Follow Sean Inman to the best in craft beer
These are the beers that I wish I could taste for the first time.
Cigar City. Critical darlings of the craft beer world have a new beer available for those lucky enough to be in Florida.
Cigar City Brewing joined forces with Denmark based Grassroots Brewing and Hill Farmstead of Vermont on four beers. Half of the bounty is now close to seeing the light of day. Either and Or, which the labels describe as a high gravity black ale brewed with special honey, hops and aged on toasted Spanish Cedar.
Thanks to a major expansion Fort George has 16 oz. cans upcoming!
1811 Pre-Prohibition Lager & Vortex IPA are the first two to show up.
The Lager is being brewed for Astoria’s Bicentennial next month. That is how you celebrate history.
One of the great surprises of 2010 were Firestone Walker bombers made for Trader Joesunder the Mission Street Label. The Hefeweizen was solid and even better was the brown ale that had just the right balance of malt and thickness with a spice kick.
Now they have produced a new beer, Mission Street 2011 Anniversary Ale. The copy on the label explains: “This year’s Mission St. Anniversary Ale showcases complex malt flavors with roasty notes layered in and medium hop character. It is a blend of three incredible brews carefully blended for maxiumum aroma and flavor. We affectionately call this brew an Imperial Brown Ale. 8.5% ABV.”.
I am a big Blazer fan. I know it’s been rough injury wise for what seems like forever. But I will never root for another team (except whoever is playing the Lakers) That is why it was a great treat to have Terry’s Porter at Migration in December and now this b-ball brew
….. “Saraveza and Amnesia Brewers, Chris Spollen and Sean Thommen, will tip off a dedicated handle (during games) of Amnesia’s Trail Hazer! This dry hopped unfiltered version of the Dusty Trail Pale will be on special every time the Blazers are on the court. It is the perfect beer for a game watching session with friends.”
What a difference two beers make! Stone had put out some really good collaborations but after the Camino (Un)Real mash-up, I started to feel that maybe the course had been run and that it would just be shocking ingredients for awhile.
But then came Saison du Buff and the San Diego Session which were tremendous and light and dare I say session beers and not imperials or doubles.
Now the first of 2011 is coming our way and it’s back to the bold….”a big, rich, malty beer made with all English ingredients.” The beer will clock in around 8%-9%ABV and 30 IBUs and aged in Scotch barrels. The trio includes Green Flash Brewing and Pizza Port-Carlsbad.
78 refers to the highway that starts at the Pacific Ocean and is one of the most impressive beer corridors with Stone, Green Flash and Lost Abbey within miles of each other.
This might be the first sighting of a new trend. St. Arnold started this series last year with Weed Whacker, a variant of the Fancy Lawnmower beer and in 2011 more moveavble yeasts will be made.
Here is the full list:
MOVABLE YEAST
Saint Arnold Brewing Co. pays homage to the hard-working fungi that turn sugar into alcohol with a series of familiar beers fermented with different strains of yeast. The first of these new, draft-only brews will be available at bars and restaurants across Texas next month. The brewer is making enough for approximately 20,000 12-ounce servings and expects that to last two to three weeks. A little about each beer:
• Weedwacker: A variation of Saint Arnold’s best-selling Fancy Lawnmower. All other ingredients remain the same, but the new beer will be fermented with a Bavarian hefeweizen yeast. Available Aug. 16.
• Altared Amber: The flagship beer will be made with Belgian Trappist yeast. Available mid-November.
• Bitter Belgian: Elissa IPA, also with Belgian Trappist yeast. Available mid-February.
• Brown Bitte: Brown Ale, with Alt yeast. Available mid-May.
Is this a trend developing? English style session ales would be most welcome. Here is what the up and coming Oakshire from Oregon has in store….
“The most recent in our series of Single Batch Beers is a English Style Pale Ale called Willamette Dammit. The beer is made with 100% Crisp Marris Otter Pale malt and 100% Willamette Hops. Willamette hops are a relative of the English fuggle and were first bred in the Oregon Breeding Program in 1976. They are a very pleasant hop and lend a hint of spiciness to the aroma. At 4.9% abv, WD is worth a couple of pints down at the pub. As always, get it on draft only at select bars and restaurants around town as well as at the tasting room on M, Th, F, and Sat. God Save the Queen!”
Anniversary beers are right up there with collaborative brews for me. I love see the numbers tick by as the industry gets stronger and on firmer footing. So congratulations to Captain Lawrence who should try to visit LA. I’ve had one beer but their full line-up intrigues me.
Bell’s Brewery has added hawberry to their latest iteration of the Eccentric Series. It was also brewed with maple syrup and other spices.
I have been lucky enough to sample a few Bell offerings, Oberon, the Christmas Ale and I have a Batch 9000 sitting in the cellar. This might be one to snag and try.
Here is what the gonzo brewers at Flying Dog have to say about their version of the coffee stout…
“Ditch the yuppies with their overpriced lattes and pour yourself a pint of our robust coffee stout. Brewed with a secret roast from The Black Dog Coffee Company, it’s the perfect balance of nutty coffee flavors and chocolate malt notes. Perfect morning, noon and night, this stout’s velvety taste will make it hard to ever return to your favorite acne-prone barista. (He’ll live).”