What’s In My Fridge: Anniversary Beers

Breweries, like any other famous/infamous event (like the Newport Folk Festival, which celebrated its’ 50th anniversary this year & which I’m currently listening to highlights from as I write this) have anniversaries to commemorate it. Except w/the anniversary of a brewery usually comes a special one off treat to mark the celebration. Today we are going to look at a couple of such celebratory offerings that recently came to spend time in my fridge.

If anyone who has spent any time w/me recently knows, I’m a huge fan of the Two Brother’s Brewery from Warrenville, Illinois. Since 1997, Jim & Jason Ebel have made a delectable mix of both session & big beers. If you’re not in one of the eight states that currently distributes them, trade w/someone who is. Once again, I came across this beer during one of my frequent excursions to Bierkraft in Brooklyn.

Name: Two Brothers Monarch White Beer

Brewery Location: Warrenville, Il, USA

Style: Witbier

ABV: 4.5%

Package: 12 ounce brown bottle

Availability: Spring Seasonal

Typical of the style, this one pours a slightly hazy golden hue. Not much head to this one; was a thin white ring w/little retention. Keeping w/in the style guidelines, the aroma is straight textbook w/light hints of orange and coriander. The flavor however, is anything but traditional. A spicy, citrus zing leading to a quick finish gave this witbier the taste of a mild saison. According to Christain, who represents the brewery, the saison-like flavor I encountered was due to the fact that the beer was nearing the end of its maturation. He was correct, for as I looked at the bottle, it was at its best by date. So my recommendation to you, loyal readers, is to get your hands on two bottles. One bottle to enjoy immediately for the witbier as it was intended. Then have a second bottle to save until the best by date to get this unintentionally different yet tasty beer.

One of the newest entries into the craft beer world, The Bruery & its founder Patrick Rue have made quite a splash in it’s one year in existence w/it’s Belgian inspired beers. Following tradition, their 1st anniversary beer is appropriately named Papier. However, they made four distinct versions of this Belgian-styled Old Ale. This beer was given to me by Paul Bussiere when I said I didn’t have anything to blog about.

Name: Bruery Papier

Brewery Location: Placenita, CA, USA

Style: Belgian-style Old Ale

ABV: 14.5%!

Package: Black waxed covered 25 ounce bottle. Numbered 3681/4777.

Availability: Limited

First of all, at 14.5% ABV, this beer is not for the faint of heart or limp of pallet (a total opposite of our previous offering today). As noted earlier, there were four different versions of this beer. This one in particular is 75% oak barrel aged & 25% bourbon barrel aged. Prying off the cap, you get the vibrant aromas of oak, vanilla, molasses, & brown sugar w/o putting your nose to the bottle. It’s like this beer is announcing its presence to the room. It pours a thick molasses brown from the bottle w/a thick tan head. It’s deceiving though, for at first taste it is rich & quite sweet. That sweetness evolves to a mix of bittersweet chocolate & bourbon that lingers in the mouth. This beer is a definite sipper to be shared w/close friends after a big meal or in celebration. Get your hands on one by almost any means necessary.

I need to have writers block around Paul more often.