Burn the Kirsch, the cherrywood-smoked rauchbier collab with Lost Industry and Boutilliers, is now doing the rounds in cask, keg and bottle. Four versions were produced, each named after a church burnt down by Norway’s ‘Satanic Terrorists’, pioneers of the black metal scene. Skjold (5.7%) is a straight pale rauchbier, but much fruitier and less phenolic than beechwood or peat smoked examples. Fantoft (6.2%) had a shedload of sour cherries added, and has turned a vivid red as a result. Asane (6.66%) had sour cherries and honey added, is a similar colour to Fantoft but with a sweeter taste. Holmenkollen (6.66%) will be out in the summer, it’s essentially Fantoft aged in a red wine barrel with yet more cherries. There’s also a one-off cask of Storetveit, which is Fantoft with chillies (no smoke without fire!).
The latest brew is a collaboration with the new Crow Inn; Kate, Chris and Adam came up to brew Corvus Corone, a 7.2% dry-hopped sour brut IPA. This was Steel City’s first use of the enzyme Glucoamylase, safe to say it worked as the Final Gravity was 1.000! The result is a sour, dry IPA rather reminiscent of grapefruit juice. A one-off keg of a black version will be available at the launch of the pub, and some of the base beer is now in a Bordeaux wine barrel with grapes.
The launch for the final Stout Wars trilogy has been confirmed for Star Wars day, May the Fourth be with you. The venue has not been announced yet but should be known by time of publication. The main trilogy will be available on cask while the sour spin-off Solo will be on keg, along with a couple of very exclusive bottles. One of the bottled versions is Eisbock Planet of Hoth, Steel City & Lost Industry’s first venture into the world of Eisbock (freeze concentrated beer), 5 litres of the sherry-barrel aged stout were condensed down to 2.2 litres, so only six bottles will ever exist. Could this be the strongest ever beer brewed in Sheffield?
Dave Unpronounceable