Scratch Beer: Celebrating Our Tenth Anniversary and Beyond
In honor of Tröegs Brewery’s 10^th Anniversary we present the Scratch Beer Series. Scratch Beer is our celebration of ten years in the beer business. It delves deep into our past and combines it with what we’ve learned about brewing beer over the past ten years.

While we’ve talked at length about our current brewery expansion in terms of new fermentation space, a larger tasting room and expanded warehouse space, the project also included relocating the brewery offices. Because of this, we went through a lot of boxes that had been untouched for years.

Well, imagine our surprise when we came across some old scratch pads—notebooks where we would jot down tasting notes. (You have to do a lot of research when you’re planning on opening a brewery!) Along with those tasting notes, were detailed logs on pilot batches brewed on the back patio of our Colorado apartment several years before the brewery opened, along with numerous recipes that were never brewed.

None of those pilot batches or early recipes ever became a Tröegs Brewery beer, but those tasting notes and early recipes served as inspiration and research for the beers we finally bottled.

The Scratch Beer Series will revive these recipes in small, one-time batches. We will bottle approximately 200 cases of each batch and then keg the remainder for growler and (extremely-limited) keg sales. The Scratch Beer Series will only be available at the Tröegs Brewery Tasting Room.

We will be producing four Scratch Beers in the next five months, culminating in a special 10^th Anniversary Scratch beer that will be released in early August. We plan on making several Scratch Beers each year as tank space allows.

Scratch #20-2009: Apollo Imperial Ale
 ON TAP AND CASES (on sale noon on June 17th)
O.G.:              18.5 Plato
A.B.V.:          7%
I.B.U.’s:         115
Malt:               Pils, Munich, Crystal
Yeast:             House Ale Yeast
Kettle Hops:    Apollo, Warrior, Palisade, Amarillo
Hopback:        Apollo, Columbus
 
 
Scratch #20 has been dubbed Apollo Imperial Ale because of our experimentation with a new hop variety.
 
Apollo hops are high alpha acid with an intense aroma. Married with other high alpha hops, with almost two pounds of hops added per barrel produced, AIA has an intense staying power in the back of the throat. After a long discussion between Chris, John and the brewers, they dubbed this hop flavor stinky grapefruit with a hint of perfume. The dark color might lead you to believe the some malt may shine through; but no, the hops are the true player in this ale.
 
Scratch #20 has a dual role, also serving at The Drafting Room’s Anniversary Ale for 2009. We brewed a bit more to serve the brewery and The Drafting Room, but get it while when you see it. Before this intense hop flavor subsides, this beer will be sold out.

Scratch #19-2008: Imperial Double Espresso Oatmeal Stout
SOLD OUT
O.G.: 22
A.B.V.: 9.5%
I.B.U.’s: 61
Malt: Pils, Dark Crystal, Chocolate, Roast
Yeast: House Ale Yeast
Juju: Oats, Coffee & Espresso Beans
Hops: Chinook, Cluster

Every beer tells a story, and some are longer than others.

Consider Scratch #19; originally designed as an enhanced take on Scratch #15 with a slightly higher ABV, our brewers went to town to deliver a brew slightly more akin to our fabled Scratch #5, the Imperial Oatmeal Stout brewed for The Flying Mouflan Experience.

For Scratch #19, we teamed up with St. Thomas Roasters of Linglestown to create a special blend of espresso beans. They added Kenyan beans to the mix because of a strong citrus flavor that compliments the hops. Creating en environment akin a French press, the beans are combined with whole flower hops in the hopback, and the hot wort passes through the vessel on the way to fermentation giving Scratch #19 a lush coffee espresso nose and hints of coffee flavor. There is a silky quality to the mouthfeel and a citrus hop finsh coming from the Kenyan beans and hops.

Some stories have twists, and unfortunately a faulty valve in the fermentation cellar led to a dramatic beer tragedy one afternoon in the brewery. Risking life and limb (while keeping his mouth open to sample the beer), a heroic brewery team member took the dive reconnecting the valve and saving about half the batch of Scratch #19.

So for your amusement (and our final relief), we give you a draft-only release of a third-take on a style that demands continued research for the Troegs Brewery staff. Enjoy!

Scratch #18-2009 – Triple Rye IPA
SOLD OUT
OG:                17.4
ABV:               7.3%
IBU:                75
MALT:            Pils, Munich
JUJU:             Rye (25% of mash)
HOPS:            Amarrillo, Mt. Hood, Columbus
YEAST:           House Ale

We started with the same grain bill as Scratch #12 (IPA) and substituted 25% rye for the base malt giving Scratch #18 a creamy mouth feel and a full-bodied taste.

Mount Hood and Chinook hops are combined here for flavoring and aroma, and Warrior hops are used for overall bitterness.

The rye plays off the Mount Hood hops, with both ingredients releasing an herbal, spicy flavor. Cheers.

Scratch #17-2009 – Glacier Pils
SOLD OUT
O.G.:                12.7 Plato
A.B.V.:             5.6%
IBU:                 43
Malt:                Pils
Yeast:              Augustiner Brau
Hops:               Select, Tradition, Spalt, Glacier

Scratch #16-2008: Winter Warmer
SOLD OUT

O.G.: 16.1 Plato
A.B.V.: 6.3%
IBU: 85
Malt: Pils, Crystal, Munich
Yeast: Thames Valley
Juju: Molasses
Hops: Warrior, Amarillo, Cluster

Scratch #16-2008 combines the bitterness of two aroma hops, the lush sweetness of honey and malt and an earthy yeast taste creating a Winter Warmer designed to ward off the coldest days.

The dark, rich amber color comes from a combination of molasses and crystal malts; the Thames Valley brings a distinct earthy flavor; while the blend of hops creates fruity (Amarillo) and piney (Cluster) bitterness.

The Winter Warmer ends with a slight warming sensation from the elevated alcohol content. Enjoy this one throughout the winter months. Cheers.

Scratch #15 - Double Espresso Oatmeal Stout
SOLD OUT

O.G.:             16 Plato
A.B.V.:           6%
I.B.U.’s:         45
Malt:              Pils, Dark Crystal, Chocolate, Roast
Yeast:           House Ale Yeast
Juju:              Oats, Espresso Beans
Hops:            Galena, Kent Goldings


Scratch #15-2008 is our first collaborative beer in the Scratch series. We teamed up with St. Thomas Roasters of Linglestown to create a Double Espresso Oatmeal Stout.

The double in the name refers to the espresso (not the alcohol). Scratch #15’s espresso blend is a medium city-type roast featuring beans from three continents. St. Thomas Roasters roasted and ground the beans; we used them in our hopback. At the end of the boil the hot wort passed through the espresso beans to give a lush coffee espresso nose and hints of coffee flavor.

Chocolate, roasted and caramel malt flavors stand out, while the addition of oats gives Scratch #15 a full, round mouth feel. Galena and Ken Goldings hops are added to balance the overall flavor and not drive up the bitterness. The head retention diminishes quickly because of the oils from the espresso beans.

Scratch #14-2008: Saison
SOLD OUT
 
O.G.:            15.4 Plato
A.B.V.:          6.7%
I.B.U.’s:         25
Malt:             Pils, Munich, Vienna
Yeast:           Belgian/Saison Blend
Juju:              Ginger
Hops:            English Pilgrim, Saaz


Scratch #14-2008 is our interpretation of a farmhouse ale—a once near-extinct winter-brewed (and summer–imbibed) Belgian ale.

Our celebratory brew starts with a black pepper and ginger nose. The nicely carbonated brew releases a honey-malt flavor that gives way to a tart crisp finish that masks the elevated ABV.

We use a blended yeast strain (Saison Dupont & Le Chouffe) to create the traditional peppery, spicy earthy flavors of the saison. Slight hints of ginger also come through in the finish.

Drink it ‘til the wedding bells chime!

Scratch Beer #13-2008: Oktoberfest
SOLD OUT

O.G.:            12.4 Plato
A.B.V.:          4.9%
I.B.U.’s:        19
Malt:             Pils, Munich, Vienna
Yeast:           House Lager
Hops:           English Pilgrim, Hallertau
 
 
IScratch #13-2008 is all about tradition. This copper lager is reminiscent of what you would find under one of those mammoth tents in Munich this time of year.

A rich trio of Pils, Munich and Vienna malts combined with the light bitterness of noble hops creates this traditional lager beer. We left this one unfiltered to bring out a slight yeast flavor.

Strap on your lederhosen!

Scratch Beer #12-2008: IPA
SOLD OUT

O.G.:            15.5 Plato
A.B.V.:          6.5%
I.B.U.’s:        75
Malt:             Pils, Vienna
Yeast:           Thames Valley Ale
Hops:           Amarillo, Warrior, Mt. Hood
 
 
In our never-ending pursuit of answering the burning question of what’s new, we present Scratch #12-2008, an IPA.
 
The IPA is a fickle beast; too much malt and you veer into a high-octane hopbomb, while too little hops can question a beer’s virility. In these chaotic days of shrinking hop harvests, balance is key to a proper IPA. Scratch #12-2008 delivers an intense pine nose married with a subtle wildflower aroma. The Thames Valley yeast adds an earthy nod to traditional English IPAs, while the American hops provide a bold contrasting bitterness.
 
Breath deep, relax, enjoy.

Next up, we present Scratch Beer #11-2008, a Bitter. Back in the day, we used to brew a little number called Tröegs ESB. Even though this beer was retired almost six years ago, we still get numerous Tröegs old-schoolers (Martha) begging for its return.

Well hang onto your boot straps because Scratch #11 is about as close as we can get to the original ESB without firing up the old brew kettle. The Scratch #11 recipe originates from Chris’ stint at England’s University of Sunderland brewing program. After returning to Colorado the brothers drew on Chris’ experience and brewed pilot batches tweaking that recipe. The ESB production recipe has direct bloodlines to these pilot batches.

The Thames Valley ale yeast and the roasted barley create a biscuit flavor with nutty undertones. Combining these flavors with the earthiness of East Kent Golding hops creates one hell of a fine session beer. Take in the deep mahogany beauty of this beer and breathe in the full hoppy nose. It’s not the ESB, but it’s damn special.

Scratch #10-2008: Grand Cru
SOLD OUT

O.G.:             22 Plato
A.B.V.:           10.2%
I.B.U.’s:         18
Malt:             Pils, Crystal
Adjuncts:     Molasses, Dememera Sugar
Juju:             Orange Peel, Star Anise, Molasses
Yeast:           Trappist
Hops:           Nugget, German Northern Brewers

The third time just might be the charm—Scratch #10-2008 is our third triple in the Scratch Beer series.

This grand cru has been lovingly aged since late-February, yet still unleashes the slightest hint of alcohol heat.

Scratch #10-2008 also has a triple flavor inspiration combining the caramel/toffee notes of dememera sugar and molasses, with citrus and licorice flavors created by the orange peel and star anise; lastly we create a peppery/spicy finish with the same trappist yeast has been used in each Scratch Beer Triple.

Scratch #8-2008:
SOLD OUT
Release Date:  March 11, 2008
Inspiration:  Cross between Belgian style Tripel and Gin

O.G.:                21.2 Plato
A.B.V.:             10.1%
I.B.U.’s:           18
Malt:                Pils
Juju:                Juniper, Coriander, Yarrow Flowers
Yeast:              Trappist
Hops:               Warrior, Hallertau

Revisiting Scratch #3, we take the same Tripel recipe, add beet and cane sugars to the kettle, and run the wort through our hopback brimming with juniper berries, coriander and yarrow flowers.

Inspired by the herbaceous nose of gin, the berries and flowers give a slight pine/citrus aroma with floral undertones. Scratch #8 has a dry, yeasty finish and noticeable alcohol warming when consumed.

Scratch Beer #7-2008 
SOLD OUT
Release Date:  Jan. 19, 2007
Inspiration:  Weizenbock

O.G.:            19 Plato
A.B.V.:          7.9%
I.B.U.’s:        18
Malts:          Pilsner, Crystal
Wheat:        Red, White
Hops:           Magnum, German Northern Brewer
Yeast:          Hefeweizen

Red and white wheat combined with darker malts add body to this hazy, unfiltered ale.  Fermented with the same yeast as DreamWeaver Wheat replicating the pepper, clove and all-spice flavors found in our year-round beer. 

Scratch Beer #6-2007
SOLD OUT
Release Date:  Tuesday November 20
Inspiration:  Unfiltered Export Lager

O.G.:            12.5 Plato
A.B.V.:          5.1%
I.B.U.’s:        30
Malts:          Pilsner, Caramunich, vienna
Hops:           Magnum, Saaz, Hallertau
Yeast:          Lager

Old world brewing techniques combine with Noble hops for Scratch #6-2007.

Scratch #6-2007 is unfiltered, so there will be a slight haze to the beer.

Scratch Beer #5-2007
SOLD OUT
Release Date:  Saturday, October 27th
Inspiration:  Imperial Oatmeal Stout

O.G.:            23 Plato
A.B.V.:          9.6%
I.B.U.’s:        55
Malts:           Dark Crystal, Chocolate, Roast, Oats
Hops:           Magnum, German Northern Brewers, Palisade

Enjoy this as a token of our appreciation. With the demise of Tröegs Oatmeal Stout, this long-forgotten recipe serves as an inspiration and a heartfelt thanks to our faithful stout fans.

What’s special here? We start with a seductive malty sweetness, combine it with hints of chocolate and roasted flavors and round out the texture and taste with a healthy helping of oats. A three-hop blend brings perfect balance to the sweet malt adding a dry finish to this big beer.

Scratch Beer #4-2007
SOLD OUT
Release Date:  Friday September 28th
Inspiration:  Barleywine

Original Gravity:         25 Plato
ABV:                             9.3%
IBU’s:                          100-ish
Malts:                           Pils, Munich, Dark Crystal
Hops:                           Warrior, Chinook, Simcoe
Yeast:                           House Ale

Behold Scratch 4-2007, the latest offering from Tröegs Brewing Company’s Scratch Beer Series. Dubbed The Flying Mouflan (for reasons that become clearer toward the bottom of the glass) this strong, alluring ale is two beers in one.  Cracking one open this fall season unleashes hops and heat with more than 100 IBU’s emanating from three hop varieties and the sweet burn of 9.2% ABV. The Tröegs Brothers classify this beast as “pushing Nugget Nectar off the side of a cliff”—think hops dipped in candied sugar and rolled in dark chocolate nibs.For virtuous traditionalists who cellar big beers to release their dark secrets, The Flying Mouflan’s palette transforms into lush raisin and chocolate overtones. Cellaring The Flying Mouflan in a cool, dark place at 50 degrees for a minimum of four months will mellow out the hops and wash away the heat.  If you can resist temptation, you will be rewarded with two memorable beers in a single bottle.

Scratch Beer 3-2007 - Sold Out
Release Date:  July 30, 2007
Inspiration:  Belgian style Triple
Alcohol by Volume:  9.5%
Hop Bitterness (IBU's) 28
Color (SRM) Golden
Malts:  Euro Pilsner
Hops:  Northern Brewer, East Kent Gold, Styrian
Yeast:  Belgian Strong Ale

"For the third scratch beer, we delved into our old Belgian notes and decided to go big for a nice warming feeling when you drink this beer,” says John Trogner. “This unfiltered golden ale is 10.1% abv. It is spicy and quite dry with a hint of noble hops. The yeast is the real flavor in this beer and we used a different yeast strain than we use for The Mad Elf. This yeast creates that drier taste.”

Scratch Beer 2-2007 - Sold Out
Release Date:  June 18, 2007
Inspiration: Porter
Alcohol by Volume:  5.9%
Hop Bitterness (IBU's) 55
Color (SRM) Bronze/Black
Malts:  Pilsner, Crystal, Dark Crystal, Roast
Hops:  Chinock, Palisade, Vanguard

Scratch Beer 1-2007 - Sold Out
A hybrid beer (California Common Beer), will be released on or about April 26. This is a beer we brewed on the back patio on more than one occasion. It became the inspiration for Tröegs Pale Ale.

Ingredients:
Original Gravity -  13 Plato
ABV -  5%
IBU's – 35
Malts -  Pils, Vienna, Dark Crystal
Hops -  Northern Brewer, Willamette, Brewers Gold
Yeast -  Lager fermented at Ale temperatures

The simplest explanation of what makes a hybrid beer unique is the brewer is forcing a lager to do something it doesn’t want to do. Scratch 1-2007 uses lager yeast fermented at a warmer temperature. The fermented malt gives an exaggerated fruity undertone to the beer which combines nicely with the citrus flavors of Cascade hops. Balancing out the taste are spicy, earthy flavors derived from Brewer’s Gold hops. Slightly aggressive hops in the front of the mouth give way to a clean, subtle grape-like finish.

This beer recipe was tweaked many times on the back patio during our years in Colorado. This marriage of up-front hops and a sweet finish are the inspiration for Tröegs Pale Ale.

For World Beer Cup style guidelines visit: http://www.beertown.org/events/wbc/competition/reg_info/style_descr.html
scroll down to 36 b. California Common Beer.