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Owen Ogletree's Brewtopia Brewsletter
October 25, 2018
Owen is founder/editor of Brewtopia.info, columnist for Southern Brew News and Beer Connoisseur Magazine, lecturer at Knoxville's Brewing & Distilling Center, founder/director of the Atlanta Cask Ale Tasting and Classic City Brew Fest, a BJCP National Beer Judge and Great American Beer Festival judge.
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Follow our craft beer adventures...
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- MENU: Georgia Bites & Brews on Nov. 4
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- 24 Exciting GA Craft Beers!
- 12 Delicious Food Items!
- Bluegrass Concert after the fest!
- ALL for only $45? Is this for real? YES it is!
SEE THE COMPLETE FOOD AND BEER MENU BELOW...
Experience our Georgia Bites & Brews craft beer and food pairing festival on Sunday, November 4 at the Graduate hotel complex in Athens, Georgia. Your taste buds will love you!
At your own pace, sample delicious food items from 12 stations, each paired with two exciting Georgia craft beers. Attendees vote on which of the two beer pairs best with each food item, and the winning brews will be announced at 6 pm. You can't miss this scrumptious party! 21+
Sunday, November 4, 3-7 pm
Graduate Hotel / Foundry in Athens, GA
Only 200 tickets sold, and these won't last long!
Here are the mouth-watering food and beer combinations for our Georgia Bites & Brews...
Smoked Potato Soup
WHICH WILL PAIR BEST?...
- Creature Comforts Automatic Pale Ale
- Dry County Old 41 Stout
Southern Corn Crab Cakes with Old Bay Aioli
WHICH WILL PAIR BEST?...
- Oconee Brewing Mean Machine
- Eventide Red Headed Haley
Blackened Grilled Shrimp
WHICH WILL PAIR BEST?...
- Akademia Hoprodite NE IPA
- Atlanta Brewing Homestand Pilsner
Fried Pork Belly Tacos
WHICH WILL PAIR BEST?...
- Reformation Cadence
- Red Hare Tangerine SPF 50/50 IPA
Lamb Lasagna
WHICH WILL PAIR BEST?...
- Terrapin So Fresh & So Green, Green 2018
- Three Taverns Quasimodo Quad
Fried Mushrooms with Horseradish Aioli
WHICH WILL PAIR BEST?...
- New Realm Hoptropolis IPA
- Savannah River Brewing Dynamite Brown Ale
Stuffed Bacon Wrapped Figs
WHICH WILL PAIR BEST?...
- Gate City Terminus Baltic-style Porter
- Cherry Street Coconut Porter
Citrus Bread Pudding Bites
WHICH WILL PAIR BEST?...
- Steady Hand Circles of the Sun
- Pontoon Pecan Pie Paradise Milk Porter
Chocolate Torte (GF)
WHICH WILL PAIR BEST?...
- Southern Brewing Company Red & Black
- Wild Leap American Cherry
Beer Brined Grilled Wings
WHICH WILL PAIR BEST?...
- SweetWater 420 Strain G13 IPA
- Service Brewing Teufel Hunden Oktoberfest
Kalamata Olive Tapenade with Toast Points
WHICH WILL PAIR BEST?...
- Orpheus Brewing Over and Over
- Wild Heaven Invocation Belgian Strong Golden Ale
Cranberry Smoked Gouda with Pita
WHICH WILL PAIR BEST?...
- Arches Mexican Empire
- Monday Night Drafty Kilt
GRADUATE DISCOUNT HOTEL ROOMS:
After Bites & Brews, attend the free concert and stay the night at the beautiful Graduate Hotel for the discounted rate of only $99. Call the hotel at (706) 549-7020 to book your room with discount code BITES or click HERE.
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Photos by Ashton Smith
In October of 2018, Owen Ogletree gathered The Beer Wench, Dean and Gail Graves, Ian Meents, Ashton Smith, Flavia Costa and Andrew Borchert to taste and comment on ten strong craft beers that were aged for several years. The tasting was done in blind fashion, with the group only knowing the style and age of each beer.
The tasting concluded with the group choosing the top four beers that seemed to stand up the best to aging. Look below for winners and tasting notes...
FIRST PLACE: 2011 Phantom Canyon Winston Smith's Barleywine-Style Ale aged in whiskey barrels.
Comments: deep brown color; light wood, vanilla aroma; dark fruit sweetness; bitter fruity flavors; lightly burnt toffee; moderately dry; nice hop bitterness; warming; whiskey and caramel are both subtle.
 SECOND PLACE: 2011 Southern Tier Oat Imperial Oatmeal Stout.
Comments: beautiful black color; chocolate; sherry; prunes; dates; espresso; roasty; toasted caramel; burnt sugars; maple hint; dark fruits; mineraly; lingering cocoa/roasted malt notes; tastes great; bittersweet finish; could be a bit thin for style, but nice.
THIRD PLACE: 2011 Widmer Brothers' Reserve Galaxy Hopped American Barleywine.
Comments: nice brown color; light, old hop note; woody; earthy hops; dry finish; light toffee and caramel; herbal hoppy hint; light butterscotch note; caramel hard candy; pleasing bitterness.
HONORABLE MENTION: 2013 Olde Hickory Irish Walker Barleywine.
Comments: deep, dark brown in color, almost black; too dark for style; toffee; hint of coffee; lightly bitter; chocolate hint; burnt toast crust; bitter finish; burnt cocoa nibs; smooth and creamy.
2012 Samichlaus Bier Helles - Blonde Doppelbock.
Comments: dark amber in color; plums; prunes; creme brulee with plums; candied apricots; sweet toffee; butter hint; rich, earthy honey; pleasant; rum hints; cognac note; sweet, malty finish.
2010 Terrapin Iron Tankard Old Ale.
Comments: dark amber in color; prune; figs; sherry; sweet; raisin; light chocolate; caramel; toffee candy; mild alcohol; dry finish; malt driven; milk chocolate; held up well.
2013 Smuttynose Gravitation Belgian Quad.
Comments: dark amber hue; paper note; earthy; light fruit; light malt; sherry nose; mild kumquat; nice fruity esters; caramel; figs; oxidized note; lemon; some sweetness.
2009 Great Divide Old Ruffian Barleywine Whiskey Barrel Aged.
Comments: dark brown; clove hint; toasted bread; somewhat thin mouthfeel for style; oak tannin note; winey; toasty; wet cardboard hint; dull flavors; did not hold up well over time; herbal; dark fruit; dry and slightly astringent in the finish.
2008 Weyerbacher XIII Imperial Stout with Belgian Yeast.
Comments: black in color; Belgian esters come through; nice complexity; spicy; raisins; warming alcohol; caramelized sugars; dark chocolate finish; medium/full body; clove hint; loaded with dark fruit notes; earthy hint; coffee nuance.
2011 Victory Dark Intrigue Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout.
Comments: black color; paper-like; alcohol character is big; minty; clove; lots of bourbon barrel; not too complex for style; wood tannins; menthol-like warmth; roasty; dark, bitter chocolate finish; dry and bitter; might be a bit thin for style; light fruit complexity in the background.
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- Favorite Moments from the Great American Beer Festival
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By Owen Ogletree
Even having judged for several years at the Great American Beer Festival (GABF) in Denver, I still find the entire experience enjoyable and exhilarating. GABF ranks as the largest and most impressive craft beer festival in the USA, and brewers from all over the country enter beers in hopes of bringing home a coveted medal.
In 2018, the GABF festival hall was arranged in simple alphabetical order (unlike the regional layout of past years), and attendees cruise the massive aisles looking for beers that strike their fancy. Beers are served in one-ounce pours, allowing patrons to sample from a multitude of booths and chat with GABF volunteers and brewers.
CLICK HERE to read Owen's seven favorite things about the 2018 GABF!
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- Owen's Video Report: Beer Bloggers Conference
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Check out highlights of the Beer Bloggers & Writers Conference held in the Loudoun County, VA area in August of 2018. Video by Owen Ogletree of www.Brewtopia.info...
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Reformation Brewery
Cadence Belgian-Style Ale
From our friends at Reformation Brewery in Woodstock, Georgia...
STYLE: Cadence is a somewhat dry, easy-drinking take on the Belgian dubbel style. The beer offers a deep fruit aroma with hints of caramel, figs and Belgian candi sugar.
AUTHENTICITY: This beer is a true original that pays homage to the past and was our first homebrew recipe to be awarded a blue ribbon in a BJCP sanctioned competition.
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- Coming Soon: Lost Druid Brewery
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August saw construction begin on Lost Druid Brewery in the heart of Avondale Estates. "The Lost Druid's taproom and kitchen are largely being driven by the area's need for more gathering places with a social focus," notes Lost Druid co-founder Stacia Familo-Hopek. "The Lost Druid will be an 'on-premise' brewery, focusing on our taproom, rather than selling beer through traditional retail channels. The 6,800 square-foot venue will feature a brewery, a cellar/wood-aging facility, kitchen, taproom, upstairs mezzanine and pet-friendly patios."
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- 10/28/2018 - BARK & BREW free mini beer fest with dogs! Live Wire, Athens, GA. Reserve your spot HERE.
- 11/04/2018 - GEORGIA BITES & BREWS. Owen Ogletree hosts this fantastic craft beer and food pairings at the lovely Graduate Athens and Foundry music hall in Athens, GA. GET TICKETS NOW!
- 01/19/2019 - ATLANTA CASK ALE TASTING. Experience 55+ one-off, amazing cask ales at our 15th annual ACAT at 5 Seasons Westside. Score TICKETS HERE.
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- Brewtopia Events on Facebook & Twitter
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 CLICK HERE and hit the Brewtopia Events "like" button on Facebook to see live photos and news posts as we sip, quaff and sniff craft beer around the world. Also be sure to "friend" Owen Ogletree on Facebook.
 Follow Brewtopia Events on Twitter.
COMING UP...
- Owen Ogletree and Max Lager's John "JR" Roberts will judge at the Polish Craft Beer Competition in Poznań, Poland. Watch social media for photos and our thoughts and reviews of some amazing Polish craft ales and lagers.
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