Year of New Beer: Country Western, Vol. 2 - Country Boy Brewing & West Sixth Brewing (KY)

Written By: Dion on 05/06/2014

Today's entry to The Year of New Beer follows this brief PSA: 
What is craft beer? Ask that question in any of the more well-known "beer towns" in the U.S. and you will most likely get a myriad of answers. For some, it's about local ingredients and individual, handmade batches. For others, it's about telling corporate America and their fizzy, yellow swill where they can stick it. Still others will bore you with a litany of definitions--barrels of this, kegs of that, production limits, blah, blah, blah... For me, it's about much more than those things. At its most basic level, of course, it's about flavor. I want whatever is in my glass to taste good. To make me sip slowly, to be savored, to make me get excited about what will come next. Beyond that, craft beer has to be about more. It has to be about sweat equity, education, partnerships, and even companionship. Luckily for those of us in Lexington and parts beyond, the "more" that started as a small flicker of flame has erupted into a full-on blazing inferno. Craft beer has long been known for its "one for all and all for one" mentality, with older, more established breweries often lending advice, equipment, and in some cases, manpower, to help new breweries gain their footing. Banding together to promote better beer. I'm happy to say the same is taking place right here in the Bluegrass. Within the last 2 & 1/2 years, Lexington has seen 3 breweries open (with more in the planning stages), the first brewery in Paris (KY), new bottle shops and craft-only bars, and ever-expanding beer menus in local dining establishments. You can even argue that craft beer in Lexington is responsible for the birth of two new restaurants, Athenian Grill and Middle Fork Kitchen Bar, simply by giving these food truck entrepreneurs a welcoming place to introduce their culinary delights. 

Where is craft beer headed in Lexington? Only time will tell. But the future sure looks bright, as is evident in the schedule of events for the 2nd Annual Lexington Craft Beer Week, happening May 10th-18th. (Yeah, we know, that's more than a week. We're beer drinkers, not accountants.) Having grown exponentially from its inaugural year, there are a plethora of activities from which to choose. Specialty beers? Check. Remember that partnership idea? Well, it's on full display as Country Boy and West 6th release "Country Western Volume 2" on draft and in cans. Another collaboration between Blue Stallion and Alltech, the Barrel Aged Maibock, will also be released this week. Like great food with your brews? Check. Learn how to cook with craft beer as the master, Mark Jensen of Fork in the Road Mobile Galley, invades West 6th with dishes sure to satisfy. Don't want to learn to cook? Let the Gastro Gnomes blow you away with their in-house beer dinner at Country Boy, a four course tour de force, each paired with a specially selected brew from the Boys. Lexington's first gastro pub, The Village Idiot, will host a gourmet evening paired with West 6th specialty beers. Lexington Beerworks will host "Beer Re-Imagined", featuring beer floats and exotic flavor infusions. Want to be educated on your next beer selection? Then go visit The Beer Trappe as they feature one of Michigan's finest, Founder's Brewing, and let Certified Cicerone Kevin Patterson answer any questions you may have. Top off the week with a visit to the Chase Taproom for Beer, Bikes, and Barbecue with County Club providing the grub. These events barely scratch the surface, as there are just too many to mention. So grab a friend, preferably someone new to craft beer, and check out lexbeerscene.com/LCBW.php for a full schedule of events.

Now, back to those partnerships...and The Year of New Beer!! Country Western Volume 2, Country Boy Brewing/West 6th Brewing (Lexington). A brown ale made with Kentucky sorghum, aged in bourbon barrels. My mouth has been watering since I first heard about this year's incarnation of the "Official Beer of Lexington Craft Beer Week". A vigorous pour into the snifter yields a deep brown brew with almost ruby highlights and a light, sandy head. On the nose, initial hits of coffee and chocolate malt throw a thin veil of secrecy over the bourbon that lies within. Roasted nuts and peat make an appearance as well, while a warming glass finally reveals a sweet bourbon aroma that promises a bigger impact on the taste buds. On the tongue, it's a ribbon of brown sugar sweetness that presents first, while an earthy, wooden note hits mid-palate. A bit of cola and even mint are tucked away as well. Extremely smooth and full flavored, but not heavy in body As the glass warms, so does the bourbon, content to ride along as a partner, putting this brew on solid footing. And we come full circle. For me, it's about what is in the glass. And I'm excited to see what the brewers, both established and still to come, have up their sleeves.