Big Hop Harvest

Ok I mentioned this semi retail event thing that happened a little while ago. While I had some of the Chicory Red the real star of this show was the Big Hop Harvest.

Big Hop Harvest is a limited edition brew much like the Chicory red, however unlike it this one comes around once a year. The reason this is a limited release is our friends at East End Brewery have a short window of time where they can drive up to New York to pick up a batch of fresh, undried, wet hops.

The brewmaster himself took the drive up to the farm and filled his wife's Scion xB with 385lbs of fresh wet hops and updated us all over Facebook with his progress on his 12 hour trip. That's dedication, or maybe just love of the craft. I know I would love the smell inside of that car, grassy and citrusy, just wonderful. Come to think of it he recently mentioned her car still smells like wet hops.

I sat at that keg and downed about half a dozen small glasses of this wondrous brew. The flavor is a nice APA blended with a red ale, nice and toasty carmel with this great citrus grassy hop note. This dink is so well balanced, and it just dances on your tounge like a party of angels throwing a rager. Ok that's a little extreme, but I have to say it is indeed something to look forward to next season.

East End Chicory Red

Today I worked a semi retail event for my employer. This isn't terribly exciting, however the fact his brother volunteers at East End Brewery therefore he has a contact there is.
Tonight on our beer menu we had their latest session beer.  East End's sessions are normally one shot brews that you have to snag before they are gone.or else you will always have to wonder what could have been.
East End's Chicory Red has a wonderful smoothness about it. The roasted malt flavor coats your tongue just long enough till the chicory flavor hits the back of your tongue and you get this slightly spicy aftertaste that warms you up a little, just in time for fall.
That is if fall wasn't such a muggy prospect in Pittsburgh right now.  I love to sing the prases of a finely crafted brew I do have to speak of it's, um well I guess seasonality is the best way to put it. Upon starting the process of crafting this beer the brewmeister had no way of knowing that the beginning of September would feel like the middle of summer. This is a shame, because in the right atmosphere this beer would be just as comforting as a nice recliner, a tailored jacket, or even a well loved blankie.
No I don't have an awesome blankie, but sometimes I wish I did.