with calculations for the bottling. The first step required is to test the beer we are bottling for the CO2 content in solution. This is an indicator of how much CO2 is in the beer relative to the target volumes we are looking to get in the finished beer. On our Port Brewing beers like Old Viscosity and Wipeout IPA, we are shooting for 2.8 volumes of CO2.

Our starting point on these beers is typically 2.0 volumes of CO2 and therefore we need to gain .8 volumes of CO2 per bottle. We take this starting number and crunch the numbers in the computer along with the total volume of beer to be bottled. With this information in hand, we then work on a “priming solution” which is Dextrose mixed in hot water to dissolve the sugar. This mixture is then racked into a keg.

The sugar needs to be blended into the beer along with fresh yeast which will consume these sugars thereby finishing our secondary fermentation in the bottle and giving us the necessary CO2 levels that we need in each bottle. In order to mix the sugars, yeast and beer, we must first create a recirculation loop with a pump in order to homogenize the mixture of the three. This has to be done before we can start bottling so more often than not, I am the first one to arrive to get this part of the day rolling.
Around 8:30- 9:00 the reinforcements arrive. At this time, Josh , Vince myself and Bo begin the arduous task of bottling. It isn’t all that much fun standing in one place for at least 7 hours watching the bottler go up and down or the capper doing the same. On the days when we bottle our 22 oz bottles we only need three people to bottle- although four means we can go faster. At best when we do this style bottle, we can rip off 50 cases an hour. However, when we bottle the 750 ml bottles with cork finish, it takes at least 4 people and the best we can do is 40 cases per hour.

What does all this mean? Lately, we have been brewing larger batches of beer. Many of these larger batches will enable us to get “ahead” as these beer age well and can handle being produced in larger quantities. We are currently up to speed on all of our bottled beers that we have been making. This will allow us to get the new beers online that we have been chasing for the past 6 months. This week, we will be bottling Judgment Day our Belgian style QUAD. We also will be working on a new batch of Hop 15 for bottling.
Both of these are incredibly exciting for me as we have been talking about them for almost one year now. I am sure that our friends and patrons feel the same way as well. However, I think that I am most excited about the batch of beer that is rolling away in Fermenter # 5. This is our anniversary beer which will be called 10 Commandments. It is a recreation of our SPF 8 recipe from Solana Beach that features caramelized raisins, honey and fresh Rosemary. If you have spent any amount of time listening to me speak over the years, you would have realized this to be one of my favorite beers and perhaps the one that I feel ages the best.

As such, we are going to make this our annual release. It will be timed to coincide with our anniversary party and the beer will be made once a year to celebrate another year gone. It appears that this party will take place each May. We have had numerous inquiries about the party (and it’s only February)! The hardest part to imagine is that we have been in this space for over 9 months now. That is some seriously fast flying time. As I said earlier, we have many more great things in store this year and this is merely but one of them.

But I suppose I should get back to the meat of this post. If you have been anxiously awaiting my post with every breath, you can breathe now. The thing about bottling is that it is all encompassing and it requires undivided attention. This means that while I used to have some spare time to blog during the brewing days, I no longer have this luxury when we are bottling. A four man crew equals Tomme bottling beer as well. So, it’s not that I have been lazy or neglecting my writing. On the contrary, I have been bummed that I haven’t been able to write. I think this will hopefully be the last 5 week hiatus that I have to embark on without being able to blog.

Until next time then.

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Tom, Thomas and Tomme

July 10, 2004

It’s a scorching July day and we’ve gathered at O’Briens American Pub in Clairemont Mesa (San Diego) for what promises to be an epic tasting. My good friend Tom Nickel (proprietar of said pub) and Dr. Bill Sysak have scoured the earth and collected one bottle of each vintage Thomas Hardy’s Strong Ale that has been produced up until now. This also includes the most recent 2003 Vintage that was moved to the O’Hanlon Brewery.

Joining me at this tasting are Jeff Bagby, Peter Zien of Alesmith, Steve Steinbergs and our good friend Eric “Grumpy” Rose. The 6 of us settle down as Tom and Bill scurry to get things ready. We grab a warm up beer (something with hops damnit!)

A little bit after two o’clock we start this tasting. Not knowing what to expect, we dive right in. Now, I can’t recall some of the details of the tasting. For example, I don’t remember if we tasted them in order of their respective ages or not. My hazy memory says we didn’t as we felt piling layers of caramel malt on newer caramel malt wouldn’t help. So, I believe we jumped around vintages even though my notes go in acsending order based on age.

We learned quite a bit about Thomas Hardy’s from the tasting. First, it became apparent to us that there is more than one way to brew Thomas Hardy’s. It seems that many of the vintages have been darker examples with pronounced caramel notes. This is classic Hardy’s for most enthusiasts. We also found that numerous bottles had a leaner quality and almost seemed to emphasize a hoppy finish.

In honor of the Blogging Day, I am going to post my notes from the entire tasting. It was a smashing good day with some bottles of beer that I am likely to never taste again. I am thankful that I was even able to find my notes from this. Without further ado, here are my notes from that Saturday afternoon with Tom, Thomas and Tomme.

1968- Was the first year that they bottled Hardy’s. There were three separate bottlings and the series begins with the A Bottle.

1968 A (The Pint Bottle)- A cork finished bottle with noticeable signs of evaporation. Perhaps they trapped a few thirsty angel’s in the bottle when it was packaged? The beer reveals a large Soy Sauce nose with Cidery, Vinegar and Lactic qualities all duking it out in a battle Royale. It finishes smokier than a bar in Chicago with flacid carbonation at best. Color wise, this one leans towards the dark to medium dark spectrum.

1968 “B” Bottling- Upon inspection, this one holds little promise. An incredible (ridiculous) amount of beer is missing. The cork crumbles upon insertion of the cork screw. Not a good sign! The beer embraces this cork situation to the max and I’m soon wondering if can send back a beer I haven’t even paid for? For some reason, this vintage has a Tobasco(tm) like flavors. It’s beyond bizarre. How do you do that in beer? Without a doubt not as good as the “A” bottle.

1968 “C” Bottling Capped Bottle- Now this is classic Hardy’s! We’re greeted by Vinegar, Oxidation and winey notes that wreak of musty cellars in wine country. It’s quite dry and light bodied. Tawny and Orangey in a way that the other two 68’s aren’t. The beer finishes with a clarity of purpose that exhudes world class and demands that we hand the tag of red headed step child to its lesser brother- bottling “B.” The 1968 Hardy’s Capped bottle was an all timer for me this afternoon.

1968 Hardy’s is the Holy Grail for some enthusiast and most definitely the “C” packaging was worth the effort. The other two….I’ll pass in the future.

1974 “D” Bottling- The pours reveal a turbid beer which is flatter than my sister in high school. It sports a fake bake off cocoa orange color like those tans strutted all over South Beach. The first sip is HOT! My eyes are burning. It’s a thicker sample and it shows large notes of Autolysis. The finish is tart and spicey which is far too Kung Pow Chicken for me.

1975 “E” Bottling- Smells Great! Huge Malt aromas. This is seemingly one of the reasons this beer has become so desirable with age on it. The finish is inspired with dark cocoa and chocolate candied raisins doing the backstroke in a sea of booze. For a 29 year old bottle of beer, it has held up very well.

1977 “F” Bottling- Uh Oh…From the first pour, it’s apparent that this one has issues. Yeasty, sour and tart like a candy I used to like. This turned out to be one of my least favorite beers. It was just too far removed from what I imagined the brewers were aiming for (Wider left than Scott Norwood?) It finished with some off sour chocolate flavors that had me running for the 1/2 finished pint of Pure Hoppiness I had in front of me.

1978 “G” Bottling- BUTTER BOMB. In the Arthur, Bagby and Rose world of bad brewing, there are delightul, delicious and divine descriptors applied to beers with varying levels of Diacytel. This one set the bar one notch higher and probably landed in some new stratosphere known hence forth as Delectable. What an AWFUL beer. Thanks Bill and Tom! We needed that one… NOT

1979 “H” This bottle caught a cab and headed toward Tijuana around 1982. There is a tartness present that enhances the citric notes in the beer. At this point, it is the lightest colored version we have had and is completely uninteresting to me. Even with the tart flavors, it reminds all of us like failed homebrew.

1979 “J” A second bottling. Chocolately and FLAT as hell. The dusty cocoa baking powder notes are back. It is medium bodied and incredibly sweet without being “Oh my GOD sweet!” It’s passable given that it’s 25 years old but isn’t on my list of need to finds.

1980 “K” Bottling- Huge Rummy notes. There are also some curious sour cherry notes jumping in. At this point we have identified three types of Hardy’s. The first is the Paradigm thick dark bomb. We also have a leaner version that has lighter crystal malt flavors and seems more well attenuated. The last version seems to pick up this sour cherry note and isn’t as malt driven due to the lactic qualities. The “K” bottling was one of the most interesting and least “Hardy’s like” that we tasted.

1981 “???” Bottling Initial impression reveals SOY SAUCE. Although, this is restrained Soy with a caramel backer. It is moderatley turbid like the incoming tide. Here is another orangey sample good integration of flavors. A nicer beer than many of the others we have sampled.

1982 “L” Bottling- Great Carbonation for a corked bottle. We’ve gone back to sour Hardy land. It shows Sour Pucker kids like acidity and some strawberries as well. It is thinner in the body most likely due to the acetic fermentation. I actually LOVE the flavors of this beer and it commands my attention in a yearning for a whole bottle sort of way this afternoon.

1983 “???” Michael Jackson Bottle from the Brickskeller in DC. Thanks DAVE! It’s flat but this seemingly doesn’t detract from it. It was aged in wood and there is a ton of interest created from this finishing of the beer. A drier finish (tannis) really sets this one apart from its bretheren. I am thankful I didn’t have to part with my bottle for this tasting.

1984 “M” Bottling- Darker orange with huge carbonation relative to the others. An amazing amount of lacing pervades our glasses. There seems to be a “Brett” presence at work here. It makes me lust for more but not in “a I have sinned sort of way.” The flavors all showcase the Brett and reminds me of our Cuvee with Oak, Brett and Cherries at work.

1985 “???” Bottling- It’s still but this doesn’t seem to matter. An exquisite beer that is smokey, sweet, smooth, Fucking Brilliant! I really am lusting in “a I NEED TO SIN” sort of way. At this moment, it is the so perfect. STOOPID (sometimes you get beers that demand you write less and drink more= This bottle being Exhibit A).

1986 “N” Bottling- Darkish and flat. There is a nice Dark Chocolate and Big Caramel Malt balance at work here. A Classic bottle of Hardy’s according to expectations of this brand.

1987 “150th Anniversary Ale”- Yeasty with the essence of Fontina cheese in the nose. Lots of oak going on here and some sour notes. It’s interesting as the sourness does not manifest in a lactic way. It’s full bodied and quite winey. The yeast flavors overwhelm and I am left wondering if they carried too much to the barrels? We’ve gone back to Orangey lighter colored land.

1987 “P” Bottling- Bright colors with more Brown than Red tints. Cuidado! Don’t light a match! This thing is hotter than paint thinner on fire. Seriously though, no problems in the beer. Not sweet, not tart, not cloying. The finish is held up by a drier finish. A nice beer indeed. Matches be damned!

1988 “Q” Bottling- Darker Color and flattish sample. Initial impression is that of thick chocolate covered cocoa beans. It’s boozy. There is no singular definining character other than the chocolate. There is no denying the English Barleywine pedigree with Rummy notes in the finish.

1989 “???” Bottling- The Darkest Sample possible. WOW! Boozy. I used to have nose hairs. The chocolate malts are duking it out with the ethanol and there is no doubt ethanol owns this fight. The aroma also reveals some “Chex Mix” like properties of Salt, Soy and Worchestire sauce. Oh yeah, I enjoyed it in spite of all this.

1990 “R” Bottling- Twany Orange and perhaps the lightest sample of the day. Very light bodied with high CO2 content and diminshed cloying notes. Does not taste 14 years old. Seemingly belies its age with brightness and levity if that is possible for Barleywine.

1991 “S” Bottling- FLAT! Soy Bomb with low carbonation and some toffee flavor. It’s typical Hardy’s but less than interesting without the CO2. There is a tobacco flavor that reminds me of my uncles smoking cherry leaf on Thanksgivings after dinner.

1992 “T” Bottling- Pale orange with bracing CO2 content. It’s back to sweet and hoppy with a long warming finish. Tons of orange qualities that seemingly are harmoniously playing well with the malts and alcohols.

1993 “25th Anniversary” Smells Decadent! Damn fine aromas. Ripe fruit, toasted pecans and malt malt and more malt. Smoking Smooth and without a doubt the best sample we have opened.

1993 “U” Bottling- Pedestrian? See above!

1994- Big Brown Sugar. Another Dark flat sample although it is quite smooth, fruity and leans towards some nice Vanilla flavors. We’re back on the wagon with booze drawing us in and letting up only enough for some more sour cherries to flirt with our inhibitions.

1995- Dark, Flat and smooth cocoa notes. Unispiring yet classic Hardy’s in the bottle

1996- WAY different than the others! Very noticeable upon first pour. Lighter in the flavor and body. It’s an odd color that reminds us of the water inside a jockey box after last call.

1997- Hoppy (is that possible?) How is this even a Hardy’s? Where’s the crystal Malt? Strange but good.

1998- Spicey Hop Aroma (they must have hired some hop heads). A very vibrant sample. It drinks great right now and is seemingly way more American than British. Not terribly thick and overwhelmingly spicey.

1999- Brown sugar with lively carbonation. Huge sweetness and all the goodness that we’ve come to expect in Thomas Hardy’s. A nice libation but one that absolutely has room to improve in the future.

2003-Buttery with citric hop qualities in the front and finish of the beer. It’s way leaner than you would expect. It’s warm without making me look like a tourist after 6 hours on our beaches. Quite pedestrian comparitively speaking. Most likely would not have considered this as “English Barleywine.”

As the 2003 was the first attempt after moving the brand for O’Hanlon, we expected some issues. Also, after doing this tasting, we were all left wondering, just which recipe did they get?

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The Lost Abbey Beer at The World Gardens

I briefly mentioned in my last post that we would be serving our beers at the new Stone Bistro and World Gardens. For those who are interested, I have posted the menu below. The event is Monday January 22, 2007. The beer and food pairings were developed in a collaborative effort between Chef Carlton of the Bistro and Chef Vince of The Lost Abbey. Anyone wishing to attend this dinner may do so by contacting the Stone Bistro and World Gardens at 760 471-4999.

Hope to see you there,

Tomme

Tasting Menu

Vegetable Eggrolls with Ancho Mole Sauce
Plantains, shredded cabbage, Anaheim chiles, roasted garlic & corn make the filling for this take on a crispy eggroll. Drizzled with an ancho chile mole sauce & sprinkled with toasted almonds. Paired with Lost & Found Abbey Ale.

Mixed Baby Greens Salad with Balsamic-Soy Crispy Duck (or Tofu)
Organic Fallbrook-grown baby greens tossed in an orange-sage vinaigrette with just a touch of ginger served with Redwood Hill chef’s chèvre and hearts of palm. Accompanied by your choice of either spicy balsamic-soy marinated crispy duck (or tofu if you choose). The red chile gives an unexpected boost to the beer! Paired with Red Barn Ale.

Creamy Onion & Garlic Velouté with Swiss Chard & Asiago Cheese
Lightly caramelized onions & garlic in a creamy, rich soup with braised red chard & Vella Cheese Co.’s asiago cheese crumbled over the top. The yeasty flavors of the beer paired with the cheese will please the palate. Paired with Avant Garde Ale.

Pomegranate & Old Viscosity Braised Boneless Beef Short Ribs
Port Brewing’s Old Viscosity & pomegranate provide the medium in which we slowly cook Brandt boneless beef short ribs until tender and falling apart. They’re then served up with Vince’s special black truffle potato pave and some locally grown multi-colored baby carrots. Earthy & bright cherry flavors combine to create a new experience when tasted with the beer. We’ll leave out the beef and substitute fresh green veggies for all you veggies out there. Paired with Veritas Ale- new Cellar release.

Belgian Chocolate Pots au Crème
Bittersweet chocolate custard injected with a shot of maple & butterscotch syrup, then caramelized on top with maple sugar. A dash of coconut milk in the custard draws out the subtleties of the beer. Paired with Angel Share Ale- Barleywine aged in Brandy Barrels

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Around the Brewery (with apologies for my verbosity)

We get alot of visitors to our breweries whether it’s one of the pubs or our new packaging facility. It’s one of the coolest parts of being a brewer. People stop by to visit, to drink or even to drop off beer as part of a visit. Each Friday and Saturday we are open for tasting room hours. Like all breweries, we have a devoted clientele that comes through to drink, hang out and listen to us tell our story.

Lately, most of these “regulars” have commented how much growth they have seen since we opened the doors back in May. It’s true. We have grown a ton and as things are going it doesn’t look like we’ll be stopping any time soon. I often forget to stop and take a mental inventory of what is going on at Port Brewing and The Lost Abbey as I am involved with most every step from cleaning the Water Closets to shoveling grain. But lately, I have been reminded by so many of our regulars that the winds of change are a blowing and as such, I figured it would be great to write about them.

So, here is a summary of where we have been, where I think we are going and what to expect now that we have entered a new year. First and foremost, while I haven’t run the official numbers yet. It appears on the surface that we brewed 1800 bbls of beer in San Marcos this past year. As we didn’t start brewing until March, this projects to 2200bbls of beer for a calendar year. That is alot of beer for a startup brewery with limited distribution. This bodes well for us as we move through 2007.

We have set a goal for 2007 that we think is clearly acheivable and that is to grow our sales by 100%. This doesn’t mean that we will be brewing twice as much what it does mean is that we will be working on releasing more obscure and rare beers as part of a new cellar release program that we will soon be implementing.

Those of you who have visited us at the brewery have seen the large barrel aging room that we built. This room is currently housing some 90 oak barrels. As of yesterday, I am happy to report that 80 of them are full with all sorts of interesting and potential new releases. Many of our bourbon barrels are slumbering away with Old Viscosity. This beer will be blended back into our Old Viscosity and the honiest of the barrels will be culled out to make Older Viscosity which will make another appearance later this fall.

Yesterday, I reloaded the 8 Brandy barrels we acquired for The Angel’s Share. If all goes well, we should see batch #2 this fall. I am anticipating a longer contact time in the wood with this batch as these are second fills and will need the time to extract these flavors. The general thinking is nine months so we should be looking October/November for release.

The rest of the barrels are filled with simply HOPE. There are all kinds of things hanging out in our French and Hungarian Oak barrels right now. Presently, we have 4 barrels of Red Poppy that are definitely full of hope. I sampled this beer two weeks ago and at four months in the barrels we are headed in the right direction for sure. It was originally barelled in August. I thought we would need at least a year and it seems that is a good target.

We recently racked into barrels a beer which will be released in about 16 months called Belle Proximus. I will say this may be the beer with the highest hopes(or is that hype) that is in our barrel room. Needless to say, I will revisit this beer in another post as it deserves its own blog.

But what about the rest of the barrels you might ask. Well, we now have 10 barrels of Cuvee that are working. We racked some into French Oak this year and believe we have a few years of experimenting ahead of us for this beer. In my mind, I have the ability to make this beer even better and we’re certainly going to give it the college try.

Lastly, there are what are innocently referred to as “random” barrels in the room. We have 4 barrels of Amazing Grace. We have a bunch of barrels of Avant Garde and a few things else that are maturing away. As none of these beers is actually something that we “designed” for aging, we will be waiting for the microbes to do their jobs and we’ll go from there.

If you have had the pleasure of standing around our bar, you probably have heard either Jim, Vince, Gina or myself discuss how we are going to be different in our brewery operations. Well, I thought for those who haven’t heard, I’d share. First off, we want you to come visit us. AND, while we’d like to think that you want to visit just for us, we’re not stupid. If that was the case, we’d just charge you for the conversation and open bottles of water. God knows we wouldn’t have to work so hard. But while you probably enjoy our spirited conversations, we know it’s the beer that you’re really after.

So we’re going to do just that. We’re committed to making some very small batch runs of beers that will ONLY be available at the brewery. We think this kicks ass and is a great way to ensure that we get to be creative and see the people we like. Most wineries operate this way. They have a set of “Reserve” offerings and they are only available at the winery or online. And perhaps you have noticed that while we haven’t tapped The Angel’s Share for sale we routinely have opened bottles to share with friends, patrons and visitors.

Which leads me to my next note. We have finally picked our ecommerce solution group and hopefully in the next week, we will be in a position to start accepting new members into our patron saints club. This is a very exciting project for us and one we think that has a huge upside. Our first shipment of beers is projected to leave the brewery in Feb with new shipments every two months. We will be sending an email out to those who have requested information shortly(yeah I know I said that three months ago too).

Patron Saints members will be afforded great benefits and we think we’ll have lots of fun with this club. As part of our ecommerce solution, we will be building a “Brewer’s Cellar Collection” of beers. These are the beers that have not been designed for wider distribution and in all likelihood will be extremely limited offerings from 18-100 cases at a time. As many of these beers will be skillfully blended bits and pieces from our barrels, it is possible we will only be able to make them once. Is this practical or fair? Not really but we think it’s pretty damn cool way to cut our guys loose.

These beers will be known simply by the name Veritas. This is Latin for “Truth.” Each batch will be sequentially numbered as in Veritas 001, 002 and so on. There are no set release dates nor plan in place. But, we think there is alot of honesty and truth to be found in these beers. How is that you might ask? Well, for us, almost all of these beers will have no pedigree. They may have no prior basis and as such, we just don’t really know how they are going to taste and age as they mature. That’s the Brewer’s honest truth.

However, for the past 8 years, I have been fashioning beer this way and while some may accuse me of gunslinging, I would argue that the results speak for themselves. So with this in mind, I offer a glimpse of what is coming. Currently we have chosen the blend(the proportions) for Veritas 001. It looks like we’e going to yield a whopping 38 cases. Yes I said that correctly. The beer is a blend of three beers and one of them is some Cuvee from 2004(brewed in 2003). I expect this beer to weigh in around 8.0% ABV and it should be released in the spring. Those wishing to know what it tastes like have two opportunities. We will be debuting this beer on January 22, 2007 at the Stone Bistro and World Gardens in Escondido, CA as part of our Lost Abbey beer dinner. I will be posting the menu here this week as well.

Those on the East Coast who were lucky enough to get tickets to the Monk’s Cafe Dinner on February 6th will catch a glimpse as well. I am super excited about this sort of side project that is taking place. It will be fun to go into the barrel room and imagine possibilities based on flavor and not projected case needs.

It is my goal to be able to sell these beers online as well as out of our brewery. I think that having an extensive range of barrel aged beers is one of the reasons we bought this brewery and will operate the way we plan to. For those of you outside of Southern California, please note that we are building a shipping area at the brewery and will be doing direct shipping for our beers to states that have reciprical agreements(26 in all) Also, there will be no lists to get on to acquire these beers. We will announce a release date and case total and when they are gone, they are gone.

I think that I should wrap this up by returning to the notion of HOPE. We have been getting a tremendous amount of requests from distributors and consumers across this great nation who are looking for our beers. So with this in mind, let’s wrap up with a summary of sorts in case you were hoping we would be in a store near you soon.

In 2006, we openend the new brewery. By years end, our beers were available throughout Southern California and they made suprise visits to San Francisco as well. We also inked deals in Arizona and Massachussetts. We thought this was a pretty good start.

This month, we hope to roll our first set of beers towards Philadelphia(thanks guys for selling out the beer dinner in two nights)! We have also begun looking to the Pacific Northwest and might be off to tap the rockies as well. That’s it for now. After that, we have to start thinking about more tanks and an expansion. That doesn’t suck. I guess those guys that vacated the building left us a little bit of their mojo and good will? Thanks for that. We can use all the help we can get.

2006 was a great year. We opened a new brewery, launched a new brand as part of this and managed to bottle 12 different beers in less than 9 months. With this in mind, we’re going to get off our laurels and see about making a bigger splash in 2007. As the steward of the vision, it is my job to direct this Motley Cru. I love this part of my job and lately I think it shows. We’re about ready to hit the road and do some traveling again. If our paths should cross, feel free to let us know what you think.