It has only been a month Deep Ellum Brewing Company released their first beer so they must have been knocked for six on Saturday when at least 500 people turned up for the party celebrating the release of their Deep Ellum IPA. They pouredthe IPA along with several other beers including the Backslider Blonde which reminded me of a girl I once dated. She was certainly that hoppy. The Double Brown Stout had a distinctive chocolate note which no doubt came from the chocolate malt used in the brew. It could also be called a Baltic porter or a Baltic oatmeal porter. The Darkest Hour represents DEBC’s tête de cuvée of dark beers. It’s a full 9% ABV (alcohol by volume) and made from rye and barley. It is the most intense beer that I have tasted for some time. However, the flavors that brew master Drew Huerter imparts in his beers are clean and well-defined. I would drink both of these stouts with foods such as cheese with some rough textured farmhouse bread. Aaron Baxter, who along with Tait Lifto, is a ‘Brand Ninja’ at DEBC suggested I pair the brew with spicy Tex-Mex or Mexican food as an alternative.
Wait, there’s more.
The star of Saturday’s show, the Deep Ellum IPA, has the lightness of body that you would expect from an IPA (light, at least, relative to the stouts), and a powerful nose of hops, tangerine peel, grapefruit, and lychee (in large part from Amarillo hops). The notes of fruit continue through to the flavors in the mouth without a hint of sweetness because of the brew’s 70 IBUs (International Bitterness Units) rating imbued by the hops. The finish is long and harmonious making for a beer that is pleasant for sipping but also memorable. I would never guess this was a first effort by a brewery. Watch the progress of, and awards to, these guys.
Where to buy? Since they are still new, DEBC is still building out its distribution. Currently their products are available on-premise at The Meddlesome Moth, The Common Table, The Anvil Pub, and The Flying Saucer. You can also pick them up at Lone Star in Carrollton and Parkit Market (SMU’s house beer barn). Expect more outlets in the coming months. If you’ve seen the beer elsewhere, please leave the location in the comments.
There was something very encouraging about the event that is reflected in the Dallas craft beer scene in general: The huge (and young) crowds and the presence of five local brewers (plus brew pubs) indicate the enormous enthusiasm for a quality product in a market once content to drink bland, anemic brews.
A portion of the proceeds from this event was donated to St. Judes Children’s Research Hospital.
