"Brainless Raspberries Release #2-Epic Brewing
Bomber bought March 2013, shortly after its release, and shared with our son last PM. Poured a light golden pink (odd phrasing there) with a small head that did not linger. The base is a Belgian golden style ale with pilsner, Maris Otter, carapils, flaked oats and wheat malts along with Premiant, Tettnang and Saaz hops for a rather light-bodied base ale along with light candy sugar and raspberry puree added. This is no lightweight on the ABV scale, clocking in at 9.7% with minimal alcohol burn. I'd guess the IBUs in the 20-30 range. This is Jolly Rancher raspberry bubble gum-like tasting with a mild floral nose and slightest hints of black pepper from the Belgian yeast. Served chilled in pint glasses as an after dinner drink by itself, but would be pleasant with assorted fruits and soft cheeses before or after a meal for a dessert beverage, too."
Where did you purchase this brew? We're working on a really solid Belgian golden as our flagship but we're not going to be much north of 5% ABV, but I have Saaz and a friend said he could have sent to me as much Czech hops as I need. I haven't heard of Premiant before, but I've also not heard of Belma hops, which my brewer said he really likes. I've started a diary/log of hops varieties, I think I'm up to 110 so far. I planted 300 rhizomes this week, all Cascade, purchased 300 Chinook and 50 more Zeus, meaning I'm up to 850 this year I have to finish planting. My plans are to gett about 300 more in the ground on the farm in South Hill and have 250 in fairly large planters, which can be transplanted once the Biergarten is built. Not worried about using any of our own hops this year-just looking toward the future. We will use some, but it's not going to be of major consequence in our plans.
I bought a cubic yard of compost yesterday and my engineer had 33 4-gallon buckets spread out in his pick-up and we had the compost poured into the bed of the pick-up which worked out well. I was given another 40 containers today and will get more compost and fill them, meaning I should have about 90 containers of excellent soil-filled and planted hops by week's end.
I'll let them root and grow for this summer and transplant in the future. One of our local nurseries are selling one year-old plants for $35/each. I'll have over a hundred of those next year at a cost of about $1.50/each, plus our elbow-grease, so I'm opening a small-time nursery as well, but only for hops.
Hops=New cash crop for Virginia and NC. I've given away some rhizomes for folks to grow to try to expand interest. I think it will take off.
Question, in another post there appears discussion about overkill in the craft-brewery growth; I'd like to know what the consensus is for the near-term and long-term viability of the business. I'm trying to layer my business to be able to withstand any pressure on any one aspect of it. I'm growing hops. My farmer and a few others will grow specified grains for breweries. I'll sell hops. I'll sell plants. We're looking into opening a hops processing plant and possibly a malting plant. (Lots of potential there, especially with lots of empty buildings/warehouses in South Hill and ease of transportation being on the interstate) We'll brew and sell beer. We'll have multiple locations to sell beer-not simply through distribution, but we'll make beer in South Hill and have Brewpubs in select locations. Then there's the retail side of selling associated products of the brewery, which we have plenty of land nearby to use.
Any how, I just about exposed about nearly everything I'm working on, save building a golf course
(Just kidding, there, at least for now)!
I firmly believe that there is a change underway with regards to beer consumption in this country and it's just getting some legs in the Mid-Atlantic and the South. There will certainly be some failures, but largely because of two factors: 1) under capitalization and poor planning, and 2) underwhelming product. I'm working hard to avoid such pitfalls, hence why it's taking me so long (not really) to get open.
Sorry for the long post. Have lots of hops to plant in the next 10 days. Even as much as it pains my body it's worth every minute. It's been a fun process. Go Duke!! Go Golden Leaf Brewing Company!!