Beer #209 - W/C 25 February 2019
BREWERY // Patrick Rue started homebrewing as a distraction to the banality of law school. People liked his beers and he started racking up medals. Upon graduating, he decided to spend his time putting together a business plan for a brewery rather than study for the Bar exam. A decade later, The Bruery is admired the world over for their genre-tilting beers which take influence from the Belgian countryside, American distilleries and everywhere in between. About half their beers are aged in wine or spirit barrels. About 4 years ago, they launched the offshoot 'Bruery Terreaux' which focusses exclusively on wild fermented ales with a different brewteam working in a completely different brewery to eliminate the possibility of errant yeast effecting contaminating 'clean' beers.
BEER // We've never tried Horchata but if it's anything like this beer, it must be delicious. Or Xata takes inspiration from the traditional plant-milk beverage that has been enjoyed for a thousand years in West Africa, Spain and Latin America. Today it's popular in Southern California which is where The Bruery come in. They dosed up a blonde ale with rice, cinnamon and a lot of fresh vanilla beans along with some lactose for a rounded, creamy body. In the hands of another brewer, this could have resulted in a sticky hot mess of a beer. But it works magnificently- the flavours of the Belgian spicy yeast and malt base meld in perfect harmony with the adjunct ingredients. We found it somewhat reminiscent of cinnamon rice pudding. In a good way.
BREWERY // The Bruery
BEER // Or Xata
STYLE // Blonde Ale
ORIGIN // Orange County, California
ABV // 7.2%
TEMPERATURE // Cellar - 10-13C
FOOD MATCH // Tacos. Corn Tamales. Enchiladas Potosinas. Vanilla Flan. Vanilla Cupcake with Cream Cheese Icing.
GLASS // Goblet