Na Zdravi !: Sierra Oro Farm Trail Harvest Baltic Porter

Thursday, October 29, 2020

Sierra Oro Farm Trail Harvest Baltic Porter

"This smooth, dark lager takes you on a local farm tour, its rich flavor sown from harvests of Maisie Jane’s almonds, Lundberg rice, Chico State Farm peaches, and barley from our very own brewery fields. It’s just a taste of the vast Sierra Oro Farm Trail, which celebrates the valley’s fertile land and the passionate farmers who cultivate it."

One time production.
Bottled with cork and cage.
Big roasted malt taste. Perhaps a bit of chocolate/coffee? Surprisingly smooth.
Almond is way, way in the background. Still looking for the fruit.
Quite good.
Glad I jumped on this.

ABV 7%

Na Zdravi!

A 10-second take.
Not really reviews, just my way to keep track of the beers I've tried.

My mother's family is Czech. They emigrated from Bohemia and settled in Nebraska in the mid-1800s.
They were from the region that included the town Pilzen (Pilsen) where a brewery called Měšťanský pivovar Plzeň, now Pilsner Urquell (Plzeňský Prazdroj in Czech), started brewing a uniquely Bohemian-style beer we now know as pilsner.
So, as I raise a glass in honor of my Bohemian roots ...

Na Zdravi! (to your health).

Hops?

A "hop" is the cone shaped resinous flower of the female hop plant. It is used in brewing to add bitterness, flavor, aroma, and stability depending on when it is added.

Hops are one of the 4 basic ingredients of beer although they are not esential in the brewing process. The are used simply to add flavor and complexity to the brew.
Double and even triple IPA's feature an extreme amount of hops, and an ABV to match.
Noble Hops - The traditional varieties of hops that were used to make early European beers. Medieval brewers used Hallertau, Saaz, Spalt, and/or Tettnang hops. All are from Germany except Saaz from the Czech Republic (Žatec in Czech). All are still used today.