Beginning the first week of May (this week), the beer lovers of Birmingham will be noticing a few new canned options in the beer aisles of their favorite stores. This is because Tallgrass Brewing Company will be rolling out their product line in Alabama.
Tallgrass was founded in 2007 by Jeff Gill and his wife, Tricia. Jeff, an avid homebrewer at the time, gave up his career as a geologist to follow his dream of opening a microbrewery. With money invested by themselves, family and friends, the brewery was opened in Manhattan, Kansas just outside the Flint Hills. With the addition of Alabama, Tallgrass offerings can now be found 13 states.
This is what Jeff Gill had to say about coming to Alabama and the reasoning behind it:
"We are excited about shipping Tallgrass beer to Alabama. The folks down there are both enthusiastic and knowledgeable about craft beer and they have been asking for Tallgrass ever since we came to Mississippi. I am glad that day has finally arrived. I can't wait to go down there and pour a pint or two with our patient thirsty Alabama fans."
Tallgrass currently produces five beers (4 year around, and 1 seasonal) in cans and on draft, and all five of these will be coming to Alabama. Here is their list of beers and their descriptions:
Tallgrass Ale: First brewed as a 10-gallon homebrew batch. This beer is categorized as a brown ale, but has a smoothness and a sweetness that betrays its dark color. The beer has toffee and chocolate overtones with a sweet smooth finish.
Tallgrass IPA: A traditional IPA this beer has a robust flavor and a nice kick. IPAs (Imperial Pale Ale) have their roots in the zenith of the British Empire. IPAs were brewed using more hops and with a higher alcohol content to preserve the brew on its journey to the far-flung reaches of the realm, but soon this style became a favorite in the hometown pubs as well. Its curious bitter bite and a nice punch gave this style beer a popularity that it still enjoys across the pond.
Buffalo Sweat: This sweet stout was originally intended as a winter seasonal release in 2009, but the beer became so popular, that it is now brewed year around and is one of Tallgrass's signature beers. Although classified as a stout it should never be compared to its bitter cousins. It is brewed with roasted barley and milk sugar giving it a flavor more like chocolate espresso than a bitter dark beer. It is a favorite at tastings because of its creamy smooth drinkability.
Oasis: This beer is brewed for the "hop-heads", those drinkers that like a big bite of hops in every sip. Classified as a Double ESB or Double IPA this beer adds an over-the-top dose of hops in the brewing process and steps up the alcohol content (7.2% ABV) as well. Despite its distinctive hops bite Oasis has plenty of flavor due the large quantity of select malts used to balance out its hoppy edge.
Halcyon Unfiltered Wheat: (limited release) Being from "the Wheat State" a lot pressure was put on Tallgrass to produce a wheat beer. They took a spin on the traditional American wheat recipe, added additional hard Kansas white wheat to give it an edge and letting the hops speak just a little more than expected. Halcyon is an unapologetic American-style wheat beer with a unique blend of flavors that seems to please casual beer drinkers and "beer nerds" alike. Halcyon is a limited seasonal brew and is only produced from equinox to equinox each year.
These Tallgrass brews will be hitting the Birmingham market any day now, so be on the lookout. These beers should turn up wherever you expect to find fine craft beer around Birmingham. I have not had the chance to sample Tallgrass’s offerings yet, but I have heard a lot of good things about this brewery and I look forward to trying their offerings for the first time. Give them a shot with me, and let me know what you think. Prost!
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