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Fat Orange Cat Brew Co.: FOC Less Monster

Fat Orange Cat Brew Co.: FOC Less Monster

Hops: Citra, Ahtanum

ABV: 8.0%

IBU: 48

Availability: Rotating

@untappd says: 3.91/5

Let’s see what’s on the Windowsill, right meow!

Fat Orange Cat Brew Co. is a small, seasonal farm brewery located in East Hampton, CT. Seasonal, you ask? Yep, it’s only open 9 months of the year, closing during January, February and March. I love the name of this place! It’s inspired by “Brewmaster Billy,” a former portly pet of owners Sheila Mullen and Mike Klucznik, who are married. Check out their website for more info about the brewery, including a photo of the brewery’s namesake.

The FOC Less Monster is the first beer I’ve ever had from FOC—a delicious New England style IPA brewed with Citra and Ahtanum hops. At 8%, it packs a solid punch, but it wasn’t very bitter at all. Really tasty and refreshing beer, and I love the can art!

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Founders Brewing Company: Dankwood (2018)

Founders Brewing Company: Dankwood

Hops: Chinook, Mosaic, Simcoe

Malts: Caramalt, Roasted Barley

ABV: 12.2%

IBU: 65

Availability: May to June

@untappd says: 3.93/5

There’s a big slab of dank on the Windowsill today!

I can’t stress it enough. I love Founders Brewing Company’s barrel-aged series. The brewery currently has over 20,000 filled barrels waiting to be released. They’re stored in former mines below the streets of Grand Rapids, as well as at an off-site storage facility named the Barrel House, which boasts more than two-square acres of refrigerated space… wowsers! The Dankwood was this year’s third BA release—after KBS and Backwoods Bastard and followed by Barrel Runner and the soon-to-be-released Curmudgeon’s Better Half. It did not disappoint.

Unlike some of the other barrel-aged releases for this year, the Dankwood is all-new for 2018. Founders took their beloved—and previously Windowsilled—ReDANKulous red IPA and stuck it in bourbon barrels. The result is a somewhat sweet, malty, boozy and complex bottle of deliciousness I really enjoyed. Also, I dropped the bottle from the top shelf of my fridge onto my tile floor, and it didn’t break. So… dank!

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Thomas Hooker Brewery: Ode to Blumpy

Thomas Hooker Brewery: Ode to Blumpy

Hops: Mosaic, Huell Melon

ABV: 7.0%

IBU: N/A

Availability: Rotating

@untappd says: 4.01/5

Let’s pay homage to all brewery pets on the Windowsill today!

Every good brewery needs an official mascot. More often than not, dogs get the nod for this position, but not at Bloomfield, CT’s Thomas Hooker Brewery. Blumpkin (yep, that was her full given name) aka Blumpy the cat was the official mascot of the brewery for eight years. Unfortunately, a year and a couple of weeks ago, she passed away. The folks at Hooker decided to preserve her memory the only way they knew how—with a beer. The Ode to Blumpy was released a short time later.

You know the owners of a brewery known for solid beers weren’t going to skimp when it came to honoring their beloved pet. The Ode to Blumpy is an unfiltered IPA brewed with tons of Mosaic and Huell Melon hops. The citrus aroma got me salivating, and the flavor followed suit perfectly. Very light on the bitterness for such a hoppy beer, too. As Hooker says in the official description, it’s got a “remarkably unique character, just like its namesake.” Hope Blumpy is still running around a brewery in heaven. RIP!

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Fair State Brewing Cooperative: IPA

Fair State Brewing Cooperative: IPA

Hops: Horizon, Chinook, Crystal, Cascade, Simcoe, Centennial

ABV: 6.2%

IBU: 60

Availability: Year-round

@untappd says: 3.78/5

Let’s foster some cooperation on the Windowsill today!

I love a good brewing Co-op, so I was excited to discover a new one this past weekend: Fair State Brewing Cooperative. So what exactly is a brewing co-op? According to CrafttBeer.com, co-op refers to “an organization that is owned by its members, rather than outside shareholders.” You pay your membership dues, and you have a say in how the business is run and, most importantly, a share in its profits. The first ever Cooperatively owned brewery was Austin, Texas’ Black Star Brewing, which opened up in 2010 and inspired President & CEO Evan Sallee to start Fair State in Minnesota with 250 members on board in 2014.

Today’s Windowsill brew, just named IPA, is a dry pale ale brewed with malted wheat and six types of hops: Horizon, Chinook, Crystal, Cascade, Simcoe and Centennial. One thing I love about brewing cooperatives, is that their brews often seem like a cooperative effort, too. Lots of hops in this one, but not a lot of bitterness. Floral aromas and nice, dry finish made for a pretty tasty beer. Looking forward to tasting something else from Fair State.

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Two Roads Brewing Company and Lawson’s Finest Liquids: Typecast Farmhouse IPA

Lawson's Finest Liquids and Two Roads Brewing Company: Typecast Farmhouse IPA

Hops: Wye Challenger, Cascade, Centennial

Special Ingredients: Vermont White Cedar, Connecticut Balsam Fir Tips

ABV: 6.5%

IBU: N/A

Availability: Limited

@untappd says: 3.7/5

We have a really atypical collaboration on the Windowsill today!

I love a good collaboration brew, so you know I was excited to find out that one of my favorite local breweries, Two Roads Brewing Company, and one of Vermont’s finest breweries, Lawson’s Finest Liquids, had come together to create a very unique Farmhouse IPA—the Typecast. For those of you know know Lawson’s story, it shouldn’t be a surprise that these two made a beer together. They already make a lot of beers together. If you’ve ever had any Lawson’s in a can, know that it was actually brewed at Two Roads. The two have had a solid contract brewing relationship for a while now.

Now onto the brew. A farmhouse IPA? Sounds wild, right? What is it? It starts out as a farmhouse ale (aka saison), and then it’s dry-hopped to perfection. One extra cool thing about this beer is that it uses all local ingredients. It uses Cascade and Wye Challenger hops grown in Connecticut, as well as Centennial hops grown in Vermont. The Typecast also includes Vermont white cedar and CT balsam fir tips in the boil. Overall, this brew wasn’t really for me, but it’s definitely an eclectic style, with some pretty good flavors that you might like. Cheers!

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Tröegs Independent Brewing: Nimble Giant

Tröegs Independent Brewing: Nimble Giant

Hops: Simcoe, Mosaic, Azacca

ABV: 9.0%

IBU: 69

Availability: Every June

@untappd says: 4.13/5

After 16 months, we’ve finally found the Giant on the Windowsill today!

You know what I love about Hershey PA’s Tröegs Independent Brewing? No, it’s not the umlaut (although… it kind of is); it’s the fact that they pride themselves in supporting their community. They view the brewery as only one part of the Tröegs community, and they support local vendors, producers and causes they believe in. This means they sometimes hold tree planting events, or 5K races, and they try to use locally sourced hops and ingredients wherever possible. Keep that going!

The Nimble Giant is one of Tröegs’ most famous, and anticipated, yearly releases. It has dropped into cans and kegs every June since 2016, but this was my first time trying it. Let me tell you, this double IPA was worth the wait. It’s brewed with three top notch hops, Simcoe, Mosaic and Azacca. That’s only part of Tröegs’ “ingredients + people + process” beer-making formula. The people part comes from the innovative hopping technique they developed for this brew. They dubbed it Hop Cyclone, and it ensures that the hop oils get to every drop of beer in those tanks. The process? Tröegs found a small window of time during fermentation that optimizes the dry-hop additions. The Nimble Giant is truly a giant at 9% ABV, but the flavor profile from the hops and techniques shows how nimble Tröegs can be. Amazing!

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Front Porch Brewing: Reverse Mermaid

Front Porch Brewery: Reverse Mermaid

Hops: Citra, Simcoe, Mosaic

ABV: 6.3%

IBU: N/A

Availability: Rotating

@untappd says: 3.9/5

Behold! A majestic mythical creature is on the Windowsill today!

A couple of weeks ago, I took a trip to Vermont. On the way home, needing to pee, I remembered that my good friend, @beer_shark, had told me about an up-and-coming brewery in Wallingford, CT named Front Porch Brewing. I decided to stop by, and picked up a couple of four-packs. Front Porch was founded in 2017 by four partners (I had trouble tracking them down, but one of them is West Haven, CT native Ryan Voytek. I’m hoping that, as time goes by and this brewery continues to grow, we’ll all know a lot more about these guys. Check out some photos from my brief visit!

The Reverse Mermaid was quite delicious. It’s a double dry-hopped IPA brewed with Citra, Simcoe and Mosaic hops. I love those hops on their own, and they combined really nicely in this beer! I also love the can art! It brings up an interesting philosophical debate. Would you rather be stranded on an island with a mermaid (human on top, fish on the bottom, like Ariel), or a reverse mermaid (fish on top, human on the bottom)?… Think about it.

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Burlington Beer Company: Orbital Elevator

Burlington Beer Company: Orbital Elevator

Hops: Simcoe, Mosaic, El Dorado

Malts: Oat Malt, Flaked Oats

ABV: 8.3%

IBU: 40

Availability: Rotating

@untappd says: 4.15/5

We’re getting scientific on the Windowsill today!

Have you heard of the space elevator? No, I don’t mean the thing Roald Dahl’s beloved character, Charlie, gets into in the oft-forgotten sequel to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (although that elevator does go into orbit… so maybe it is?). Anyway, the space elevator is a potential way for human beings to travel into space using an elevator-like contraption involving, essentially, the same tech as the lift in your apartment building or office. Once the tech is available and perfected, this concept would save billions over NASA’s current strategy of launching rockets. That’s good, since we’re apparently gonna need that money for a Space Force now… you know, like G.I. Joe had…. Anywho, if you want to find out more about the “orbital elevator” concept, check out the Youtube video BBCO sent me. I can’t link here, so just google “Space Elevator—Science Fiction or the Future of Mankind?” It’s animated, and pretty awesome.

OK. We’re here to talk about the beer. The Orbital Elevator—which gets its name from Burlington Beer Company’s fascination with the space elevator concept—was really a special brew. Billed as an oatmeal Double IPA, it’s a DIPA brewed with Oat Malt and Flaked Oats. This gives the brew more of a fluffy mouthfeel, which I really enjoyed. The hops used—Simcoe, Mosaic and El Dorado—give the Orbital Elevator that tropical “fruity pebble paradise” of flavors and aromas we all love in our IPAs. Another winner from BBCO!

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Veracious Brewing Company: 29 Pews

Veracious Brewing Company: 29 Pews

Hops: Citra, Other “Brewery favorites”

ABV: 6.1%

IBU: N/A

Availability: Year-round

@untappd says: 3.74/5

Pew! Pew! Beer and product review on the Windowsill today!

I’ve been looking to buy my own growler for a while now, and when I saw this Stanley 64oz growler on sale on Amazon I figured, why not take the plunge? This past weekend, I took it out for a spin! What’s good about this product? First of all, it’s stainless steel, which is good for many reasons. I love my stainless steel coffee cup because it keeps my coffee hot, or iced. This growler works the same way. It’s double wall vacuum insulation keeps your beer cold, and does a better job of keeping your beer pressurized than a glass growler with a screw top does. Speaking of the top, that’s lined with stainless steel too, so your beer only touches pristine stainless steel. My other favorite thing is the heavy-duty handle, which makes pouring super easy. Did I mention it’s leak proof and dishwasher safe? Really solid product. This growler, or any other stainless steel growler with a vacuum seal, is a better option. Glad I purchased this one! If you want a more robust review, check out my IGTV channel!

And now, the beer inside this kickass growler! I purchased this brew on my visit to Monroe, CT’s Veracious Brewing Company. The 29 Pews is their “house” IPA. Why 29 Pews? Well, the tasting room at Veracious is paneled with wood from 29 re-purposed church pews. That’s why it’s 29 Pews, and that’s why it’s the “house” IPA. As far as the hop build, it’s made with heavenly Citra hops as its base, and four other “brewery favorites.” It’s full-flavored and very drinkable. Solid choice for my Growler, I think.

For the purposes of full disclosure, I want to say that I purchased this on my own. However, I was approached by the company after posting it in a story of mine, so you will probably see more Stanley products on my sill in the near future. All reviews will be honest, though.

 

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Russian River Brewing Company: Blind Pig IPA

Russian River Brewing Company: Blind Pig

ABV: 6.1%

IBU: 70

Availability: Year-round

@untappd says: 4.19/5

We’re going bucket list blind on the Windowsill today!

The story of today’s beer begins all the way back in 1994. Vinnie Cilurzo took his first swing at founding his own brewery in Temecula, California. There, he specialized in only a couple of year-round brews, one of which was an IPA. What was the name of that brewery? Blind Pig Brewing Company! Unfortunately, it failed, but Cilurzo took a job at, and eventually purchased, Russian River Brewing Company. For his new brewing endeavor, he brewed another IPA as an homage to his original recipe. The Blind Pig IPA was born.

Two things about this beer. First of all, the name “Blind Pig.” It’s not just an homage to Cilurzo’s old brewery. It’s also a Prohibition term. Back in the day, you could use the term to discreetly order beer from a speakeasy barkeep. Also, jars were known as pigs, and unmarked jars were “blind pigs.” The second thing to know about this beer is that it’s one of the standard bearers for the IPA style. If you like hops, you’ll love this one. The malts are barely there, and the hops are so strong, they’re almost sharp on the tongue. The new recipe is a little less bitter than the old one, (the original was 92 IBU, this one is 70) and Cilurzo has added a “small amount” of Amarillo and Simcoe to his old brew. If you get the chance to try this one, do it!

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