Drying Out Over a ShawneeCraft® Double Pale Ale at the Gem and Keystone

One of the almost infinite benefits of working in the Garden State is that we pass more than a few brewpubs on our way back and forth, slaves to the grind.  (This is going to end soon, but Elmer Sudds has plenty of beers to cry over.  I surely will be crying over this.)

Today we decided to stop in at the Gem and Keystone Brew Pub to see if anything from ShawneeCraft® Brewing Company's new brewmaster Chris was gracing the taps yet.  (As you probably know from Mr. MyBeerBuzz the Leo has left and now the Chris is at the mash tun.)

Anyway, the short answer is that the beers available now are still collaborative efforts of Chris and Leo with some of Chris' own creations coming on real soon.  As a matter of fact this weekend there'll be an Oktoberfest beer coming on and in November a pumpkin ale.  To follow is the wonderful Porter--to Leo's recipe according to the `keep.


This afternoon, we sampled the Double Pale Ale to the right which was a nice hoppy creation which we did not have a chance to taste on our last visit.  (Or did we?) This is not an Americanized pale ale but something that an English brewer might brew.  If hopped up.  Aah, the perfect antidote to a day in NJ!  That was quickly followed up by the delicious Stock Ale™which is, dare we use the word, sessionable, coming in at a meager 4.8% ABV.


We were truly saddened to hear that there was a loss of many kegs of barrel aging beers due to Tropical Storm Lee that blasted through Eastern PA a few weeks ago.   (ShawneeCraft® is located in Shawnee on the Delaware right next to the Delaware River.) Some of the barrels had been aging for a couple of years, but had to be dumped nonetheless.  Our hearts go out to the brewery over this loss.  Much of the brewery gear was saved by moving it to higher elevation, but some of the brewery equipment was still damaged by the rampaging river.  The good news is that the damage was not that bad according to the `keep.


Talk to you lager,
T

Rainy Day Thursday

T-Bone and I took a well deserved sunny 90 degree rain day Thursday in the Poconos.

To solve all sorts of world issues. (Government officials have been advised.)

And enjoy a few brews in the mid-summer heat.

We hit Barley Creek Brew Company (BC), The Gem and Keystone Brew Pub, and finished up at Pocono Brewing Company (PBC).

Easily the most interesting beers of the three was Shawnee Craft Brewing Company's at the Gem and Keystone Brew Pub. Although it must be noted that Barley Creek Brew Company and PBC are between brews as each only had a dark and light of their own on. Barley Crew was serving their Navigator Golden Ale and Antler Brown Ale--serviceable each, but just that. PBC had their Ball and Chain lager and light ale house beers on. Same: quenching but uninteresting.

Shawnee Craft beers at the Gem and Keystone on the other hand were a study in detail and craftsmanship.

We started with the Bière Blanche--although T-Bone wanted the Raspberry Blanche which was off. As refreshing, zippy, and zesty wheat as this one would be hard to find anywhere--except perhaps Belgium. Beautiful color and head, essence of lemon on the nose, and a delicious thirst quenching rush when drank. Being 90+ outside, I would say it's hard to find anything better when you want to cool off.

T-Bone had another Blanche for his second but I opted for the Double Pale traditional I.P.A.

Now, this is a 100% organic content beer and props to Shawnee for that. It comes in at 7.2 ABV/64 IBU so it's just about right for a double in this style.

The creamy off-white head (if I didn't know better I might say this beer was on nitro), imparts a distinctive hop aroma, which all us hop heads love, and it comes across clearly. But turned down a notch and more subtle. It's strength is in the middle somewhere between the usual piney/citrusy blast and having to squeeze your gizzard to discern it.

Different from most double I.P.A.s in this respect and a nice change from the ordinary.

But what makes this I.P.A. different is it's taste. Not as bitter as you would expect, with a clean and more neutral flavor profile. Some pine and citrus, but not too much to turn on the afterburners. There is a not-objectionable flavor somewhere in the middle which I could not place. This is an English I.P.A. that's been hopped up a wee bit. Very tasty indeed.

Beautiful lacing on the glass. All. The way. Down.

Shawnee Craft Brewing Beers are great and their trademark: Fidelis in naturam In artem fidelis™ roughly translated means: Faithful to nature. Faithful to craft.

True words indeed.