Smuttlabs Satchmo and Hugs 'n Rainbows

I'm a little behind on this update, but with a the new brewery opening (Saturday May 31 at 10am), we're all spinning a few extra plates here at the 'Nose.

There are two new Smuttlabs beers available now: Satchmo and Hugs 'n Rainbows. This post has information on them both. Shipments have begun so you should see these in bars and stores soon, if you haven't already.

This is our second batch of Satchmo, Smutty's first culinary collaboration beer. Initially conceived with Chef Evan Mallet, three time-James Beard semi-finalist of Portsmouth's Black Trumpet Bistro and Newmarket's The Joinery, Satchmo is a brown porter brewed with black trumpet mushrooms from New Hampshire's forests. These unique mushrooms (below), also known as black chantrelles, can't be cultivated, so we called the New Hampshire Mushroom Company in Tamworth, who sourced 36 pounds of dried fungus for the brew.

The result is a 4.9% full-bodied, full-flavored beer that lacks the roasted astringency typically found in porters and instead highlights fudgy, chocolate notes and rich, but subtle earthiness from the mushrooms. The malt character is the perfect compliment for the fungus. When we poured the beer at SAVOR in Washington DC, even self-professed "mushroom haters" surprised themselves by how much they enjoyed it.

Vital Stats for Satchmo
4.9% abv  25 IBU  25 barrels brewed
Malt: North American 2-Row, Munich 10L, C-60, Brown, Chocolate
Hops: Willamette
Yeast: American Ale Yeast
Other Ingredients: Black Trumpet Mushrooms, Red Wine Barrels

Hugs 'n Rainbows joins Brett & I and our two Short Weiss beers in the 'non-traditionally fermented" category. This red beer began in stainless steel tanks where it was fermented exclusively with Brettanomyces, a non-traditional brewer's yeast that does excellent things to beer and makes winemakers quake in their boots. After fermentation ended, we moved the beer in whiskey barrels for eight months of aging, to be sure we got the beer we wanted: tart, yet fruity with a subtle malty note in the finish to keep the beer from drying out your mouth. We look forward to bringin more sour beers to you in the future, as we grow Smuttlabs plans.

Vital Stats for Hugs 'n Rainbows
6.5% abv  8 IBU   32 barrels brewed
Malt: North American 2-Row, Aromatic, Caramunich 2, Brown Malt
Hops: Willamette
Yeast: Brettanomyces
Other Ingredients: Dark Candi Syrup, Oak Barrels

We have a few cases of each of these beers saved for our Smerchendise boutique at Towle Farm, but we expect they'll go fast once we open the doors.

See you at the farm!