New Beer Friday 4/3/20

Without missing a beat, Utah's brewers keep crank'n out the suds at steady pace. This week's New Beer Friday offerings are all damn tasty and perfect for your video conferencing parties.

2 Row - Quarantine Buddy: Love this name! Slightly hazy, orange-light amber color with some fluffy head and spotty lingering lacing. Smells really good - fresh citrus fruity hops, a little piney hops and a touch of vanilla. Tastes of loads of fruit - grapefruit, orange, mango, passion fruit, peach, lemon. Also has great notes of piney hop bitterness, vanilla, malt and a little biscuit. Mild bitterness is very well-balanced by the malt backbone. Smooth, slightly creamy mouthfeel, a little sticky with good carbonation. 6.8% - Only at 2 Row.

Roosters - High Desert Hazy IPA: Pours like orange juice, with a frothy head. Aroma doesn't really catch my interest, though it has a bit of citrus. Orange and grapefruit juice flavor on the first sip gives me just a hint that there's a massive load of hops, and makes my palate anticipate a much more bitter, conventional NEIPA. But that immediate subsides and what's actually here is a juicy, balanced, non-bitter session hazy. Delicious, and shockingly drinkable. 5.0% At all three Roosters Locations.

RoHa - Transom Dark Pale Ale: Pours out a deep dark brown, almost black, with ruby highlights and a thin khaki head. Smells of toasted and burnt grain along with resinous and citrusy hops. Flavor has a caramel malt backbone with tinges of roasted malts. Fruity esters are present. Hops are big on citrus peel and have an earthy character. Finishes bone dry with a balanced bitterness. Mouthfeel is moderate in weight, with a soft and lightly carbonation. 5.0% - Only at RoHa.

Templin Family - At Wits End: Pours a cloudy bright straw colored yellow. Thin velvety white head with excellent retention. Surprisingly effervescent even through the haziness. Aroma has notes of wheat, pepper, coriander, nutmeg and a hint of citrus. Taste has notes of wheat, a hint of orange peel, coriander and spicy pepper. Chamomile then punches out, adding a pleasant herbal quality that carries on through the finish. Its a great beer and worth having. 5.0% - Only at TF Brewing.

Shades - Shockwave Black Currant: Shades doesn't on fruit when it comes to their fruited beers this new beer is no exception. Pours a deep burgundy stained hue. Sorbet flavors build a creamy salad of dark fruits, light pastry, vanilla cream and a sour twinge of red wine. A moderately sweet taste leads with the simplicity of taffy, cobbler and sweet cream as the sour ale leads you towards the finish. Another winner from Shades. 5.7% - Only at Shades.

Toasted Barrel - BA Maple Stout: The nose is boozy, vinious and juicy, not quite forecasting the flavor profile to come. Complex and layered, with flavors of vanilla, oak and cherry that bounce off notes of yogurt and wine and a touch of funk. There a Balsamic vinegar twang that is weighty and somewhat puckery on the palate. The beer closes with a long finish, leaving distinct sweet and sour fruit residuals. Probably my favorite beer from Toasted Barrel. Get on this one. 9.7% - Only at Toasted Barrel.

Kiitos - Red is the New Pink (Pink Boots Beer): Pours a deep, dark, ruby red coloration with a large, creamy head. Smells of bready, caramel malt and notes of citrus and red berries, with just a hint of pine. Taste follows the nose, with a great balance of bready, caramel malt and piney, bitter citrus hops as well as a good dose of red berries, with notes of toffee, grapefruit, currant and pine. Finishes with a strong bitterness and some citrus and pine lingering in the aftertaste. Smooth mouthfeel with a medium body and carbonation. Very nice. 5.0% - Only at Kiitos.

Red Rock - 25th Anniversary Begian Quad: Dark plum color. Aroma is sweet with cola - prune and plum, some vegital notes as well. Taste has some dark fruit flavors, mild phenol, cola, grape and plum. This wins with its late nutty finish, its malty base, its caramel sweetness, and an overblown 12.5% ABV that slowly uncoils its wallup. Only at RedRock.

Cheers!

New Beer Friday 3/27/20

No clever jabs at pop culture or current events for this week's New Beer Friday. Today it's all about honoring those who were our hosts when we used to go out to dine or imbibe. I personally miss you all. Heather, Ryan, Cardi, Gretchen, Dave, Mindy, Barry, Katie, Spencer, Amanda, Alec and so many more. I know I speak for others. Hang in there, and we hope to see you soon! If you'd like to help out your pals in service industry hit this link. https://downtownslc.org/tipyourserver

Level Crossing - Space Oddity: This Hazy IPA was brewed with orange blossom honey and an outer space themed blend of Comet, Galaxy, Apollo, Ekuanot, Strata and Enigma hops. You get a very explosive aroma, full of citrus peach and pineapple. The taste follows with the addition of grapefruit pith and some hints of mango. the pith carries into the finish creating some bitterness at the end.  8.8% Only at Level Crossing starting at 11am today.

Talisman - Spindrift Hazy IPA: Another hazy for Ogden's beer nerds. This one pops with  pineapple, mango and subtle pine with that smooth and creamy haze body. You can get this to go in growlers, crowlers, and grumblers. Hit Talisman up! One of Northern Utah's greater beer makers. From 12-8pm. 5.0% ABV

Rogue - Cherry Choctabulous: Chocolate and vanilla pop in this milk stout. There is a tartness to it, but it doesn't necessarily come across as cherry - maybe, citrus? regardless of the flavor, it seems to work well enough. Seems a little boozy for style, but tasty. 8.4% - Found at DABC.

Rogue - Shavasana: Rogue calls this an "Imperial, Granola Blonde". Look for flavors of granola, honey, coconut and black tea. Low floral hop bitterness. It's not as weird as it sounds. Again, probably stronger than it needs to be. 8.0% - Found at DABC.

Dogfish Head - The Perfect Disguise: A straightforward Kölsch with a crisp Kölsch yeast and traditional German malts and hops. A quick sniff and you’re greeted by the double dry-hopping of an American Double IPA, with nearly 4 lbs. of German and American hops per barrel. It brings tropical flavors of citrus, tangerine, mango, gooseberries and peach. 8.0% - 8.0% - Found at DABC.

Cheers!

Pictured above: Beer Bar's Heather Perry

New Beer Friday 3/20/20

They may be down, but Utah's brewers are definitely not out. If you were expecting that there would be no new beer this week you are sadly mistaken. In the words of the immortal Mikey Muad'ib, "the beer must flow". 

Also, in an attempt to keep us all up to date on the happens with Utah's brewers and their respective retail outlets, the brilliant crew at Uinta has put together a website called Utah Beer Store. Here you'll be able to keep tabs on what happening, where and when - all in one place. Now on to New Beer Friday.

2 Row - Blackberry Sour: Lactic sourness with a generous amount of blackberry puree. First gulp greets you with lemon from there it's all blackberry. 2 Row's fruited sours are always wonderful this is no exception. 6.1% - Only at 2 Row.

Bewilder - Irish Red: Missed this one. Look for sweet, fruity malts along with citrus and pine forward malts. Bewilder can fill growlers right now, so hit those guys up. 5.0% - Available only at Bewilder.

Uinta - Birthday Suit (Blackberry Lemon Tart): There's already a lemon tartness from the base beer but there's some fresh lemon peel to drive it forward. Lactose adds a bit of sweetness adding lemon glaze  flavors. Blackberry drives it home with a please freash berry profile. 5.0% Available at Uinta. 12-6pm, Tuesday - Saturday (not vegan friendly).

Epic - Imperial Pink Ale: This is the first beer released as part of Utah's Pink Boots Society beers. This is a Imperial Red Ale brewed with the Pink Boots special hop blend. The malts are sweet and fruity with some berry notes. The hops are fruity as well, push toward citrus and tropical. Pine in the finish. 8.0% - Available only at Epic Brewing starting today. 

Please get out and support these and other local breweries in any way you can. Cash of course is always best.

Cheers!

Support Your Locals, However You Can

The world got very different over the weekend. All of a sudden, shit is upside down and human social interactions are massively frowned upon. Those of us who have looked to Utah's hospitality industry for a brief respite in our lives, are finding curb service instead or in some cases closed doors all together.

In this tiny corner of the internet, we keep the news and discussion to Utah's beer industry. It's all been going pretty well as of late; breweries are booming, selection is up and interest is at an all time high.

While you are cloistered over the next couple of weeks, please take the time to hit up the local beer section of your grocery stores and visit brewery stores, when and if it's deemed appropriate. If you're favorite restaurant or pub is temporarily shuttered, keep in touch with them over social media to reassure them that they are missed, and of you eagerness to return.

As news pertaining to the local hospitality scene evolves, we'll spread the word of the modified hours and closures over our social media to help you plan you lives and garner support. Stay safe and thirsty and as always, cheers!   

New Beer Friday the 13th - 3/13/20

No hoarding of the New Beer Friday! There's plenty to go around. If you choose to go out into the scary world on this Friday the 13th you'll be met with shloads of great beer. Not an unlucky day at all!

Red Rock - Don't Murder Me: Aroma is mostly roasted malts, with notes of toast, coffee, and slight hint of smoke. Taste is more roasted malts, creamy milk chocolate, mild coffee, and cocoa. 6.7% Available

Bewilder - Irish Stout: Aromas of mocha and coffee, with coffee bean and some chocolate milk.
Flavor is strong with coffee notes...smoked, dark roast coffee and a nuttiness. The finish is smokey with tastes of roasted coffee. Some lingering char as well. 5.0% - Available at Bewilder.

Shades - Imperial Lager: Quite fragrant for a lager. Strong malt/grain smell. A bit of orange peel, grass and pear. The taste showcases a sharp bitterness from the hops. The pilsner malt is evident in a larger, strong quantity too. It's like a triple czech pils. Lots of flavor. 8.0% - Available at Shades.

RoHa - Zoltar: This pale ale features the Zythos hop blend. It has a big caramel base with citrus, and spicy pine bitterness. Slightly herbal in the finish. 5.0% Available at RoHa. 

T.F. Brewing - Corduroy:  Looks like Sunny Delight! The aroma is extremely pungent, with pineapple, mango, guava, grapefruit. You can catch a whiff from the glass from a few feet away. Taste is very juice forward - grapefruit, orange, pineapple, perhaps others, with the addition of a light grassiness before fading into a sweet juicy mild pith bitterness. Mouthfeel is smooth and fairly full with a light tingling from carbonation. Very Nice. 7.7% - Available Saturday 3/14 only at T.F. Brewing. (not vegan friendly)

Squatters - Rye Of The Tiger: This hazy IPA was made with Mosaic, Simcoe and of course some rye. Light in color, super cloudy and fruity AF. 5.0% - At Squatters Brewpub SLC. 

Heber Valley - Electric Avenue: I missed this new Double IPA. It's hopped with Mosaic, Citra and Centenial. 8.0% - Avaiable at Heber Valley.

Pipe Works - Blood of the Uincorn: Really fresh and aromatic. It opens with a surprisingly prominent malt body. Hints of citrus, grapefruit rind, cane sugar and grass. Big hop bite towards the end accents a brew that's mostly got great balance between citrus and resin. Real drinkable too. 6.5% - Found at Slackwater (Ogden)

Pipe Works - Select Schwartzbier: Missed this one. 6.3% - Found at Slackwater (Ogden)

Pipe Works Donut Soup:  This is an imperial stout. Lactose and vanilla are very evident on the nose, with periodic hits of coconut and coffee as it warms. Taste leans more on the lactose, coconut, vanilla, and coffee, with some supporting cocoa and bready malt, but again really sweet, cloying on some sips.   10.5%  - Found at Slackwater - Ogden (not vegan friendly)

Pipe Works - Infinite Citra: Huge Citra aroma of tropical fruit and citrus. The taste has a burst of tropical fruit with notes of pineapple, passion fruit, orange, and grapefruit. Some biscuity malts as well. 7.3% - Found at Slackwater (Ogden)

HaandBryggeriet - A Dashing Rogue: This is described as a nordic oud bruin sour macerated with raspberries and cherries. 6.8% - Found at the Bayou.

La Sirène Brewing - Paradoxe: This is described as having a classic grape characters and juicy yet tangy green fruits that dominate with the bracing acidity that delivers a dry, creamy and refreshing finish. 5.0% - Found at the Bayou

The following are part of Hopkins Brewing's Small Batch Series 

 #TRENDY: This New England style pale features a fruity blend of late
addition hops. Hearty hop aroma without heavy bitterness, and
topped with Kveik yeast, you could say it's as trendy as it gets.

BRUNCH ALE: Brewed with lactose, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and
maple. This blonde ale is inspired by french toast. (not vegan friendly)

MOSAIC HEFE: The German weiss style features mosaic hops.

GALENA PALE: This SMASH pale showcases both Solstice 2-row grain, as well
as Galena hops.

IRISH SODA BREAD: *may contain traces of nuts* This dry pale ale is brewed with
salt and raisins. Inspired by a St. Patrick's Day staple.

IRISH RED: This Irish Red is exactly that, lots of malt character with a touch
of hop bitterness.

IRISH COFFEE STOUT: Brewed with coffee and Irish whiskey, this robust stout is
inspired by the Irish Coffee cocktail.

CARBOMB STOUT: Brewed with lactose, cacao nibs, coffee, vanilla, and Irish
whiskey. This stout is inspired by the Irish Carbomb shot. (not vegan friendly)

Cheers!

New Beer Friday 3/6/20

If New Beer Friday is my ailment, I don't want to be well. If you need some weekend medicine, we have you covered.

Silver Reef - Fresh and Juicy: I missed this one, I hope to have notes on this later. 4.2% 5.0% found at the Bayou

Avenues Proper - Sir Bain's London Porter: A nice roasted malt aroma with a good dose of roast in the taste as well. It's quite powerful and almost comes across as ash. The is some dark cocoa and espresso as well, with little in the way of malt sweetness. 5.0% - Available at Avenues Proper

Bewilder - English Brown Ale: Caramel and toast in the aroma. Taste-wise it starts with a cola-like sweetness with a vague vegetable flavor. It's sweet but malt flavor is low with very subtle toasted malts. 5.0% Available at Bewilder.

Wasatch - Barrel Aged Belgian Pale Ale: Missed this one. I hope to have tasting notes on this later. This Belgian style pale was aged in Wyoming Whiskey barrels. This is very limited and only available at Wasatch's Sugar House location. 5.0%.

Melvin - Mind Bloom: A hazy peach color with tangerine, mango, pineapple lemon and grapefruit zest. Taste wise you get more of the same with papaya, pineapple, tangerine up front with nice caramel, grapefruit, and berry backing it up. 7.0% found at BeerHive.

Wildflower - Solera (Pull #4): This sour hails from Australia. This foudre sour is a spelt beer with notes of citrus, dark fruits and some balsamic notes. This is very limited and exclusive to the Bayou. 5.0%.

Revision - Smoke And Mirrors: This NEDIPA has a healthy dose of Amarillo, Citra and Mosaic hops. This gives it flavors of orange, tangerine and melon up front. Apricot, pineapple and berries round out the back end. Found at the Bayou - 8.0%

Revision - Planet Lovetron: Starts slightly grassy and herbal, opens to tropical fruit, passion fruit, mango, and a hint of pineapple, citrus, lemon, tangerine, and grapefruit, with an underlying resinous bitterness, biscuity malt, and caramel sweetness. 6.5% - Found at the Bayou.

Odell - Witkist White Ale: Normally witbiers are made with orange peel. This one uses grapefruit peel. It doesn't alter the citrus quality too much, however the yeast is super phenolic (clove, bandaid) and it comes across as a super chewy saison. Just kinda, meh for me. 5.0% Found at Beer Bar.

 Cheers!

Utah Beer Investigates: Anheuser Busch Sets Up Shop in Provo

We were all pretty geeked-up to hear that Provo was finally opening up to the idea of having brewpubs in their hollowed city. But did you know that Anheuser Busch has already set up shop in Provo?

Operating under a couple of names, including: Anheuser Busch - Payson, Ut and Cutwater Spirits the Provo brewery/distillery appears to be ramping up its operations to produce Cutwater Spirits' line of canned cocktails and a line of flavored malt beverages that will be known as "Freeze-a-Rita".

I did a little research and found that AB/InBev owners of Anheuser Busch purchased San Diego's Cutwater Spirits (Founded in 2016 by former Ballast Point executives) in February of 2019. As of the date of the sale, Cutwater was manufacturing 14 different ready-to-drink canned cocktails and also makes 16 types of spirits, according to a press release.

I'm not sure what exactly what the Provo facility's manufacturing responsibilities will be in all of this - as all of my info comes from public records searches. They may just be producing tinctures and flavorings. The 'tinfoil hat' part of my personality wonders if this was the factor the lead the Provo City Council to allowed brewpubs in Provo in the first place. Makes you think, eh? Anyway, I found it interesting and thought you might as well. If any of you have info on this operation, we'd love to hear from you.

Cheers!