Two Bucking Sheep – New Beer From Dead Frog Brewery

Sept. 12, 2014
Press Release from Dead Frog Brewery

Is life a struggle between the forces of light and darkness, or is this a mistaken dichotomous moral judgment of the yin-yang duality of an indivisible whole? We’ll leave you to ponder that dilemma as you explore new pastures with our latest release, the Bucking Sheep Buckwheat IPA and Bucking Black Sheep Buckwheat IPA.

Note that the Bucking Sheep duo are not gluten-free, rather they are a blend of buckwheat, wheat, and barley.

Description

Float amongst clouds of Citra hops with this golden IPA brewed using buckwheat. A crisp malt base is complimented by a magnificent tropical fruit flavour and aroma with a hint of bitterness.

— White Bucking Sheep

A one-of-a-kind brew featuring a hop-forward tropical fruit aroma and flavour combined with a rich roasted malt base. Midnight wheat and buckwheat give the beer its unique colour and an irresistible finish with flavours of chocolate and espresso.

— Black Bucking Sheep

Nick’s Inspiration

As buckwheat is a less common ingredient in beer, I thought it would be fun to try utilizing the earthy, nutty, yet bitter flavour it would bring. What better way than in an IPA? And at that, why not try both light and dark versions?

The white was an attempt to capture the unique attributes of the buckwheat and counter the rich flavour with a burst of bright Citra hops. I wanted a light, airy body with strong head retention and minimal malt profile to accentuate the buckwheat and hops.

The black was a fun small-batch brew building off similar characteristics found in our Obsidian Dagger IPA Noire, but again, with the interesting addition of buckwheat—dark in colour and flavour, but still retaining a light body, much like its lighter brother.

Both brews gain a large portion of their bitterness from the buckwheat with hops added late in the boil to produce strong tropical and citrus aromas.

Specs

White

o Ingredients: water, malted barley, hops, yeast
o Malts: Pilsner, Buckwheat, White Wheat, Cara 8
o Hops: Citra, Centennial
o IBU: 35
o ABV: 6.5%
o Suggested serving temperature: 4-7°C
o Recommended glass: IPA, English pint
o Suggested food pairing: fried cauliflower, spicy squid, Vietnamese lemongrass pork chop, chocolate fondant

Black

o Ingredients: water, malted barley, hops, yeast
o Malts: Prairie 2-Row, Buckwheat, Midnight Wheat, Cara 20, Carafa II,
o Hops: Galaxy, Centennial
o IBU: 41
o ABV: 6.5%
o Suggested serving temperature: 8-12°C
o Recommended glass: IPA, English pint
o Suggested food pairing: mascarpone, coffee-rubbed barbecue brisket, grilled lamb, mocha torte

Did you know?: Buckwheat is not a grass, therefore, is not related to wheat but to knotweed, rhubarb, and sorrel.