By: Naomi Kerchinsky
Finally! After over three years of anticipation we are able to release the beers that carry the namesake of our lovingly dubbed foeders, Lloyd and Harry.
| Lloyd Christmas | |
|---|---|
| ABV | 7.1% |
| IBU | 8 |
| SRM | 14 |
| Harry Dunne | |
|---|---|
| ABV | 7.2% |
| IBU | 10 |
| SRM | 6 |
Meet Harry Dunne & Lloyd Christmas
Lloyd Christmas is a sour red ale mixed with different aged batches of beer, all laid down in foeder and wine barrels. When you first smell it, you just barely get a sense of tartness through the nose, along with malt and a good dose of fruit and wine gum candies. The lightly carbonated sour is fairly dry but the fruit character from the malt varieties and the fermentation from the foeder give it a sense of sweetness. Cherry, cranberry, bread crust, and a hint of wine-like acidity reminiscent of a fruity, lightly roasted coffee all dance across your tongue. The acidity is refreshing, and the beer goes down easily. Belgium friend approved and well worth the wait!
Harry Dunne pours a golden hue and has aromas of stone fruit, peppery spice, and acidity. The flavor carries apricot, black pepper, and bread. The acidity is undeniable but not overpowering with a playful bite aided by a little bit of hop bitterness. The wine barrels and the acid-producing bacteria of the foeders have lent a slight buttery, vanilla oakiness similar to that found in a chardonnay. Once it hits your lips you are hooked, stuck to the frost tighter than Harry’s tongue to the chairlift.
Fun Fact: Harry & Lloyd are also the names of head brewmaster, Garret’s grandparents.
What’s So Good About A Foeder-Aged Beer?
A foeder (all together now, say “FOOD-er”) is a Dutch word for a large wooden barrel in which beer is fermented.
Today’s sour beers benefit from the mix of yeast and bacteria that live in the wood pores of the foeder vessel. In praise of all things slow, foeders allow for the beer to develop and mature at a slower process. This allows the brewer to maintain more control of the brew.
The result of this process is a beer that’s not only delicious but also a nod to history.
Barrel-aged beers have been a staple of Belgium beer culture for generations. And now, with a solid niche for sour beers, they are becoming a mainstay on taproom menus. The great thing is they can appeal to non-traditional beer drinkers who more favour cocktails and wine.
So we got thinking. What if we combined a little history with current craft beer trends. Then throw in “Dumb and Dumber” 90’s fan favourites, Harry & Lloyd, and we just might have the right mix for our very own Coolship to takeoff.
They’re Two Best Buds
Just when you think we couldn’t possibly be any dumber, we go and brew something like this… And totally redeem ourselves! Lloyd Christmas & Harry Dunne are a Flanders Red, and a Golden Sour that have been foeder-aged for 36 months into a friendship that lasts a lifetime. Even if you’ve got no food, no jobs, and your pets heads are fallin’ off- these are the perfect beers for hanging out by the bar and putting out the vibe
