Spring is a great time to enjoy Short’s Brew! ControversiALE will remain on store shelves all season long, plus we have some awesome new specialty releases hitting store shelves as well. Over the next couple of weeks, we are launching two special IPAs that you won’t want to miss. If you happen to be in Bellaire, you should also be sure to pick up a 6-pack of Bourbon Barrel Soaked Sustenance.
Prolonged Enjoyment
This is the first bottle release of Prolonged Enjoyment, a session IPA. Many of you will remember this beer, which first poured from the taps at our pub last summer. After the 2011 Summer Beer Festival, we received numerous emails and Facebook messages asking us to bottle this beer. And we listened!
If you’ve never had it, the first thing that you will notice are the aromas pouring off of this beer, which simulate handfuls of fresh green hops held to your nose. Fragrances of green grass, pine, and citrus fruit will intoxicate your senses. Slight malty flavors are met with citrusy American hop characteristics that pave the way for a surprising punch of pleasant bitterness. Bitter qualities linger briefly before a mild, dry finish complemented by accents of pine and pure refreshment.
Prolonged Enjoyment was created as a research and development beer by our Head Brewer, Tony Hansen. By using 5 malt varieties and 4 different kinds of hops, Tony was able to accomplish all the impacting characteristics of an IPA (aroma, flavor, and bitterness), while keeping the ABV to an astounding low 3.5%. Tony felt that this beer was classifiable as a Session Pale Ale, but the IBU content is closer to an IPA. Therefore, it has been labeled as a Session IPA.
Freedom of ’78 Pure Guava IPA
We’re also bringing back Freedom of ’78 Pure Guava IPA, which was developed in collaboration with Half Acre Brewing Company (Chicago, IL). It was originally released in 12 oz. bottles throughout Michigan in the summer of 2010. Since then, we have received numerous email and Facebook requests to bring it back. Fortunately for fans, this year’s release will be much bigger than the 2010 release, theoretically meaning that it should be more widely available.
The name Freedom of ’78, Pure Guava IPA is a reference to the band Ween. On the album Chocolate and Cheese, there is a song called Freedom of ’76. The brewers changed the year to ’78 in reference the year that they were all born. Pure Guava is the name of another Ween album, and since both Short’s and Half Acre share an affinity for hops, they thought that making an IPA with lots of hops and guava would be awesome. Therefore, this beer is made with real pink guava puree (referred to as “ectoplasm” by the brewers). About two ounces of guava are in every pint of Freedom of ’78.
We describe Freedom of ’78 as a medium bodied IPA with bright clarity and a pleasing bronze hue. The aroma is a unique fusion of citrus fruit combined with subtle pine qualities. The distinct characteristics of the guava nectar are impossible to miss as the sweetness and slightly tart flavors snap across the palate. Comparable attributes of tangerine, nectarine, and even some faint honey flavors are detectable. The finish provides a pleasing bitterness that resonates and turns dry.
Bourbon Barrel Aged
Sustenance
Bourbon-barrel aged beer fans will delight in our first bourbon barrel release of 2012: Bourbon Barrel Soaked Sustenance Black Beer. Bourbon Susty (as we lovingly call it) is our spring Schwarzbier (black lager) aged in bourbon barrels for 10 months. Bourbon Susty features rich roasted malt qualities with bold flavors of vanilla, charred oak, and even a slight nuttiness. The light, crisp finish makes this bourbon soaked beer surprisingly light (in flavor, not color) and sessionable. We love that Boubon Susty is light enough to highlight (not mask) the complexities of the bourbon aging process. The light body also makes it ideal for springtime refreshment.
The first batch of Sustenance was brewed by Joe Short in 2007. A bourbon barrel aged version was first released at our 2009 Anniversary Party in 22 oz. bottles. Since then, we have released Bourbon Susty each year in 12 oz. bottles (pub only). Last year, we released non-bourbon barrel aged Sustenance Black Beer for statewide bottle release. For 2012, we decided to age the entire batch (115 cases) in bourbon barrels and make it a pub-only release. Thus, while Aww Jeah and Anniversary Ale will take much of the spotlight during the Anniversary Party, Bourbon Sustenance will be another beer worth taking home. And, unlike those other limited-release beers, it is available at the pub now.
What else is Short’s releasing soon?
Along with more ControversiALE, we will also release Anniversary Ale and the Curl. As spring leads into summer, Nicie Spicie (our summer wheat) will return as the Seasonal, and we’ll also bring you more speciality releases including Kolsch 45 (first time bottle release), Spruce Pilsner, Strawberry Short’s Cake, Beach Wheat, and more. In the meantime, we are adding more tanks to our Elk Rapids brewery so that we can bring even more beer to the people of Michigan. When people from other states ask us why we distribute only within Michigan, we explain that it allows us to bring more varieties of beer to the Michigan craft beer consumer. So to the people of Michigan, thank you for supporting the variety of beers that we produce. Cheers to springtime!
– Short’s Brewing Company
