A great way to celebrate spring, well, springing up is with a classic lager and Brooklyn Brewery is obliging with their soon to be available Gold Standard Export Lager.
Hammerhead
Barrel Roll No. 4 – Hammerhead is coming tomorrow from Hangar 24 on the heels of # 3 Pugachev’s Cobra. Here is the word on Hammerhead which involves loops and almost stalling a plane.
“A well executed HAMMERHEAD is smooth and dramatic. This beer is no exception. Hammerhead is a big, complex, American-style Barleywine featuring two English caramel malts and four American hops. Hammerhead’s character is enhanced by dry hopping and then aging the deep amber liquid for six months in charred oak rye whiskey and bourbon barrels. Spicy aromas spill from the glass: rich caramel, citrusy hops, bourbon and oak. Layered flavors of toffee, vanilla, brown sugar, spice and rye whiskey lead to a warm and slightly bitter finish. This is a strong ale, meant to be sipped, savored and enjoyed.”
Eclipse Black IPA
Crabtree Brewing. Yet another brewery that is new to me and yet another that is onboard the can train. And this concoction sounds like a great 4-pack…”Eclipse, our Belgo-Style Black IPA is an exquisite fusion of black, roasted chocolate malts, and a generous heap of hops. It’s bitterly aggressive with a roasty quality, fruity esters and a spice scent making this one superior brew.”
Mostly because I am still looking for that great BIPA.
Gummy Bear, Gummy Beer
I had the pleasure of sitting and talking with the folks at Kenai River at the CanFest last year but they did not mention this beer.
“We try to brew just as often as we can, just these little single batch brews,” Hogue said. If all goes as planned, the 20 pounds of Belgian candy sugar and 15 pounds of the bears – that’s about 2,565 multi-colored gummies – will create a Belgian Tripel that’s about 9.2 percent alcohol”
It might work. But I hope it is just a hint of gummy bear flavor.
Sacred Spice
I was fortunate enough to visit the Twisted Pine when I visited Boulder and I sure wish this beer had been on tap cause I would have snapped it up because chai in beer should be done more often in my opinion.
“On March 3rd, Twisted Pine Brewing Company will release Sacred Spice, the third beer in its Artisan Ale Series. Fans of Twisted Pine and craft beer in general have received the endeavor – which pairs a distinctive new brew with a different local artist each month – with open arms, eyes and mouths. In its first two months the popular project has gained attention statewide and the brewery hopes to build on that success with March’s offering.”
“Sacred Spice is an Imperial Porter invigorated with traditional masala chai spices skillfully blended by Boulder-based Sanctuary Chai. The enchanting ale carries the delightful scent and flavor of dark, roasted barley as well as the provocative aroma of ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom and other spices used for centuries to embolden Eastern teas. However, much like the brewery’s heralded Big Shot Espresso Stout, Sacred Spice strikes a fine balance whereby the flavors exhibit a seemingly natural harmony so that no taste bud is dominated but rather each one satisfied. The bold, black ale is 10.1% ABV with 33 IBU.
Sacred Spice’s label features a piece titled ‘Life is Beautiful’ by local artist Millicent Kang. The release party will double as an art show for Kang, whose works will adorn the Twisted Pine ale house for the entire month of March. The artist will also be on hand to discuss her art and sign bottles for collectors in what has quickly become a celebrated monthly event. Further details can be found at the brewery’s website.”
Portlandia Pils
First Rogue came out with a Portlandia beer in conjunction with the IFC channel and now Laurelwood has a pils with the iconic Portland statue on the label.
“When creating this beer, we set out to create a lager that has its heart in the Northwest. This beer has a firm bitterness with flavor and aroma impressions of pine, citrus and fresh cut grass which is the signature of American hops while still on their best behavior. A new classic, a NW Pilsner will all the implied contradictions.”
I don’t think you can pickle it but there probably is a specific recycling bin with a bird on it that you can put it in.
Anthony of Bourdainia
No matter what your response to Anthony Bourdain is from his books and TV shows, you have to admit that he should have a beer named after him. He is one of those people that could inspire many different takes on beers to match his personality.
Here is the info on this beer, “Developed and brewed by Local Option at Against the Grain Brewery in Louisville, KY, this Vienna style lager was inspired by and pays homage to world-renown chef, author, and television personality Anthony Bourdain.
This premium red lager was brewed with the highest quality German Pilsner, Melanoidin and Amber malts; perfectly balanced with the German hop triumvirate of Magnum, Perle and Tettnang; and fermented with a crisp, clean, lager yeast. Anthony of Bourdainia is a formidable beer to be enjoyed with or without food.”
Flanders Fred
Alan Sprints of Hair of the Dog is embarking on a 2nd collaboration this time with Belgian brewer De Struise Brouwerij and it will carry the now famous Fred name with it.
Now that I have had my Michael ’09 fix sated, (Thanks Mom for the birthday gift) now I can set my sights on this beer (and a few others too)
Uprising!
A new beer from the Iron Fist folks. But which style is it? I guess I will have to buy one and find out the hard way or wait for the description to hit their website. Personally, I hope it is more IPA than trippel.
19
Mikkeller has somehow jammed 19 different hop varietals into one beer. Aptly named 19. For the lupulin curious, here is the list with (rounded off) percentages for each of the hops.
Simcoe – 17%
Citra – 15%
Amarillo – 14%
Sorachi Ace – 10
Bravo – 6%
Columbus – 6%
Cluster – 4%
Warrior – 4%
Cascade – 3%
Centennial – 3%
Palisade – 2%
Challenger, Galena, Magnum, Mt. Hood, Tettnanger – 1%
Nugget, Super Galena and Willamette – below 1%