The Flying Fish Brewing Company of Cherry Hill, N.J., announced recently that they would release their award winning Exit 4 American-style Tripel in 12 oz. bottles starting in February.

First offered in the Spring of 2009, Exit 4 was the first beer in the Flying Fish Exit Series, which focuses on the New Jersey Turnpike. It is important to note, however, that the Turnpike Authority has no affiliation with the beer and that neither Flying Fish nor the Turnpike Authority condone drinking and driving.

The name, Exit 4, happens to be the closest exit to the Camden County brewery’s headquarters, and the brewery said the series is a way of honoring the Garden State by focusing on one of its most recognizable symbols.

The brewery has also released Exit 11, a hoppy American wheat beer, and Exit 1, a Bayshore Oyster Stout.

Exit 4, an American Tripel style -- a take on the Belgium tradition of strong beers -- has hints of oak and banana that reveal themselves after a few swirls in the glass. It is bottled-conditioned, meaning yeast is added to the bottle allowing additional fermentation to take place after it’s capped, and the beer’s taste will evolve  over time.
 
Flying Fish originally produced just 10,800 bottles of Exit 4, and it became one of the more celebrated releases of 2009, winning a gold medal in the American-Belgo Style Ale category at the Great American Beer Festival.
 
Casey Hughes, the brewer at Flying Fish, said the 12 oz. Exit 4 bottles would be a year-round offering from the brewery.

As for the big bottle Exit Series, Hughes said the next beer would be released in March, though he wouldn’t comment on a style, or exit number.

-- by John Holl

John Holl writes about craft beer and the culture of drinking. His work has appeared in The New York Times, The Star-Ledger of Newark, The Indianapolis Star and other publications. He may be reached at johnholl@gmail.com or facebook.com/john.holl.