A few weeks ago, we interviewed the founder of Heavy Seas Beers, Hugh Sisson. While I was writing up the article, I got to thinking how much I’ve enjoyed many of their beers as well as how I haven’t had anything by them in a long time. Flash into the future a couple weeks and I find myself at Craft Beer Cellar in Belmont, MA picking up a few bottles when what do I see? Heavy Seas Mutiny Fleet 2011 Cabernet Barrel Aged Below Decks Barleywine! I think, “This has got to be a sign!” and pick up a bottle. I’m glad I did! Heavy Seas doesn’t always get the attention it deserves up here in the well-served craft beer market of Massachusetts, but this might change a couple peoples’ minds!

Normally barleywines pour a golden to rich honey hue, but Barrel Aged Below Decks bucks that trend and falls into the glass a rich, near-opaque coffee color. A tan, single header forms on top but quickly dissipates into a patchy film on top, most likely an effect of the high alcohol and wine barrel aging.

With a barrel aged beer, I often worry that the barrel is going to overwhelm any inkling of the original expression. In this case my fear is assuaged, the first smell I get is a sweet, kind of boozy, malt. It’s rich, smooth and, honestly, smells like the perfectly comforting beer for a cold night. We haven’t had many of those in Boston this year yet, but it’s starting to trend that way so I’m happy to have this one.

Upon reexamining, though, you’ll definitely find a good, strong hint of that Cabernet barrel they splash across the front label. It’s possible to overlook it at first as the dark fruit tones of the wine blend so well with the character of the malt and slightly fruity nature of the English-style barleywine. This is a great example of finding a character that enhances the beer and playing it up. It’s always great to see barrel aging done subtly and in a thoughtful way.

Let this beer warm up a bit before drinking. Then, my instructions are simple: Sip. Pause. Enjoy. Think. Repeat. Honestly, all the components have just come together very well and I am super impressed! One of my favor aspects of this brew is just how smooth and creamy it is; it’s nothing short of incredible in the mouthfeel department. As you take the initial sip, just before it hits your tongue, there’s a quick suggestion of cocoa, but it’s gone as soon as the beer hits your lips, overtaken by  plum and fig-like dark English malts. The Cabernet plays right into these aspects, adding an extra level of fruitiness that, with the sweet malt, makes this beer an enjoyment to linger over every sip. Finally, the oak wraps it all up and melds everything together while smoothing the whole shebang out. Only at the end will you note a bit of alcohol but hey, that ain’t bad for a 10% abv beer, right? Definitely go out and try this one soon, it’s a limited batch but it’s oh so worth hunting down.

By the way, this would be a great Valentine’s Day beer! It’s got notes of chocolate, fruit and is insanely smooth. Most anyone will like the beer and it will go great with desert.

I picked this bottle up at Craft Beer Cellar in Belmont.

One of the best things about craft beer is that the beer is made and the companies are run by people who care about what they do. Also, many breweries are local or regional companies which means it's made in your area. All of this lends itself to one of my favorite things about the industry: you can actually know the people that brew your beer and run the companies that produce the brew that you love!

With that in mind, we've launched a series of articles where we'll talk with people from the craft brewing industry and ask them a series of five (or sometimes more) questions so that you can get to know these fine people a bit better.

We're happy to introduce our second guest for this series, Shane Welch, the President of Sixpoint Craft Ales in Brooklyn, NY. It's been a longtime since we had our first Sixpoint beer, back when they were only sporadically on tap in Boston. And it was love at first sip! So much so that we even visited them years ago when we drove down the East Coast brewery hopping. So, with that said, we'll jump right into the interview.

Drink Craft Beer: How did you get into craft beer?

Shane Welch: I got into craft beer at an earlier age than probably anyone in the industry.  My father was a very early adopter of "craft beer" in the 1970s when your selection was strictly limited to import brands.  At the time, he was drinking Chimay and high-end German imports.  Here is a photo [at right] from 1981 where I am drinking the dregs out of my father's ceramic stein.  I loved the taste of beer ever since it crossed my lips.

DCB: What was the turning point (a beer or moment) that made you love craft beer?

SW: Are you requesting my "a-ha" moment?  :-)   My "a-ha" moment was when I started to drink real homebrewed beer.  It was the first time I realized that beer could actually be something beyond a commodity - something that was a live product, fermented cereal grains seasoned with hops. 

DCB: You walk into a magical beer shop with every beer currently available. You can put together one six-pack. What do you walk out with? Only one beer can be from your brewery.

SW: This is sort of a trick question because many of my favorite beers are not available in bottles.  They are draft-only varieties.  But since this is a "magical" beer shop I am assuming they also can magically bottle these draft-only varieties and have them for sale.  :-)   In that case, I will go with beers from:

Live Oak Hefeweizen
Live Oak IPA
Barrier Brewing Company Dunegrass (shout out to Craig Frymark and Evan Klein)
Hill Farmstead Ephraim (shout out to Dan Suarez and Sean Hill)
Ale Asylum (shout out to Dean Coffey)
Augustiner Edelstoff Helles (non-export version, the fresh draft straight from the brewery) - fyi this is a beer I can drink gallons of

DCB: What would you be doing for a career if you weren’t in beer?

SW: Mathematician, and probably working for or with Google.

DCB: What do you drink when you’re not drinking craft beer (or beer at all)?

SW: I love to drink and collect different teas from all over the world. 

DCB: Where do you see the craft beer industry going in the next year? And, in that vein, can we get a sneak peak at what new to expect from you in the coming year?

SW: Craft has legs and will continue to grow, even if the growth tapers on a percentage basis.  Regarding new beer releases...let's just say we will be combining German precision and engineering with Sixpoint creativity.   :-)

DCB: You can brew any beer you like, no matter the cost and consumer demand, what would you make and what dream ingredients would you use?

SW: The Poppenoff, without a doubt.  If you have to ask, you'll never know.   ;-) [Editor's Note: We have no idea what this beer is...we'd have to ask, so I guess we'll never know]

DCB: Thanks for your time, Shane! And thanks to your dad for having such great taste in beer back in the day...without that, we may never have been able to experience nano-kegs! Also, Shane and Sixpoint just brought on a new Brewmaster as Shane transitions out of overseeing all of the brewing operations himself and into running the company even more. Look our for a new 5 Questions with Sixpoint Brewmast Jan Matysiak soon!

The first time I tried a beer from Peak Organic Brewing Company back in 2006 I went into it thinking, “great, a generic, gimmicky organic beer.” Boy was I ever wrong! In that time, they’ve continued to innovate and put out some truly delicious beers, many of which have become Drink Craft Beer favorites. With all they’ve done, though, I think my favorite idea that they’ve had yet is one they only recently released: The Peak Organic Local Series. For this set of ales, they worked with farmers in four states (Massachusetts, New York, Vermont and Maine - sorry New Hampshire, nobody is willing to grow enough hops in your state, get on that!) to produce grain and hops that will go into a beer for each state made entirely with locally grown ingredients. They brew the same recipe for each state, the only variation is where the ingredients are grown. The effect is surprising and really shows that not all hops or malt are created equal; each state has its own characteristic taste that needs to be tried to be understood. And, with that said, on to our local version, the Massachusetts Ale!

Peak’s Massachusetts Local Series ale cascades into the glass a light and clear amber color that skews just a bit to the orange-ish family. A tight, eggshell colored head settles on top just long enough to take a picture and carry the glass to my seat. This certainly looks like a beer I’d enjoy drinking a bomber of; it’s not too thick in appearance and the color is awfully nice.

The number one thing I pick up when I smell this beer, and this was before I was even trying to smell it, is hops...delicious, grapefruity, citrusy, Massachusetts-grown hops! After you get passed this the rest is fairly clean. The yeast is pretty neutral, which is great as it lets the local ingredients shine. Malt? I’m sure it’s there, but it’s hanging out behind those gorgeous smelling local hops, most likely a result of the generous dose of dry-hops added by the Peak Organic crew! As a Massachusetts hop grower myself (albeit on a very small scale), this is especially neat to me!

While the hops are the star of the show in the aroma department, things are a bit more even once you sample this one. Let’s be clear, though; this is a hop-forward beer, it’s bitter and it’s got some great hop flavor that really shows the difference that comes from growing the same ingredients in different places. That said, it’s still balanced for what it is, meaning it’s not overly bitter. Those who don’t love hoppy ales, I’d say still give it a try as it’s a bit different from many hoppy choices...it’ll be a challenge, but that’s what makes you grow.

The difference is in the malts. Thanks to the Valley Malt Brewer Supported Agriculture (BSA) program I, and Massachusetts residents, have had several chances to sample malt that’s been grown right here in-state. The locale really does make a difference! The local grain lends every beer I’ve tried a minerally quality that is great with hops. It really brings them out and serves to showcase them in a flattering manner. That’s why I say those who are a bit reluctant when it comes to the IBUs should try this one. It’s bright, it’s a little fruity with hop flavor and it’s crisp with very little of that resinous character I’m coming to dislike in over-hopped beers. Well done, Peak!

I picked this bottle up at Craft Beer Cellar in Belmont.