Professor Good Ales

A Brew Biz Brewery Alert
Re: Grayton Beer Company
217 Serenoa Road
Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459
Phone: (850) 231-4786
Email: info@graytonbeer.com

Taproom Hours
Thursdays: 4 – 7 p.m.
Fridays: 4 – 7 p.m.
Saturdays: Noon – 5 p.m.

Written by Ken Carman

Ken Carman is a BJCP judge; homebrewer since 1979, club member at Escambia Bay, Clarksville Carboys and Music City Homebrewers, who has been interviewing professional brewers all over the east coast for over 10 years.

 It was Christmas time: 2014. Millie and I sat at the sampling bar in a huge room filled with brewing equipment and busy elves helping Santa Shank brew liquid presents for thirsty souls. But how did I end up at Grayton Beer Company a few weeks ago? Well, being a musical storyteller by trade, I at least have to give the short story version, so let’s go back a few years…
  I started touring as a children’s entertainer and educational service provider in 1988. By 1989 my tour reached Florida. In 91, sitting a director’s office, just north of Tallahassee, the director said, “I hope this won’t take you away from us: we enjoy what you do. But I really feel you’d do well in Pensacola.” So by 92 I extended my tour from Tallahassee to Panama City, Pensacola and beyond.
  Meanwhile, being a homebrewer since 79, and loving craft beer, I had made a habit of stopping by the few brew businesses around. There weren’t many. The Mill in Tallahassee, McGuires in Pensacola and Abita in Abita Springs were pretty much it. There are a handful of other brew ghosts left from those days that still live on only in my head: brief brewpubs in Panama City Beach, a far, far, far better than The Mill pub in Tallahassee, Fort Walton, Slidell, Louisiana, Ft. Walton Beach. But west of Panama City to Pensacola there still wasn’t much of anything, and I don’t mean just brew-wise. Even Destin and Ft. Walton were mostly just sleepy villages. Head north of the beach area and there was even less… a military base and, otherwise, infinitesimally small hamlets and woods, scrub, ponds, lakes.
  Boy have things changed. Some changes not so hot: condos blocking my cherished view of jewel-like blue green waves crashing gently on snow white beaches. But some changes have been for the better, like Grayton Beer Company.
  I had to ask where it was first at the McGuires in Destin. One of their brewers: Tom Anderson, gave me rough directions, while Tom’s fellow brewer, Gary Essex, chuckled. Continue reading “Brew Biz: Werts and All”

Profiled by Ken Carman

This is a fellow brewer from Nashville area, Steve Scoville. He just started a new brewery. From comments available on one site looks like he may have a partner in this new biz.

Unfortunately this was in a screw top growler for 5-6 days, so most of the carbonation dissipated. What head there was was pristine white with infinitesimally tiny bubbles. Golden with a slight haze chill but otherwise clarity is great. It shimmers like a polished gold nugget in bright in the sunlight.

Sweet with a slight Belgian candy sense followed by spices. Ginger dominates, but it’s not overbearing. The mouthfeel is dominated by the slightly cloying, sweet, candy-like sense. A bit rock candy-ish. The abv is in the background with just a hint of alcohol. To be honest it seems not much past 5 or 6%.

The malt is way in the background. To be honest I would prefer just a hint more.

His Facebook page lists it as, “Sichuan pepper, orange, clove, cinnamon and allspice.” Don’t get the pepper. The orange may be what hangs in the mouthfeel, though it’s less “orange” than rock candy. Don’t get cinnamon. To me it’s like a very slightly spicy gingersnap.

But it’s well worth the quaff. I give it a 4 because it delivers, despite description.

Welcome to the PGA beer rating system: one beer “Don’t bother.” Two: Eh, if someone gives it to you, drink. Three: very good, go ahead and seek it out, but be aware there is at least one problem. Four: seek it out. Five: pretty much “perfecto.”

____________________________________Beer HERE

_______________________________________________________________________
Ken Carman was born of a deity named Bill many moons ago when his wife Winnie was fermenting well at the time. He is a beer judge, beer writer and reviewer of brew-based business, beer commentator and BEER GOD. Do not challenge the one who ate too many hops one year, hence the green pigment you see to the left!

Profiled by Ken Carman for PGA

If you remember my last A Beer Judge’s Diary where there was some mix up at the judge’s table, let me start by saying whatever happened I doubt this was what I judged v. the 312 clone the Wheat was supposed to be. While what I judged was a pale this seems to have little caramel malt in it.

What I judged that day a definite caramel malt sense to the body. That’s not this beer.

Clarity is a little hazy, but I believe that to be chill haze: it was in the freezer because I couldn’t wait.

This seems to be pure pale ale with hints in the aroma of grapefruit/citrus like-like hops.

The carbonation is low in the mouthfeel, but firm. There’s also a firm bitter, and slight, grapefruit cling.

As it warms I can tell there’s another hop in there, just a hint of earthy and perhaps a touch of spice so slight I can’t decide what it is. The hops, as it warms, skews towards the bitter.

Like the wheat version is somewhat of a simplistic quaff, lacking in sophistication. But if you’re looking for a simple pale ale this wouldn’t be a bad choice by any means, especially if looking for a break between more complex quaffs, or going what some call “lawnmower.”

Yes, if this were a profile I would give it a 4. In a way I hate to because there are far better pales for my palate’s preferences than this, but just “my palate” isn’t the point behind a decent review, or any judge’s assessment, is it?

If you’re looking for less in a pale, this just might be it. But if you’re looking for a 312 Pale clone, what I judged that day wouldn’t be it either. The malt bill was different, though pleasing.

4, simply because there may be those looking for this somewhat simplistic rendition of the style.

Welcome to the PGA beer rating system: one beer “Don’t bother.” Two: Eh, if someone gives it to you, drink. Three: very good, go ahead and seek it out, but be aware there is at least one problem. Four: seek it out. Five: pretty much “perfecto.”

____________________________________Beer HERE

_______________________________________________________________________
Ken Carman was born of a deity named Bill many moons ago when his wife Winnie was fermenting well at the time. He is a beer judge, beer writer and reviewer of brew-based business, beer commentator and BEER GOD. Do not challenge the one who ate too many hops one year, hence the green pigment you see to the left!

Profiled by Ken Carman for PGA

This was like a few spices in Bud. If it had been a cheap beer I might have rated it a tad higher, though not much, but here’s the problem…

I bought this is at Yankee Spirits in Sturbridge, MA when I was on tour last year. I have a taster at my annual Beaver River Beer Tasting who LOVES fruit beers, and my wife expressed an interest too. When I got up to the register they wanted about $60 for it: their computer had the magnum price for this tiny little bottle. But they were charging 26 for this itsy bitsy bottle. So, for my wife and Donna the beer taster I bought 2 of them.

I have had InBev/AB attempts at craft more interesting than this.

There is some chamomile in the nose, a bit floral and coriander may be part of that. But in the mouthfeel and taste it combines into just bitter.

A bit light yellow hazy with a pillow head that fades slowly. high side of low body that’s pale malt, or perhaps pilsner: not enough to tell. Spice focused. A hint buttery. A possible slight diacetyl problem?

Good, creamy head. Lightest yellow, like what comes out after drinking a lot of diet lemon-lime soda. Slightly hazy.

As it warm the spices reassert but does not save the quaff. It’s boring and the heavier spices in the almost NA amount of malt body turn just brittle bitter, and not in a nice hop, or gruit way. Annoying. Except for the spices almost no body to it.

BA gives it an 87. Did I get bad, or old, bottles? 95 at Rate Beer? Oi! I did notice RB had a lot of mediocre’ ratings, which always makes me suspicious (“Hack the ratings?” cough.) But BA’s ratings almost all seem good.

This is biased on a Saison. I suspect they went with the milder, safer, Saison yeast since the more funk-like (But not “funky” as in a sour) Saison yeasts would be noticeable. The spices are all that stood out and, until it warmed, that ain’t saying much.

I’m giving it a 3 out of 5 just in case Yankee held on to this stock way too damn long. At those prices: not surprised. They usually are quite reasonable. My wife, who is also a BJCP judge, agreed. Hmmm… something wasn’t right, and a fellow brewer at the tasting who brings his wares every year: winner of the Spirit of Homebrew Award at The Old Forge Old Ale Competition just shrugged when we tasted last Labor Day. The previous bottle was basically the same Snoresville quaff with an annoying spice combination once it warmed.

Welcome to the PGA beer rating system: one beer “Don’t bother.” Two: Eh, if someone gives it to you, drink. Three: very good, go ahead and seek it out, but be aware there is at least one problem. Four: seek it out. Five: pretty much “perfecto.”

________________________Beer HERE

_______________________________________________________________________
Ken Carman was born of a deity named Bill many moons ago when his wife Winnie was fermenting well at the time. He is a beer judge, beer writer and reviewer of brew-based business, beer commentator and BEER GOD. Do not challenge the one who ate too many hops one year, hence the green pigment you see to the left!