Fear & Trembling • Difference & Repetition: Hallertau Blanc/Simcoe® • Double Citra • George

Fear & Trembling, our smoked Baltic Porter, and three new canned offerings make their way into our retail shop and taproom for enjoyment.

In April of 2010, our great friend and Shaun’s Danish mentor, Anders Kissmeyer, made his way up Hill Road to help smoke the malts for the inaugural Fear & Trembling. Equipped with a classic, red backyard smoker and decades of experience, he began a tradition that continues each year. That first batch found itself in barrels and was released at the original Harvest Festival in 2010!

In 2015, I was entrusted with smoking the malts—with guidance from Anders, thankfully—and I’ve been stirring the smoky grains ever since. For almost a decade, I toted my little vertical cabinet smoker and custom smoking baskets into the backyard for a week of careful monitoring, smoke sensory, and moisture evaluation. The goal was, and continues, to create a subtle, balanced, elegant smoke profile that accents the traditional lagering practice, and I’ve always enjoyed the challenges: weather, different wood, variation in grain moisture, and timing. It’s been one of the great experiences during my time here, and it’s a direct connection to a beer in a way that I’m rarely afforded.

So, in late September of 2024, I rolled the smoker out, staged the grain, prepped my makeshift drying station, and literally fired it up again. The results of that week’s efforts have appeared twice now: the return of Holger Danske in early December and now Fear & Trembling, each a unique expression of smoke and time.

One of the charms of Fear & Trembling is the journey it undertakes as it conditions and ages. The smoke levels will naturally rise and fall, and enjoying bottles that are 10 years old has proven to be a delightful sensory experience.

I hope you’ll enjoy this year’s Fear & Trembling as much as I enjoyed my small part in its creation!

Please visit our website for the week’s can, bottle, and growler offerings.

Bob M. Montgomery