Some time ago, things began to go into the cellar and into barrels at Seattle’s Fair Isle Brewing. Now, all these months later, things are starting to come out. The brewery just announced three cellared-beer releases.
Below, the release info about Tove, Eleanor, and Claude. By the way, many of Fair Isle Brewing’s beers are available online and they even offer WA residents free shipping on orders over $100. Also, they’ve tented the patio at the brewery’s taproom in Ballard.
Tove
an oak-aged ale refermented on blackberries.
sponsor
sponsor
sponsor
sponsor
sponsor
sponsor
sponsor
sponsor
sponsor
sponsor
sponsor
sponsor
sponsor
sponsor
sponsor
sponsor
sponsor
sponsor
sponsor
sponsor
6.7% ABV || 375mL bottles [no draft]
BATCH: ONE || PACKAGED: DECEMBER 2019
Tove is the first beer to be released in our series of fruited farmhouse ales. Our approach is one of simplicity and restraint. Tove is a beer that both expresses what we love about the fruit, but with a transparency that allows the nuance character of the base beer to shine through, all while balancing acidity and bacterial funk.
Made from our base farmhouse ale brewed in May of 2019 with Skagit Valley Malts and Yakima Chief Hops, Tove was then transferred in August 2019 to a single oak puncheon (the large barrels you see stacked in our tasting room) and refermented the ale with blackberries from Hima Nursery and Farms in Snohomish, Washington. Tove made a brief appearance on draft for our soft opening, but has since spent five months conditioning.
Dry with a hint of fruit sweetness, Tove has unmistakable blackberry notes evocative of the hard candy your grandmother would have eaten.
Eleanor
an oak-aged ale refermented on foraged elderberries.
6.6% ABV || 375mL bottles & draft pours
BATCH: ONE || PACKAGED: FEBRUARY 20
“Lady Ellhorn, give me of thy wood
And I will give thee of mine
When I become a tree.” – Celtic folklore
Eleanor is our second beer to be released in our series of fruited farmhouse ales. While Tove had a restrained tartness, Eleanor’s firm acidity compliments the prominent fruit notes. The result is a dry farmhouse ale with notes of pomegranate, cherries and raspberries followed by spices of cinnamon and clove and finishes with earthy undertones.
Our friend and ethnobotanist, Alex Harwell, harvested the elderberries from the Cascades last summer and through the help of friends gathering at Fair Isle, we hand processed the berries and added them to a single puncheon. Made from our base farmhouse ale brewed in May of 2019 with Skagit Valley Malts and Yakima Chief Hops, Eleanor was then transferred in August 2019 to oak and refermented with the Elderberries for five months before packaging.
Claude
An oak-aged ale refermented on white peaches
7.0% ABV || 375mL bottles [no draft]
BATCH: ONE || PACKAGED: MARCH 2020
Claude is our third and final beer to be released in our series of fruited farmhouse ales with 2019 fruit. Claude exhibits delicate notes of peaches, vanilla and toasted almonds followed by a bright acidity.
We’ve always enjoyed how white peaches complement our house yeast culture, but the soft tannic structure from the oak brings exciting new layers to this batch of Claude.
Made from our base farmhouse ale brewed in May of 2019 with Skagit Valley Malts and Yakima Chief Hops, Claude was then transferred in August 2019 to oak and refermented with the white peaches for seven months before packaging.
