De Proef + Port Signature Ale

Famous for small batch beers and intense flavors, members of the Port Brewing Crew came to Belgium for the first time as a group in March 2007 to attend the Zythos Beer Fest and created this collaboration brew at De Proef Brouwerij with Dirk in a celebration of brewing cultures.

We designed this SIGNATURE ALE as a hybrid of American and Belgian brewing techniques. The stated end goal was a SIGNATURE ALE made with decidely American Hopping additions and finished with the traditional Belgian yeast flavor of Brettanomyces. It is brewed to an original gravity of 1.076 (19 Plato) and SRM of 10. We used a generous amount of Amarillo, UK Phoenix and German Brewer’s Gold hops in the boil and dry hopping during conditioning. We fermented using both strains of traditional sacchromyces and brettanomyces yeast.

SIGNATURE ALE is a pale golden colored ale capped with a prodigious rocky white foam. The hops come together in a blend of far east spices and new world citrus which are tempered by an underlying subtle tartness from the yeast. These notes would be out of balance were it not for a generous maltiness that holds the beer in check with becoming too sweet. Designed with a resinous hop quality in mind, we believe this to be a new world example of old world exploration. We salute the brewers and their journey as we release this beer on its travels.