Straight to Ale Chardonnay Barreled American Strong Ale
Dry-hopped American Strong Ale aged in chardonnay barrels for a few months.
I arrived at Old Town Beer Exchange in downtown Huntsville eager to find a good beer to review. My malty sweet tooth was in control, so when I saw Florence's Singin' River had a doppelbock out, I immediately knew I would be taking a crowler of Orchestrator home with me.
Shortly after getting home, the crowler was popped open and the clear copper brew was poured into a glass. I may have been a bit timid with the pour but I expected a little bit more than the very thin cap which never quite melted away. It seemed to be mostly made up for the fact that it left plenty of white lacing on the glass.
I got a general sweet smell when I first brought the pint glass to my face. As I drank more, I could discern caramel and a bit of booze. I'm a bit disappointed by the lack of aroma. I decide to leave the crowler on the counter to warm up in hopes of eliciting a stronger aroma on my second glass. Sure enough, the aroma bloomed as it warmed. The caramel still dominated, but I started to pick up some vague dark fruit aromas (kinda plum-ish) along with a char affectation to the caramel sweetness. The warming definitely helped. It wasn't a night and day difference, though. The second glass seemed like a more fuller experience.
Beer is made of these core ingredients: barley/malt, hops, water, and yeast. In this blog post, I'll be writing about malt and some of what I've been reading in Robert Moser's Tasting Beer. First off, barley is the grain of choice for making beer, although other options exist. But regular old barley isn't in a good condition for releasing starches for making alcohol. Barley first needs to be malted.
First, barley is soaked in water for about 24 hours, or until it reaches 45% water content. The grain is pulled from the water and allowed to cool and dry. During this process, the grains will start to sprout. This growth and cracking of the shell is vital to getting what brewers want from the malted barley. The grain is then kilned to complete the drying process and to roast the grain to the desired darkness. It is possible to create two different malts of similar color but different flavors by varying the moisture content during kilning. If roasted dry, there will be a sharp, biscuit-like toastiness. If roasted moist, there is more of a toffee-like richness.
Dry-hopped American Strong Ale aged in chardonnay barrels for a few months.
Wet hopped beer.
Ebony in color with a rich creamy head, earthy flavor and a mellow, chocolate finish. (Description provided by company)
American red ale with West Coast hops utilized. (Description provided by company)
Henry’s Hard Orange is here to help push the limits of social etiquette. It tastes a lot like the orange soda you’re used to, just 4.2% harder.
With our fresh and delicious Hard Orange, buckle-up for a Hard-ish take on the traditional.
Beerito (4% ABV, 21 IBUs) is a light bodied, amber Mexican lager brewed with premium German and coloRADo sourced craft malts and featuring a crisp accent from noble hops.
Our Cherry Cola mission is “Put a Cherry on Top Tap.” Refreshing BEST DAMN Cherry Cola combines caramel and cola notes with a delicious cherry taste. Aged on whole cherries after brewing, the result is a flavorful take on the timeless taste of Cherry Cola. Cheers!
Super Nerd is a variation on our Nerd Alert with more malt, more lagering, and more throat punch. By day, mild-mannered Super Nerd pretends to be refreshing and crisp, with the perfect balance between sweet malt and hop bite.
This beer, inspired by the flavors of Southeast Asian cuisine, is a twist on the classic Belgian witbier style. Instead of the traditional coriander and orange peel spicing regimen, we add fresh lemongrass, ginger root, and a dash of Sorachi Ace hops.