Posted on 05 February 2010. Tags: BBC, Coffee, Long Trail, Porter, Southern Tier, stout, Wolavers
In this weeks episode I head down to the ice behind our Vermont inn for some early morning ice fishing with my friend Doug (Amy was stuck inside making breakfast for the guests). Ice fishing starts early, and pretty much requires beer – so the question begged, what is the perfect ice fishing beer. This time we go with a coffee theme – sampling several coffee infused beers.
We start with Southern Tiers Jah Vah Imperial Stout, give Long Trails Imperial Coffee Stout a try, sample the BBC Coffehouse Porter and wrap with the Wolavers Alta Gracia Coffee Porter – all without catching a single fish…
Luckily, before the day was out we did catch a fish – and climb back up the hill to the inn.
The extreme cold meant these beers were a bit colder than I would have liked, which leads me to wonder what the best cold weather beer would be? Any suggestions?
If you would like to know some more about ice fishing – check out Doug’s website Brattleboro Outdoors. Cheers from here for the beer!
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Posted in Beer Q&A, Videos
Posted on 28 October 2009. Tags: imperial, Otter Creek, Wolavers
This is a quick video with Otter Creek brewmaster Mike Gerhart sharing their 2 new brews. First a new “Imperial Series” beer from Otter Creek, the Quercus Vitis Humulus- which literally translates to Oak, Grape and hop. The brew begins as a bold 27 degree plato barley-wine, warm-fermented with Bohemian lager yeast, then blended with Sauvignon Blanc grape juice and fermented a second time with a pure culture of Champagne yeast. Finally it is aged for a short time on lightly toasted French Oak. The six week process results in a complex ale which comes in at 12% ABV, with 38 IBUs. More about this beer here.
Also released this week from Wolavers is the next release in their Organic Farmer Series, Alta Gracia Coffee Porter. This is brewed up with organic roasted barley and chocolate malts for a rich, dark and robust flavor with an infusion of organic vanilla beans, and coffee from the Dominican Republic farm community Alta Gracia.
Alta Gracia is a non-profit farm that works to empower farmers with tools and techniques to grow quality shade-grown organic coffee. The result is growers who feel pride in their stewardship of the land, are paid fairly for their labor, and have healthy sustainable farms.
Growing coffee is hard work. Harvest must be done by hand so that only the ripe berries are picked. The farmers of the Alta Gracia farm community are paid fair wages for their work. It is the mission of the farm to teach neighboring farmers techniques to grow high quality shade-grown organic coffee that will allow them to get a fair price for their product. More about the beer here.
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Posted in Beer Blog, Beer News, Breweries, Featured Videos, Vermont Breweries, Videos
Posted on 11 March 2009. Tags: brewery, brewing, Otter Creek, Vermont, Wolavers
In this episode, Mike Gerhart, Brewmaster for Otter Creek Brewery and Wolaver’s Organic Ales takes us on a “Beer Geek’s Brewery Tour”. This is not your typical “dumbed-down” brewery tour, so you won’t hear anyone explain what a mash tun is in this video. While not a super technical look, Mike shows us what it really takes to operate a moderate size brewery. We walked away filled with new found knowledge of the process and hope you are able to do the same.
For more about Mike Gerhart, Otter Creek Brewery and Wolaver’s Organic Ales checkout our other video “Otter Creek Brewery – Interview with New Brewmaster Mike Gerhart”. You can also visit them in Middlebury, Vermont. Of course, if you are making the trip up be sure to stay with us at Forty Putney Road B&B, the perfect spot to share a pint and relax from your trip.
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Posted in Beer School, Breweries, Featured Videos, Vermont Breweries, Videos
Posted on 18 February 2009. Tags: Interview, Otter Creek, Russian Imperial Stout, Wolavers
In this episode Tim and I head up to Middlebury, Vermont to Otter Creek Brewery and meet with their new Brewmaster, Mike Gerhart. Mike just recently accepted this position in January of 2009. Previously Mike was brewing for Dogfish Head Brewery with Sam Calagione. His move to Otter Creek Brewery came from a love for Vermont. Charmed by the state and ready to spread his wings as a brewer, he headed to Vermont. His experience and passion make him a great fit for Otter Creek Brewery. Welcome to Vermont Mike!
Tim and I are fans of both Otter Creek Brewery and their organic line of beers, Wolaver’s Organic Ales. We carry many of their beers in our own pub, the Putney Road Pub at Forty Putney Road Bed and Breakfast and often use them in our beer tastings as they are flavorful, consistent and true to style. On a personal level we found ourselves wondering if we would ever see anything perhaps more adventurous coming out of this brewery so we set out to find some answers. Luckily, we found them (you’ll have to watch the video for the full details!).
In the video Mike Gerhart tells us about the All American series for the Wolaver’s Organic Ales. This series is not only organic, but also includes only US grown ingredients. Impressive goal and of course, quite ecologically conscious. Even better, the Pat Leavy’s All American Ale that we sampled was great. We went out and purchased a case the next day.
Then Mike told us about their new Imperial Series for the Otter Creek line of beers. Now this is what I am talking about, something unique, exciting and chock full of flavor. I am so excited about this series! The first in the series is the Imperial Russian Stout. Soon to follow will be an Imperial IPA. If you have not already tried the Otter Creek Imperial Russian Stout, then seriously, you should go out and pick one up TODAY!
One reason I am so excited about the Imperial Series at Otter Creek is that it represents a big step in Vermont brewing because of a change in state laws. Prior to July of 2008 Vermont Brewers could not produce a beer over 7% 8% (thanks Shaun!) ABV, limiting brewers creativity. With new legislation recently passed we are beginning to see a new side of Vermont Beers. We are looking forward to seeing more of these creative beers from Otter Creek and of course, other Vermont Breweries.
Overall this interview gave us a new energy about Otter Creek and Wolavers for 2009 and we really do look forward to trying out their new creations.
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Posted in Breweries, Featured Videos, Vermont Breweries, Videos
