I would love to taste,,, – Page 138

May 17, 2014September 5, 2018

Getting Stickee

Following on the heels (literally the same day!) of Bretta Rose this month, here comes more big beer goodness from Firestone Walker.

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This a barrel aged Belgian Quad with candi sugar that they call a Central Coast Quad. And for the Barrel aged fanatics, this description should set you to drooling, “Stickee Monkee swings away from tradition, however, by being aged up to 14 months in bourbon barrels from Woodford Reserve, Elijah Craig and Four Roses. The Woodford Reserve barrels impart a smooth, rounded wood character. The Elijah Craig 12-year barrels bring more of a spicy, rustic note to the beer, while the Four Roses barrels contribute pure oak notes.”

This is the first bottling of this beer that (in various forms) been a component of the Anniversary beer.

May 9, 2014September 5, 2018

Wine and Beer in Buellton

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You don’t need to compete with wine. In fact, you can and should collaborate with them. That sentiment is growing in popularity as wineries and breweries come together in competition at pairing dinners or in breweries using old wine barrels for aging. Now add Figueroa Mountain to the collaborator list.

Whole Foods Market was the intermediary for this occasion. Though it wasn’t the hardest solution to solve since “…Figueroa Mountain Brewing Company 163 steps from our (Margerum Wine Company) door…” says Margerum Wine Company winemaker Jason Barrette.

More from the press release, “Together with the winemakers from Margerum Wine Company, a team from Figueroa Mountain Brewing Company and Whole Foods Market created a unique Belgian-style beer blended with wine called Bieré de Ménage. This is the first of Fig Mtn Brew’s Liquamentum series which will become its own brand later this spring featuring unique concoctions such as beer-wine hybrids.”

Bieré de Ménage will be unleashed on the beer and wine worlds during a special event on Thursday, May 15 in their Santa Barbara Taproom and the next day Friday, May 16, 2014 in their main Buellton Taproom.

April 27, 2014September 5, 2018

12 Amazing Beers in One Box

In celebration of their new North Carolina brewery, Sierra Nevada is going all out. They are festing all over the country but more importantly they are bringing out a collaboration variety pack that beats all others. It is serious. And probably damn tasty.

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This is a killer line-up. And it includes two cans as well!

Allagash Brewing Co, Portland, ME (Myron’s Walk Belgian-Style Pale Ale)
Asheville Brewers Alliance, Asheville, NC (Tater Ridge Scottish Ale)
Ballast Point Brewing Co, San Diego, CA (Electric Ray India Pale Lager)
Bell’s Brewery, Kalamazoo, MI (Maillard’s Odyssey Imperial Dark Ale)
Cigar City Brewing, Tampa, FL (Yonder Bock Tropical Maibock)
Firestone Walker Brewing Co, Paso Robles, CA (Torpedo Pilsner)
New Glarus Brewing Co, New Glarus, WI (There and Back English-Style Bitter)
Ninkasi Brewing Co, Eugene, OR (Double Latte Coffee milk Stout)
Oskar Blues Brewing Co, Longmont, CO & Brevard, NC (CANfusion Rye Bock)
Russian River Brewing Co, Santa Rosa, CA (Yvan the Great Belgian-Style Blonde)
Three Floyds Brewing, Munster, IN (Chico King Pale Ale)
Victory Brewing Co, Downingtown, PA (Alt Route Altbier)

And for a suggested retail of $24.99 no less. Be on the lookout this summer for this.

April 19, 2014September 5, 2018

Warrior, Columbus, Simcoe but mostly Citra

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April 29th, Beachwood Brewing bottles up another fan favorite. This time their “modern” west coast India pale ale, Citraholic is brewed with an abundance of Citra hops and blended with Warrior, Columbus and Simcoe in the kettle (for good measure). The citrusy brew is then dry hopped with a massive charge of Citra, imparting heavy aromas of citrus and tropical fruits along with melon and gooseberry accents.

This one will probably go real fast so don’t dilly-dally.

April 17, 2014September 5, 2018

Nitro in a Can

Oskar Blues Brewery have had various nitro options since 2009 under the leadership of brewer Juice Drapeau. It has centered on their Scotch ale, Old Chub, but they have also given the nitro treatment to others in their core line-up such as Dale’s Pale Ale, Deviant IPA & G’Knight Imperial Red IPA.

Now they have added a Nitro widget which is “attached to the bottom of the can and is charged with liquid nitrogen during the filling process. The widget releases the nitrogen when the can is opened, liberating the cascading creamy smooth nitro pour.”

Maybe know we can get more than just Guiness and few British beers with nitro cans.

April 5, 2014September 5, 2018

Easy there Jack

I know that the common perception is that if you write something positive about a brewery then you are just a shill and not a shrewd critical thinker that the brewing industry needs. But when I get a press release from Firestone Walker about a new beer, even one that is jumping on the good ship SIPA, I want to let people know about it.

Simply because they brew damn fine beer and without having a single sip of Easy Jack…

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…their new Session IPA, I know that it will be above average (at least). If not awesome. And I can tell that by both past performance and by the notes that Brewmaster Matt Brynildson put together just on the hops used. Read on…

Bavarian Mandarina – Germany
“It’s real orangy, zesty, like a fresh orange off the tree, which I’ve never smelled in any hop before.”

Hallertau Melon – Germany
“As the name suggests, it has this melony, ripe tropical fruit characteristic that complements the citrus of the other hops.”

Mosaic – United States
“It’s a daughter of the Simcoe hop, which is in our Union Jack. It has a nice tropical vibe, with herbal and pine notes.”

Blend of New Zealand Hops
“We are using a blend of New Zealand hops to create this huge Sauvignon Blanc character, with a classic Sauv Blanc racy, steely fruit profile.”

Those notes make me want to try single hop beers of the first two (is it bragging to say that I have had an excellent Mosaic from Ninkasi?)

April 5, 2014September 5, 2018

De Ranke Hop Harvest

Now I don’t normally go in for hunting “whales”. In fact that whole scene is a turn off for me. But from time to time, there are some intriguing beers that I would buy very quickly if I see it. And the DeRanke Hop Harvest is one of those. Despite the horrible label that probably won’t change in 2014.

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I am sure as the year goes on, others will get added to the list. No joke.

April 3, 2014September 5, 2018

A New Gruit from New Belgium

Looks like the Lips of Faith series is going strong in 2014 with a hop-LESS ale. Gruit is a seldom seen style but one that beer lovers should seek out to enjoy and round out their beer knowledge. Kudos to New Belgium for bringing this historical beer to a wider audience.

And for a quick history less the German Beer Institute website defines Gruit as, “Gruitbier was in its time, some 500 to 1,000 years ago, clearly the most common beer style in the world. Gruit is old German for herbs. Gruitbier was brewed both on the Continent and on the British Isles. Gruit (or herbs) is what most medieval brewers used to flavor their beers with before hops became a universal beer flavoring agent starting around the 15th century.“

March 21, 2014September 5, 2018

Stochasticity Project # 2

Stone is putting their name on their second release from their Matrix-y side project. And this one, seems a little more suited to the ethos of the project and looks like an interesting beer as well. A golden blonde no matter how aged isn’t a proto-typical Stone offering.

(Plus the gargoyle is more prominent too)