Weyerbacher Merry Monks Ale at the Independent Bar Tampa

Merry Monks’ is a Belgian style Abby Tripel. To be true to the style, Merry Monks’ Ale is bottle conditioned. This means we add a bit of sugar and yeast just prior to bottling. This imparts a special effervescence to the beer, a creamier carbonation, and also extends the shelf life. The on-going fermentation inside the bottle will change the character of the beer as it ages, and you’ll find it becomes dryer with age. You may want to lay down a few bottles for future evaluation. We suggest storing at cellar temperatures – around 55°F – and away from light.

When you try this beer you’re in for a unique treat. The special effervescence and creaminess are immediately apparent when pouring. The pilsner malts combined with the Belgian yeast strains yield a remarkable and complex flavor- perhaps you’ll note subtle hints of banana. The flavor is nicely balanced and the finish moderate to dry, begging for the next sip. This 9.3% brew is available year-round.

WINNER: Bronze Medal 2010 World Beer Cup Category 47: Belgian-Style Tripel

Ommegang Scythe and Sickle Harvest on tap at Independent Bar Tampa

Ommegang Scythe and Sickle Harvest now on tap at the Independent Bar & Face Tampa. 

From Ommegang: 

Scythe & Sickle Harvest Ale is brewed with barley, wheat, oats and rye. Scythe and sickle is a seasonal brew that celebrates the richness of the grain harvest. Brewed with barley, wheat, oats and – in a nod to traditional upstate New York grains – rye, this fine ale is malty and creamy on the palate. The flavors of the grains and earth shine through. Enjoy the refreshment of the season and joys of fine brewing.

With the funk and wild yeast of saison, this primitive Ale is earthy and flavorful. 

ABV 5.8% 

Just Tapped: Cigar City Brewing Good Gourd Pumpkin Imperial

From Cigar City Brewing: 

Legend has it that when a pumpkin comes into the world it is possessed by either a good or an evil spirit. Ours got all the good baby! Bursting with real pumpkin flavor and yummy pumpkin spices including Ceylon cinnamon, Jamaican all-spice, Zanzibar cloves and nutmeg, Good Gourd is a celebration of Fall and that spookiest of holidays, Halloween. Pair Good Gourd with pumpkin soup, pumpkin pie and costume parties.

Abv: 8.5% 

On Tap at the Independent Bar: Schneider Weisse Weissbier

An original Weissbier, Schneider Weisse comes from a Bavarian brewery company founded in 1872 by Georg Schneider I and his son of the same name, after they acquired the Weisses Brauhaus in Munich; the oldest wheat beer brewery in the city.

The Original version from this brewery is amber-mahogany in color, this beer has a laced head that leaves traces on the glass. It is subtly fruity with a typical top-fermented smell, and an aroma of cloves nutmeg and apple. The taste is fresh, clean, full-bodied, and well-balanced. It finishes with a light, delicate taste of bitters leaving behind a slight sour impression.

From Scheider Weisse: 

 The wheat comes from the upper Altmühltal, lower Bavaria, and Upper Palatinate regions. The malting barley is grown in the Kelheim and Riedenburg areas. Hallertau hops are used to give the beers their bittering and aromatic properties.

And of note, the Schneider's have been at it for some time, now on it's 7th generation of brewers, and is still family run: 

The Schneider Dynasty: 

Georg Schneider I (1817-1890)

Georg Schneider II (1846-1890)

Georg Schneider III (1870-1905)

Mathilde Schneider (1877-1973)

Georg Schneider IV (1900-1991)

Georg Schneider V (1928-)

Georg Schneider VI (1965-)

Come by the Independent Tampa for a glass of this excellent and historic beer! 

On Tap: Unibroue Raftman at the Independent Bar Tampa, Florida

Unibroue Raftman at the Independent Bar  The inspiration behind Raftman from Unibroue is based upon the legendary courage of the early Quebec lumberjacks, who after hard days toil on the lakes and rivers rolling logs, would settle their days and differences over ale and whiskey; both made from a malted barley. What results is a 2011 World Beer Championship winner, and a beer that confuses critics, and pleases the drinker. Is is a Belgian Style Pale? In many ways, yes it is, but the Whiskey Malts take it in a different direction. Is it a smoked beer? Not by the traditional sense at all, but there is that peat highland overtone aroma that reminds one of that brewing tradition without being cloistering to the senses. This is an easy drinking beer, and has a clean mouth feel, with ripe flavors, a subtle spice, and pleasant warm maltiness. Previously this beer was only available in Canada. Now we bring this beer to you here in lovely Florida. 

Origin	Chambly, Québec
Brewed since	1995
ABV	5.5%
Fermentation	High
Style	Peat-smoked whisky malt ale
Color	Amber red
SRM	10
Clarity	Cloudy
Head	Beige
Bubbles	Fine
Effervescence	Moderate
Nose	A complex blend of smoke, apples, caramel, and whisky malt
Flavor	Smoked malt whisky, low acidity masked by a caramelized apple flavor with a taste of fine yeast
IBU	15.5
Body	Thin
Aftertaste	Short
Suggested serving temperature	6º–8ºC, better at 10ºC / 46°-50°F, better at 50°F
Suggested glass	Big cognac or brandy snifter

Awards: 

• Bronze - 2011 - World Beer Championship, Chicago Beverage Testing Institute
• Bronze - 2005 - Australian International Beer Awards