Name: Brooklyn Brewery
Location: Brooklyn, New York
Type: Production brewery
Available in DC Market: Yes
What You Need To Know: Brewmaster Garrett Oliver and Founder Steve Hindy were homebrewing in New York and the Middle East, respectively, when you were still sucking down Carnation formula. If Randy Mosher’s definition of a “craft brewery” is a company producing recipes devised from creative, homebrewed minds, Brooklyn is most definitely in that category. If you’ve never tried the Blast or Sorachi Ace DO NOT PASS GO without getting a taste of both.
Beer #1: Brooklyn Blast (Pale Ale/ 8% ABV)
Beer Advocate: 92 (178 Reviews)
Rate Beer: 97 overall, 83 style
Notes: Is it pale ale? Double IPA?? Imperial Pale??? It’s damn tasty, that’s what it is. To celebrate its location between the hop-growing centers of the Yakima valley in Washington state and Kent, England, Brooklyn has brewed a “ludicrously hoppy, strangely quaffable and oddly compelling” ale. The varietals, half American half English, are: Ahtanum, Simcoe, Willamette, Centennial, Palisade, East Kent Golding, Northdown, Challenger, and Fuggle. Holy hops Batman! With ghost pepper glazed pork tenderloin, this pairing is one for the heat geeks and the hopheads.
Beer #2: Brooklyn Sorachi Ace (Saison/ 6.5% ABV)
Beer Advocate: 92 (431 Reviews)
Rate Beer: 98 overall, 96 style
Notes: This beer is a modern take on the classic farmhouse ale. A single-grain malt bill (German pilsner) balances the hop bill, which provides a contemporary spin. It is dry-hopped with the rare Sorachi Ace, which departs a lemon-zest aroma. Consider the aroma of hops as a spectrum. That spectrum has a wide array of scents, from grassy and earthy to citrus and tropical fruits. While Sorachi Ace was originally shunned by most big brewers, the ace is today a much sought after hop. It is surprisingly fruity for its pedigree; a cross between Czech Saaz and British Brewer’s Gold varieties. The lemon-fresh tang of Sorachi and the bitter-dry finish of the spicy Belgian yeast provide a sexy interplay to the pickled Hawaiian tombo. Preserved lemon—a timeless pairing lemon and fish—will complement the lemon-like qualities of the Sorachi. Saison and seafood, in my opinion, have always paired perfectly.
Summary: Give props to Brooklyn for trotting out the Ace and the Blast, two of the best-tasting beauties in their deep stable. I can honestly say that I haven’t had a bad Brooklyn Brewery beer. I’ve had beers that weren’t incredibly interesting, but I couldn’t say that said beer was bad. This year Brooklyn brings two incredibly interesting offerings please savor them accordingly.
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.
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.
