The Hammock District

The Hammock District — our very first wheat wine – is now available, and we couldn’t be more excited! This smooth, full-bodied strong ale features flavors and aromas of caramel and bready malt, highlighted by fruity notes of raisin and cherry, finishing with a slightly woody, malty sweetness and mild alcohol warmth. At 9.6% ABV, The Hammock District is a beer to be enjoyed slowly – ideally in a snifter and paired with a nice charcuterie slate!

For those of you not familiar with the style, wheat wines are very strong ales that are made with both wheat and barley. No wine or grapes were used in the process. Wheat Wines are probably closest in style to barleywines, which are high in alcohol and malty sweet. Wheat Wines are much lighter in color, though, and tend to drink softer with more fruity esters.

We crafted the Hammock District using around 40% Valley Malt White Wheat and Strata, Gruengeist, Warrior, and HBC 472 hops. HBC 472 is an experimental hop that has been described as contributing flavors of “oak, bourbon barrels, coconut, vanilla, citrus, and sweet fruit.” In particular, we’ve found that HBC 472 added barrel characteristics to this beer, without us having to put it in a barrel!

We can’t wait for you guys to try this beer! Here are our tasting notes:

Appearance: Beautiful light amber color with gold undertones and a slight haze. This beer has a fluffy white head with good head retention.

Aroma: Mild aromas of caramel, raisin, and bready malt.

Flavor: Prominent flavors are malt-forward: caramel, dark honey, and bready. In fact, this beer has a very low hop bitterness, making it a great option for those drinkers looking for more sweet and less bitter. The Hammock District also features light fruity notes: raisin, cherry, and plum, finishing with a malty sweetness and some alcohol warmth. This beer has some barrel-like characteristics, too, from the HBC 472 hops- mostly woody oak and a smooth well-aged character. 

Body: Moderately full body with a luscious mouthfeel. 

Oh, and for those of you wondering where the name came from, it was picked by Assistant Brewer Andrew, who made this beer! The name comes from the Simpsons. You can watch a clip here, but the key parts are below!