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Wednesday, 17 October 2001 00:00 |
JUNEAU -Alaskan Brewing Company is releasing the 2001 vintage year of Alaskan Smoked Porter throughout the Pacific Northwest in November.
The single most award winning beer in the country at the nation's prestigious Great American Beer Festival, Alaskan Smoked Porter has 10 medals to its credit.
Brewed only once each year in small amounts, this limited edition beer can be successfully aged. Aging allows a unique blend of plum, raisin, and sherry notes to emerge as it continues to develop in the bottle. Popular for the unique smoky flavor of indigenous alder wood when first brewed, Alaskan Smoked Porter has been credited with starting a revival of smoked beers in the United States.
"Making a smoked beer in Juneau made sense historically, since due to our remote location, turn of the century breweries malted their own grain," said Alaskan Brewmaster Geoff Larson. “Of course this was before the advent of electricity and ovens, so the grain was dried after the malting process over fires, hence the smoky flavor and aroma.”
Alaskan Brewing uses a commercial smokehouse at Taku Smokeries, a local Juneau smokery to prepare the malt. “The inspiration of looking for a beer that stood up to the assertive taste of smoked salmon, combined with the historical aspect of smoked malt, makes the resulting beer a successful taste of Alaska,” Larson said.
Interest in Alaskan Smoked Porter with its numerous awards and the cult like following around the country, led other breweries to brew their own smoked beers using regional hardwoods. It also inspired Geoff Larson to team up with veteran beer writer, Ray Daniels to author a Brewer’s Publication style series book, Smoked Beers, released earlier this year. Daniels and Larson received a silver medal for their book at the North American Guild of Beer Writers’ Quill & Tankards awards, presented at last month’s Great American Beer Festival.
Celebrating 15 years of brewing world class beer, the Juneau-based brewery produces Alaskan Amber, Pale, ESB, and Stout year round. Alaskan Winter Ale and Smoked Porter make regular fall and winter appearances in limited amounts. Distribution extends throughout the Pacific Northwest, encompassing Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Northern California and Northern Nevada.
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For More Information Contact:
Kristi Monroe or Cindy Burchfield at Alaskan Brewing Company. (907) 780-5866
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