Caedmon's Ale

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Description

An American Sahti by definition, this ale captures a traditional idea and mashes it with a modern (and Texan) feel. We use a blend of rye, barley, and wheat to completely round out the flavor and bring back the traditional feel of a Sahti. We use an antique wheat from Germany that has remained unchanged for hundreds of years. We smoke a small percentage of the grains over pecan wood in order to draw away from the juniper flavor. There is a focus on keeping the additions light enough that the smoke flavor only really comes out after your sip, not on the palate with the flavors of the ale itself. As with a traditional Sahti, the grains are filtered through a bed of juniper that we trim off of local trees the day we brew. We also add in crushed juniper berries to improve the juniper flavor without adding too much of a resin taste from the branches. In place of Finnish baking yeast, we use Belgian Saison yeast to add the peppery, clover, and bready characteristics that are traditionally attributed to this style of ale.
We can't guarantee that this is anything like what the vikings would have drank, but enough research and planning has gotten us a fantastic ale that, Viking or not...will make you want to smash heads.