The brewery opens in the former site of Proclamation Ale, which moved to Warwick

WEST KINGSTON, R.I. — Eclipse 2079 is an imperial coffee stout and one of the first beers produced by the new Shaidzon Beer Co.

What does the 2079 stand for on the limited edition bottles? That's the next full eclipse that will put the West Kingston brewery in the path of totality.

That naming convention pretty much sums up the wit, creativity and forward thinking of Shaidzon co-founders Josh Letourneau and Chip Samson. The name, Shaidzon, is a made-up word (for trademark purposes) pronounced as shades on, which came to Samson when the sun was in his eyes. Letourneau's wife Lindsay, a graphic designer, interpreted the name for the orange, sun-like logo.

All fun aside, Letourneau and Samson are quite serious about the beer that they are brewing in the space that was built by Proclamation Ale. When Proclamation moved to Warwick earlier this month, Shaidzon was able to get right to brewing, with tanks in place that can produce 1,000 barrels.

That's just what Letourneau did in the new brewery, introducing five new beers as the doors opened three weeks ago. He brings plenty of experience to his new project. He was brewer for Grey Sail Brewing, in Westerly, for the past six years, and at Mayflower Brewing, in Plymouth, Massachusetts, for two years before that.

The first beer he brewed at Shaidzon was Buffalo Czech, a pilsner, a style Letourneau calls delicate. He made it in the traditional Czech-style, dry and crisp with malty sweetness, heavily hopped at the end with saaz Czech hops. His second beer was the London Dungeon, a traditional porter with lots of chocolate malt, very lightly hopped with traditional English yeast and hops for a lighter body.

Letourneau described himself as "a traditional brewer."

"Once you know the proper way to brew something, you know how to change it," he said. "Otherwise it gets sloppy."

But his biggest mission is to find a balance in every beer to bring out the best of hops and malts.

Meanwhile, Samson is growing hops with his wife, Molly Bierman, at their Hope Hops Yard near the brewery. Part of their vision is to use local ingredients.

"It's amazing how much local ingredients are here," said Samson. He had been living in Colorado and home brewing, as well as broadcasting for minor league baseball, before returning home to Rhode Island to work with Letourneau.

They've already created relationships, including one with nearby coffee roasters TLC, to help create the Eclipse 2079 imperial coffee stout with chocolatey notes. They are also working with West Kingston farmer Thanh Lu and her Petals Farm. She's now growing pumpkins for a beer that will be made next year.

Right now, Lu's sage is in Lowland Villager Saison, which Letourneau said is more earthy than floral. "I went out of the box to finish with Pacific and Northwest hop varieties," he said.

The sage, as well as peppercorns, adds a nice nose to the beer, he said. It's a good beer to pair with turkey for those having the bird for Christmas.

The other beer in the tasting room is Letourneau's Never Tomorrow IPA, which is very citrusy but also has a malt balance.

Still to come is a beer that uses R.I. Mushroom Co. products. They are also neighbors.

The tasting room is newly renovated and the beer is available for tasting pours, growler fills, and by 750 ml bottles.

If you go: Shaidzon Brewing, 141 Fairgrounds Rd., West Kingston, in the Arnold Lumber complex. (401) 829-3147, shaidzonbeer.com. Tasting room hours on Friday 4-8 p.m., Saturday 1-7 p.m. and Sunday 1-5 p.m. Beer releases and special events will appear on their sites on Facebook and Instagram.

— gciampa@providencejournal.com

(401) 277-7266

On Twitter: @gailciampa

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