Promising Development

I know I promised a review of the Sierra Nevada Estate Grown beer and that will come, but I have to immediately share the news that successful and positive correspondence with Schlafly brewery has occurred.  For those not in our region, Schlafly's is the bottle name for the Saint Louis Brewery, a regional brewery (located not too far from that big big brewery that starts with a "B" and ends with an "R").
 http://www.schlafly.com/
They started as a microbrewery in 1991 and they produce about 30,000 barrels a year.  They are what I would call a medium sized brewery that made a nice transition from micro- to regional brewery.  They are meeting local market demand while continuing to produce a broad range of high quality beers.  Last fall I purchased a pub keg of a Belgian ale they unceremoniously called Farm House Ale.  I won't reveal too many details here short of saying it was a batch that must be experienced and not described.  By chance I happen to have a photo of a half drunk glass; even a pessimist would describe this glass as half full if they had the first half.

But back to the news.  I made contact with the brewers that be at Schlafly's and they are willing to do a test batch with our hops and see how it goes.  This would be a fresh dry hopped brew.  I am not sure what they are thinking, but I would presume something similar to what Sierra Nevada produces as a Harvest Ale, once in the Fall with the North American harvest and once in the Spring with New Zealand hops.  It is, of course, only a tentative agreement and only a test batch but it is a cool possibility.  Now I have to make sure we get enough in the ground to produce the 10-15 pounds necessary for that test batch!