Samuel Adams, a brand of Boston-based The Boston Beer Co., released Time Hop Porter, a limited-edition hopped porter brewed with San Diego-based ChuckAlek Independent Brewers. The collaboration beer is the culmination of a year-long program, Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream Brewing and Business Experienceship, which annually provides one craft brewer with hands-on brewing and business coaching, the company says. Sam Adams established the program to help small-craft breweries get a leg-up in the industry, it adds.
As part of the 2015 Experienceship, Samuel Adams brewers collaborated with Grant Fraley and Marta Jankowska, brewers and founders of ChuckAlek Independent Brewers, on a brew inspired by Fraley and Jankowska’s mission of creating "Old School Beers for New School Palates." What resulted is Time Hop Porter. At 5.3 percent alcohol by volume (ABV), the porter is brewed with a blend of malts to create a roasted flavor that is complemented by the citrus notes and pine character of the hops blend and with a delicate bitter finish, the company says.
Time Hop Porter currently is available in select bars and restaurants in and around San Diego, and also is being served at the Samuel Adams Boston Brewery as well as at ChuckAlek's tasting room.
"ChuckAlek is a terrific brewery with great potential, and it was a pleasure working with both Grant and Marta," Samuel Adams Founder and Brewer Jim Koch said in a statement. "We're looking forward to welcoming more craft brewers into our Brewing the American Dream Brewing and Business Experienceship to continue to support our shared passion — making delicious, flavorful craft beer."
"Our time in Boston with the Sam Adams team was amazing — we had a great time brewing this delicious beer and the coaching we received as part of the Experienceship was really the highlight," said Jankowska, who also serves as ChuckAlek's chief executive officer, in a statement. "We learned so much about business planning and moving our company forward in the few days we had in Boston with the Sam Adams team. The advice and mentoring is already having a positive impact on our business as we look toward opening our next tasting room."