Brewer’s Note: 24th Birthday Suit
Right about the time we started planning the 2017 Birthday Suit, I remember sitting with our sensory team tasting through a flight of Belgian beers someone had brought in after a recent trip overseas. Each beer still had a delicate freshness I’ve only experienced sitting at cafes in Bruges on the canal. There were a few of the classics at the table: some with fruit character, some without. The beers with cherry really struck a chord with me and collectively we started dreaming up our next Birthday Suit recipe.
The 19th Birthday Suit, released in 2012, used freeze dried cherries. For this year’s release we decided to go in a slightly different direction, adding fresh Mortmorency cherry puree. These tart cherries add a wonderful flavor to our beer that is balanced by a delicate malt profile using wheat, oats, and Idaho barley. The Belgian yeast used in this beer emphasizes the juicy fruit character imparted by the cherries. For an extra tart-kick, Birthday Suit is kettle soured adding flavors reminiscent of fresh lemonade.
Keeping to Birthday Suit’s tradition, we commissioned local hero, Travis Bone (https://www.furturtle.com/), to illustrate the label — another true masterpiece to add our collection.
Whether your drinking in your favorite local pub, at home among friends, or alone in Birthday Suit, I hope you enjoy the 2017 Birthday Suit as much as we do.
This year’s BDay Suit will launch in March — let’s party!!
Cheers,
Isaac Winter, Head Brewer of R&D
