Fair Isle Brewing releases 3 new Oak-Aged Fruited Ales
Seattle, Washington’s farmhouse-style brewers at Fair Isle Brewing have announced three new bottle release: Tove, Eleanor and Claude. Though they only officially opened in January, Fair Isle has built an impressive collection of oak-aged mixed culture ales, saisons and sours. Since the pandemic began, Fair Isle is bottling and shipping all of their packaged beer to Washington residents, these latest releases included.
Tove
an oak-aged ale refermented on blackberries.
6.7% ABV || 375mL bottles [no draft]
BATCH: ONE || PACKAGED: DECEMBER 2019
Tove is the first beer to be released from Fair Isle’s series of fruited farmhouse ales. The approach is one of simplicity and restraint. Tove is a beer that both expresses what the brewers love about the fruit, but with a transparency that allows the nuance character of the base beer to shine through, all while balancing acidity and bacterial funk.
Made from their base farmhouse ale brewed in May of 2019 with Skagit Valley Malts and Yakima Chief Hops, Tove was then transferred in August 2019 to a single oak puncheons and refermented with blackberries from Hima Nursery and Farms in Snohomish, Washington. Tove made a brief appearance on draft for Fair Isle’s soft opening, but has since spent five months conditioning.
Dry with a hint of fruit sweetness, Tove has unmistakable blackberry notes evocative of the hard candy your grandmother would have eaten.
Eleanor
an oak-aged ale refermented on foraged elderberries.
6.6% ABV || 375mL bottles & draft pours
BATCH: ONE || PACKAGED: FEBRUARY 20
Lady Ellhorn, give me of thy wood
And I will give thee of mine
When I become a tree.” - Celtic folklore
Eleanor is Fair Isle’s second beer to be released in their series of fruited farmhouse ales. While Tove had a restrained tartness, Eleanor's firm acidity compliments the prominent fruit notes. The result is a dry farmhouse ale with notes of pomegranate, cherries and raspberries followed by spices of cinnamon and clove and finishes with earthy undertones.
Brewery friend and ethnobotanist, Alex Harwell, harvested the elderberries from the Cascades last summer and through the help of friends gathering at Fair Isle, hand processed the berries and added them to a single puncheon. Made from their base farmhouse ale brewed in May of 2019 with Skagit Valley Malts and Yakima Chief Hops, Eleanor was then transferred in August 2019 to oak and refermented with the Elderberries for five months before packaging.
Claude
An oak-aged ale refermented on white peaches
7.0% ABV || 375mL bottles [no draft]
BATCH: ONE || PACKAGED: MARCH 2020
Claude is the third and final beer to be released in Fair Isle’s series of fruited farmhouse ales with fruit from the 2019 harvest. Claude exhibits delicate notes of peaches, vanilla and toasted almonds followed by a bright acidity.
Brewers love how the white peaches complement their house yeast culture, but the soft tannic structure from the oak brings exciting new layers to this batch of Claude.
Made from their base farmhouse ale brewed in May of 2019 with Skagit Valley Malts and Yakima Chief Hops, Claude was then transferred in August 2019 to oak and refermented with the white peaches for seven months before packaging.