Out Fri. 10/29: Cask Conditioned Pumpkin Ale!!!

A quick note from the cellar, we will be rolling out a cask of Pumpkin Ale for the Halloween weekend! Cask conditioned pumpkin ale is a combination of light unfiltered ale spiked with a dose of real pumpkin and spices, it weighs in at 5% ABV and 20 IBUs. Every autumn this beer is a tasting room favorite, and since supplies are limited, we expect to sell out rather quick. So, swing by the brewery Friday and sample a glass with us! Cheers -IBC

THIS WEEKEND 10/1-10/3: AVOCADO FEST & CASK ALE!

Big news here at the brewery, this weekend is the annual Carpinteria Avocado Festival! As tradition, we will be pouring copious amounts of our fall seasonal Avocado Honey Ale. Brewed with 60 pounds of local Avocado honey, this beer is deep gold with a low bitterness, and mild honey aftertaste. Always a crowd pleaser, Avocado Honey Ale weighs in at 5.2% ABV and 19 IBU. In addition, we will be releasing a cask of our Fresh Hop Harvest Ale, dry hopped with local "wet" hops. Harvest Ale is an Irish Red style ale featuring a balance between malt and hops. It is a deep copper-ruby ale with 5.6% ABV and 29 IBU. So swing by the festival, grab some world famous guacamole of avocado ice cream and join us for a pint. Cheers! -IBC

8/6/10 FIRST FRIDAY CASK: OAK AGED BIG ISLAND!

For this months First Friday celebration we will be rolling out the last cask of this year's BIG ISLAND IMPERIAL PALE ALE! This special cask has been lovingly aged on American Oak for the last six months, lending a complex depth of flavor not usually found in most beer. This mighty beverage (weighing in at near 10% ABV and over 100 IBUs) is always a crowd pleaser, so come sample a glass Friday, we expect it to go fast! Cheers -IBC

First Friday Cask: (Oaked) Christmas In July!!!

We here at the brewery are excited about this month's First Friday Cask Ale: Oak Aged Holiday Helper! You heard right, we are pulling out the last of our 2009 vintage Holiday Ale which has been meticulously aged on French Oak chips for over 7 months! As well as being cask conditioned (unfiltered and full of live yeast, lightly carbonated), Holiday Helper is a dark black ale featuring large amounts of caramel and chocolate malt which are balanced with the complex flavors associated with oak-aging. Weighing in at 9.2% ABV and 70+ IBU Holiday Helper is a real treat in the summer, swing on by and try some as it is sure to sell out quick! Cheers -IBC

First Friday Cask Ale: Triple Dry Hopped IPA 6/4/10!

Down here at the brewery we are excited about the upcoming Carpinteria First Friday celebration and the release of our next cask conditioned ale, a triple dry hopped IPA! This cask ale is unfiltered, features a naturally light carbonation, and in the British tradition, is served at ambient/cellar temperature. The flavor profile features a big Cascade and Columbus hop bitterness and flavor, along with the citrus inspired aroma of additional Cascade hops. Furthermore, the hoppy goodness is balanced by a complex malt bill featuring heirloom Maris Otter barley. Cask IPA clocks in at 61 IBUs and 6.3% ABV. Sounds like a tasty brew... see you Friday for a first taste!

Coming Friday 5/7/10: Cask Conditioned BIG ISLAND!

This month's First Friday Celebration is just around the corner, and we are planning on rolling out a reserve cask of our celebrated Imperial Ale THE BIG ISLAND! Big Island, our annual spring seasonal, has been delicately aged in our cask for the last three months, allowing the malty and hoppy flavors to blend and balance. In addition, this unfiltered and naturally carbonated ale weighs in with 9.4% ABV and a scale topping 101 IBUs of bitterness, complimented nicely by a huge and malty grain backbone. Big Island will be served in 12oz glasses for $6, $4 for our Island Nation members, and is expected to sell out quickly, as we only have an extremely limited quantity. Hope to see you on First Friday (or sooner)! Cheers! -IBC

Coming Friday 3/5: CASK VANILLA BEAN STOUT!

We are again rolling out a cask from the cellar for Carpinteria's first Friday celebration! This month's offering is our delicious Vanilla Bean Stout! The backbone of this ale is our esteemed winter beer, Starry Night Stout, a rich and roasty foreign style stout weighing in at 7% ABV and 50 IBUs. When fermentation is nearly complete, we rack the ale into a cask and add a whole vanilla bean. After a lengthy maturation process, the jet-black ale takes on the subtle flavors and nuances of the vanilla bean for a unique and delicious treat of a beer! In addition, we will be hosting a chocolate and beer pairing that night, featuring the chocolates of Chocolats du CaliBressan (one made with our original Starry Night Stout). We can't think of a better way to kick-off the weekend than with a combination of chocolate and vanilla stout! Hope to see you here. Cheers! -IBC

First Friday Cask IPA

For this month's first Friday we will be rolling out another cask of real ale! This months little creation is a triple dry-hopped Island Pale Ale (IPA). In addition to the double dry-hopping process our regular IPA goes through this cask ale was dosed again with a generous amount of aromatic Cascade hops, imparting a citrusy aroma. Along with the aroma hop addition, a pronounced bitterness and a balanced malty backbone round out the flavor profile of this beer. Also, since this is a true "real ale" it is served unfiltered, naturally carbonated, served at ambient temperature and the flavor is sublime. Swing in Friday, as these casks tend to sell out in a single night. Cheers -IBC

Early December News!!!

As we transition into December we have some news here at the brewery you loyal bloggers may need to know. First, we will be rolling out another cask conditioned ale for Carpinteria's First Friday celebration 12/4. This month's release will be a quadruple dry hopped IPA! Four times the amount of hops as a regular cask IPA makes this ale floral and spicy, with a hint of citrus as well. Second, we are looking for new recruits in the Island Brewing Drum Coprs/Flag Corps. We are scheduled to march in this years Carpinteria Christmas Parade on Saturday 12/12. Come into the bar and sign up if you are interested in marching in lines, banging drums, twirling flags, or good old fashioned fun! Next, we are also glad to announce that Paul's band, the Brewery Boyz, will be performing two of their annual holiday acoustic shows here on 12/3 and 12/17. They are planning a full two hour set from 7-9pm. Come in to see them, it is always a great time. Finally, we also want to announce that we will be CLOSED on Mon 12/7 for our annual brewery maintenance and cleaning day. We will reopen Tues. 12/8 at normal hours, so plan ahead and stock up on beer!

COMING FRIDAY 11/6/09: CASK HEATHER ALE!!!

This Friday 11/6 we will be again releasing a cask conditioned ale here at the tasting room. This month will be a cask conditioned heather ale. What is heather ale exactly? Heather ale starts off as our award winning Jubilee Ale, which is then casked up before fermentation is complete and it is "dry hopped" with heather flowers (Calluna vulgaris). Heather has been used to flavor ale for centuries (dating back to the Picts of present day Scotland), but is no longer as common a beer ingredient as it once was. Heather has a distinct flavor and aroma, somewhat 'tea' like, so stop into the brewery and try a pint or two for yourself. Cheers! -IBC

AVO FEST, CASK "OAKED JUBILEE & NITRO PORTER!

It is that time of year again! We will be celebrating the annual Carpinteria Avocado Festival with our Avocado Honey Ale! In addition we will be releasing two special five gallon kegs of Cask Conditioned "OAKED" Jubilee and Nitro Porter. Oaked Jubilee is aged on real French oak and a dry hop addition of Golding hops, and Nitro Porter will be served on nitrogen gas, contributing to a rich full mouthfeel. It will be a busy weekend, and accordingly, we will be ONLY serving 16 oz pints (No imperial pints or samplers) in compostable earth friendly cups. Hope to see you down here! Cheers -IBC.

OUT FRIDAY 9/4: Cask Conditioned IPA!!!

We are going to be rolling out another cask for September's "First Friday," this time a double-dry hopped Island Pale Ale (IPA)! Along with the usual dry hop additions of American hops our cask IPA also includes an additional hop addition of traditional East Kent Goldings, contributing a spicy flavor so typical of noble hops. Come in and grab a glass with us, we will be tapping the cask at 2:00 and serving until it runs out. Hope to see you then, Cheers! -IBC

Coming Friday 8/7: Cask Conditioned Vanilla Bean Stout

We are once again rolling out a cask of real ale on Friday 8/7! The latest creation is our popular dark, rich and roasty Starry Night Stout infused with real vanilla bean! Like our other casks it is unfiltered and served at ambient temperature, English style. We will be tapping the cask Friday afternoon at two o'clock, hope to see you then. Cheers -IBC

Coming this Friday 7/10/09: CASK CONDITIONED PARADISE PALE ALE!

We are rolling out another cask for this weekend, this time it is our award winning Paradise Pale Ale. Paradise Pale Ale is a golden-copper ale featuring the exclusive use of Amarillo hops for both bittering and flavoring, in addition, the cask version is served unfiltered, with natural (low) carbonation, and a aromatic dose of dry hops too! This beer will be malty with a hefty hop aroma as well. Come in and sample a pint or two for yourself. See you at the tasting room, cheers! -IBC

Coming This Friday 7/3/09 - CASK CONDITIONED ESPRESSO STOUT!

Just in time for the big holiday weekend we will be releasing a small volume of our cask conditioned Espresso Starry Night Stout. This jet black, roasty ale was infused with a hefty dose of espresso, adding a deep coffee flavor and aroma, and allowed to finish fermenting in the cask. Come in and sample a glass with us, we will be tapping the cask when we open at two and plan on it selling out that night. Hope to see you then, CHEERS! -IBC

COMING FRIDAY 4/10 CASK CONDITIONED PARADISE PALE ALE!

Heads up cask ale fans, as we will be rolling out another 7.5 gallons of real ale this Friday 4/10! Cask Conditioned Paradise Pale Ale is an unfiltered, dry hopped ale, mellow and easy drinking with a nice hop aroma to balance things out. We will be tapping the cask at 2:00 pm so get here early if you are a cask fan, our last few have run out before the nights end! Cheers -IBC

Rolling out another Cask Ale!

Hope to see you all this Friday, March 6, for our latest cask creation. Cask conditioned Paradise Pale Ale is an American interpretation of a classic English pale ale. Unfiltered, and served at cellar temperature, this real ale is an easy drinking, crowd-pleaser. In addition to a generous malt backbone, we have dry hopped with traditional East Kent Golding hops, which impart subtle floral aromas. We will be tapping the cask at two o'clock, and will be pouring until the cask runs out (our last one did in under four hours) so get here early if you are a die hard cask fan. Hope to see you Friday, Cheers! -IBC

Coming friday January 30th CASK BIG ISLAND!

That's right, Friday Jan 30th we will be rolling out a cask of our Imperial IPA the BIG ISLAND! This cask has been laboriously aged in our cellar for months and will be making a brief appearance at the tasting room. The Big Island is a huge, malty, hoppy beer, and in addition, it has been aged on French Oak chips as well as some additional English Goldings hops. Hope to see you Friday! Cheers -IBC

Friday 11/28/08 Cask Conditioned Harvest Ale!

Hey beer fans, after your fill of turkey on Thanksgiving, swing by the tasting room on Friday, Nov. 28th and try a glass of our Cask Conditioned Harvest Ale. Our harvest ale was brewed with fresh, local, 'wet' hops, contributing a distinct hop aroma and flavor. In addition, we added a generous dry hopping of 'wet' hops into the cask during secondary fermentation to further pronounce a very "west coast" hop flavor to the finished beer. There are only 7 gallons of this unique ale so make sure to stop in early, as our last few casks have been selling out by the end of Friday night. Hope to see you then. Cheers -IBC

Cask Jubilee & Avo Fest Weekind (Oct 3-5)!

Hey guys, this Friday, October 3, we will be releasing our latest cask-conditioned ale. Cask-conditioned, oak aged Jubilee is a rich and robust 'real ale,' with lingering hints of toffee and vanilla imparted by over six weeks of aging on French oak chips. Come in and sample a glass at our tasting room Friday, as it is sure to be a quick seller and crowd pleaser! In addition to tapping our cask, Friday is also the first official day of the Avocado Festival, which takes place along Linden Ave. here in Carpinteria. The festival lasts all weekend long and is a great time to celebrate the release of our Avocado Honey Ale in 220z Limited release bottles. It will be super busy, so we do ask to keep your dogs at home this weekend as you celebrate here at the tasting room. Hope to see you here!

Tasting Room Hours: Mon-Fri: 2pm-9pm, Sat-Sun: 11am-9pm
Brewery Hotline: (805) 745-8272