Brew Q & A: Russian Pirate
When you feel the winds change and see the clouds roll in, you know something is coming. That something is Russian Pirate. Dark as night and thick as the raging sea, this beer is full of flavor! We chatted with the man in the cellar our Barrel Aging Manager, Brent Cordle, to get a closer look at this unique 13.3% Russian Imperial Stout.
Q: What was the inspiration behind Russian Pirate?
A: We’ve done some trials with rum barrels in the past as something a little different than the more common bourbon barrel aged beers. We really loved the flavor the rum barrels contributed and thus, Russian Pirate was created.
Q: What kind of barrels were used?
A: Caribbean rum barrels.
Q: How long was the brewing/aging process?
A: The brews were so full of malt that they took a little longer to make with such a huge mash bed. It was a challenge to get enough healthy yeast into the fermenter so that it would not be overwhelmed by such a large amount of sugar to ferment. We pulled it off beautifully with the help of great teamwork from the lab and brew team and it ended at an astounding 13.3%! It aged in the rum barrels for about 4 months collecting all the sweet rum flavor that was instilled within the oak itself.
Q: What flavors can people expect from this BIG beer?
A: Rum cake, chocolate rum vanilla pie, rum S’mores. This beer is a sipper and should be enjoyed slowly. Otherwise you’ll find yourself down for the count much earlier than you’re used to.
Q: We all love a good beer with great food. What foods will pair well with this Imperial Stout?
A: This is a very rich beer. I feel it would not only be a great beer to pair with a meal, but also to bake with. It would make great brownies and other chocolate delicacies. It would be great with Italian antipasto, and higher acidic dishes like vinaigrette salad. Rotisserie chicken, pork tender loin, and a big fat juicy steak with a side of blue cheese.
Cheers,
Brent Cordle
Pilot System / Barrel Aging Manager
*Russian Pirate will only be available on draught. It will be distributed to our 11 state footprint and you can find it in local bars/restaurants. It will also be available for growler fills in our tap room.
Brew Q & A: Piña Agria
We caught up with Brewhouse manager, Bill Beymer, to discuss our latest Cellar Series release Piña Agria. Here’s what we learned:
Q: What was the inspiration behind Piña Agria?
A: Our Resident Engineer, Matt Bailey, dreamed this one up more than two years ago. He had a feeling the pineapple fruit would work well with the sour brewing process so he put together a recipe. He first brewed this beer on his home brew system and he realized how well the flavors complement one another. He then scaled the recipe up and brewed it on our 5 Barrel Pilot System and voila! A new Cellar Series beer was born.
Q: What are some key flavors you taste in this beer?
A: Pineapple is the first thing you smell when you bring it up to your nose and it mingles harmoniously with the sour lactobacillus and the earthy brettanomyces in the beer. As your tongue first touches the beer you receive a pleasantly acidic shock to your tastebuds and immediately after you will begin to feel a warming sensation working its way through your entire body. The pineapple and lactobacillus continue to dance pirouettes on your taste buds as you experience other tropical flavors like guava and passion fruit. You may also taste the subtle sweet breadiness of the malt as it vies for your attention amidst the pineapple tartness.
Q: How was the brewing process for this different from the typical brewing process?
A: The sour brewing process is not always an easy one to execute, and it can take a long time. There are always a lot of variables that can make it extremely difficult and it is critical that we keep the entire process isolated and controlled. The base beer is brewed and initially fermented just like most of our other brews in our brew house. Once primary fermentation is complete, we introduce a “cocktail” of lactobacillus and pineapple juice and the souring process begins. This cocktail or sour stock is made up separately from the base beer and we make sure that the acidity and flavor of it is exactly the way we want it. The sour stock will sometimes be a mix of samples from other barrels that we have aging in our Woodside facility. In the case of the Pina Agria, it began with a small sample from just one barrel. While tasting Friek barrels last year, Matt identified one barrel that would be perfect for his original pineapple sour so he collected a small portion of it to use with his homebrew. Once you have developed your ideal blend, you can add unfermented wort to it and grow it to the volume necessary to sour the entire large batch. All along the way, you have to maintain proper temperatures to enable the lactobacillus to stay healthy and you have to be vigilant with cleanliness in and around the vessel it is residing in. Ultimately, the process can take many months and sometimes years to complete but sour beer fans will all agree, it is well worth the wait.
Check our beer finder to find Piña Agria near you!
Roots Release: Wolf Picker Experimental Pale Ale
Inspired by our small-batch pilot system, the Roots Release series honors our experimental brewing roots and invites Odell Brewing fans to sample some of our favorites. Each Roots Release can be found in our Montage Variety Packs, which change every season. The Winter-Spring Montage Variety Pack will include three each of 90 Shilling, IPA, Runoff Red IPA, and our newest Roots Release – Wolf Picker Experimental Pale Ale.
Wolf Picker is named in honor of our hop growing community and the harvesting rig many use. Each year’s brew is crafted with the same malt base but with new and unique varieties of hops. Members of our brewing team spend time learning about hop varieties and discussing them with hop growers before deciding on their favorites, which they then use in 5-barrel pilot batches prior to approving them for Wolf Picker. This year’s duo came from the Yakima Valley of Washington, where our brewers visit each year to walk the fields in search of unique hops.
Wolf Picker ’15 (our second in the series) features the experimental HBC (Hop Breeding Company) #472 hop, and the recently reintroduced Comet hop. The two offer a complex and layered hop character that combines hints of grapefruit, lemon, and tangerine in the bright aroma, with a refreshing tropical fruit and citrus hop flavor. Brendan McGivney, Odell Brewing’s head of production, is excited that the Comet hop is back in the mix now that craft brewing has become more experimental, and brewer and agronomist Scott Dorsch agrees. “[Comet] could become the next big craft brewers’ hop.”
The Winter-Spring Montage Variety Pack, featuring Wolf Picker ’15, will begin shipping to our 11-state distribution area in late December.
