Two Year Blend [Jester King Collaboration]

a two year blend of spontaneously fermented ales from the winters of 2019 and 2020. 

For a long time, the general understanding and census was that lambic or spontaneously fermented beer was something that could only be done well, or really done at all for that matter, in Belgium. 

Through the beauty and stubbornness of the American craft beer movement, some brewers decided to explore that concept and see what was possible across the pond. One of the early pioneers of these experiments were our good friends at Jester King Brewery of Austin, Texas. In the winter of 2019, after we had a year of coolship brewing under our belts, we called our friend Jeff Stuffings and asked him to come to Nebo to help us realize our spontaneous dreams. Armed with Texas-grown barley and wheat, we set out to agriculturally explore the connection between Texas and North Carolina.  

Mashed in the turbid method with NC and TX pilsner malt and raw wheat until the milk runneth clear. Boiled extensively for maximum color achievement with aged whole leaf hops for proper bitterness. After the boil, this wort was transferred to our coolship, sitting open on our farm, on a cold winter’s evening. The wort was left there to cool overnight and in the morning, was transferred into a square tank for primary fermentation. With nothing other than the natural airborne yeasties and bacteria which inoculated the wort, this is the true magic of spontaneous brewing. After primary fermentation, this beer was then transferred into neutral oak barrels for extensive slumbering.

Upon packaging, this blend consisted of 50% 2019 and 50% 2020 and then from there, conditioned naturally in the bottle and keg for 8 months. 

Bursting with an expressive earthy funkiness and boasting notes of grapefruit marm, pickled apples, dried oak leaves and under ripe pineapple.