Levain conditioned on Paw Paw (2021)
Is/Was Brewing

Levain is a long time coming. The culmination of our thoughts, feelings, and beliefs about the microorganisms that allow us to make beer. Mashed with raw spelt from Janie’s Mill, hopped with aged whole cone hops then fermented and ripened in used oak wine barrels with a blend of our house saison yeast, our favorite strains of brettanomyces, dregs from bottles that inspire us, and microorganisms sourced from my 6 year old sourdough starter.

Levain is deeply complex yet spryly drinkable with a delightful acidity. You’ll find notes of limeade, lemon zest, lychee, mango, musky leather, earthy blue cheese, wet hay, pink starburst, papaya, black cherry, and a touch of oaky vanillin and spice.

After its time in oak we conditioned this portion of Levain on Paw Paw, a wild fruit that grows throughout the Mid-Atlantic and Mid-Western United States. It is known for its soft, custard like texture, flavors and aromas similar to bananas, mangos, pineapples, coconuts and for having massive seeds…that you can only really…remove one at a time…by hand oh god why did I do this to myself?!! It may have been a process nightmare but the results are well worth it. Its addition to Levain adds to the beautiful tropical fruit notes and adds a subtle but distinct background of coconut flesh.

Only 192 bottles were produced.
Production Time: 18 months
Fermentation: Used French and Hungarian Oak
Release: May 2021