Two things SoCal’ers don’t often see. Bock beers and Moonlight Brewing. So I would grab a bottle or sixer if you see it but you don’t have to keep it a secret. Light up the social media with some BockLove!
On the Agenda
Komorebi
Three Weavers Brewing has an international collaboration on shelves soon with Japan’s Coedo Brewing. The beer is Komorebi, a tart and tropical IPA, in 16oz cans.
Coedo brewer Yasuki Mizunuma teamed with Alexandra Nowell in Inglewood for the beer that has about 3 pounds of Citra, Strata and Galaxy hops. at about 3 lbs per barrel plus hibiscus and lactobacillus. Komorebi is named after the Japanese word for “the feeling you get when you see light filtering through leaves.”
The 7 Year Itch
The Brux returns for a 7th time as Russian River and Sierra Nevada re-re-re-release the iconic “domesticated wild ale”. It will be interesting to see if a new version will be made now that Russian River has their own coolship surrounded by extra wood from the Sierra Nevada construction of Mills River. (Hopefully this will come in small bottles)
Roden-Dogfish-Bach
It is pretty rare these days to find a brewery that hasn’t done at least one collaboration and that number just added a historic member as Rodenbach collaborates for the 1st time in nearly 200 years with Dogfish Head. The beer is still in the planning stages and who knows, it may have to sit in barrels and be then be blended. At this point it might be anything. I would like to see some brewed in Belgium and some in the US and then blended. Look for more updates next year
Beachwood + Cascade
I usually blow through the onslaught of beer release calendars but I did catch one beer that seems to be a powerhouse collaboration to look for (though it will probably be expensive).
Beachwood heading north to Cascade to make a sour wheat ale with smoked malt. Oak aged with whole pineapple and mango. This could be like grilled fruit and it sounds very promising.
Paddles
Unless you are an avid online beer buyer and you loved driving to Orange County to pick up cans, then you may not have been trying many beers from The Bruery’s IPA arm, Offshoot Beer Co. The most known and available is their Relax Hazy IPA which I view favorably. Now there is another one that you might be able to find at your local L.A. bottle shop since it is a collaboration with Mason Ale Works from San Marcos and we seem to get a good supply of their 12oz cans.
Bam!
I am not a fan of figs and dates but the rest of Bamburana, a 12.2% ABV imperial stout collaboration from Cigar City and Oskar Blues “that has portions aged in three different ways: once in whiskey barrels, once in brandy barrels and for a final time in tanks with Amburana wood spirals.” sounds like something to look for when it arrives in 12oz can 4-packs.
I have had one Amburana beer before, oddly enough from fellow Canarchy member Three Weavers and I quite enjoyed the unique flavors it added.
An Epic Saison
We may have my first must have beer of 2019. Two Saison giants combining to make a new transatlantic version. I think a blind tasting of this upcoming beer plus the Allagash Saison and Saison Dupont would yield some interesting tasting notes.
Secret Agenda
Star Maps
You could probably safely, have a blog dedicated just to collaboration beers. I feel that 2018 has set a new mark for duo brews. And here is another with the local Smog City crew heading from Torrance to Hawaii to make Star Maps Kolsch. This Kolsch is brewed with starfruit and rises to a fairly high for the style 6.1% ABV.
I will assume that it will pour at Smog City taprooms and that it will probably still be warm in LA when it comes out.