Recently in La Cabra Category

I've done a poor job of keeping up with La Cabra. Well, when I say "keeping up with," I don't so much mean drinking their beer as much as writing about it. The pub in Berwyn is still a favorite stop on that R5 corridor and now that we're all living in lockdown, I'm trying to support my favorite local breweries. La Cabra has a very convenient contactless curbside pickup setup going (which includes a limited food menu too), so I hope they're able to maintain during these lean times. Got myself a couple of 4 packs, a crowler, and some food last week, so let's get their goat and drink some beer.

Hipster Catnip - Lactose dosed IPA made with Citra and Mosaic - Pours a cloudy, pale yellow color with a finger or two of fluffy white head and good retention. Smells nice, bright citrus hops, stone fruit, a bit of pine, some of that milkshake swankiness. Taste is sweet, lots of those bright citrus notes up front, with the danker piney notes emerging later, and an actual balancing bitterness towards the finish. Mouthfeel is medium bodied, well carbonated, and while that lactose adds body, it's a well balanced adjunct that works well here. Overall, rock solid stuff, well integrated. B+

Beer Nerd Details: 7.2% ABV canned (16 ounce pounder). Drank out of a stemless wine glass on 4/30/20. Canned on: 04/20/20 Batch: NICE.

Citra Shatter - Single hopped NEIPA dosed with lactose, guess which hop? - Pours an even cloudier, even paler straw yellow color with a solid finger or two of fluffy white head and good retention. Smells great, juicy, almost candied citrus aromas, mangos, apricots, and some bright herbal/floral notes too (pretty solid Citra hop combo right there). Taste starts sweet, hits some of those juicy citrus hop notes, hints of herbal/floral, and finishing with a bit of balancing bitterness. Taste is not quite as great as the nose would imply, but it's still some solid stuff. Mouthfeel is medium bodied, well carbonated, similar lactose body character, but this is overall a lighter mouthfeel. OVerall, good stuff, I think I like it better than the Catnip... and while I haven't had a ton of the Shatter series, this may be the best of them. B+ or A-

Beer Nerd Details: 6% ABV canned (16 ounce pounder). Drank out of a tulip glass on 5/1/20. Canned on: 04/27/20 Batch: FRESHIE.

Down to Collab - Collaboration with Bulls Head Public House, an English Mild ale hopped with a mild dose of Chinook - Pours a gorgeous clear copper amber color with a finger or two of off white head. Smells nice, sweet, biscuity, floral, maybe a hint of citrus and pine. Taste has a nice, light biscuity character, with some dry bitterness balancing out in the finish. Mouthfeel is light bodied, well carbed, quaffable, very easy going stuff. Overall, I really enjoy this and of beers to get in a 32 ounce container, this is a pretty great choice. B+

Beer Nerd Details: 4.8% ABV canned (32 ounce crowler). Drank out of a tulip glass on 5/3/20. Canned on: 4/28/20.

Hard to believe it's been three year's since I've written about La Cabra (for crying out loud, I covered them almost as much before they opened as after!), let's not wait so long again, shall we? He says, as if you have any impact on that. Which you probably do. Totally your fault.

La Cabra continues to chug along, quickly establishing itself as a regular brewpub on the Kaedrin beat (a position all breweries aspire to, I assure you), and now, as if on cue, they've had their first bottle release. A nice online pre-sell made for a convenient and easy-going release day, no long lines of empty chairs or ridiculous waits here.

I originally thought this was names as some sort of beer pun, like ALE-atory (get it?), but it turns out that aleatory is a real, bona-fide word and everything. It means an object (or form of art) that relies on random elements or a roll of the dice during its production. In this case, we've got an American Wild Ale made with 500 pounds of raspberries that, if the name has any meaning, were probably lucked into at some point. It's then aged in virgin oak for 4 months. While perhaps not the face melter that Brettophile was back in the day, this is a great little initial bottle release.

La Cabra Aleatory Series #1 - Pours a bright, almost luminous ruby red color with a finger of off white (maybe a little pink?) head. Smells nice, a hint of earthy funk, a kiss of oak, lots and lots of raspberries. Taste has a nice raspberry kick to it, tart but not super sour, again, not a lot of oak or funk here, but enough to balance things out. Mouthfeel is light to medium bodied, dry, low acidity. Overall, a very nice little raspberry ale. B+

Beer Nerd Details: 6.5% ABV bottled (750 ml). Drank out of a flute glass on 4/16/17. Bottle No. 204 of 351.

A solid first offering from a brewpub that I expect great things from in the near future. I talked to them about Brettophile, which apparently takes a bit longer to make, but they're thinking maybe late this year for the first release. Until then, I'll just have to keep visiting the taproom...

Longtime readers (all three of you) may remember a couple of posts (a review and an interview) from back in 2013 about an up-and-coming brewery called La Cabra. Well, they finally opened their doors last summer and I figured it's high time I write about them. I've been there a few times at this point, and I'm looking forward to watching this brewery grow.

Located in Berwyn, PA, the brewpub has a great, spacious feel without feeling at all corporate or bland like all those old-school, turn-of-the-century brewpubs. Two floors with sizeable bars and some cozy nooks and comfy couches and whatnot. Also darts! And goats! Eclectic decor fits with La Cabra's goat-like attitude which brewer/owner Dan Popernack describes as "independent, rugged, and endearingly crazy".

The beer is quite nice and has been getting better over time. Brewer/owner Dan Popernack has been brewing for quite a while and has done a good job dialing in his standard offerings. I haven't taken a lot of formal tasting notes just yet, but highlights include Leo (a standard but tasty IPA), Coquette (a 3.5% Brett beer with mixed berries), Grace (a Brett saison with a touch of oak aging), and Bantlers (A most welcome weizenbock, a style I wish more brewers would tackle. Great weizen yeast character, dark fruit, esters, cloves, spice, sweet warm malt, complex but balanced and true to style. Might be my favorite thing from them yet, off the beaten path. B+ or A-)

Bantlers!

Coquette

To pair with the beer is a full menu of "Latin-inspired gastropub fare" that is absolutely fantastic. Everything I've had from them is delicious, like their Duck Fries, Fois Gras Pierogies, and Chimichurri Flank Steak.

Duck Fries

Fois Gras Pierogies and Grace

All in all, this is a promising start to a brewery that I know is capable of putting out some true face melters. I'm quite looking forward to trying Brettophile again (it's one of those beers that will really put La Cabra on the map), as well as continuing to sample new brews as they come. It's a good addition to the local scene and I'm sure it will thrive.

La Cabra Brewing is one of several local "breweries-in-planning" that have been cultivating a grassroots following before they've even opened. Located in Malvern, PA, brewer Dan Popernack has been busy crafting his lineup of beers and readying his brewery for the big time. Since the brewery isn't official yet, Popernack can't sell his beer just yet. Nevertheless, he maintains a small email list that he notifies whenever he has a beer available, and folks go and pick up samples of his beer. His operation seems to be picking up steam as of late, with a profile in a recent Joe Sixpack article as well as reviews on RateBeer and other social media. I had the good fortune to try Brettophile and Peter recently and was so impressed that I thought it would be interesting to pick Dan's brain in an interview. So I sent over a few questions and Dan graciously sent back his responses, which are reproduced below. Cheers!

Kaedrin: La Cabra hasn't even opened its doors yet, but it's already established a good reputation via word of mouth and various social media, like RateBeer.com and Untappd. Why do you think La Cabra has struck such a nerve?

Dan: I always let the beer do the talking and I only put out products that I'm proud of. There are a lot of small guys making great beer but I've let my more exotic beers be my calling card. I would also be remiss if I didn't give a shout out to my art guy...Matt Flail (www.misterflail.com) is an incredible local artist and his eye-catching, unique and downright sexy art helps people remember the brand. Between the liquid and the optics, people who try La Cabra know that a great deal of thought and care goes into our beer.

Kaedrin: Did the mailing list emerge organically, or was it a deliberate attempt to get feedback and publicity? Has the Joe Sixpack article lead to tons of new requests for inclusion (like, uh, mine)?

Dan: I've been inundated with requests since the Joe Sixpack article and welcome the new faces (like, uh, yours.) My mailing list has always been a way to share my work with as many people as possible in the hopes that they will keep tabs on what I'm up to. As I start to turn my eyes towards opening a spot, I hope that these folks will consider getting involved whether as investors, supporters, rah-rah people, or just come in and enjoy a beer.

Kaedrin: What's the one La Cabra beer that you feel will put your brewery on the map, and why?

Dan: I believe that a brewery has to be careful in balancing being "on the map" for certain beers and creating a solid portfolio that people can consistently get their hands on when they want it. The breweries that I tend to appreciate and model my thinking after may not always make the most mind-blowing, super-exclusive beer. But you do know that anything they put their name on will be enjoyable, solid, and carefully made. That being said, I believe that Brettophile will always be a special beer for me and will continue to serve a core purpose for the brewery. Even on an operational level, Brettophile serves as an inoculate beer for all of my barrels so it establishes my "brewery taste" even before being bottled and sent out on its own.

Kaedrin: Are you planning on having a regular lineup with the occasional special release, or will you be focusing on one-off brews? Will you have a "flagship" beer that's always available while those funky sours sleep in their barrels?

Dan: Because I would like to....umm..make money...I will always offer a range of accessible beers for everyday drinking (which I wholeheartedly endorse.) I tend towards saisons and small beers but also brew American Pales and IPAs. Cassiopeia (amber Kolsch) and Castor and Pollux (small saison with lavender and orange blossom honey) are the kinds of things that I like to drink while I'm waiting for those "funky sours [to] sleep in their barrels." My Belgian pale (Delphi) and APA (Leon) will always be on tap.

Kaedrin: Brettophile and Peter are both fantastic, can you tell us a little more about both of these? What yeasts were used, how long were their stays in barrels, that sort of thing...

Dan: Both are aged between 6-8 months in American oak. I use fresh charred barrels so that I know exactly what microbes, yeasties, etc. are in there. Brettophile is a very basic Belgian strong recipe with a little maltodextrin (sometimes) and wheat, fermented in stainless steel then aged in oak with my blend of Brettanomyces. Peter is a Belgian brown with rye fermented with two different Belgian strains then aged in barrels with a mix of Brett., Pedio., and Lacto. I don't usually pitch fresh Pedio and Lacto since the barrels already have a good microflora. The trick is creating a good barrel then feeding it good beer. And waiting.

La Cabra Peter is excellent!

Kaedrin: Your barrel aged brews seem to favor the the wild and sour side. Do you have any plans to do less funky barrel aging, like a Bourbon barrel treatment?

Dan: For a guy who drinks as much beer as I do, I've never really enjoyed the taste of alcohol. I've had mixed results (to my taste) with port barrels on a project with a local brewery and think that my beers don't play well with booze. However, once I have a good library of sour barrels built up, I would most definitely be interested in putting some RIS in a barrel to mix things up. My wood budget is all spent up on fresh barrels...but I have been looking at Dad's Hat Rye barrels recently...

Kaedrin: What's the story behind the name "La Cabra"? Obviously goats are involved, but in what capacity?

Dan: I teach Spanish full time and so my names and brand always have a little Latin-persuasion. I've always liked goats' attitude. At the risk of anthropomorphism, I've always felt like they are independent, rugged, and endearingly crazy. My undergrad and graduate degrees are in English so I've always kept a mental log of mentions of goats in literature, art, etc. I can decidedly say that they are almost universally associated with a good time. In all the most wholesome ways, of course.

Kaedrin: Establishing a new brewery from the ground up is a huge undertaking - about where are you in the process, and how long until La Cabra can officially start selling its wares?

Dan: I'm not putting out a date yet as I have a lot of moves to make before then. However, I have spent the last 10ish years planning this endeavor and picking the brains of some very enlightened beer folks. I've learned where my priorities need to rest in order to be financially successful and also learned some of the pitfalls that brewers succumb to. It's an excellent, brick and mortar industry full of innovative, collegial, and good-hearted people. I'm not rushing in at the peril of my brewery but I will be ready when the opportunity presents itself.

Kaedrin: You describe La Cabra as a nanobrewery in the planning. Are you looking to remain small, or do you have grander expansion plans? In other words, what's your dream brewery?

Dan: At the moment, my concept is moving towards a brewpub. I would like to pair my beers with simply prepared, earthy pan-Latin food in a non-pretentious, accessible environment. One of La Cabra's core principles is that beer and food should be seasonal, occasional, and always enjoyed with friends. Customers can always expect novel, rotating offerings (in beer and food) but know that we'll offer a consistent and comfortable experience. I have a few "brand specific" tricks up my sleeve to make La Cabra Brewing a truly unique beer destination but would prefer to roll those out on opening day.

A long term goal is to expand to a production scale and send sour beer back to California and Belgium. But first I intend to support the local beer scene and offer patrons an experience that they'd be proud to have in their community.

Kaedrin: Finally, what are the non-La-Cabra beers that that have given you inspiration? Are there any new local breweries that you're excited about, or old favorites that still have that magic?

Dan: I really need to make it to Michigan on a beer trip. Among the breweries that have made it a great beer state, Founders and Jolly Pumpkin encompass the blend of consistency, innovation, and no-nonsense beer that La Cabra will always offer.

On a local front, Forest and Main stands out as a great idea of what the La Cabra brewpub will "feel" like. I love the warm, quietly charming vibe there. The beer is always awesome, the food always tasty, and the staff is always welcoming. Great place that I love visiting with friends.

Last year, the Brewers Association estimated that the number of breweries-in-planning had surpassed 1300. I'd wager that a sizeable portion of these are paper tigers that will never actually see the light of day. Others, though, have been building an underground following with their homebrewed beers. One such operation is La Cabra Brewing, out of Malvern, PA (just a hop and skip away from Kaedrin HQ), where brewer Dan Popernack has been busy dialing in his portfolio and building up his fleet of barrels. Since La Cabra is not federally licensed as a brewery, he can't actually sell his wares, but he does maintain an email list and periodically releases beers for feedback purposes. I have been fortunate enough to procure a couple of these brews. A few weeks ago, Joe Sixpack published an article focusing on a few local breweries-in-planning, including La Cabra, and I hope to have an interview with Dan in the near future, so I'll leave it at that for now. You'll be hearing more about La Cabra soon!

In the meantime, let's check out one of these beers. Brettophile is a golden ale fermented entirely with Brettanomyces and aged in new American oak. My kinda beer, so let's see how it turned out:

La Cabra Brettophile - Pours a very pretty, almost radiant golden orange color with a finger of white head. Smells full of Brett funk, mild barnyard, earthy with a big dollop of fruity esters. Taste starts off with some earthy barnyard funk, a hint of spice, with a noticeable oak character pitching in towards the middle, and a juicy tartness that starts in the middle and intensifies through the finish. The sourness opens up a bit as it warms, lemons and pineapple, but it's still very well balanced. Mouthfeel is well carbonated, crisp, refreshing, with a pleasant pucker factor from the sourness. Overall, this sucker could compete with the big boys for sure. A-

Beer Nerd Details: 6.8% ABV bottled (750 ml caged and corked). Drank out of a goblet on 11/1/13. Vintage: 2013.

The label sez that this beer "May contain trace amounts of awesome.." which is simply untrue. It's all awesome! Or maybe I'm just excited by the prospect of another local brewery that has the ambition to do some crazy barrel aged stuff like this. Also, free beer always tastes better. Still, I think this one is a true winner and could really put this brewery on the map when the finally get off the ground.