Volume 17 Issue 1 The Lost Abbey San Marcos, California Righteous Son (Rare Beer Club Exclusive) Most of the beer geeks in our readership and Coronas & lime only’ place. Instead, a beer with his former employer that brought will instantly recognize the names “Port you see everything from younger crowds to San Diego its 2nd gold medal ever from the Brewing” or “The Lost Abbey”, or “Tomme families with kids in tow, all chowing down Great American Beer Festival. In his ongoing Arthur”—a gifted brewer associated with on great oven-fresh pizzas and drinking efforts to promote San Diego as a great beer both. All have come to mean excellence pitchers and pints of some truly world- city, Tomme worked to create many unique in brewing along with envelope-pushing, class beers. All served with that distinctly beers, and his ongoing experiments included boundary-testing beers. Californian laidback demeanor. revolutionary techniques of oak-aging beers, incorporating fruits, herbs and spices Walk into the original Pizza Port location in So how did it come to pass that a basically along with numerous wild yeasts and micro- Solana Beach, CA, about 25 miles north beach-front pizza shop started making organisms. Each of these experiments further of downtown San Diego, expecting some seriously high gravity, emboldened him to try new processes as he to take in what the wellspring intense, world-class beers? and the brewers of Pizza Port Solana Beach of San Diego’s craft-brewing The founders and owners “sought to make the most interesting beers scene ‘looks like’, and of Pizza Port, Gina and possible.” During the eight-plus years that you might be confused. Vince Marsaglia, set up Tomme was head brewer in Solana Beach, You’ll find rows of shop in Solana Beach the brewery won 13 Great American Beer picnic-style benches 20+ years ago in 1987, Fest medals. In 2003 and 2004, Pizza Port for mass seating, and Tomme Arthur Solana Beach was named Small Brewpub of plus an informal, started working there the Year. order-at-the-counter as head brewer ten pizza place staffed years later (they’ve So what then is “The Lost Abbey?” The by primarily college- since opened up concept started in Vince Marsaglia’s mind aged kids who seem various additional when he was inspired by the various Abbey like they might be locations—each with beers he had tried from Europe. When taking a short break amazing beers and (Continued on reverse page) from surfing to food). A native San take your food and Diegan, Tomme was SPECIFICATIONS drink order. Looks proud to promote his can be deceiving, hometown as an up- Style though. Were it not and-coming center Barrel-Aged Old Ale for the brewing for better beer, with Alcohol By Volume vessels visible his own work right at 10.75% behind the counter the forefront of that Serving Temperature or the eclectic list of beers and style/flavor claim. While his professional brewing career 50–57° F descriptions above the beer-order counter, had started less than 18 months prior to Suggested Glassware you might think this place was a ‘Budweiser joining Pizza Port, he had already worked on Snifter, Small Nonic, or Tulip Glass Tomme Arthur joined the crew, he started cherries, subtle vanilla, and all the other Righteous Son brewing beers that were Belgian- and Abbey- good stuff going on here. Generous degrees inspired creations. Of course, to be an Abbey of dried red and dark fruits are a key pillar to We’re pleased to have another Rare Beer beer, though, you need an Abbey. And Righteous Son—providing a luxurious, fruit- Club exclusive this month from our friends while one might argue Tomme Arthur is the leather-like undertone that brings all of those at The Lost Abbey: a blended barrel-aged head of a beer cult comprised of followers other components together seamlessly. It’s old ale Tomme & Co. assembled for the approaching quasi-religious devotion, a great counterpoint for the caramels, the club. Righteous Son is a brilliantly presented there’s no actual religious organization licorice, the sherry, the subtly sweet vanilla blended beer overall—bringing forward affiliated with these beers. Hence, these and almond of the barrels… Essentially all complex sherry notes plus loads of deep are a line of beers inspired by Abbey and of the other parts sync up into a streamlined dark fruit and caramelization. Bonus: this Belgian traditions, but with no actual Abbey expression that feels anything but ‘old’. As one also stays super drinkable. (leading us to... The Lost Abbey). Since many lux as a Belgian quad or abt, there’s just a of Tomme’s most revolutionary creations fell ton of layers to dig into with this beer, but Lost Abbey’s Righteous Son pours a deep, into this loose theme, a number of the beers it remains super drinkable and deliberate in dark caramel-brown color with reddish hints, brewed under the Pizza Port or Port Brewing its expression overall. Lots of nuttiness and a modest foam of light-tan bubbles capping name have been moved over to their new toast in a crisp finish. things. Generous aromatics of dried dark home in The Lost Abbey lineup. For more fruits and dark caramel are immediately information about The Lost Abbey and the Aging & Pairing Notes: apparent in the nose, alongside some ripe Pizza Port restaurants, visit lostabbey.com red fruits and berry character. The aroma and pizzaport.com. This could certainly stand for a little more never overwhelms, bringing plush amounts cellaring time, just make sure the balance of fruit and heat and restrained caramel Rare Beer Club’s founder Michael Jackson doesn’t get too sweet from further throughout. Hints of plum and wine grape (arguably the world’s greatest beer writer) caramelization. For food pairings, we could emerge as this warms. was a big fan of Tomme’s beers, and the club see this alongside a Stilton cheese, or spicy featured a number of those early Pizza Port roasted pork (given that caramelization), or There’s a nicely enlivening presence of fine- releases (Cuvee de Tomme, SPF 8 Saison, on its own as a digestif. bubbled carbonation to this old ale, giving etc.). We think that Michael would’ve loved more vibrancy and presence overall. There’s this month’s Rare Beer Club exclusive from so much going on that those bubbles do a Tomme & Co.: a barrel-aged old ale called lot of work giving this beer more space to Righteous Son. express itself: the caramels, dates, dried Beyond the Bottle: Old Ales By Ken Weaver One of the two featured beers this month is Lost Abbey’s Righteous article “So what is the difference between Barley Wine and Old Ale?” Son, a barrel-aged old ale made exclusively for The Rare Beer Club. is a great resource for any deeper dive. Old ales are a dark and maltier subset of beers tracing their origins back to England, and they typically emphasize a generosity of notes If you’re digging Lost Abbey’s Righteous Son (or old ales in general), like caramel, toffee, nuttiness, and/or molasses (even a bit of roast)— tracking more of these down can sometimes be a bit of a hunt. English essentially hitting some of the same malt spectrum as barleywine, examples making it stateside are pretty few and far between, while though without the same intensity of hops or alcohol impact. The many of the old-ale examples made stateside are more barley wine-y. Rare Beer Club’s founder Michael Jackson wrote old ales “should be Great Divide’s longstanding winter seasonal Hibernation Ale (brewed a warming beer of the type that is best drunk in half pints by a warm annually since 1995) is one promising option that’s easier to track fire on a cold winter’s night.” down, and North Coast’s potent Old Stock Ale is made year round. Got old-ale recommendations? Hit us up on Twitter via @RareBeerClub. While the above provides a basic sense of expectation for beers labeled as “old ale” today—higher in alcohol, darker malts, modest Ken Weaver (@KenWeaver) is a beer writer, editor and cartoonist hops, often some sherry-like oxidative notes—there’s a lot more based in Petaluma, California. He makes a weekly webcomic—about a nuance to what “old ale” referred to historically. Martyn Cornell’s dysfunctional brewery/potion shop—at MassivePotions.com. MonthlyClubs.com® 800-625-8238 Volume 17 Issue 1 West Sixth Brewing Lexington, Kentucky Snake Eyes West Sixth Brewing hit our radar pretty nearby Cincinnati, Ohio, but the local community involvement. early on after they were founded in emphasis has also helped them grow 2012, and this sustainability-minded in leaps and bounds over the past West Sixth currently operates two brewery in Kentucky has been making seven-ish years. taprooms in downtown Lexington: the some exceptional beers that see very Main Taproom (at their original location modest distribution. From their core In addition to world-class beers, we in the historic Bread Box building) plus year-round IPA (packed with Cascade, appreciate the mindfulness West The West Sixth Greenroom, both of Centennial, Citra, and Columbus hops) Sixth shows toward the surrounding which offer 15–20 West Sixth beers on to more occasional offerings like communities, as well as their efforts tap along with a selection of bottled their exceptional Christmas Ale and toward environmental sustainability. releases. Ditto for the brewery’s West imperial stout releases, West Sixth has Along with supporting nonprofits Sixth Farm, a 120-acre property on been continually knocking it out of the through campaigns like Sixth for which West Sixth will grow all kinds park.