(San Diego, CA) – As first reported by Jonathan Shikes at Westword, Green Flash Brewing Co. and Cigar City Brewing have collaborated on a beer to appear during the week of the Great American Beer Festival.

The Falling Rock Taphouse will tap the first keg of Candela Rye Barleywine at 2:45pm on Friday, October 12th. More on the beer below, courtesy of Green Flash Marketing Communications Manager, Natalie Sellers…

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The Green Flash Brewing Co. and Cigar City Brewing collaboration beer that was brewed specifically for GABF will debut in Denver at Falling Rock during the festival is called Candela – named after the retro green cigars popular in the US during the 1960s.

Candela will be a Rye Barleywine with some wood aged accents from cedar spirals. The process of brewing the beer began here at Green Flash on August 28th – the Cigar City Brewmaster, Wayne Wambles came to San Diego from Florida to work with Chuck Silva to brew on Green Flash’s equipment.

The flavor profile will be malt focused and less hop driven (only 65 IBU) from Nugget and Brewer’s Gold hops with a higher alcohol content (the ABV is still TBD). The beer will have a big initial malt sweetness from caramel malts and kettle caramelization due to an extended boil. The full body and malt sweetness gives way slightly to a perceptible dryness from rye and cedar accents.

It will be available ONLY as a special release during GABF, and as of now – there is no plan to bottle or distribute nationally. There will be a limited draught availability for special events nationally – (to be determined).