Name: Tallgrass Brewing Company

Location: Manhattan, KS
Type: Production
Available in DC Market: VA only

What you need to know: Tallgrass is the brainchild of founder Jeff Gill, who gave up his career in environmental geology (more on this in a second) to turn his homebrew hobby into a full-fledged career.  With his wife Tricia, he set up shop in Kansas in 2006 and hasn’t looked back, developing an ever-expanding roster of wide-ranging styles.  Tallgrass is beginning to pick up some medals these days – and speaking of metal (ahem), all of their beer is canned, thanks to the lingering influence of Jeff’s former job.

Beer #1: Velvet Rooster (Belgian-style Tripel / 8.5%)
Notes: Tallgrass says of the Rooster: “The beer pours a golden straw color with brilliant clarity. Topped with a lofty pure white head the beer has a wonderful floral nose, with subtle fruit notes. The taste is clean and crisp, with subtle fruit notes and a touch of candy like sweetness. The beer has a Champagne-like effervescent that provides a crisp offset to its sweet finish.”  Reviews stress that this is a twist on a tripel, a bit sweeter and velvety (duh) than Belgian versions; if you go in with the right expectations, Velvet Rooster can be quite lovely.

Beer Advocate: 85 (52 reviews)
Rate Beer: 76 overall, 50 style (52 ratings)

Sponsorship

Beer #2: Halcyon (Unfiltered Wheat / 5.0%)
Notes: Probably the most heralded of Tallgrass’s beers, Halcyon started life as a summer seasonal, but became a mainstay when the people demanded it.  Brewed with Wheat State wheat, it’s bready and citric, with a strong lemon zing and some yeast character.  A light body makes Halcyon a stellar summer sipper.

Beer Advocate: 86 (63 reviews)
Rate Beer: 61 overall, 92 style (54 reviews)

Summary: I can’t help but root for Tallgrass – with their family business model, local pride, environmental streak, and fun rollout of 8-bit Pale Ale, they seem like good people who make good beers.

This profile is a part of the DCBEER.COM SAVOR Brewery Profile series. For more information, follow the link to see profiles of all 2012 SAVOR participants.

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