Black Hog Brewing Company - Granola Brown Ale

This 2016 World Beer Cup gold medal winner offers us a deep reddish-brown hue in our glasses, capped by a sizable head of light brown foam that retains well before dropping to a persistent collar. Look for quite a malty aroma here, offering notes of brown bread and toasted bread crust, dry-roasted nuts, deep caramel, brown sugar, and – you guessed it – granola, all overlaid by subtly woody hops. Those malty elements form a bold center on the palate too, bringing forth lots of roasty-toasty character and hints of dark chocolate and dark roast coffee within a smooth body that remains fairly light on its feet despite the big malt expression. The roasted notes join with spicy, woody, and zesty hop flavors to amplify the otherwise mild hop bitterness, easily balancing a dash of residual sweetness. For pairing options, barbecue of all sorts is at the top of our list – especially brisket – plus roasted vegetables, and maple-smoked grilled salmon. Additionally, the brewery recommends nutty alpine cheeses, specifically Spring Brook Tarentaise, Comté, or Gruyère. (Shameless plug alert! – Tarentaise and exceptionally curated selections of Comté and Gruyère have all made their appearance in our Gourmet Cheese of the Month Club. Check it out at cheesemonthclub.com.) Cheers!

Black Hog Brewing Company was founded in the summer of 2014 by brothers Jason & Tom Sobocinski and family friend Tyler Jones. The Sobocinski brothers had made their mark in the New Haven, CT area, first with Jason’s cheese shop and restaurant known as Caseus Fromagerie Bistro, and then their joint food truck called The Cheese Truck (now Crispy Melty), and their bar called Ordinary which focuses on fine wine, beer, and cocktails. Jones had earned a degree in chemical engineering and got into homebrewing before attending the highly respected brewing school at UC Davis. After this, he spent several years brewing at Mercury Brewing Co. in Massachusetts, and Smuttynose Brewing Co. and Portsmouth Brewery in New Hampshire – becoming head brewer at the latter. After moving to New Haven to be closer to his wife’s family, he and the Sobocinskis joined forces and founded Black Hog in the former location of Cavalry Brewing.

Roasting a Berkshire pig has been a family tradition – from Jason’s wedding to kids’ birthdays – so the name Black Hog was chosen in homage of coming together in a communal, celebratory way… something good beer most certainly does as well. The brewery currently produces an array of year-round and seasonal brews covering a wide spectrum from pilsner to IPA to stout to wild ales. Their tap room in Oxford boasts a dozen taps along with plenty of additional bottles and cans, along with bar snacks and a rotating supply of food trucks to meet guests’ gastronomic needs. For more info, visit them at blackhogbrewing.com.