Archive for natescape

Beer and food – how to pair like match.com

“There is food in beer, but there is no beer in food. Beer is like liquid bread – it provides the same necessary nutrients. I say, just lay off the food.”
— Jim Koch, founder of Sam Adams Brewing

Pairing beer and food is an art form, not a set of rules. Thankfully, it’s really hard to truly mess up the multitude of combinations … one may overpower the other, or they may not compliment or contrast each other well, but rarely do the two clash. Therefore, crack open your favorite beer and snack, settle in, and treat this article as a guide, not as a manual. Read more

KoIPA

Beer Geeking

ABV – 7%
SRM – 11 (est.)
Hops – Centennial
Grains – 2-row Malt, Caramel 40
Season – Fall

A simple, yet delicious IPA. Loaded with Centennial hops, this brew has a massive citrus aroma and hop scent, but isn’t overly bitter. Crisp, well balanced, malty, this brew will have you coming back for more. It’s named after the koi fish, reputed to live for hundreds of years.

Tautog Black IPA

Beer Geeking

ABV – 8.1%
SRM – 38 (est.)
Hops – Summit, Chinook, Centennial, Cascade
Grains – 2-row Pale, Caramel 80L, Carafa III, English Chocolate

A midnight black IPA that defies explanation. Not quite an imperial stout, definitely not your traditional IPA, this rich, deeply flavored IPA walks the tightrope between malt and hops for a great winter IPA. Quite possibly our favorite of the brews we make

Boston Harbor Brown

Beer Geeking

ABV – 5.5%
SRM – 22 (est.)
Hops – US Goldings, Liberty, Willamette
Grains – 2-row Pale, Caramel 60L, Caramel 80L, Pale Chocolate, Black Malt

A delicious, well-balanced brown ale that features caramel, chocolate, amber, and black malts, plus much fewer hops than we usually use. We’re still thinking about the name of this … suggestions welcome.

Squid Ink Porter

Beer Geeking

ABV – 7.7%
SRM – 40 (est.)
Hops – Perle, Mt. Hood
Grains – Pilsner, Vienna, Munich, Dark Munich, Caramel 80, English Black, English Chocolate, Caramel 120
Season – Winter

A rich, complex, dark as night Baltic porter that packs a serious punch. Deeply roasty, somewhat chocolatey with a hint of raisin, and vaguely hoppy, this brew is surprisingly light on the tongue.

Redfish Rye

Beer Geeking

ABV – 5.1%
SRM – 18 (est.)
Hops – Liberty, Cascade
Grains – 2-row Pale, Rye Malt, Caramel 40L

Somewhat bitter, complex, slightly spicy, and slick on the tongue, this offering has enough going on to be interesting while remaining easy to drink more than one of. We typically brew this one in the autumn months.

Deep Dark Sea Lager

Beer Geeking

ABV – 5.2%
SRM – 38 (est.)
Hops – Perle
Grains – Vienna, Munich, Caramunich III, Carafa III

Our black lager that’s roasty and deep like a stout or porter, but super-smooth with an escape-artist disappearance of flavor from the tongue. An excellent entry into the world of black beers, the brew manages to walk the line between complexity and drinkability.

Bluefish Cream Ale

Beer Geeking

ABV – 4.7%
SRM – 4 (est.)
Hops – Cluster
Grains – 2-row Pale, Honey Malt, Belgian Biscuit

We start with a traditional American cream ale and add just a hint of blueberries for the sake of extra complexity. Crisp, just slightly biscuity, and highly sessionable, this light-bodied brew is great for those hot summer days. This, and our Saison, are the beers for folks who prefer the typical light, fizzy American lager.

Across the Pond Tripel IPA

Beer Geeking

ABV – 9.2%
SRM – 5 (est.)
Hops – Magnum, Hersbrucker, Saaz, Cascade
Grains – Belgian Pale Ale

A hazy Belgian Tripel IPA with an American twist, this crisp, high-alcohol brew should be consumed in moderation. Czech Saaz hops combine with American Magnum and Cascade hops to create this flavorful, but dangerously strong IPA.

European Union Saison

Beer Geeking

ABV – 4.8%
SRM – 3 (est.)
Hops – UK Kent Goldings, Styrian Goldings, Saaz
Grains – Belgian Pilsner, German Vienna, Torrefied Wheat
Season – Summer

This easy-drinking beer is brewed with a combination of Belgian and German grains; hops from England, the Czech Republic, and Slovenia; French yeast; and a whole lotta love. No Esperanto was involved.

Crisp, slightly peppery, and light on the tongue, this is a spring/summer brew with significant flavor that still goes down smoothly.