Brew Review: Skyscraper Brewing Company

Tonight I had the pleasure of visiting Skyscraper Brewing Company who are currently working out of a 15 barrel system with 7 fermenters, but are in the process of doubling the size of their operation.  Skyscraper hit my radar thanks to the hubby who had a bottle of their Winter Warmer and decided he wanted a whole keg.  One thing I learned tonight was that Skyscraper does a lot of contract brewing, but from the sounds of things, they want to take more ownership of the beers they brew.  The "tasting room" is fun because it's a folding table located by one of the keg storage refrigerators, a nice low key way to try beer.  Jose "Cuervo" and Jorge "The Artist" were my hosts, Cuervo did most of the talking.

Now on to the important part:

Bulldozer Honeyweizen: This is Skyscraper's flagship beer, described as follows, "An unfiltered American Wheat Ale, brewed with Wildflower Honey. Subtle notes of honey and malt in the aroma. The flavor combines wheat and barley maltiness, balanced by a light, spicy hop flavor. Finishes crisp, without being overly sweet.
5.0% ABV
25 IBU
Bronze Ribbon - 2007 California State Fair"
To me there was a subtle yet pronounced aroma of honey, which I found highly enjoyable.  Cuervo told me what I was smelling was the Munich grains used to make the beer, but I stand firm with the honey, I could smell the flowers. The beer is refreshingly easy to drink and doesn't require the citrus garnish most Hefeweizens would recommend to bring out the Hefe flavor.

Beer Bitch (maybe BierBitzch) Pilsner:  I was very surprised that this was a pilsner, because it wasn't remotely hopppy and had a very strong aroma of cloves. This beer, to me, had a very wheat beer feel to it, it was mild and smooth and I could just picture myself sitting out on the deck enjoying this beer on a hot summer's day.  (This is a contract brew, but I didn't catch who for, unfortunately)

Firemen's Brewnette:  The Brewnette is a deliciously nutty, slightly malty, mocha enhanced ale. It's a thicker beer, but again very drinkable. According to the website, this is described as a German DoubleBock with 8% ABV so drink with caution

Gentlemen's Caller Requiem: An Espresso Stout.  This is a caffeinated beer, according to Jose, they toned down the espresso from what it was in the original batch, which left him awake all night from overenjoyment.  At first, I was skeptical about the espresso flavor, but as I continued to taste, I definitely got the feeling of drinking black coffee especially in the after taste

Firemen's Red:  After the Requiem, it was hard to detect much going on in this beer, but I could taste the malt and was considerably milder.  I know from previous tastes of this beer, it is very good.

Winter Warmer:  Well of course I'm going to review the keg!  The aromas presented by this beer, I thought were eerily similar to the Beer Bitch.  There are certainly a lot of spices and there is a heavy malty characteristic to this beer.  Definitely a sipping beer and recommended to be enjoyed at a slightly warmer temperature.


So my favorite? The Bulldozer, and maybe it was the honey that attracted me, but it's a well made beer full of unique flavors for a Hefe, I encourage you to try it.

Prost