Seasonals
Everybody needs a change of pace once in a while. With that in mind we brew a variety of seasonal beers. Farmhouse Summer Ale, OktoberFish, Grand Cru Winter Reserve Ale and Imperial Espresso Porter are available both in bottle and draft. The rest are available just on draft and usually for only a brief time. So when you see em, enjoy em!
OktoberFish™
First released in 2002, and sold out in two weeks. A tribute to the classic Fest styles of Germany the O'Fish uses European malts hops and yeast. A beautiful reddish color, a savory malt profile and nice hop flavor, make this Fest beer quite drinkable. OktoberFish is great with food and especially great with Lederhosen.
Malts: Weyermans Munich, Dingemanns Aromatic, Dingemanns De-Bittered Black and Two-row pale
Hops: Horizon, Crystal
Yeast: Dusseldorf Alt
Original Gravity: 14.3 Plato
Alcohol by volume: 5.5%
Formats: 12 oz. bottles, 1/2 kegs, 1/6 kegs, cask-conditioned
Availability: September 1 to November 1 (if it lasts that long)
Food pairings
Best for Wurst!
Farmhouse Summer Ale
A tribute to the highly drinkable "every day" beers from French-speaking Belgium. Contains Belgian two-row pale malt and 7% wheat. This beer is lightly filtered with an earthy, spicy hop character from imported Styrian Goldings hops and a beautiful rich creamy head from the wheat.
Malts: Two-row pale, white wheat, Cara-Pils
Hops: Magnum, Styrian Goldings
Yeast: English
Original Gravity: 11.5 plato
Alcohol by volume: 4.6%
Formats: 12 oz. bottles, 1/2 kegs, 1/6 kegs, cask-conditioned
Availability: April 15 to September 1
Food pairings
Spicy foods, fish, salads, and anything you can put on the grill. Also makes a great marinade.
Grand Cru Winter Reserve
This Belgian-style strong golden ale showcases a variety of the ingredients and brewing methods that help differentiate Flying Fish beers. The Grand Cru is fermented at a higher temperature than our other beers adding an undercurrent of fruitiness and clove (although there is no fruit or spice in the beer). Very lightly filtered, the Grand Cru exhibits complex mouthfeel, strong malt flavors, a spicy hop presence and a soothing alcohol warmth, followed by a clean, dry finish. It is excellent with food as well as served by itself.
Malts: Two-row pale, Cara-Pils, white wheat, Demerera sugar
Hops: Magnum, Styrian Golding
Yeast: Belgian Abbey Style
Original Gravity: 16.6 plato
Alcohol by volume: 7.2%
Formats: 12 oz. bottles,1/2 kegs, 1/6 kegs, cask-conditioned
Availability: October 1 to February 1
Food pairings
Richer dishes, meats, cheeses, stews, smoked foods. As an after-dinner drink.
Imperial Espresso Porter
This robust dark brew has been created in conjunction with Crescent Moon to coffee to come up with a special five bean blend to bring out the depth of the beer. Originally produced to celebrate our 10th anniversary, this has now become our late-winter seasonal. Note the aromas of toffee, licorice and coffee roastiness. Then take a sip--there's a malty richness on the palate followed by chocolate, coffee, spices and perhaps even some licorice character from the Mount Rainier hops. The beer finishes with a subtle black cherry/berry character from rare Ethiopian Sidamo beans. Oh yeah, it also packs a royal kick at 8% alcohol.
Malts: Two Row Pale, Munich, Chocolate, Medium Crystal and Cara Malts.
Hops: Magnum and Mount Rainier
Yeast: English Ale
Coffee: Blend of five Estate coffees locally roasted
Original Gravity: 18 Plato
Alcohol by volume: 8%
Formats: 12 oz. bottles, 1/6 kegs
Availability Release date January 15 to April 1 in limited quantity
Food pairings
Chocolate, oysters, BBQ, hearty meat dishes, robust cheeses.
BlackFish
The idea for the beer came from an unknown bartender in Charlottesville, Virginia who combined Flying Fish Extra Pale Ale with Flying Fish Porter and christened it BlackFish. After several inquiries about the beer, we saw it as a great idea. We didn't just mix two batches however. We tweaked our recipes a bit and brewed up this special batch that has the robustness of the porter with the drinkability of the Extra Pale. This rare and elusive is available only on draft and only occasionally. Look for it!
Malts: Two-row pale, Caramel Pils, Munich, Aromatic, Caramel 60, Chocolate
Hops: Magnum, Mt. Hood
Yeast: English Ale
Original Gravity: 13.3 Plato
Alcohol by volume: 5.2%
Formats: 1/2 kegs, 1/6 kegs, cask-conditioned
Availability: once in a great while
Food pairings
You be the judge—pretty much everything.
Big Fish™ Barleywine
For the first release to celebrate our first decade brewing, Flying Fish is releasing one of its rarest creations - BigFish Barleywine in 750ml cork-finished bottles. Head brewer Casey Hughes and his crew stuffed as much malt as humanly possible into the mash tun to brew this amazing Barleywine. With an o.g. of 21.5, there is a strong malt presence that holds this brew together. IBUs of around 80 balance the brew with an aromatic nose and delicious hop flavor that lingers to the end due to a heaping serving of dry hops. Big Fish clocks in at 10.5% abv.
Malts: Two-row pale, English medium crystal, US crystal, Munich, White Wheat, Demerara sugar
Hops: Magnum, Simcoe (5 additions)
Yeast: English Ale
Original Gravity: 21.5 Plato
Alcohol by volume: 10%
Formats: draft only
Availability: 100 1/6 kegs released February 1, 2004
Food pairings
Best as an after-dinner drink or with dessert
