To earn a following amongst locals in Michigan speaks volumes about the quality of beer you’re a producing. It’s that popularity that will have me seeking these guys out.

Arcadia Ales is a bit different and focused on small batches brewed in the traditional British style. Their brew house, barley and yeast are all English. In fact, the entire brewery and ingredients are all English except the hops that come from the Pacific Northwest. Brewing small batches with attention to detail has been their approach since starting in 1996. Their focus continues to be brewing ales that are unfiltered, unpasteurized and uncompromised.

Location: Battle Creek, Michigan

Type: Production brewery

Available in DC Market: No ( Available in MD through Legends Ltd. )

Beer #1: Loch Down ( Scotch Ale / 8 % ABV )

Sponsorship

Notes: This scotch ale is a bit on the sweeter side of finishes nice and dry. Plenty of bread and slight caramel notes are derived from the generous amounts of malt used. The alcohol is masked nicely with a bit of molasses and burnt sugar notes making this one highly drinkable.

Beer Advocate: B ( 203 Reviews )
Rate Beer: 85 overall, 51 style

Beer #2: Sky High Rye ( Rye Beer / 6 % ABV )

Notes: Rye beer is a fairly unique style containing a high quantity of rye grain in the mash. Due to the uniqueness of this style it’s a bit hard to describe but most describe this as a hoppy amber with plenty of spicy hop throughout.  This will take some time to put your finger on, so go ahead and enjoy several to get a true sense of the style.

Beer Advocate: B+ ( 103 Reviews )
Rate Beer: 91 overall, 95 style

I have heard a decent amount of buzz about Arcadia amongst other beer geeks. They same to fairly popular amongst the craft beer crowds in Michigan and have maintained a solid portfolio while pushing the envelope and recreating classic styles. To earn a following amongst locals in Michigan speaks volumes about the quality of  the beer you’re  producing. It’s that popularity that will have me seeking these guys out.

This profile is a part of the DCBEER.COM SAVOR Brewery Profile series. For more information, follow the link to see profiles of all 2011 SAVOR participants.

Beer Review Disclaimer: The beer reviews found on Beer Advocate and Rate Beer do not represent the opinions of this site. We provide these in the hope that they will serve as a resource showing what some craft beer fans have thought of the beers. These reviews can be a helpful guideline, but are not the be-all end-all about a beer’s strengths or weaknesses.

Photo  Courtesy of Steven DePolo – http://www.flickr.com/photos/stevendepolo/