Most breweries
that I know of make more than a couple of beers. Sure, they may have a
flagship brew, like Budweiser for Anheuser-Busch. But even ole AB makes more
than just two brews, though they outsell many another brewery with just Bud
and Bud Light alone.
Yet, tiny upstart Old Savannah Brewing is, at least for the moment, a
two-brew operation. And of course it may seem odd to compare this Little
Brewery that could to AB. I doubt August Busch III lies awake at night
worrying about how much business he’s losing to Old Savannah (though the
micro/craft beer segment in general is probably vexing him a bit more). But
everyone has to start somewhere, and who knows? Maybe one day, Savannah
Brewing will reign supreme.
I doubt it, though. Still, they’re worth checking out if you’re in Savannah
or Atlanta. Their
Ghost Ale is a refreshing blonde ale, but I find that Old Savannah
Pale Ale is the far more interesting of the two. This is a bit of a
quirky pale ale, not really like any I’ve tried before, in some ways it
reminds me of a brown/English mild style. Let’s let the brewer have a say,
shall we?
Fine Marris Otter malt from Thomas Fawcett & Sons, UK provides the
backbone to this classic English best bitter (They still use traditional
floor maltings). We also brew with mild crystal malt and a hint of pale
chocolate malt - all from the heart of England. We use East Kent Goldings
and Fuggles for the aroma and balance. Our Savannah Pale ale has an original
gravity of 1045, is dark amber in color and delicious.
When my pint of Old Savannah Pale Ale arrived before me, I was struck
immediately by the slightly brownish-amber color of the brew. Had they
poured me the right beer, I wondered? I did see them tilt back the very
beautiful tap handle featuring a replica of the famous “Bird Girl” statue
from Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. So it seemed to be the
right beer. And it had the same very fresh malty flavor that my Ghost Ale
had.
A light creamy head sat atop the liquid, which had a light malt nose with a
slightly chocolaty aroma. When I took my first sip, I was very surprised by
the roastiness of the beer. It doesn’t dominate, and you still get a touch
of fruit and caramelly crystal malt flavor. But the roastiness is there, and
imparts a subtle chocolate-nutty flavor. I think they’re using a little more
than a hint of chocolate malt for this one.
The beer finishes with a gentle kiss of hops, just enough to deposit a
subtle grassiness and balance out the malt nicely. I found this to be an
unusual, idiosyncratic, and quirky little brew indeed. Sadly, it appears
that the brewery went under, however, and a recent trip to Savannah revealed
it was nowhere to be found.
And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For
reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.