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chatRare Beer Club 4-Bottle Selections - October 2024
NOTE: Hi-Wire, the brewery we had originally slotted for the OCT24 RBC featured beers, is located in Asheville, NC and was badly damaged from Hurricane Helene. All inventory that was set to be picked up was lost. (We intend to slot them in 2025 once they're back online.) As such, we need our members to make any October customizations again based on our new selection of October beers, which we pulled up from November. If you do not respond to this updated PSP, we'll assume you want the current updated shipment as featured, as we always do. (Note: If you chose to skip the shipment previously when it was the Hi-Wire beers, you'll need to do so again if you also wish to skip this updated shipment.)
Girl Grey 2024
The Bruery - Placentia, California
[Belgian-style Ale w/ Milk Sugar, Almonds, and Earl Grey Tea - 8.5% ABV]
Once just a confusingly named, obscure little brewery from a curiously named little Southern California town, The Bruery is now known to the majority of beer geeks across the country and beyond, and needs little introduction. Since their founding, they've continued to develop their extensive barrel-aging program, launched the Bruery Terreux line of wild and sour ales, and ultimately become one of the most respected breweries in the nation. This month we're excited to have the opportunity to bring you Girl Grey - a beer previously produced in 2018 in partnership with Top Chef winner Brooke Williamson, and now brought back for us all to enjoy once again. Production is very limited, and the beer is being released through the Rare Beer Club and The Bruery's Hoarders, Reserve, and Preservation clubs.
Pouring a clear, deep, golden-amber color with a creamy off-white head, Girl Grey immediately greets us with a mix of sweet malt, light citrus, and floral aromas from the Earl Grey tea. The bergamot from the tea adds a distinct, fragrant aroma, while subtle nutty almond and hints of vanilla from the milk sugar balance the sweetness. Yeasty esters typical of a Belgian-style ale contribute mild clove and banana undertones. On the palate, there's a delicate sweetness from the milk sugar, providing a creamy mouthfeel and softening the beer's overall character. Bready malt flavors come through initially, accented by soft caramel and toffee tones. The tea asserts itself more in the middle, with its citrusy bergamot oils lending a bright, slightly bitter edge. This contrasts beautifully with the slight sweetness as the tea's floral and herbal nuances add complexity. Belgian yeast contributes subtle spice-notes of clove, pepper, and banana-while the almonds provide a nutty warmth, complementing the malt backbone. Girl Grey is a rich and multi-layered, yet well-balanced, beer in which each ingredient shines without overpowering the others.
Ni Dois
Japas Cervejaria Artesanal - Louisville, Kentucky
[Imperial Stout w/ Vanilla and Tangerine - 10.7% ABV]
Japas Cervejaria Artesanal is a unique union of four Brazilian women of third generation Japanese decent. Their rapidly acsending brewery is a testament to both their brewing expertise and their passion for showcasing Japanese culture through craft beer. Since launching their first beer, Wasabiru-an American Pale Ale infused with wasabi-in 2014, they have continued to craft beers that blend Japanese ingredients with traditional brewing techniques. Their innovative approach has introduced unique flavors to the Brazilian craft beer scene, such as yuzu, matcha, and sake yeast, making their beers both exotic and approachable. In North America, they have teamed up with the eclectic Against the Grain Brewery in Louisville, Kentucky to brew small batches of their different offerings with distribution, so far, limited to a handful of major US markets. We are happy to get our hands on a few cases of this very limited release to offer to our Rare Beer Club customers.
Ni Dois (both words mean "two" in Japanese and Portuguese, respectively) is the second in a series representing the fusion between Japanese and Brazilian cultures through the medium of craft beer. This Russian Imperial Stout brings together the best of both worlds with a unique blend of ingredients: Brazilian Cerrado vanilla and Japanese Ponkan tangerine. The aroma on this black potion is intense and layered, with a strong presence of roasted malt, dark chocolate, and espresso, with a hint of char. The vanilla adds a rich, sweet aroma with hints of caramel and cream. The tangerine introduces a subtle, zesty citrus undertone, giving the stout an intriguing contrast of bright and dark. There's also a touch of molasses and dried fruit, adding complexity. The first sip is dominated by bold roast, dark chocolate, coffee, and a touch of smoke. This powerful bitterness is quickly softened by the smooth, creamy sweetness of the vanilla. Then the tangerine rises, adding a bright citrus burst that cuts through the richness, providing a unique contrast: sweet, juicy orange and a slightly floral quality that works surprisingly well with the vanilla and dark malts. The balance between the bitter roast and the bright, sweet citrus creates a dynamic interplay of flavors. It's full-bodied and velvety, but despite the richness, the tangerine's bright acidity lightens the overall mouthfeel, making it more approachable than a typical stout of this strength.
