Farmhouse Friday: Stillwater Autumnal

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stillwater artisanal ales, stillwater autumnal

Based on the name, I’ve always assumed that Stillwater Artisanal Ales’ Autumnal was a Fall seasonal. I’m not sure if that is the case, but I think this bottle might be older, maybe even as old as last fall. I couldn’t find a bottled on or a best by date on the bottle, I picked this 750ml bottle up at Best Damn Beer Shop a few weeks ago for $11.99 and not long after they put it on special for $8.99, I’m assuming that was to move out older inventory.

Regardless of the age, this is still a fantastic beer. If it is older I’m sure some of the hops have dropped off, but I have no complaints.

Autumnal is 7.2% ABV and the label lists it as an “American Farmhouse Ale” with German inspiration and a nod to Belgian tradition.

It’s darker than most Saisons, a reddish brown. The bottle foamed up a bit when I opened the cap, but it didn’t gush out, no beer was lost. It smells sweet and earthy.

The first taste is sweet, caramel and sort of fruity, plums come to mind. It also has an earthy characteristic, often described as rustic. The finish is dry — I feel like I write this ever week for Farmhouse Friday, but it really is one of the major characteristics that every Saison strives for. It’s also a bit spicy at the end and in the aftertaste.

All around a good beer, if it is indeed push a year old I’d love to taste a fresh bottle to see if the hops play a bigger role when it’s fresh.

Brian Strumke, Stillwater’s brewer, will be at Stone Brewing World Bistro and Gardens next Thursday, August 11th for a Meet the Brewer event and a Brewmasters Series dinner along with Jeppe Jarnit-Bjergsø of Evil Twin. Click here for more info on both events including the beers that will be available that night.

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Brewmasters Dinner & Meet the Brewers: Evil Twin and Stillwater

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't Brouwkot Netebuk, 't Gaverhopke Koerseklakske, brian strumke, Evil Twin Ashtray Heart, Evil Twin Before During & After Christmas Beer, evil twin brewing, Evil Twin Katz Pis, Evil Twin Ryan and the Beaster Bunny, Evil Twin Soft DK, Hopfenstark Baltic Porter de L'Ancrier, Jeppe Jarnit-Bjergso, mikkeller, Stillwater / Mikkeller - Two Gypsies - Our Side, Stillwater / The Brewer's Art Debutante, stillwater artisanal ales, Stillwater Stateside Saison

I don’t think there is another brewery that I’ve had as few of their beers, but hold in as high a regard as Stillwater Artisanal Ales. Stillwater is Brian Strumke, a so called “gypsy brewer” who doesn’t have a brewery of his own but rather travels around and brews his beer at other breweries, both in the US and Europe. Stillwater is a small brewery, their website lists nine beers, about half of which I’ve seen in San Diego either in bottles or on draft. I’ve had most of those that are available here and love everything about them. It helps that most of Stillwater’s beers are Saisons, which is one of my favorite styles of beer (and is also a very loose style allowing for a lot of creative freedom). But it’s more than just the beer itself, it’s also the idea of someone making it, both making a living and making great beer while traveling around and seeing the world.

I actually don’t know much at all about Evil Twin, except for the fact that brewer Jeppe Jarnit-Bjergsø is also the brother of Mikkeller’s Mikkel Borg Bjergsø. Evil Twin’s beers are rated pretty highly on Ratebeer, that combined with the fact that Stone is hosting the brewer makes me look forward to trying some of their beers.

Both brewers will be at Stone Brewing World Bistro and Gardens on Thursday, August 11th for two events. Starting at 5pm and lasting until 6:30 is a Meet the Brewer event at Stone’s outside bar. Strumke and Jarnit-Bjergsø will be on hand to chat along with 11 beers (including a few that will be poured on draft for the first time in the US that night). At 6:30pm both Strumke and Jarnit-Bjergsø will join dinner guests for a Brewmasters Dinner featuring four courses and eight of their beers.

The dinner is $65 which includes both tax and gratuity while the meet the brewers event doesn’t have a cover charge, you just buy your own beers.

It looks like the pairings aren’t yet finalized, but the menu can be seen here.

The beers expected to be on tap are:

• Evil Twin Before, During, & After Christmas Beer
• Evil Twin Soft DK
• Evil Twin Ryan and the Beaster Bunny
• Evil Twin Ashtray Heart
• Evil Twin Katz Pis
• Stillwater Stateside Saison
• Stillwater / The Brewer’s Art Debutante
• Stillwater / Mikkeller – Two Gypsies – Our Side
• ‘t Gaverhopke Koerseklakske
• ‘t Brouwkot Netebuk
• Hopfenstark Baltic Porter de L’Ancrier

Stillwater’s Cellar Door was a Farmhouse Friday pick last month.

Farmhouse Friday: Stillwater Cellar Door

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cellar door, stillwater artisanal ales

While I’ve only have a few examples of it, I’m a big fan of sage in beer. I had been meaning to try something from Stillwater Artisanal Ales and the mention of sage in Cellar Door jumped out at me. I drank this on a hot day and it was perfectly light and refreshing.

It felt a little thin, but that probably helped make it more refreshing. The first tastes are pretty sweet (possibly due to the wheat) and citrusy, Cellar Door uses Citra hops which are not one of my favorite hop varieties. As the beer warms the citrus fades into the background and the sage steps up a bit to balance things out. There isn’t a strong sage presence, just a hint which mellows out the citrus perfectly well. There’s some earthy spiciness, which could be due to the Saison yeast or the sage (or both) in there as well.

All in all Cellar Door is a solid beer, and absolutely perfect for a hot summer day. I picked this bottle up at Olive Tree Market in Ocean Beach for $11.49 for a 750ml bottle. I’ve also seen beers from Stillwater at Best Damn Beer Shop downtown.

Photo: Creative Commons – flickr user walknboston