Flying Fish Brewing Company knows how to celebrate a birthday. The Garden State’s birthday, that is.
Last year, the Somerdale-based brewing company honored New Jersey’s 350th anniversary with a special, aptly named brew: the NJ 350 Anniversary Ale. Now the brewery is taking it’s Jersey Pride up another notch (and year) with its NJ 351 Barrel Aged Stock Ale.
The original NJ 350 was made from English Pale malts and flaked barley fused with blackstrap molasses, creating a hearty and complex flavor. For the hops (a beer-making necessity) Flying Fish opted for Cluster, the first hop cultivated in the U.S. by British settlers in 1629. In a nod to the Pine Barrens, a diverse eco-system stretching across seven south Jersey counties, Centennial and Simcoe hops give the brew a piney aroma and flavor for the finish.
So what makes this year’s different? NJ 351 is made from a rare batch of leftovers (and we don’t mean from last night’s dinner). After saving a portion of the final batch of the original anniversary ale, Flying Fish got to work brewing up something even better. The result: 100 cases of the original ale, aged in fresh Breckenridge Bourbon barrels.
Flying Fish is no stranger to limited edition releases, either. In 2013, the brewing company released a beer they called (F)orever (U)nloved Sandy, an ode to the prevailing wave of rage and resilience that swept across the state in the wake of the 2012 Superstorm. Over $75,000 was donated to organizations around the state to aid in relief efforts.
No birthday would be complete without a party, and Flying Fish Brewery will host their release bash on Friday, May 1. NJ 351 will be on sale in 750ml bottles in the tasting room only. Better act quickly, 100 cases won’t last long!