Omnivore Atlanta

Terrapin Beer Company doesn’t need much of an excuse to celebrate, but this April is very special for the Athens,GA brewery. It was 7 years ago at the Classic City Brew Fest that Terrapin introduced its Rye Pale Ale, and since that time, its reputation for great beer has continued to grow. In fact, the Brewers Association recently reported that the company’s revenue went up 53% last year. It’s too bad this is not a publicly-traded company because here is a company that is certainly bucking the trends. After much delay, Terrapin finally moved into its own brewery in Athens early last year and hit the ground running, increasing its production by 37%, adding a wheat beer and an India Brown Ale to its year-round portfolio, and launching its Side Project series of limited edition beers. (more…)

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Terrapin Beer Company
Athens, GA
9.8% ABV

Terrapin brewer Spike Buckowski has jumped into the Belgian ale wave with both feet with Volume 5 of the Side Project Series. Monk’s Revenge is described as having the hop profile of a double IPA, with the malt and yeast of a Belgian tripel. Six kinds of malt and six hop varieties, dextrose to replicate the Belgian candi sugar, and a yeast copped from one of the 7 Trappist breweries (Spike is mysteriously vague about which brewery) all contribute to a wonderful complexity in both aroma and flavor.

Floral and spicy hops greet the nose, along with a faint resiny note that clues you to the beer’s American heritage. Sweet, biscuity malt and the unmistakable ripe fruit of Belgian yeast are also evident. The taste starts with the smooth, mild tropical fruit sweetness of pineapple and banana, followed quickly by a tingly hop bite of grapefruit, white pepper, pine, orange, and mint. The sugary base carries warm buzz of kirsch and amaretto into the strong, drying finish. The banana and clove esters of the Belgian yeast become stronger as it warms, as does some solventy alcohol.

The balance here is fantastic, with all of the malty, fruity, hoppy, and tangy notes getting their chance to shine, but the overall effect seems a bit raw. The bottle-conditioned beer has a dullish carbonation that might lively up itself with a bit more time, and the hot alcohol suggest that this would be a good candidate for cellaring, although the hopheads might object that the fresh hop aromas and flavors would suffer. I’d have a couple fresh, then put a couple away; that way, you get the best of both worlds.

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Seasons Greetings: The 5 Seasons Westside promises to be a palace of good beer and food.

If you read the paper or watch the news, you are probably thinking that 2009 will be a year to survive rather than enjoy. This doesn’t have to be the case. If good beer makes you happy, there is much to look forward to, even before the first daffodils start popping up. Here’s a look ahead.

Terrapin’s Sweet Tooth. The fourth installment in the Terrapin Beer Company’s Side Project, Dos Cocoas, should be hitting stores soon. It is brewed with cocoa powder and aged on cocoa nibs. The chocolate theme continues at the 2nd Annual Wake-N-Bake Off, where participants incorporate Terrapin’s Wake-N-Bake Coffee Oatmeal Imperial Stout into a dessert recipe. The judging takes place at Aromas in Athens on Sunday, Jan. 25. Contact the brewery at 706-549-3377 for more information. (more…)

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It’s that time of year where we reflect on the past 12 months and consider what happened and whether it was good or bad. Oh, and we make a bunch of lists. Here are mine:

Best of 2008

Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron. Aged in a giant vat constructed of Palo Santo wood, a dense aromatic wood from Paraguay that is more commonly used for wine, this strong brown ale has a remarkable vanilla-oakiness and a deep, roasted malt character. Building the 10,000 gallon tank, the largest wooden beer vessel built in the United States since Prohibition, proved to be its own special challenge. Procuring such a large amount of the wood was difficult since there are few large pieces, and it is over three times as hard as oak, dulling saw blades and defying nails and screws. It’s an interesting story, but how does it taste? Terrific. Like a great single-malt whisky, it seems to draw out the earthy, woody essence of the roasted malt. Herbal elements of licorice, tobacco and coffee bean are held aloft by a raft of softly sweet vanilla, molasses and cherry. Warm without being boozy, and delightfully complex, it is a treat to have it in the regular rotation from Dogfish Head. (more…)

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Tues., Nov. 11th: Beer dinner featuring beers from Terrapin Brewery in Athens, GA. 6:30 p.m. 3543 Peachtree Industrial Blvd. Duluth.

NOV. 11 DINNER MENU

Jonah crab fritters, English turtle soup, slow roasted pork belly, American Kobe short ribs, and bananas foster.

NOV. 11 BEER PAIRINGS:

Terrapin Rye Ale, Terrapin Imperial Pilsner, Terrapin Style Brown Ale, Terrapin Oak Aged Big Hoppy Monster, Terrapin Gamma Ray Brew.

Tues., Dec. 16th: “Fred & Matt’s All-Star Holiday Extravaganza.” 6 holiday beers from 6 different breweries. 573 Main St in the Lindbergh City Center.

DEC. 16th MENU and BEER PARINGS TBA.

RSVP here: www.tacomac.com

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Gamma Ray
Terrapin Beer Company
Athens, GA
11% ABV

Terrapin’s latest Side Project is an ambitious one. A wheat wine is similar to a barleywine, but with a large addition of wheat for a lighter body and a spicier flavor. Terrapin’s version also adds a large portion of honey, giving it a mead-like strength and a boost of floral esters. The aroma of the Gamma Ray is as intoxicating as the liquid in the glass: a perfume-like mélange of lavender, white pepper, bananas, bready yeast, and orchard fruits. The taste is honey-sweet on the tongue, with a grainy, wheat taste emerging in the middle. Booze-soaked tropical fruits mix with lemon and spice for a breezy but potent cocktail of pineapple, kiwi, ripe apple, cherry, honeysuckle nectar, banana, clove, white pepper, ginger, and bubblegum. Super smooth and creamy, with a slick, almost oily feel upfront, it becomes tongue-tickling and fruity as the carbonation releases on the swallow. Remarkable drinkability for its body and strength. Gamma Ray would pair perfectly with pungent cheeses, nuts, and bright fruits, perhaps together in a salad of bitter greens. One of the best beers yet from Terrapin.

(photo by Jeff Holland)

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Join Terrapin Beer Company at their new brewery in Athens Sat., Aug. 23 from 5-9 p.m. as they kick off the new school year with a sneak preview of their latest year-round offering: SunRay Wheat, brewed with honey from Savannah Bee Company. They may have the latest Side Project on tap, too, the Gamma Ray Wheat Wine. There will be music outside from Blue Flashing Light, Picture Me Free, and Bain Maddox & Shot from Guns; inside, Wesley Cook and Spencer Frye will perform acoustically. Terrapin President John Cochran’s father, Jimmy, will provide the barbeque. The $10 cover benefits Tumornators Children’s Tumor Foundation. For more information, contact the brewery at (706) 549-3377.

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Hop Shortage Ale
Terrapin Beer Company
Athens, GA
ABV N/A

The first in Terrapin’s Side Project series of limited releases throws caution to the wind in the face of the on-going hop supply crisis, loading up this refreshing pale ale with tons of fragrant, juicy hops. Fresh floral and citrusy hops dominate the aroma and taste, with a grapefruit bitterness and some peppery spice. The light, fruity malts peek through briefly with the taste of fleshy fruit, like apricot and peach. A pleasant bitterness hits the sides of the tongue, leading to a dry, lingering finish with a citrus bite. This is a surprisingly light-bodied beer, more pale ale than IPA, very crisp and well attenuated. No ABV is given, but there’s no noticeable alcohol bite, so this one is likely no more than 7%. While it is not particularly complex, Hop Shortage is easy drinking and satisfying, perfect for spring sipping al fresco.

(Photo by Jeff Holland)

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