Name: Country Boy Brewing
Location: Lexington, KY
Website: http://wwwcountryboybrewing.com/
Type: Production brewery
Available in DC Market: No
What you need to know: Started in 2012 by the three "country boys," Country Boy Brewing is an addition to the burgeoning Lexington, Kentucky craft beer scene. They're commited to "fresh, minimally processed beers using the finest ingredients" and have a portfolio with mostly American styles.
Beer #1: Nacho Bait (American blonde ale with habaneros / 4.9%)
In Their Own Words: This appears to be Country Boy's Cougar Bait blonde ale with habaneros added to it. (If we're wrong, Country Boy Brewing, please reach out and let us know.) The description of Cougar Bait is "A crisp straw-colored ale with a unique malt and citrus hop balance. This beer was the brainchild of an all night trip back from Michigan. Fueled by Snack Cakes and Energy Drinks, the boys pulled this recipe out of their exhausted noggins. You'll be glad they did. Easy drinking, full flavored and always leaving you wanting more- Cougar Bait works."
Food Pairing: Turkey braised in mole (Turkey breast braised in a fragrant mole of dried chiles, tomato, almonds, Mexican chocolate and toasted pumpkin seeds.)
Our Thoughts: Lovers of heat will find plenty to like appreciate here. The malt bill in a blonde leaves nothing to manage the heat of habaneros, and then you'll have whatever heat is in the mole too. I can't say this is the best beer and food pairing. Pretty shallow to be honest. "Oh, chiles and chiles, sure." Except that a blonde ale with a ton of heat is going to get blown out by a rich, chocolatey dish like mole. The smoked mackerel and caviar with creme fraiche would have been a much better take here.
Beer #2: Papaw's Red
In Their Own Words: No information available, but The Washington Post's Fritz Hahn was very pleased with this beer. This was his comment "a killer imperial red ale aged in a mix of Four Roses barrels that were no younger than 8 years. Strongly recommended (literally, it's 9%)."
Food Pairing: Classic rice pudding crowned with raisins and a crisp ginger tuile.
Our Thoughts: This is a neat little pairing. I wouldn't normally think imperial red and rice pudding, but because it's barrel-aged that sweetness and vanilla is going to work well with the rice pudding. The ginger will add a nice little bit of spice and texture, too. Nice work on this pairing, be sure to stop by and say hi to Country Boy!
This profile is a part of the DCBeer.com SAVOR Brewery Profile series. For more information, follow the link to see profiles of all 2014 SAVOR participants.
