Older Than Bones - Four Pack

It's always a pleasure to concoct fun interesting projects with our good friends @theseedbeer and this one is no different. A take on a smoked Helles, brewed with 100% New Jersey–grown malt from @rabbit_hill_malthouse — including a bold 30% of cold-smoked mulberry wood Pilsner malt. Fermented slow and cold with a long lagering phase, this beer is richly smoky but smooth and structured — never harsh or meaty. It’s a throwback to rustic Franconian lagers with a modern NJ farm-to-glass backbone.

The aroma is dense but elegant smoke — like campfire embers or smoldering fruitwood, layered with toasted hay, crusty bread, and dried herbs. Bold yet clean — a deep, smooth smoke presence supported by honeyed grain, biscuit, and fresh malt sweetness.

The name of the beer, shout out to @schmittyart, comes from a geological fact: the Appalachian Mountains formed before land animals existed, which is why so few fossils are found there — they are, quite literally, older than bones. That idea resonated deeply with this beer — a lager rooted in fire, grain, smoke, and time. It is a nod to the elemental nature of brewing and preservation — traditions passed down for centuries, before recipes were written, before history was recorded… before bones.