The Bruery – Another Spring Release

The Full Pint has had to hire a full time employee just to keep up with all these Bruery Releases. Here’s info on yet another strong ale from our neighbors in Placentia, including label art. Cheers, TFP

4/1/11 – Placentia, CA – Known for making experimental beers with odd and often “extreme” ingredients, The Bruery in Orange County, CA has made a name for themselves over the years with releases such as Black Tuesday, Autumn Maple or most recently a rare German-style ale that they brewed with coriander and truffle salt.  But this time, they’ve outdone themselves.

Stemming from the incoherent babblings of a local SoCal celebrity, Patrick Rue, CEO and Founder of The Bruery went on a trip to examine some very unique ingredients.  “We heard all this rumbling about tiger blood giving a great deal of power to those who ingested it, so I decided to do some research.”  What Mr. Rue found was far more than he expected: an ancient beer recipe, hidden within the verbal testimonials of an ancient hill tribe in West Bengal.

“It was absolutely crazy,” Rue went on to say, “After following a trail of books through the Smithsonian libraries, I found myself on a plane to Northern India and then a train into the foot of the Himalayan mountains. “  There, in Bengal, Rue was taught the secrets of tiger blood and it’s ancient use in fermented drinks.

“The shamans of the area would spend days, or even weeks hunting the rare Bengal tiger, using it’s blood for a special tonic that they believed gave the shaman his special powers.  At the time, it was believed that if anyone besides these noble men drank the special brew, their faces would melt,” Rue explained.

After experimenting with the blood and testing the ancient recipe, steeped in tradition, Rue and The Bruery’s head brewer Tyler King developed a recipe that they believe reflects that ancient tradition while bringing it into the modern era.  “We decided that using brettanomyces in the beer made a lot of sense,” King said, “there is no doubt the original brew was spontaneously fermented, plus this type of yeast will help balance the sweetness of the blood with it’s dry, grassy character.”

The final result is surprisingly delicious.  Earthy, tangy and indescribably vibrant.  Coming in 750ml bottles, this is a beer meant to share with a few friends, as The Bruery is not sure if overconsumption could lead to face melting.

The Bruery’s Tiger Blood will be available later this month and you can expect to see Barrel Aged Tiger Blood and Tiger Blood Rain, which includes an addition of saffron, cocoa nibs and walrus tusk shavings, coming later this year.