| Industry | Alcoholic beverage |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2008 |
| Founder(s) | Patrick Rue |
| Headquarters | Placentia, CA, USA |
| Products | Beer |
| Production output | 3,000 US beer barrels (350,000 l; 93,000 US gal; 77,000 imp gal) |
| Website | http://www.thebruery.com/ |
The Bruery is a brewing company based in Placentia, California founded by Patrick Rue and named as a fusion between his family name and the word "brewery".[1] It opened in 2008[2] and has thus far produced an average of 2,500 barrels of beer annually on their 15 barrel brewhouse and is growing rapidly.
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The Bruery's products are considered to be experimental ales brewed in the Belgian tradition. Using a proprietary Belgian yeast strain for the majority of their creations, The Bruery creates a wide landscape of beers through their use of unique ingredients such as coriander, bitter orange peel and lavender in their "Orchard White" or bacteria such as Pediococcus and Lactobacillus along with Pinot Noir grapes in their "Pinotlambicus". The Bruery is also notable for their use of oak barrels (both bourbon and wine) for the fermentation and aging of their beers. Particularly, they have become well known for their strong bourbon aged ales that can range between 13% and 19.5% alcohol by volume (typical beers have around 3% to 7% alcohol by volume).
One of The Bruery's more infamous beers is a bourbon barrel aged imperial stout known as "Black Tuesday". This beer is released only once each year on the final Tuesday of October and is named for both the economic downturn of the Great Depression as well as the disastrous day at the brewery when it was first brewed.[3] Several batches are brewed and aged in oak barrels to later be blended to taste and bottled for release. It was first released in October 2009 and was 19.5% abv. The October 2010 release was 18.2% abv. There are also several variants of Black Tuesday including Chocolate Rain, a version of the beer with cocoa nibs and vanilla beans added to it.
Orchard White Orchard White is an unfiltered, bottle conditioned Belgian-style witbier. This hazy, straw yellow beer is spiced with coriander, citrus peel and lavender added to the boil and whirlpool. A spicy, fruity yeast strain is used to add complexity, and rolled oats are added for a silky texture. Orchard White is available to be filled in a growler (beer bottle) at their tasting room located in Placentia, CA. ABV: 5.7%, IBU: 15, SRM: 3
Orchard White was named one of the top 25 beers of 2008 by DRAFT Magazine[4] and was given an "A" rating by Beer Advocate Magazine in Vol. II Issue IX[5] as well as Forbes.[6]
Saison Rue Saison Rue is an unfiltered, bottle conditioned, Belgian/French-style farmhouse ale. This is a beer of subtlety and complexity, with malted rye, spicy, fruity yeast notes, biscuit-like malt backbone, and a slight citrus hop character. With age, this beer will dry out and will become more complex with rustic notes of leather and earth from the contribution of a wild yeast strain. Being a Saison, Saison Rue exhibits different qualities when fresh than when it is aged. ABV: 8.5%, IBU: 30, SRM: 9
Mischief Mischief is a Hoppy Belgian-Style Golden Strong Ale. This wickedly good golden ale is fiendishly dry-hopped with American hops to add a layer of complexity and mystery to its fruity, dry Belgian-style character. Citrus and resin diabolically combine with ripe melon, pear and slight peppery spice in a precariously effervescent mixture. Mischeif is available to be filled in a growler at their tasting room located in Placentia, CA. ABV: 8.5%, IBU: 35, SRM: 5
Rugbrød Meaning rye bread in Danish, the inspiration for this beer is from the Danes' staple dark, whole-grain rye bread known of the same name (rugbrød). Brewed with three types of rye malt, this robust brown ale showcases the earthy, spicy character of the grain, complemented by bready, nutty barley malts and a hint of roast. Loosely based on the Scandinavian Christmas beer or "Julebryg" tradition, this beer is perfect for the colder weather of winter, although it is available year-round. Rugbrod is available to be filled in a growler at their tasting room located in Placentia, CA. ABV: 8%, IBU: 30, SRM: 18
Hottenroth Berliner Weisse Hottenroth Berliner Weisse is brewed in memory of Fred and Sarah Hottenroth, Patrick Rue's grandparents. This tart German-style Berliner Weisse is as authentic as it gets. Lactobacillus and a hint of brettanomyces are used to sour this very unusual, low gravity wheat beer. To cut the tartness for those with sweeter tastes, raspberry or woodruff syrup is a traditional way to sweeten the beer. ABV: 3.1%, IBU: 2, SRM: 2
Loakal Red Loakal Red is an oak-aged American Red Ale. A hoppy red ale at heart with the citrus & floral notes of the Centennial hop to balance the light caramel sweetness of the malt. A portion of an older batch, left to mature in new American oak barrels, is blended with the fresh dry-hopped batch. The resulting blend has notes of toffee, orange peel, crushed herbs, vanilla & freshly sawn oak, for a beer that is intricate yet unassuming. ABV: 6.9%, IBU: 35, SRM: 12
Loakal Red is only distributed in The Bruery's hometown of Orange County, CA.
Seven Grain Saison A spin on a classic style brewed using barley, oats, wheat, rye, corn, rice and spelt. The grains gracefully combine into a tasty brew that finishes dry and with a light hoppy finish. This beer is released with regularity on draft, but has never been bottled.
ABV: 5%, IBU: 35, SRM: 6
Humulus Lager Humulus Lager is an India Pale Lager, opposed to the more classic India Pale Ale. It is an extremely aromatic hoppy beer, with citrus, pine, and intense herbal characteristics. We brew this beer with more than 3 lbs. of hops per BBL, and it shows. We also use rice, a typically despised ingredient in beer, to lighten the body and make it more true to the American lager style. This beer is released with regularity on draft, but has never been bottled.
ABV: 7.4%, IBU: 70, SRM: 5
Saison De Lente The Bruery's Spring saison is light blonde in color with a fresh hoppiness and a wild and rustic Brettanomyces character. Lighter in color and alcohol than Saison Rue, yet equally complex in its own way. Perfect for warmer weather and Spring celebrations. ABV: 6.5%, IBU: 35, SRM: 4, Release: March - May
Trade Winds The Bruery's Summer seasonal, Trade Winds Tripel is a Belgian-style Golden Ale with a Southeast Asian twist. Instead of using candi sugar (typical for such a beer), rice is used in the mash to lighten the body and increase the gravity, and it is then spiced with Thai Basil. The result is an aromatic, digestible and complex beer made for a lazy summer evening.
ABV: 8%, IBU: 25, SRM: 5, Release: Summer
Autumn Maple Brewed with 17 lbs. of yams per barrel, this autumn seasonal is a different take on the “pumpkin” beer style. Brewed with cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, vanilla, molasses, and maple syrup, and fermented with The Bruery's traditional Belgian yeast strain, this bold and spicy beer is perfect on a cold autumn evening.
ABV: 10%, IBU: 25, SRM: 15, Release: Fall
12 Days of Christmas Series The Bruery's winter seasonal collection is a changing collection of beers named for the 12 Days of Christmas song. Each year a beer is brewed as a vague homage to the corresponding verse and each beer is strong enough to cellar until the final beer in the series, 12 Drummers Drumming is released so that they can all be drank together as a vertical tasting.
-Partridge In A Pear Tree - The first beer in the 12 Days of Christmas series was brewed in the style of a Belgian-style Dark Strong Ale. It was made using Bruery-made dark candi sugar, Munich and Vienna malts. It is dark brown in color, fruity and complex with a rich malt backbone. ABV: 11%, IBU: 20, SRM: 20, released in 2008
-2 Turtle Doves - 2 Turtle Doves is the second in the 12 Days of Christmas Series. Inspiration came from the name and the beer was based on the "turtle" candy, brewing it with cocoa nibs, toasted pecans, caramelized sugar and a lot of caramel malts. Somewhere between a Belgian-style Dark Strong Ale and an Imperial Porter. ABV: 12%, IBU: 25, SRM: 30, released in 2009.
-3 French Hens - Three French Hens is the third in the 12 Days of Christmas Series. Again, some inspiration was drawn from the name and The Bruery decided that at least a portion of this beer had to be aged in French oak barrels. What came out is a bold and spicy Belgian Dark Strong Ale, 25% aged in French oak. ABV: 10%, IBU: 22.5, SRM: 30, released in 2010.
The Bruery releases a number of small batch beers throughout the year. Often these beers are only made once and never again and sometimes they are oak aged beers that are only released once a year. The collection includes many of their highly regarded beers including Black Tuesday, Melange #3 and The Bruery Anniversary Ale Series. Their Oude Tart is also included in this collection and it won a gold medal in the Belgian Style Lambic or Sour Ale category at both the 2010 World Beer Cup and the 2010 Great American Beer Festival[7][8]
The Bruery Reserve Society is a club run by The Bruery. Membership in the society provides access to some special release beers and events.
In September 2010 The Bruery opened a retail establishment in Old Towne Orange that specializes in beer, wine, cheese, charcuterie and other specialty foods. They have a collection of over 400 brands of beer as well as around 80 wines and numerous artisan cheeses. They sell bottles to go and also serve onsite tastings.[9]
The Bruery has created a special line of beers dubbed "The Provisions Series" that are only sold through their store and their Reserve Society. So far these beers have included Premiére, Gunga Galunga, The Workman's Friend and will be releasing Old Richland barleywine in January.