GBS + Golden Ticket = Complete GBS Variant Set Free
Tickle the Tastebuds - Beers & Breweries |
Score a “golden ticket” and score a complete set
Hardywood Park Craft Brewery’s legendary Gingerbread Stout (affectionately called GBS) and Christmas Pancakes goes on sale this Saturday, Nov. 3. The holiday-themed milk stout, enhanced with cinnamon, vanilla, local ginger and local honey, has been coveted by locals and out-of-towners alike since it was first released in 2011. And especially since it scored a perfect 100 on Beer Advocate. And since it medaled at the Great American Beer Festival in 2012. And since …
As if the popular beer isn’t enough, Hardywood has been cranking out variants, too, like Bourbon Barrel GBS, Rum Barrel GBS and Christmas Morning.
When sales open on Saturday, five select cases of Hardywood Gingerbread Stout will contain a Golden Ticket redeemable for a GBS: The Complete Set ($175 value). GBS: The Complete Set promptly sold out again this year, so these are quite the prize.
What’s in the complete set for 2018, you ask?
• Gingerbread Stout
• Christmas Pancakes (with maple syrup)
• Bourbon Barrel GBS
• Port Barrel GBS (exclusively packaged for the Complete Set, only available on draft in the taprooms)
• Rye Barrel GBS
• Apple Brandy GBS
• Christmas Morning
• Caliente GBS (GBS with cacao nibs and peppers – a new for 2018 variant)
• Kentucky Christmas Morning
• Mega GBS (Hardywood’s Cassowary imperial milk stout with plenty of ginger, honey, cinnamon, vanilla – a new for 2018 variant)
• Double Barrel GBS (aged in bourbon barrels and brandy barrels – exclusively packaged for the Complete Set, only available on draft in the taprooms)
Golden Tickets can be found in purchased to-go cases of Gingerbread Stout (cases contain 12 500 mL bottles), available at the Richmond, West Creek or Charlottesville breweries on Nov. 3.
Jackson Kayaks Come to Life
On Tennessee waters or closer to home, Jackson kayaks go deep
Founded in 2003 by Eric Jackson and Tony Lunt, Jackson Kayak designs, builds and manufactures whitewater, fishing and exploration paddle-sports products. The business was a natural extension of Jackson’s professional career as a champion freestyle kayaker (including wins in Men’s Pro World championships, Men’s Pro Pre-World Championships, Men’s Pro, and USA Team appearances in the Olympics. Jackson states, “I have won over 100 events, the most of any kayaker in history,” but then adds, “much has to do for how long I have been doing it!”
The factory tour showed off an impressive display of efficiency (among the machines and among the employees), with multiple quality-control checks. Seeing kayaks in various stage of production and inventory ready to ship, I found it easy to imagine that one of them would one day be mine. The Jackson Kayak production facility also manufactures sturdy Orion coolers (with creative, utilitarian features such as bottle openers, sturdy handles, locking mechanisms and padded lid (you know, for sitting on the cooler).
Jackson's schedule was a testament to the success of his business – besides meeting with our group of writers, he greeted a politician who had come to visit the factory and was between sessions of filming for a Casio commercial. His enthusiasm and passion hinted at the reasons for his continued success, as did his commitment to his adopted Tennessee community and his employees (“It’s the best place in the world to live,” he says). He even showed up at the Blues & Brews Festival in Cookeville a few days later. If you’re looking for a kayak, for fishing or paddling, whose story goes deeper than “just” high performance, check out Jackson Kayak. Since the JacksonKayak.com website directs shoppers to nearby vendors, you’ll be supporting your community, too.
What happens at a speed tasting with six breweries at BBC18?
SPEED TASTINGSix Virginia breweries show off to Beer Bloggers and Writers
Port City, AlexandriaOptimal Wit Nice coriander and pepper notes, richness from the wheat, 1/3 production, top-selling, medal winning 2015, GABF Best Small Brewery 8-year anniversary coming up, first in NOVA
Oktoberfest Märzen style Rich, caramel and spicy-malt forward, carbonation on the palate
SWITCH! Old Bust Head, Fauquier County4th-year anniversary today Table Talk Belgian Style Wit Richness from the wheat and Belgian spices Started with paw paw, but too expensive to source since not easily accessible so went with passionfruit and guava? 5.3% but powerful flavor from the yeasty esters
SWITCH! Lost Rhino7 years now Focus-on-lager brewery from the beginning Pilsner First beer - #2 seller (Face Plant IPA is #1) Clean, showcasing the crackery malts with subtle hops offsetting sweetness. Easy-drinking
SWITCH! Legend BrewingStarted 1993 Imperial Brown Ale Sweet, caramel, chocolate pie – smoother than a typical big beer #legendbrewingco 8.3% Well-received by everyone at our table!
SWITCH! Blue Mountain BreweryDark Hollow Bourbon B-A Imperial Stout Blue Mountain has a dedicated barrel room that changes temps to encourage expansion and contraction of the barrels to impart more flavor to the beers. Taylor Smack brought his Goose Island brewing and barrel-aging experience to Blue Mountain Chocolate, coffee, barrel beauty! One of my long-time favorites!
SWITCH! Ardent Craft AlesPilsner They like doing lagers Clean, easy-drinking; showcases the biscuity malt flavors – a lager doesn’t hide anything, and there’s nothing to hide here
SWITCH! AleWerks BrewingWeekend Lager 5.1% Clean (and not enough time for a more in-depth description!) Pumpkin Spices on the nose make me want to pull out the sweater. Definitely like a pumpkin pie in a glass. Sweet.
SWITCH! VanishPeach IPA Lactose, ton of local peaches, vanilla, lactose Full mouthfeel, peaches on the back. Low on hops. Added some kettle soured for a small touch of sour. Nice balance of cinnamon, spice.
SWITCH! ReasonBlonde 4% Peppery, flavors I'm not able to articulate
SWITCH!
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Tickle the Tastebuds - Beers & Breweries |
As Festie pours from the bottle, you can’t help but think of fall. The deep amber color is reminiscent of autumn leaves. The malty nose – a touch of toast – and rich, caramel malt flavor makes you want to pull on a lightweight jacket, bring out the knockwurst, and exclaim “Prost”! If you’re celebrating Oktoberfest, Starr Hill Festie is the next best thing to wearing lederhosen or dirndls. And at only 4.8% and only 12 IBUs, you can knock back a few as you celebrate.
"Ein Prosit"
Ein Prosit, Ein Prosit, der Gemütlichkeit
Ein Prosit, Ein Prosit, der Gemütlichkeit
Eins, zwei, drei, g'suffa!
Zicke, zacke, zicke, zacke,
hoi, hoi, hoi!
An Imperial Red IPA that Resonates
Tickle the Tastebuds - Beers & Breweries |
Continuing their long-time play on musical themes, Starr Hill presents Resinate, an imperial red IPA.
As an imperial, even the "red" presents a little more strongly than a standard red IPA - the ruby red notes glimmer in the light of the rich brown liquid.
Caramel notes and piney hops on the nose prepare the palate for the balanced beer flavor. The rich toasted malt (from pilsner, melanoidin, dark crystal and carafa II malts) complemented by hop bitterness (72 IBU, from Denali, Citra, Simcoe and Chinook hops).
Full body and mouthfeel make this an easy sipper, not a gulping lawnmower beer. At 7.7% ABV, you'd definitely want to extend your pleasure.
Starr Hill suggests pairing thie with parmigiano or reggiano cheese; with spicy foods or barbecue ribs; or with salted caramel cheesecake. Yes, please!