Troegs – Master of Pumpkins, Jovial Coming Soon – Mad Elf Coming 10/13, Blizzard of Hops Early Nov

We have a wide variety of beers coming out this season that will satisfy a broad spectrum of palates. First up is Master of Pumpkins, brewed with local neck pumpkins harvested just a few miles from our brewery at Strites’ Orchard. This limited seasonal treat conjures the spirit of autumn by combining traditional pie spices with French saison yeast to elicit notes of vanilla, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg and honey.

Also coming soon is Jovial, our Belgian-style Dubbel Ale, which will follow on the heels of Master of Pumpkins. Both Master of Pumpkins and Jovial will be available in 4-packs and cases of 375mL cork and cage bottles. We’ll also have limited draft availability of Master of Pumpkins. Over the next two weeks, both beers will begin hitting our full distribution footprint with the exception of North Carolina.

The Mad Elf Ale, our cheerful holiday ale, makes its return to beer shelves just in time to ring in the season. Brewed with sweet and sour cherries, local PA honey and chocolate malt, then fermented and aged with a spicy Belgian yeast strain, this ruby red ale boasts significant warming strength that underlies its pleasant yet intriguing flavor. Since Mad Elf is always one of our most popular releases of the year, make sure to stock up for the holiday season. Once the Elf goes into hiding, he won’t emerge again until next year. Release dates for 2014 Mad Elf are as follows: Monday, October 13 (12- and 22-ounce bottles); Monday, November 3 (Gift Packs and 101-ounce bottles); and Monday, November 17 (1/6- and 1/2-kegs). 

Our fourth and final installment of our Hop Cycle series, Blizzard of Hops, celebrates a successful harvest and the end of the hop cycle. As winter slowly creeps in, we salute hop growers who process and ship hops around the world. Enjoy the fruits of their labor and savor sticky notes of citrus and pine with this revitalizing Winter IPA. After several test batches as part of our Scratch Beer Series, we’re ready to release Blizzard of Hops in early November. Weighing in at 6.4% ABV and 80 IBUs, Blizzard of Hops features a blend of malted barley and wheat with Centennial, Chinook and El Dorado hops in the boil and Chinook and Galaxy dry hops.

Fresh Hop… Ales?!

Fall is arguably the most anticipated of the four seasons among craft beer enthusiasts. Much of this affinity can be attributed to the release of a little style known as the Fresh Hop Ale. Coinciding with the annual hop harvest, Fresh Hop Ales have become a perennial favorite throughout the craft beer community. This season, we’re bringing you not one, but TWO Fresh Hop Ales for your enjoyment! Currently available is Scratch #161, brewed using 450 pounds of sticky, freshly-picked wet hops sourced from Black Locust Hop Farm. Tucked away in the rolling hills of Northern Baltimore County in Maryland, Black Locust grows and produces an abundance of hop varieties including the Cascade and Chinook hops used in Scratch #161. The addition of local honey sweetens the pot and pushes the alcohol content of this succulent ale over the 8% mark. To learn more about Black Locust, please visit www.blacklocusthops.com. Coming on October 9, we also have our annual Fresh Hop Ale brewed with wet hops flown in from the Yakima Valley. This year, we will feature the Mosaic hop, a truly one-of-a-kind variety boasting a complex profile that blends tropical and citrus fruit with hints of berry, earthy herbs, and pine. Scratch #161 is currently available in cases, six-packs and single bottles through the General Store as well as on draft and via growler fill in the Tasting Room. The second Fresh Hop Ale (Scratch #162) will follow suit with a draft and bottle release as well.