I'm gonna assume that those of you reading this know the background of David Anderson and his BrewFarm. (If you haven't, here's a good write up on HeavyTable.com). I haven't been back to Dave's since the Open House almost a year ago. It's been too long. Of course, I've been meaning to but...
We were lucky to catch him on a slow night and got to chat. He recently did a very successful practice run at selling one liter carry out bottles of some of his popular big brews and we scored the last 2 bottles of Mocha Diablo, his chocolate stout with hot peppers. He may do more, with bottles of beer geek and brew wife favorite Aubexxx a possibility. Once they get set up with more empty bottles, you'll be able to call ahead and get a pre-fill of your favorite or see what's available on their site. Dave's not a fan of from-the-tap growlers and prefers the one liter flip top bottles done with a Blichmann gun that combines Co2 and beer right from the keg, which he thinks has a much better carbonation retention, but can't be done on-demand.
Some highlights of what he had on tap:
The Bruiser - A 10.5% smoked Wee Heavy, this may be the best smoked beer I've ever had, with just the right balance between the smoked malts and a big scotch ale.
Aubexxx - a big 9.5% Belgian Strong Ale brewed with black pepper, this beer is always awesome and is destined to reach some type of bottle release.
Single Hop Amarillo Lager - Wow, did this smell good, and the light lager body really allowed the citrusy hop to shine. He will continue to do single hop brews with Cascade and Citra coming up.
Saison - Dave's seems to have mastered the Saison style, with each successive one having an amazing complexity but still remaining light and drinkable even at 8.5% ABV.
Somehow, from the lightest to the biggest, Dave's beers always retain an amazing complexity and balance. I can't recommend enough that you make a trip out, especially if you're a homebrewer. The 8 brew flight is the best $8 I've ever spent. It's a family atmosphere...bring the kids, the dog and some snacks. And make sure you hold on to your hat.
I really need to get back there. Havent been there since we rolled our van driving home. Wonder if Dave will eventually just fill a bunch of each brew into 1L bottles and have them on hand to purchase? From the tap growlers are for the birds, but places like Fitgers and TH fill via beer gun and have coolers stocked full of the goodies. Dave may be going for the ultra fresh route perhaps. I guess i should just go there again and ask him myself!
ReplyDeleteThat's exactly what he's doing. Come to Beer Geek Christmas and ask him yourself.
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