ATL
brewing giant delivers new peach-infused ale with Brett in a ‘Cage & Cork’ bottle
Whaddup!
After a classy private tasting of SweetWater’s newest addition to their
family—The Pit & The Pendulum—at their high tech lab with a few of Atlanta’s
top beer authorities, the unanimous consensus was a communal thumb up.
This fresh
peach purée-infused Belgian-style ale also boasts the inclusion of the increasingly popular yeast strain Brettanomyces to bring the funk with a deceptive 8.3% ABV potency. It’s no coincidence that today’s launch coincides with the ongoing celebration
of Belgium’s independence which officially happened on July 21st,
1831.
Paired with decadent chocolate from Asheville, NC’s French Broad, some
delicious variations of locally produced Sweet Grass cheese, sliced peaches, and
crackers, the Pit was initially more peach-forward than on the sour side which worked
well with everything; as the bottle ages, flavor profiles are expected to
change more on the Brett side. Hence, I say try it young and aged to get more
than one tasting experience, ya dig?
Known for their rather risqué names in the past (Donkey Punch or Motor Boat,
anyone?), SweetWater’s "The Pit & The Pendulum" moniker takes it back to old school
literature this time around; “Pit” hints the fruit involved and in its entirety
pays homage to Edgar Allan Poe’s short story published back in 1843.
And the bottle? As you can see above, the metallic blue label brings the
luster; the classy cage and cork justify the series’ name; and being only the second
presented like this in a 750 ml following their 18th anniversary
Belgian-style triple back in January, this is a SweetWater joint you gotta
grab.
Coming straight from the brewery, “It’s the kind of beer I would drink at
home,” Lead Brewer Nick Burgoyn explains. Co-Lead Brewer Chris Meadows added,
“This is the type of stuff we hunt for. The new Cork & Cage line gives us a
chance to dabble in different facets of craft beer. We are in the Lab,
coming up with flavors that are fresh and funky, truly new and different.” Burgoyne
concluded, “We’re digging throwing our hat in the ring of making American wild
ales. The new line is an offering that further establishes SweetWater as
a brewery pushing the envelope for craft beer.”
I can toast to that! Now, how about a barrel-aged imperial stout? I heard
some whispers that’s in the plans too. Stay tuned!
Cheers!
Ale
