Island Brewing Company Embraces American Craft Beer Week May 13-19

 

It's a big week for small breweries: We'll be celebrating American Craft Beer Week May 13-19th with above normal levels of camaraderie, special releases, prizes and events!

Monday: Rock Paper Scissors tournament. You read that right and you already know the rules.

Tuesday: We’ll be celebrating various levels of beer expertise with Beer Trivia.

Wednesday: Toast Off in which we’ll be judging the best toast makers among us.

Thursday: Blending competition and BBQ food truck.

Friday we’ll host a Vertical VIP Flight tastings as we raid the barchives.

Saturday: Live, live, live music.

Sunday: we’re setting sail and cruising the streets on Santa Barbara's only amphibious vehicle, The Land Shark. Imagine a couple dozen of your closest friends driving a tank like vehicle into the ocean with a few kegs of beer, 6:30-8:30. Sign up at the brewery!

More Big Doins: New Tanks and a Boiler to Boot!

More Big Doins: New Tanks and a Boiler to Boot!

 

It's been a couple of months of heavy lifting, literally and figuratively, as Island Brewing Company saw some major milestones through March and April 2013, the results of several years of strategic planning that will allow the craft brewery to both increase its capacity, efficiency, and beer style selection. “We’ve been interested in expanding capacity at the brewery for some time,” said owner and brewer Paul Wright. “Demand is up for craft beer and we’re pleased to have some major projects online in time for summer.”

Replacing the brewery’s original steam boiler with a new one will offer several benefits: faster brew times, a smaller carbon footprint, and increased efficiency. “Most people don’t think about the boiler when it comes to the brewing process, but it’s pretty simple: no hot water, no brewing,’ says Wright. The brewery’s new boiler features an increase in fuel-to-steam efficiency as well as lower electrical power consumption and a cleaner burner.

 

 

In with the new boiler.

 

 

New Tanks: Steady team, steady.

Something you don't see every day: Thanks to Colson's Towing!

Pallet Jack Powered

No one get squished please.

 

In the building and vertical. Repeat three times.

The new view

 

Island Brewing Company had also been interested in expanding its existing tank capacity to keep up with demand. The purchase of 3- 45 barrel tanks, two fermenters and one brite tank will allow the brewery to increase both the volume of its most popular beers and take some of the pressure off the existing tanks, freeing that tank capacity for a wider variety of seasonal offerings. “The investment represents a major increase in tank space for us. Stay tuned. We’re going to have more beer around here and more selection than ever before,” says Wright. “And those are all good things.”

Big Island: Now in Bottles!

The Big Island has been bottled! An intricate grain bill and heavy hand with the hops have produced an Impreial Pale Ale weighing in at 10% abv and 100 IBUs, all lovingly bottled into our 22 oz. bottles, waiting for you at the brewery, as well as some of the finer beer establishments around town. When they're gone, they're gone until next year which is a long winded way of saying that the time is ripe for you to make your way to Island Brewing Company and grab your fair share! See you soon if not sooner.

And if you've been hiding under a rock: Big Island and Little Island

And if you've been hiding under a rock: Big Island and Little Island Releases

 

It's finally here: our most robust, hoppiest offering of the year: The Big Island. If you are among the uninitiated, this is our Imperial Pale Ale. We're talking huge malt backbone and a balanced finish for 10% abv and a 100 IBUs (a big dose of Columbus and Cascade hops), served in a 13 oz. goblet to keep your reflexes intact.

 

Here's the story on the Little Island: So when we brew the Big Island, the resulting grain bed has enough fermentable sugars in it to brew another beer: and thus the Little Island was born from the second runnings of the Big Island mash.. This year's Little Island has grown up a bit when compared to Little Islands of yester year. Technically a Pale Ale with prominent Cascade Hops, the Little Island weighs in at 6.1% and 35 IBUs.

 

Which is for you? Only one way to find out. See you soon!





Attention Bourbon Barrel Aged IPA Fans

Attention Bourbon Barrel Aged IPA fans: You may want to mark your calendar. Correction: you will want to mark your calendar. Six months from now we will be releasing our next batch of Bourbon Barrel Aged IPA. If you had any of the last  Bourbon Barrel Aged IPA, you know why there is that little sense of urgency in this post. Consider yourself in the loop!

Valentine's Day Cask Conditioned Extravaganza!

Valentine's Day Cask Conditioned Extravaganza!

There is every chance that this is going to be one of the best, most flavorful, most mostest bestest tasting cask conditioned ales we've ever put on: and for Valentine's Day to boot. This is a cask of Mocha Stout infused with coffee and organic cacao nibs (unprocessed chocolate). We'll be running it through the hand pump beer engine for a hearty and heartwarming traditional pour for a pint or two to get your Valentine's Day plan off and running! Open at 2. See you then if not sooner.

Gold and Two Silver Medals at World Beer Championships

So you like Island Brewing Company’s Jubilee Ale and have been known to order a Blackbird Porter and/or a Starry Night Stout on occasion? This just in: your taste buds and those of a world champion beer judge have a few things in common when it comes to what makes a good beer great.

So say the results in from the World Beer Championships, held in Chicago, Il. Founded in 1994, the event is America’s oldest international beer competition and is open to all commercially produced beers from around the world, regardless of US distribution. It is a medal-based competition that awards its medals based on a blind tasting out of a 100-point quality rating scale.

The Jubilee scored a 92 for an exceptional rating and Gold Medal, inspiring some prose that would make an English major jealous: “Deep copper brown color. Aromas of dried fruits, roasted nuts, cocoa, and toast with a supple, dry-yet-fruity medium-to-full body and a roasted grain, jicama and peppery hop finish. A spot-on old ale with lots of flavor and balance.”

Both the Blackbird Porter and Starry Night Stout rated an 89 or highly recommended rating for their Silver Medals. Judges noted the Blackbird Porter’s “Deep copper brown color. Layered aromas and flavors of over-toasted bread, baker's chocolate and roasted zucchini with a supple, dryish medium body and a round, nutty, husky grain and hay accented finish. A nice food beer.”

The Starry Night Stout stood apart for its “Dense aromas of melted toffee, espresso, toasted pumpernickel and creme brulee, with a silky dry-yet-fruity medium-to-full body and root vegetable and roasted nut driven finish with mild lettuce-like hops. Very nice.”

Very nice indeed.

http://tastings.com/scout_beer.lasso?id=201073

http://tastings.com/scout_beer.lasso?id=201072

http://tastings.com/scout_beer.lasso?id=201071