ips (Balsam) & Berries (Juniper)
A few weeks back, I walked into the brewery and it smelled so, so good. Now, I usually think the brewery smells great, since it often smells like baking bread, caramel sweetness, and the magic of beer being born. On that particular day it smelled almost like Christmas – but not quite that strong. More like sledding through the forest, or snowboarding through the trees. Where you get a pleasant whiff of pine, complemented by the crispness in the air…. and the speed, complemented by the smells, make you feel really alive and invigorated.
On that day a few weeks back, the smell definitely got me excited! Why did the brewery smell like that, you might be wondering? Well, our team was breaking down the balsam fir, juniper needles, and juniper berries for our latest Unafraid of the Dark V beer – a Black IPA, also known as a Cascadian Dark Ale. The juniper and balsams were foraged for us by Jenna Rozelle, who is known around these parts for her exceptional skills at locating fresh, wild ingredients from the woods around here for use by chefs and brewers.
Now, some of you may have had a beer with balsam in it, and thought it tasted overwhelming like Pine-sol. Yes, we have had those too! But, never fear! This beer nails it on the balance of pine taste and aroma to beer. Which is why we called it Sledding Through the Forest (and not ‘Crashing Into a Christmas Tree’ :). You definitely get the aromas and taste of pine. It is cold, it is crisp, it is enough to get your taste buds and nose excited, but not overwhelmed. This is a beer with personality, and it is super comforting to me. I want to drink it by a fireplace, curl up with it and a book, or enjoy a nice meal with it while playing cards with my friends.
Here are the tasting notes from our team on this latest beer: Sledding Through The Forest – A Cascadian IPA with Juniper & Balsam:
Sledding Through The Forrest
– Appearance: Dark black color and latte colored head.
– Aroma: The nose on this beer is woody, piney, and you get essence of juniper, too.
– Taste & Mouthfeel: This is a medium-bodied beer with multiple dimensions of flavor. Take a sip, and you get a nice, rich, almost molasses maltiness, which quickly transitions to the piney-ness. It finishes a bit dry (woodsy dry), making you want to take another sip! Assistant Brewer Chris chose some more piney hops to complement the balsam and juniper. He used Centennial at the end of the boil for aroma and dry hopped with Chinook and Simcoe.
– Pairing: We tried this beer with an 8-year old cheddar, and it was amazing. For those of you coming to our 5th Annual Chocolate, Cheese, & Beer pairing, you will get to try the magic of this pairing. Our team also thought this beer would go brilliantly with the short ribs or the burger on our menu. Chef Carrie recommends anything game-y, like quail or elk. She also is designing two specials for tomorrow specifically for this beer. The first is an appetizer / snack – a steamed dumpling stuffed with a citrus & juniper duck confit, accompanied by roasted potatoes and a sour cherry compote. The second is a warm charcuterie plate, which will be lovely to eat in this cold weather. It is made up of three of our house-made goodies – seared head cheese, house-made duck & cranberry sausage, house-smoked and cured ham, along with house-pickles and El Chupbrewcabra mustard.
– Serving glass: To maximize the aroma, we recommend using a tulip glass. At our pub, we will be serving this in our 16-oz tulip.
– Stats – ABV is 5.6% and IBU is 57.7 (although it drinks more hoppy than that!).
Sledding Through the Trees will be available starting tomorrow, Wednesday, February 10th, 2016. We are looking forward to everyone trying it!