Loose Leaf Notes

The following first appeared in The Floyd Press on March 21, 20912

An overflow crowd gathered Oddfella’s Cantina Thursday evening, March 7, for the debut tasting of Little Red RooStarr, a new Coffee Cream Stout brewed by Charlottesville’s Starr Hill Brewery with coffee from Floyd’s Red Rooster Coffee Roaster.

The Tapas and Taps release party featured a spread of tasty Oddfella’s appetizers, complimenting the new brew, which Red Rooster head roaster, Tony Greatorex, said was made with a dark roast blend of coffee beans from Sumatra, Peru and Guatemala.

Red Rooster Coffee Roaster owner and roaster, Haden Polseno-Hensley (pictured in the first photo), explained how he and Starr Hill Brewery owner/master brewer, Mark Thompson (pictured below with his wife  Kristen), met as Floydfest vendors and eventually paired up for the collaboration.  Red Rooster, which opened in 2010 in the back of noteBooks, is currently one of Virginia’s premier certified organic coffee roasters.

Thompson, who was also in attendance at the Floyd launching celebration, said he was happy with the enthusiastic reception.  “Every where we go, this beer has sold out.”  He commented about the success of a Wednesday night launching celebration in Roanoke and reminisced about the first Floydfest.  In the early days of Floydfest, Starr Hill – an award winning brewery that features over of dozen year-round, seasonal or specialty micro-brews – was the only beer served at the festival.

Glasses were raised, spirits were high and the roaster and brewer received many congratulations on the success of their collaboration.  Grant Figura (pictured on the left) was one happy attendee who sipped his brew before heading over to Dogtown Roadhouse, where the second part of the launch celebration took place and featured $3 pints and the music of the Deer Run Drifters.

“It’s great,” Figura said about the new Stout. “It’s smooth, creamy and chocolate tasting. The coffee taste hits you at the finish.”

Post Notes:  Little Redrooster Stout is available on tap at Dogtown Roadhouse and Oddfella’s Cantina and by the bottle at The Harvest Moon Food Store, said Haden Polseno-Hensley (pictured in photo 1).  Visit Red Rooster Coffee Roaster and Starr Hill Brewery on Facebook.