Category: I would love to taste,,,

These are the beers that I wish I could taste for the first time.

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Widmer Cherry Oak Dopplebock

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As I have mentioned before, I am a sucker for special reserve series beers. Plus I am already a Widmer fan. So this is right up my alley.
Cherry Oak Doppelbock is a rich ale, cold-fermented with dark sweet and red tart cherries, then conditioned on new, heavily toasted American oak. The result is a dark lustrous brew with up-front malty sweetness and cherry fruit notes completed by caramel, dark chocolate, and toasted oak undertones. The complex flavor profile balances the impressive 9% ABV and 40 IBUs.

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Monk’s Blood

The canned beer movement is picking up more steam (probably because of my canned beer tasting event from last year) and here is another entry from 21st Amendment. Looks delicious! So much so that I added it to my Top 5 Desired beers. Where is that list, you might ask? Click on the About the Search Party tab. Then scroll past my pretty picture.
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Treblehook Barleywine

I haven’t had a Redhook beer in eons. Mostly because only LongHammer IPA makes it way this far south. But I will be on the look out for this seasonal offering.
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Fall/Winter 2009 Limited Release: Treblehook Barley Wine
Treblehook is vigorously hopped and patiently aged with aromatic malt and spicy hop notes. Smooth and complex, this beer is carefully brewed by hand with sublte caramel, toffee and chocolate notes

Style: Barley Wine

ABV: 10.1%

Malts: Pale, Caramel, Special Aromatic, Flaked Barley, Black, Melenodin

Hops: Cascade, Palisades, Chinook, Simcoe

Bitterness Units: 52 IBU

Original Gravity: 22

Brewed Since: 2007

Shelf Life: 365 days

Awards: Gold Medal 2008 Great American Beer Festival, Silver Medal 2009 Great American Beer Festival

Cellaring: Can be cellared for up to 3 years

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BrewDog release

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The inventive folks at BrewDog are at it again“BrewDog brewers of Fraserburgh described TACTICAL NUCLEAR PENGUIN the 32 per cent proof tipple as its “most audacious and ambitious project to date”.

BrewDog, which describes itself as making “progressive, craft beers” was previously responsible for an 18.2pc drink called Tokyo which it claimed had been “banned” by the Portman Group, the industry body which runs a voluntary code of conduct.

It also made a low alcohol brew which it mockingly name “Nanny State”.

Only 500 bottles of its latest beer have been produced, with half going on sale for £30 each and remainder offered for £250 with a share in the company also on offer.

In a posting on the company’s website, James Watt, the managing director said: “This beer is bold, irreverent and uncompromising, a beer with a soul and a purpose, a statement of intent.”

He added: “Beer has a terrible reputation in Britain, it’s ignorant to assume that a beer can’t be enjoyed responsibly like a nice dram or a glass of fine wine.

“A beer like Tactical Nuclear Penguin should be enjoyed in spirit sized measures.

“It pairs fantastically with vanilla bean white chocolate it really brings out the complexity of the beer and complements the powerful, smoky and cocoa flavours.”

A warning on the label advises drinkers to take it in small servings: “and with an air of aristocratic nonchalance. ”

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Sierra Nevada 2010 release

Some news for next year from Chico, CA“Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. is proud to announce the release of Glissade Golden Bock as its newest seasonal beer. Glissade celebrates the slow slide of winter into spring with a full-bodied beer that is delicately balanced, yet bold enough to brace against the last cold nights in the foothills of the Sierras. Glissade will be available in 6-packs, 12-packs, 24-ounce bottles, and on draft starting in January, 2010.

“We have been making versions of bock beers for our local fans for years, and with every release we get people clamoring for us to make it more widely available. Spring for us is the season for bocks, so we finally decided to do it,” said brewery founder Ken Grossman. “Glissade is something new for us–and something different from the other bock beers out there. We’re using the best German malts we can find, together with interesting and flavorful European hops.”

This zealous consumer demand inspired the brewery to make a change to its seasonal lineup. Glissade will be replacing the brewery’s ESB (Early Spring Beer) and will add an interesting new dimension to the popular seasonal offerings.

Glissade Golden Bock is the brewery’s take on the traditional pale bocks of Germany. The beer is remarkably mellow, with layers of subtle malt flavors and a more restrained sweetness than many of its continental cousins. Glissade emphasizes layers of malt, with flavors reminiscent of freshly-baked bread and toasted nuts held in perfect balance by a touch of spicy and floral European hops. This delicate balance helps the beer slide across the palate and welcomes another sip.

2010 marks the 30th anniversary for Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. Glissade is the first step into this auspicious year, which promises to be filled with events, celebrations, and specialty beer releases.”

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Zephyr

from the BrewDog blog comes this news…“The long awaited Zephyr is being bottled at the brewery today. This will be the first bottling from our new piece of equipment for filling champagne bottles which are to be bottled conditioned. Zephyr started off life as a 9% Double IPA which has spent 21 months in a 1965 Invergordon whisky cask which was stuffed with fresh strawberries. It is now a 12% translucent pink strawberry infused Belgian inspired wood aged ale.

We are expecting a yield of around 250 bottles. The label has been designed by young Scottish designer Johanna Basford and is stunning. The beer will also come packaged in a presentation box.

Here is some more information on the project:

We are fortunate enough that Martin’s grandmother owns a lovely little Scottish strawberry farm, we decided to take full advantage of this.

We also had a Invergordon 1965 whisky cask. Invergordon is a fantastic grain whisky with amazing coconut, vanilla and toffee flavours. The fact the whisky had been in the cask for 42 years prior to us getting it made it even more special. We decided to combine 3 of our favourite things; old whisky casks, Martin’s grandmother’s strawberries and IPA.

We filled the cask with our 9% Imperial India pale ale along with a whopping 30 kilos of fresh strawberries, or maybe 29 kilos – James seemed to eat alot of them…

After the beer had been in the barrel for 2 months we decided we could no longer wait to sample the beery treasures held in the oak. And what better time to open them than when 2 of our customers came to visit? James’ gently tapped the cask only for the bung to explode skywards followed by a 6 foot high volcanic eruption of strawberry beer, completely soaking everyone in the vicinity with sticky strawberry seeds and hoppy ale. It had been fermenting in the cask – allot! The sugars in the strawberries had triggered the yeast still in the beer. It continued to ferment away slowly for another few weeks – this time with a proper pressure release fitted to ensure no more strawberry showers.

It looks and tastes amazing. It is a bright, translucent, fluorescent almost transparent pink colour – it is unlike anything I have ever seen in a glass. The hops of the India pale ale have died down a little but still give it a reassuring bite, the strawberry flavours dominate the nose and the coconut, vanilla and oak flavours of the cask hold it all together.”

This is supposed to be retailing for $100. But it still seems worth it. I do like the IPA’s that have light flavours like berry and oak.

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new brew from Hair of the Dog

michaelAlan Sprints has crafted another special release celebrating a great beer advocate. This time it’s a Flanders Red with the name of Michael. Since, it’s an HoD beer, I fully expect it to be the most complex red ever.

There will also be a release party today where you can also get this rare beer…Matt, a bourbon and apple Eau de Vie barrel-aged sour originally designed to commemorate Bottleworks’ (Seattle) tenth anniversary.

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Lucky 13 from Firestone-Walker

“Firestone Walker Brewing Company announced the release of their much anticipated anniversary beer, “13” today. This annual release will go on sale for the first time at noon on November, 14th at the Firestone Walker Brewery in Paso Robles and the Firestone Walker Taproom Restaurant in Buellton.

Firestone’s anniversary series, a unique blend of barrel aged beers, has become quite a phenomenon each year as beer fans from all over the U.S. seek out this special limited release. In years past releases have sold out at the brewery in just a few weeks and these beers have garnered a hefty price tag in the market.

“These unique barrel aged beers have really changed the public’s perception of beer,” said Brewmaster Matt Brynildson. “The care and time that went into this blend is more akin to wine than beer,” he added.

Brynildson again enlisted the help of Paso Robles area wine makers to assist in the blending of several barrel-aged beers into the final product. Barley wines, imperial stouts and an imperial brown are just a few of the beers making up the final blend. Many of the component beers have spent over 2 years aging in a combination of retired bourbon, rye, and wine barrels. This process contributes unique and one-of-a kind flavors not typically found in beer.”

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I would love a bottle of…

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Open the door and let me in.
Manhattan Project from Brooklyn Brewery. I was scared but then shocked at how good the Cuvee de Cardoz was and now I want to try all of the weird beers that Mr. Oliver has cooking. This one is made with tart cherries and rye and is the beer equivalent of a Manhattan cocktail. Sounds good to me.