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Luster is from Indigo Imp.
(Marc Bona, The Plain Dealer)
CLEVELAND, Ohio --
The dramatic, gold-wax sealed, 26.2-ounce bottle holds an ale that was aged in oak barrels for 10 months. It is bottle-fermented and tastes "very dry, crisp" Chappel told The Plain Dealer, "and picks up a little sour" flavor. It's a moderate 6.8 percent alcohol and retails for about $14, he said.
Luster is topped with Indigo Imp's trademark dripping wax.
It also takes on a fruit flavor, he said, specifically "cherry or plum."
The distinctive quality in the ale comes from brettanomyces, naturally occurs in the wine barrels the brewer uses. Brettanomyces is wild yeast with a distinct flavor that some drinkers like, but some don't. It is fairly common in open-fermentation-brewed ales, which Chappel is a master of creating in his East Side brewery.
In other beer news and notes:
Beer fests: The inaugural Cleveland Winter Beerfest - which is Friday and Saturday, Jan. 31 and Feb. 1 at the Cleveland Convention Center – is not the only beer festival coming up in Northeast Ohio. The annual Winter Warmer Fest is 2-6 p.m. Saturday, March 1, at Windows on the River, 2000 Sycamore St., Cleveland. For $45, patrons receive a souvenir glass and 20 taste tickets for 4-ounce pours. Designated-driver tickets are $12. An increased number of brewers have committed to the eighth event, Ohio Craft Brewers Association Executive Director Mary Martineau told The Plain Dealer. She said this year's fest is larger than last year's: About 30 breweries have committed to the event, which is a fundraiser for the association. Three food trucks and Austin "Walkin' Cane" Charanghat – who always seems to perform at area beer fests – will be part of the festivities. The firkin and cask-conditioned ales will be back, and Martineau said Great Lakes Brewing Co. and Thirsty Dog Brewing Co. have agreed to set up outside, "so dress warmly enough." Rick Seibt of Willoughby Brewing Co. built a holding rack for the cask ales, Martineau said. "It's nice to have members who are handy," she said. Go to ohiocraftbeer.org for tickets and info.
National hat tip: A recent story by William Bostwick in the Wall Street Journal discusses India Pale Ales and the specific flavors yielded from particular strains of hops. He includes Great Lakes Brewing Co.'s Chillwave Double IPA among five IPAs on his list. Bostwick and Jessi Rymill wrote "Beer Craft: A Simple Guide to Making Great Craft Beer" in 2011. For more on the history of IPAs, click here. For more on Bostwick's book, click here. For the WSJ story, click here.
Beer dinner: D'Agnese's (566 White Pond Dr., Akron) is having a Valentine's Day Beer Dinner, albeit a couple days before Valentine's Day. The restaurant will offer a five-course meal paired with beers from Ballast Point. A wheat, amber ale, two IPAs and vanilla imperial porter are all on the menu. Ballast Point is from San Diego. The dinner is at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 12. Reservations are required; call 234-678-3612.
"Beer Brewing for Everyone" is by Michael Hlatky.
New book out: I am not sure which is more common – books on beer being published or breweries adding Ohio to their distribution lists. "Beer Brewing for Everyone" by Michael Hlatky is out (Schiffer Publishing, $24.99, 155 pages). This is an update of the author's earlier book of the same name and focuses on home brewing – complete with recipes, how-to tips and glossary. Hlatky approaches brewing from a European angle.