We’re still daydreaming about our trip to Washington state at the beginning of the month. Thanks to @yakimachief, we were able to select specific lots of so many of our favourite hops: Citra, Simcoe, Mosaic, Ahtanum, Centennial, Columbus, Cascade and Ekuanot. We were also able to tour the amazing @carpenterhops, where some of our hops were grown.
Skeleton Key, our velvety, spiced imperial stout aged in rum barrels, is ready for its 2018 debut -- headed to our retail stores this Saturday, October 13th. The 3 variants are: . . . OG -- Rich notes of dark chocolate and caramelized malts are balanced by lively spices, subtle spirit barrel, and vanilla. $16/BTL, limit of 12pp. . . . COFFEE -- We take the already delicious barrel aged spiced stout, and then circulate it through Propeller coffee beans for a smooth, cold brew effect. If you have doubts about this pairing, there may not be hope for you. $17/BTL, limit of 4pp. . . . SCOTCH BONNET/DULCE DE LECHE/LACTOSE -- Rumoured to be the only beer that could weather the apocalypse. The heat here is evident and obvious, but perfectly balanced by the sweet, smooth, and spiced notes from the supporting roles. $17/BTL, limit of 2pp.
On Monday we shared the exclusive line up of bottles that'll be released during Witchstock, but we have to let you in on a little secret about that Barn Owl #16 -- it's not exactly a Barn Owl per se, but the OG un-fruited Motley 2018 blend. Let us explain... . . . Back when we were gearing up to release our line up of 2018 Motley's, we encountered a common set back: one of the variants (the OG un-fruited) hadn't conditioned enough in bottles and would need more time. Instead of holding back Motley further, we decided to omit this version, knowing there would be another good opportunity to do so. Enter Witchstock! . . . With the anniversary long gone, we felt the time had passed to merit a Motley label, and opted instead for the most recent Barn Owl. After all, Barn Owl is a series of one-off barrel aged wonders and the beer definitely fits that bill. . . . So, that brings us to the not so secret secret that the esteemed Barn Owl #16 is actually Motley in disguise. You know, a skull dressed up as an owl, taking flight at a festival named after a shark headed witch.
A few quick notes about this weekend: •Hafis Road bottle shop will be closed Friday 9/28 and Saturday 9/29 •Ossington Brewpub will be closed Friday 9/28, but retail will remain open; regular hours on Ossington Saturday 9/29 •Remaining bottles from Witchstock will be available at Hafis on Sunday 9/30, and both bottle shops on Monday 10/01
We just sent out a newsletter to all Witchstock attendees packed full of details about the big day -- and the good news is it's also up on the blog now for anyone to read. We're talking about festival food, exclusives, important transportation options, and that master beer list spreadsheet (don't worry, we included the link!). . . . So now you can plan to your heart's content, and hit the ground running. See you soon, Witchstockians.