RJ Rockers Brewing Company - Patriot Pale Ale

Expect a somewhat hazy, golden, light copper color on the pour, capped by an ample off-white head of foam. We enjoyed the interesting aroma of this brew, as it presents a floral, grassy, and mildly spicy hop character accompanied by a dose of citric zing. In addition, and almost as prominent, is a fairly robust malt profile offering a pronounced sweet toastiness and considerable caramel. These aromas come through on the palate as well, as it opens moderately sweet and stays that way with a strong center of toasty, earthy, grainy malts offering a pleasant caramel flavor that builds into the finish, while the hops present a firmly bitter counter punch. At the proper serving temperature, all the flavors are equally bold, and combined with a robust body that’s on the full side of medium, the end result is a pretty impressive, satisfying brew. It’s easy to see why this one is brewer Mark Johnsen’s personal favorite.

RJ Rockers’ slogan is “Handcrafted.  Every beer.  Every drop.  Every time.”  And it’s not just a nice sentiment; it’s an honest reflection of the passion that founder and owner Mark Johnsen has for the product he produces.  As head brewer, Mark still makes every batch with his own hands.

After serving in the Gulf War in 1991, Mark was stationed in Germany, which ranks towards the top of our list of most amazing places to live if you’re a lover of good beer.  What’s more, if you have an interest in actually learning the science and art of brewing, there is no better place to be, and Mark took full advantage of his opportune location to learn as much as he could about the brewing process.

Upon returning to the U.S. after an honorable discharge, Mark was ready to get into the brewing business for himself. The New Jersey native settled in South Carolina, and opened RJ Rockers in 1997 as a brewpub in the historic Morgan Square area of downtown Spartanburg.  The brewpub developed a strong and devoted following over the next several years and became a well-known meeting place and watering hole, complete with live bands and trivia games hosted by Mark himself.

After five years of nurturing the brewpub and establishing a reputation for exceptional microbrewed beer, RJ Rockers took the leap from brewpub to full-bore brewery to provide kegged and bottled beer to restaurants, pubs, and stores across the Southeast.  A building was acquired to serve as the brewhouse and a 30 barrel brewing system was installed, giving RJ Rockers an annual production capacity of 25,000 barrels – a big step up from their original brewpub system!  Environmental responsibility and sustainability have been integral to the brewery’s construction.  Solar panels are used to generate much of their energy needs, a steam capture system dramatically reduces water consumption, and the brewhouse’s giant bay windows ensure no electric lighting is needed during the daytime.  Even RJ Rockers’ spent grain finds a home with local farmers as cattle feed.

To learn more about RJ Rockers Brewing Company or scheduled brewery tours, visit www.rjrockers.com or call (864) 585-BEER.