#202: Off Color Brewing » Troublesome (Gose) & Scurry (Dark Honey Ale)

Former respective Goose Island (Bourbon County, Sisters Belgians) and Two Brothers brewers, John Laffler and Dave Bleitner left their respective organizations, to combine their lauded talents into a joint, independent venture.

Off Color Brewing (Chicago, IL), already gathering acclaim for their first two bottled beers below, is the result of that partnership.

Troublesome (Gose) ABV: 4.5% | IBU: 10 | 9.3/10
This brew is a blend of two beers, a plain old wheat beer and overly acidic & funky beer fermented solely with lactobacillus, finished with coriander and salt towards the end of fermentation.

In person, it starts of a transparant, pale yellow with minimal cap of white head that is plenty lacy. Bringing Troublesome to my nose, heavenly, wild aromas bloom - yeasty, juciy notes of white wine, lemon, and citrus.

The flavor is incredible and refreshing. Soft carbonation and perfect restraint of coriander matched with a deft hand of faint sweetness and delicate tartness. A gifted brew. Recommended.

Scurry (Dark Honey Ale) ABV: 5.3% | IBU: 18 | 9/10
Brewed with honey and molasses, Scurry pours out a dark, opaque brown with a touch of ruby and almost no head. Strong coffee nose is prevalent with soft notes of wood and honey and packed with molasses aromas.

It's dark and roasted on the palate, but not too heavy. Smooth and perfectly carbonated. Mild, sweet, but not sticky. Roasty, toasty, with just a flicker of earthy notes. Solid.

#038: The Bruery - Hottenroth (Berliner Weisse)

Summer continues with this classic German style...

The Brewery: The Bruery (Placentia, CA)
The Brew: Hottenroth (Berliner Weisse)
Availability: Draft and bottles (Spring & Summer)
ABV: 3.1%
Rating: 9/10 // IBUs: 2
Location: Home

The Story? After catching a hilarious movie and a beautiful walk around Myers Point on Cayuga Lake, my partner and our friend Kendra popped back to the house for some tasty home-made burritos. Afterward they began work on customizing some old t-shirts. "A good time to review this Hottenroth" I thought to myself...

Hottenroth itself is named after Fred & Sarah Hottenroth, Bruery founded Patrick Rue's grandparents. The low gravity seasonal is brewed with lactobacillus yeast and a hint of Brettanomyces and, unlike many of the other American Berliner Weisse releases, no sweetener is added, sticking to the traditional German tartness.

The Beer? Fluffy, quickly fading head with a champagne-esq nose. The sparkling grape and apple notes on the nose are very inviting.

Much less effervescent than the Festina Peche reviewed earlier this summer. Nice, firm tartness with a bit of wheat. Very clean mouthfeel. Apple, pear, and lemon tastes throughout. A bit acidic with mild dryness.

Not as tart up front as initially expected, considering this one is unsweetened, though that mid-level tartness begins to build, continuing through the bottle. On the second pour, sour grape and lime tastes appear in the head, with more funk in the nose and a wheaty must taste hangs in the background. Solid.

Most interesting, was my friend Kendra (not a beer fan, but a big Kombucha fan and also know to partake in the occasional glass of cider, wine, or champagne) thoroughly enjoyed a small glass of the brew.

Overall, a solid, enjoyable homage of a classic. Likely will become one of my top go-tos for a quality, low-gravity beer with a lot of character. Highly recommended for your friends who "don't like beer".