Previously on Tap
Sun D'Appled Orchard Ale - Seasonal fruit beer
We married sweet caramel malts, spicy rye, and just a dash of South Asian cinnamon (the good stuff!) with apple cider fresh from the family farm, for a sweet-tart, refreshing tribute to the Fall season. Crisp as an autumn breeze, blushing like the turning leaves. 5.0% abv
Why the Name? Picture a "sun-dappled orchard"...hear the rustling leaves, take in the aroma of ripe fruit, feel the scattered sunlight dancing through the trees.
30 Point Bock - Dunkles Bock
Fall seasonal. Modeled after the famous strong dark lagers of Germany, our 30 Point Bock is rich and substantial yet with a smooth and clean finish. Stylistically 30 Point is a "dunkles", meaning "dark", and Dunkles Bock beers feature an awesome depth of malt flavor with very little hop presence or bitterness. Look for lovely ruby highlights within its red-brown hue, and enjoy our bock best with rich and hearty food from the grill. Steaks, sausages, and VENISON would make excellent company for the 30 Pointer.
Why the Name? For many folks, Fall means hunting season, and the 30 point buck is as elusive and legendary an adversary as Moby Dick. The chilly autumn mornings, the rustling of fallen leaves, the spirit of kinship and telling of tall-tales, the blaze-orange fashion...good times indeed. For those who don't hunt, I say "we're all hunting for something", so why not enjoy a delicious traditional beer with a silly name?
Hop Harvest - Hoppy Amber Ale
Reaping the rewards of a successful growing season, Hop Harvest is a hoppy amber ale made with 100% hops grown on the family farm. Cascade, Magnum and Nugget hops were hand-picked fresh by us and rushed straight to the brew-kettle for a fruity, grassy, "green" aroma only attainable from the freshest hops! 1.062 OG 42 IBUs 6.6% abv
Black Mirror - Double Black IPA
The relatively new Black IPA style, alternately called "Cascadian Dark Ale", celebrates the craft-brewing heritage and bountiful hop cultivation of the American Pacific Northwest. Brewers in "Cascadia" (Oregon, Washington, and Northern California) are fortunate to have the freshest and best hops close at hand, and brewing trends that originate there are often bold and hop-heavy in the extreme.
Well we love hops, too! "Black Mirror" packs a whallop of American hops into every delcious sip. Brewed to double India Pale Ale strength (8.2% abv), it features an intense and beguiling hop aroma, bracing bitterness (calculated at over 100 IBU's!), and a complex tangle of hop flavors like a sticky resinous bramble in an ominous shadowy forest of dark malt. Cascadia is really just a state of mind!
Why the Name? "Black Mirror"- the mysterious, nebulous reflection of an IPA in a placid twilight pond.
Scaredy Cat - Oatmeal Stout
Dark beer lovers rejoice! Our pitch black stout is packed with the rich malt flavors of chocolate, caramel, molasses and espresso and is brewed with a large portion rolled oats for a well-rounded, "chewy" mouthfeel. Hearty and robust, Scaredy Cat is no scrawny little kitty. Scaredy Cat is great with our beer-battered fish and chips or oatmeal stout pot roast! 1.065 OG 30IBUs 6.0% abv
***"named Best of the Midwest" Regional Champion- stout category! USBTC winter 2010/ 2011 judging*** for details, see www.usbtc.com
Pumpkin Disorderly - Spiced Ale
No tricks - just treats! Our pumpkin ale is a beer first and a specialty beer second, formulated with a keen sense of balance. Brewed with real pumpkin and a secret blend of spices, along with caramel and roasted malts, we bring you the essence of the harvest season in a glass. 1.067 OG 13 IBUs 7.0% abv
Maximilian (Max) - Stout
Originally brewed by English brewers in the late 1800's for export to the royal court of the Russian Empire, imperial stouts were once the private beverage of the czars. Very dark, with big roast and dark malt flavors, significantly hopped for balance against a massively chewy full body, and with a warming strength that can melt away the chills of a harsh northern winter...these are the trademarks of an imperial stout. 9.2% alcohol by volume
Why the name? Yes, it's a play on words- so much malt was used in brewing this beer that our mash tun (where crushed grains and brewing water come together in the brewing process) was literally full to the brim...maxed out! Incidentally, there wasn't an actual "Emperor Maximilian" in the lineage of Russian royalty, but there was a famous satirical work in 19th century Russian folk theater called "Emperor Maximilian". Likewise, no real czars will be enjoying "Max Stout", but we'd be honored if actors, playwrights and fans of the theater might draw inspiration from a few sips.
Rye Whiskey Barrel Aged Dedication - Abbey-style Dubbel
We aged our delicious abbey-style dubbel in a Heaven Hill rye whiskey barrel for 6 months, resulting in a strong ale of sublime depth and complexity. Barrel notes of vanilla, oak and char mingle with ale flavors of stone fruit, toffee and spice. Approximately 10%abv
Hop, Skip & a Jump - Belgian-style pale ale
Our fresh Belgian pale ale is a delight to the senses, with soft fruity notes of pear, currant and citrus in harmony with biscuit malt and refined hop flavors. 1.053 OG 32 IBU's 5.8% abv
Why the Name? Made using 100% local Sterling hops from Gorst Valley, just a 'hop, skip & a jump' from here.
Rhine Heights - Altbier
Our classic Dusseldorf-style altbier is a throwback German amber ale, with a refined noble hop presence and a smooth mellow character. 1.057 OG 39 IBU's 5.7% abv
Snowflake 2012 - Robust Porter
To start each new year, our brewer celebrates VBC's anniversary by crafting a new and unique "snowflake" beer- always a fresh new recipe and never the same brew twice. "Snowflake 2012" is a nitrogen-conditioned robust porter, with a delicious bittersweet cocoa flavor and a luscious creamy texture. 6.6% abv
