29 June 2012

Friday BeerBuzz 29 June 2012 - Purple Healer LDB IPA & Purple Possum w/Larry Degreen

WILK Friday BeerBuzz 29 June 2012 Purple Healer LDB IPA w/Larry Degreen

WILKFridayBerbuzz15Back in April of 2011 we welcomed a brand new brewer from a brand new local brewery.  We sampled his beers and watched a week later as he won the Taming of the Brew event award.



Jump ahead 14 months and Larry Degreen from Purple Healer is still brewing great beers, but in a new location.  Larry recently moved to Danville, PA and he’s not only still brewing great beers like his award winning  Rippinator Dopplebock, but he’s added 7 or 8 new beers to his lineup and even expanded his Puppy Hops line up of spent-grain dog biscuits.



imageToday we enjoyed sampling Larry’s new LDB IPA.  This is a mildly hoppy, slightly malty almost British-style IPA that has great body and an noticeable alcohol flavor.  It was fun hearing Larry’s story of the development of this beer *and it’s name), and even more fun to sample.



We were also lucky enough to sample some of Larry’s award winning Purple Possum.  This is a decidedly fruity & grape-flavored brew with lots of character and lots of flavor.  This was Larry’s fall seasonal offering and with the big body & flavor this beer carries, I think it’s a great seasonal offering for fall.

Larry has quite a few great beers so be sure to check out La Fontana Pizzeria in Bloomsburg & the other locations carrying Purple Healer beers.

Thank you to Larry Degreen from Purple Healer Brewing

, Nancy, John, & Joe for yet another fun Friday.

The Friday BeerBuzz…bringing good beers and good people together.

As always you can check out the video on-line at the WILK Friday BeerBuzz page by clicking HERE.

27 June 2012

Friday BeerBuzz–The Teaser 29 June 2012

WILKFridayBerbuzz15Last week we were joined by Mike Gerhart

to sample three different beers.  While it is not unusual for us to sample 2 or 3 beers, what was unusual with Mike was that he represented two different lines of beer…Otter Creek & Wolavers Fine Organic Ales.  We sampled Otter Creek Copper Alt Ale, Otter Creeks wonderful Black IPA & Wolavers Organic IPA and they were all great beers.  I especially liked the Black IPA, but you can’t go wrong with any of these beers.

So what will we be sampling this week? Hint: This weeks brewmaster joins us for the second time.  It was a real rip last time and I can’t wait to try what’s coming out of the new brewery! 

Tune in at 8:30AM and see what beer we sample on the Friday BeerBuzz on WILK…bringing good beers and good people together. (103.1FM or wilknewsradio.com).

22 June 2012

Friday BeerBuzz 22 June 2012 - Otter Creek Copper Ale & Wolavers Organic IPA w/Mike Gerhart

WILK Friday BeerBuzz–22 June 2012 Otter Creek Copper Ale, Black IPA & Wolavers IPA w/Mike Gerhart

WILKFridayBerbuzz8A few weeks ago we featured Long Trail brewing and some of their great Vermont brews….so we decided to go one better.  Todays show featured not one, not two but THREE great Vermont brews. 

Coming to us from Middlebury Vermont, Otter Creek Brewing just celebrated their 20th anniversary last year.  Relatively new to our markets, Otter Creek is a really underrated brewery and one we have been looking forward to featuring on the Friday BeerBuzz.  As a bonus Otter Creek also shares resources and facilities with Wolavers Organic Ales so today we featured BOTH!
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Brewmaster Mike Gerhart came to Otter Creek from Dogfish Head so his background is solid and his new brews at Otter Creek have proven that.  Mike also is brewmaster for Wolavers so he was the perfect guest to help us sample today.

We first sampled Otter Creek Copper Ale.  First off, the new packaging design looks great.  Otter Creek just invested close to $1 Million on quality & energy efficiencies, so creating a package that matches the quality of the beer is really important.  Copper Ale is a traditional German-Style Alt.  Historically Altbiers came from the days when brewing with lager yeasts in summer was not practical.  As such Altbiers were developed as a style that uses Ale or top-fermenting yeast and this brewing method creates a crisper and cleaner finishing beer…and Copper Ale is no exception.

Mike next talked us through Otter Creek’s new Black IPA.  This beer was wonderful…it maintained the citrus nose of an IPA with the dark roasted flavors and caramel flavors you’d expect in a darker beer.  A very tasty and drinkable beer and one I know I’ll seek out again.

Finally Mike put on his Wolaver’s hat and helped us sample Wolavers IPA.  We had very few details on this beer going into the show and we were pleasantly surprised to taste what I believe may be our first 100% Organic IPA.  It was a really hoppy treat and a surprisingly flavorful & citrusy IPA.  Clearly Mike knows hoppy beers and it was a treat tasting with him today.

Thank you to Mike Gerhart from Otter Creek & Wolavers

, Nancy, John, & Joe for yet another fun Friday.

The Friday BeerBuzz…bringing good beers and good people together.

As always you can check out the video on-line at the WILK Friday BeerBuzz page by clicking HERE.

20 June 2012

Friday BeerBuzz 22 June 2012 The Teaser

WILKFridayBerbuzz8Last week had to be one of my all-time favorite shows.  We had a great time talking to Pete Kirkwood about Shawnee Craft Brewing and what makes it unique in the craft beer world.  We also sampled Shawnee Craft Belgian-Style Tripel and an amazing bottle of Oude Bruin rescued from the 2011 flooding at Shawnee.  This “lost vintage” brew was an amazing sour ale and an honor to get to sample.  From the entire BeerBuzz team we thank Pete Kirkwood & everyone at Shawnee Craft for sharing their vision and their beer.

So what will we be sampling this week? Hint: This weeks brewmaster joins us to not only sample three different beers, but he’s representing TWO DIFFERENT BREWERIES!!

Tune in at 8:30AM and see what beer we sample on the Friday BeerBuzz on WILK…bringing good beers and good people together. (103.1FM or wilknewsradio.com).

15 June 2012

WILK Friday BeerBuzz–15 June 2012 Shawnee Craft Brewing Belgian Tripel & Oude Bruin w/Pete Kirkwood

WILKFridayBerbuzz11A few weeks ago I went on a great brewery visit.  The facilities were amazing, the barrel program impressive, and of course the beers were fantastic…but it was the philosophy of the brewery that really made it stand out.  “True to Nature…True to the Craft.”

Yes it’s on their T-shirts, but it’s also a part of everything they do at Shawnee Craft Brewing Co…including their beers.  Shawnee Craft is a special place and a unique operation.  From the blacksmith that makes the hinges on the doors, to the “glyph” that they brand on every barrel, Shawnee Craft is devoted to the craft of brewing and putting a hands-on personal touch in everything they do.  Check out their hop bines and you’ll see it, check out their hand made brewing paddles and you’ll feel it, check out their Apiary and you’ll hear it…and of course check out their beers and you’ll taste it.

Founder Pete Kirkwood was nice enough to not only show us the gardens, Apiary & Brewery, but also to talk to us about what makes Shawnee Craft so special.  Pete is an evangelist for Shawnee Craft Brewing as well as how their connection to the land and the place that is Shawnee on the Delaware makes them so special.  In wine making there is a term called “terroir” and it speaks to how the wine is connected to the land and how that connection is there in the flavors and characters of the wine…and this is no different for craft beer at Shawnee Craft Brewing.

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We were excited to sample a brand new beer from Shawnee Craft called simply Belgian Tripel.

   This is an amazing beer that is loaded with flavor, body, character, and yes…the “terroir” of Shawnee Craft.  This beer is incredibly approachable for such a big beer, and the flavor is bold and complex.  Cloudy & unfiltered with notes of Belgian yeast and biscuit.  Pete walked us through the brew and outlined the process that goes into making this beer.  As Pete said, this isn’t an easy or fast beer to brew, but the guys at Shawnee Craft wouldn’t have it any other way.  Doing things right and keeping them “True to the Craft” takes time, and that’s exactly how Shawnee Craft Brewing works their art.

We were also honored to be one of the few to get to sample the bottled Oude Bruin from Shawnee Craft.  A very limited amount of this barrel-aged beer was literally saved form the flooding last year so these are rare & unusual bottles and we thank Pete and everyone at Shawnee who labored to save them and share them.

Be sure to try all of the brews available at Shawnee Craft Brewing’s brewpub, The Gem & Keystone…and see for yourself why Shawnee Craft Brewing is so special.

Thank you to Pete Kirkwood from Shawnee Craft Brewing

, Nancy, John, & Joe for yet another fun Friday.

The Friday BeerBuzz…bringing good beers and good people together.

As always you can check out the video on-line at the WILK Friday BeerBuzz page by clicking HERE.

13 June 2012

Friday BeerBuzz–15 June 2012 The Teaser

WILKFridayBerbuzz11We had a really fun time last week chatting with Alan Miller & Albert Debock from Millbock Brewing Co.  The guys were nice enough to bring up their Richard Cranium Rye, Blue Bell Pale Ale & White for us to sample and not only were the names entertaining, but the beer was great.

So what will we be sampling this week? Hint: We welcome yet another local brewery on to the show for their first visit and we’ll be sampling a NEW Belgian-Style beer!

Tune in at 8:30AM and see what beer we sample on the Friday BeerBuzz on WILK…bringing good beers and good people together. (103.1FM or wilknewsradio.com).

06 June 2012

Friday BeerBuzz–The Teaser–8 June 2012

WILKFridayBerbuzz12We really had a great time last week welcoming Gary Toczko & Mike Simmons from Nimble Hill Brewing on to the Friday BeerBuzz.  Nimble Hill is a unique combination of Winery / Brewery and and what I suspect will become a popular destination in the future.  We really enjoyed sampling their beers and we enjoyed even more trying to pronounce “Flinke Hugel” so many times.

So what will we be sampling this week? Hint: This week’s brewey is also local, new and small…and these guys built it themselves!  

Tune in at 8:30AM and see what beer we sample on the Friday BeerBuzz on WILK…bringing good beers and good people together. (103.1FM or wilknewsradio.com).

01 June 2012

WILK Friday BeerBuzz–1 June 2012 Nimble Hill Fuggle w/Mike Simmons

WILKFridayBeerbuzz1It was nice to welcome back Mike Simmons to the Friday BeerBuzz.  If you dig back through our archive, you’ll see Mike joined us once before when he worked for Lion Brewery, so it was nice to see Mike “graduate” and go on to become head brewer for Nimble Hill Brewing Co in Mehoopany, PA.

Nimble Hill Brewing Co is a new operation being added to Nimble Hill Vineyard and Winery.  Owned and operated by Gary Tomczko, Nimble Hill started small and gradually grew as a vineyard & winery, which is exactly the plan for Nimble Hill Brewery.  Nimble Hill will start small and soon grow into their 15bbl brewing system.  Because of PLCB regulations, the Winery & Brewery cannot share building space, so step one is building a brewery and installing a brewhouse. 

wilkNimble Hill has already started planting hops and we should also note that while there are Winery/Cideries & Winery/Distilleries, Nimble Hill is likely to be the first Winery/Brewery in PA.  This is exciting news for the Mehoopany area and all of NEPA and I look forward to watching Nimble Hill become a destination for wine & beer lovers alike.

Today Mike brought three of the new Nimble Hill Brewing Co beers.  They currently have 6-beers ready, and Mike chose three brews likely to become core beers for Nimble Hill:  Fuggle English Mild, Nim Wit & Flinke Hugel.  Fuggle was a really traditional English Mild Ale and it had a wonderful malt/mild hop balance.  Nim Wit will be a great summer beer and it’s an easy drinking sessionable wheat-based beer with what feels like a traditional Belgian yeast.  Finally Flinke Hugel is a lager named for the brewery….yes Flinke Hugel is German for Nimble Hill and we really enjoyed it.

This is a great start for a new and upcoming brewery.  As Mike outlined, they still have some work to do, but their aiming for a later Fall 2012 opening so stay tuned.

Thank you to Mike Simmons from Nimble Hill Brewing Co

, Nancy, John, & Joe for yet another fun Friday.

The Friday BeerBuzz…bringing good beers and good people together.

As always you can check out the video on-line at the WILK Friday BeerBuzz page by clicking HERE.

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