Selfishly this article is not for a country, it’s for me.

But there is the benefit for you, dear reader, in knowing some wonderful English craft beer will be on draft at Shelter on Thursday December, 19.

In addition to the wonderfully expressive Moor Beer, you will have a chance to meet Moor founder, Justin Hawke, who is American by birth, but is also a proper English brewery owner.

No, I don’t mean he’s monocoled or wears a Belfry top hat, I mean he’s got a brewery and taproom in Bristol, England, and a barrel aging space for his “Vaults limited release barrel-aged beers” in London on the Bermondsey Beer mile, a loose combination of brewery bars, taprooms, and bottle shops. According to Hawke, he was 13 when his long-running romance with British real ale began.

If you’re able to get to Shelter on Thursday, December, 19, I would highly recommend you get a ticket to “Modern English Brews: A Guided Tasting with Moor Beer’s Justin Hawke!” You’ll not only try his delicious beers, you’ll meet this real ale-obsessive who is also in possession of a great passion for lager and hops.

Moor Bitter glass via a cask
All pics via the brewery.

Hawke’s obsession with lager came during his time stationed in Germany, after graduating from West Point. And on Thursday you’ll have a chance to try not just his Lager, but also his Smoked Lager. For fans of smoked beer, it’s a real treat to get to try an English lager modeled after the famed rauchbier of Germany.

Via Shelter:

THE FEATURED BEER LIST

It’s hard for me to say which beer I’m most excited about but I did have a chance to try some of these beers. As a DC Beer co-owner we (the royal we) are most excited for Smoked Lager, but as a beer nerd with endless sensory expeditions to conduct, I figured I’d better sample some Moor product that’s currently in our market.

As the phrase goes, attributed as Czech in origin, you can tell a good beer with one sip but better to make certain. As the son of a Czech, I can attribute the truthful sentiment of the phrase, whether or not it’s apocryphal.

I purchased cans of Illumination and Moor Stout at Hop, Cask & Barrel, as I knew we’d be trying them Thursday. I also got a bottle of Moor’s from the Vaults Limited Release Barrel-Aged Beer, Calvados Old Ale, which was aged in Calvados barrels for 24 months.

If you’ve not been to Hop, Cask & Barrel and are a fan of imported beer, brace yourself. There’s a lovely, extensive selection of imports and if English ale is your thing, in addition to incredible beers from English brewers like JW Lees, Ridgeway, Conniston, there’s also Scotland’s impressive Epochal Barrel Fermented Ales and the delightful Brehon Ales brewing out of Ireland. And while the Moor Beer on draft will likely have a different texture and mouthfeel than the ales from cans and bottles, I figured I’d indulge you in a little sensory exploration.

Moor Brewing Illumination can

I began with Moor’s Illumination Pale Ale, an English pale ale at 4.3% alcohol by volume. It has a bright appearance, and great clarity. It’s a few shades paler than gold, and closer to straw color, with a mildly meadow grass aroma as the smell of the beer begins mingling with my memory of snacking on dried apricots. The smell is orange, though more the color than the flavor. Grapefruit alongside toffee, notes of caramel, butterscotch, and a fruitiness that remind me of over-ripe plums I’ve left in the fruit bowl all week. 

The bitterness is restrained, the beer is clear and crisp. The nose brings forth aromas of grapefruit and lemon rind and a nice hit of marmalade. The beer possesses a very soft carbonation and a wonderful hop character. The taste is reminiscent of Orangina crossed with a marmalade jam-smothered freshly toasted slice of bread.

Moor Stout

The next Moor beer is Stout and it is a treat. And like Illumination, it’s got far more flavor than the 5% abv listed on the can. It’s a welcoming, chocolatey stout. There’s a nice subtle carbonation and a beautiful – though restrained- roast character. The aroma of the stout is of dark bakers chocolate, cocoa powder, and a bag of Vigilante Coffee Company’s Ethiopia Natty Cheffe. The taste is generally sweet but there’s a balanced bitterness up front and a mid palate of cacao, and then a pleasant blend of roast, toast, and acidity as it dries out in the finish.

Overall, I was impressed with the cans, and I’m very much looking forward to Thursday. If you can’t make it to Shelter, consider Hop, Cask & Barrel for take away Moor Beer offerings.