Grave Digger Kelly

From the Beer Writer: Earlier this week, I ventured to Kalamazoo, Michigan, to visit 37-year-old Midwest craft-beer stalwart, Bell’s Brewery for the first-ever October release of their double IPA, Hopslam. While there, I savored the crisp nip in the air and the vibrant, varied colors of the leaves on the trees. Such signs of fall are rare in my hometown of San Diego. I’m not complaining…we all pay a lot for the year-round sunny weather we so enjoy. Still, a part of me lamented the fact that my seasonal experience would be cut far too short. Then, after returning home, I had a sip of this week’s featured beer, Grave Digger Kelly from Julian Beer Co., and its fall-friendly character got me back in an autumnal state of mind. A deep inhale brought forth an intoxicating bouquet of rye and pumpernickel. Those aromatics combined with flavors of deep caramel, dark berries, prunes, black pepper and dark chocolate to create a warming beverage tailor-made for the season’s declining temps. Throw in how well this imperial-strength lager pairs with the soups, stews and roasted carnivorous fare we crave as the year begins to wind down, and this is exactly the type of beer those who love fall will enjoy. Ditto fans of richer, darker, higher-alcohol German styles, most of which, like scarlet, orange and umber-hued tree leaves, are hard to come by in these parts. If this sounds like you, take a trip to Julian before all those snow-seekers start jamming up the highway, and give this one a sip and a savor.

From the Brewer: “This beer was made from a fourth-generation White Labs 802 strain. The final ABV (alcohol-by-volume) finished at 8% with a nice, deep malty character. I didn’t use any finishing hops and just allowed the smooth malt character to be highlighted at the forefront as well as finish. This beer, which was lagered for just over a month-and-a-half, was actually designed to be a 4.5% ABV dunkel, but once I had the sweet wort and its high-gravity safely in the fermenter, I decided to just let it roll!”–Matthew Pitman, Head Brewer, Julian Beer Co.