Follow Sean Inman to the best in craft beer
These are the beers that I wish I could taste for the first time.
Elysian is really branching out pumpkin wise. First collaborating with Stone and The Bruery and now this…..
Here is what New Belgium has to say about it, “Harvesting the creativity of Kim Jordan of New Belgium and Dick Cantwell of Elysian produced this ruby-hued, slightly sour, pumpkin, cranberry ale. It’s a treat that does the trick.”
I have started to see Kick in bottles (Portland) and on tap (Los Angeles)
I saw these at the fabulous Bruery Provisions store in Old Town Orange and I hadn’t spent all of my money on beer, I might have picked up these to try.
Here is the description….“Joy Lyn’s introduced their newest product in early 2009 and it has quickly become a popular snack and gift item. The Beer Brittle is a peanut brittle made with Sierra Nevada’s Pale Ale. Each small batch is cooked the old-fashion way….in a large copper kettle, then poured and spread by hand on a warming table. It is packaged in resealable bags displaying the Sierra Nevada Pale Ale Logo.
The beer brittle has a subtle hint of hops and malt and is a delicious taste of sweet and salty. The buttery brittle is a rich golden brown color and has a delightful crunch.”
Evil Twin and Mikkeller have some serious creativity. Though the label is boring the name of this new sour ale is pretty cool.
I am hoping that 12%, the importer can bring the beers over here in good condition. And then I hope they can make it to LA.
Would be cool to have a Mikkeller. Evil Twin taste off.
from Jester King in “weird” Austin, Texas comes one of the best beer names that I have heard this year… Commercial Suicide.
It is an Oaked Dark Mild. A somewhat forgotten style with a twist.
“A true “session beer”, Commercial Suicide is an authentic English dark mild with notes of caramel, coffee and chocolate. A portion of each batch is aged in medium toast American oak barrels, lending very subtle toasted, oaky notes to the finished beer.”
Escondidian? That’s going to trip up the bad spellers among us. Seems like a little swipe at Cascadian but if it is as good as last years anniversary IPA then I will let it slide.
Maybe San Diego will become known for Saisons soon thanks to Green Flash.
I wonder if this was brewed in their new facility?
They also will be soon releasing Treasure Chest – a Belgian-inspired Pale Ale.
I have an Abyss in my cellar and this new offering might need to take the spot next to it.
“The newest beer in Deschutes Brewery’s coveted Reserve Series, The Stoic’s journey from Belgian-style Tripel to American Quad is a remarkable one. A simple German Pilsner malt bill and a low-key profile of Hallartau, Czech Saaz, and Northern Brewer hops equip you for the more distinctive aromas and flavors that lay ahead. Ingredients like Belgian candy sugar, beet and date sugars, and pomegranate molasses impart a clean, tangy sweetness. Pinot Noir and rye whiskey barrel-aging suggest notes of spice, citrus, pepper, vanilla, and toasted caramel like offerings to the gods. Unraveling the intricacies of The Stoic is evidence of a life bravely done.”
Now that the highest ABV battle is pausing (thankfully) a new battle front is opening with Alpha-fornication.
This is what the brewer, Peter Chiodo has to say about it, “Clocking in at 2500 IBUs and 13.3% ABV, Alpha-fornication proves that sometimes people climb mountains just because they’re there. And sometimes, Beer Geeks will try anything on a dare. The hoppiest beer we know of was a meager 2007 IBUs, so we bested that and then some. We Flying Monkeys see extreme beers as the continuing evolution of Craft Brewing and the expansion of Ontario beers. It’s not just a contest of bravado to see who can make the world’s strongest beer (even though now we’ve got the world’s hoppiest one covered); it’s a movement – a movement to showcase the craft and how complex and versatile beer can actually be.”
Named for the alpha acids, or the compounds in the hop plant that are the source of hop bitterness, Alpha-fornication is brewed through highly creative and complex manipulation of the high alpha acid hop varieties, Warrior (17% AAU) and Centennial (11.5% AAU). A hop-steeped wort re-circulated through an additional “Hop Vorlauf” punches up the insane intensity of this brew to a stupefying 2500 IBUs. Keeping with the concepts of extreme brewing, the 13.3% ABV of Alpha-fornication adds bigness to this beer.”
I am not so sure about this one. Maybe a small taster will be enough but I do like the end of the press release that talks about the series that Alpha-F is part of, “Created as part of the Flying Monkeys’ Everest Experiments, a series of extreme beers showcasing the complexity and versatility of artisan brewing, the Flying Monkeys are actively engaging the expanding minds and palates of Ontario’s craft beer drinkers.”
The special releases keep coming from Karl Strauss. This one might be interesting to try side-by-side with the original and see how pronounced the differences are.
“After brewing the award-winning Red Trolley Ale for more than two decades, Karl Strauss Brewing Company is ready to unveil the beer’s turbo charged cousin—Off the Rails. Off the Rails is a double version of Red Trolley Ale with more malt, more hops, and more alcohol. This West Coast Imperial Red Ale is full of dark fruit flavors, toffee, and a smooth warming finish.
Small batches of Off the Rails have been brewed over the past two years for draft only…”
Another day, another beer for charity. By now, I think you could probably spend an entire year just drinking brews for a cause. It is one of the reasons why I love the craft beer. Kudos to Skagit River