New Beer Friday 9/18/20

 Welcome to the adult version of New Beer Friday. We tried the kids edition – but after a few days in the pokey, we decided that wasn't going to work. So here it is, a nice, round selection of new suds for your weekend.

Proper - Strawberry Hibiscus Sour Ranger: Smells of strawberry, slight wheat with floral notes. Tastes of strawberry, wheat, hint of pale malt and slight yogurt. Mouth feel is sharp and crisp, with a slight bitterness. Overall, while the strawberry is strong in the aroma, it is much better balanced in the body. The tartness is assertive but there's enough strawberry to get above it. 5.0% - Available at Proper.

TF Brewing - Straight Stratta Pale: This wet-hop pale ale pours a medium golden amber with one finger white head with good retention and lots of lacing. Aroma of ripe tangerine peel, light lemon citrus, bready malt; a little earthy. Flavor follows with an emphasis on ripe melon, lemon and tangerine citrus, a hint of pine, bready and mildly caramel malt. Finishes with fruit forward tropical and citrus hops and nice earthy residual malt. A very tasty Stratta hopped pale ale. 5.0% - Only at TF on draft. 

Salt Flats - Pumpkin Spice Latte: Pours a slightly hazy amber orange with an aroma of pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, graham cracker and vanilla. Flavor is of cracker malts, graham cracker, pumpkin pie, cinnamon, nutmeg, and a hint of coffee.  A solid pumpkin ale one the pie side of pumpkin. Good stuff. 5.0% - Available at The Garage in Draper and Salt Flat's Brewery. Not vegan friendly.

Wasatch - Kick Back Series Oktoberfest: A toasted bread aroma with cracker, caramel and sweet malt. Very sweet and fresh smelling. Pretty well balanced between the malt and hops, maybe a little malt advantage. The abv is 6.0% and does casually make its presence known. This is like a meeting of German feistbers and American Oktoberfest brews. Available at most Wasatch/Squatters locations.

Epic - Señor Pepino: It has a nice pastel straw color with a nose that is mild, but has the unmistakable fresh garden aroma of cucumber. Earthy and green taste of fresh cucumber slices and some light traces of yeast fruitiness. The lager is complimented well by the vegetable addition, but it all seems to overpower the lime. Light and fresh feel, a clean lager with ample body and carbonation. 4.5% - Available at Epic in 16 ounce cans.

Squatters - Grandma's Cookies: Pours an opaque black with a nitro foamy khaki head. Aromas of dark roasted malt, allspice toasted oats, and slight cocoa. Taste is much the same with cookie dough and a cocoa flavor on the finish. There is a mild amount of roasty bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a silky and creamy mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer that is tasty and easy to drink. 5.0% - only at Squatters downtown.

Flensbberger - Pilsner: This is a somewhat hoppy pilsner that has a great balance of doughy, grainy malt and grassy hops going for it, with some lighter floral, citrus accents and a good bitterness in the finish. Quite crisp and clean, with a very balanced flavor profile leaning towards hoppy-side of the style. 4.8% - only at the Bayou in crowlers to-go.

Mike Hess Brewing - 4:59 Little IPA: Citrus hops are the most prevalent. Some floral hints as well. Biscuity light malts are also noticeable yet subtle. Flavor is assertive and hop forward with notes of orange, grapefruit, passion fruit, pine, light caramel and a bit of grassy hops. Assertive bitter finish with pine lingering. 4.59% - Found at Slackwater in Sandy.

Last week we mentioned the Shades' 10th Anniversary beers. The were delayed due to last week's power outages. So here they are again, available for purchase. 

Shades/Ice Haüs: The Ice Haüs is a staple for craft beer lovers in Murray. This collaboration is a Bloody Mary Michelada American-Style Sour Ale. It made with tomato, celery salt, chili peppers and worchestershire sauce. This nails the flavors quite well. The tart base ups the beers drinkabilty; maybe a bit more celery salt for my palate, but it's quite nice if you like this type of beer. 6.5%

Shades/Taproot Soda: When you're chasing the perfect unconventional mixer for your spirits, you're likely pouring Utah's own, Taproot Sodas. This week's second collaboration takes Taproot's Blackberry Mint soda and combines it with Shades' Kveik sour ale. 6.5%

 Cheers!

New Beer Friday 9/11/20

To celebrate Shades' 10th anniversary, the South Salt lake City brewery has teamed up with an international list of craft breweries to create 10 new beers for you to enjoy throughout September. The first two releases hit tomorrow (9/12/20).

Shades/Ice Haüs: The Ice Haüs is a staple for craft beer lovers in Murray. This collaboration is a Bloody Mary Michelada American-Style Sour Ale. It made with tomato, celery salt, chili peppers and worchestershire sauce. This nails the flavors quite well. The tart base ups the beers drinkabilty; maybe a bit more celery salt for my palate, but it's quite nice if you like this type of beer. 6.5%

Shades/Taproot Soda: When you're chasing the perfect unconventional mixer for your spirits, you're likely pouring Utah's own, Taproot Sodas. This week's second collaboration takes Taproot's Blackberry Mint soda and combines it with Shades' Kveik sour ale. 6.5%

Uinta - Turn Farm: This beer benefits the Utah Avalanche Center and is part of their annual fundraiser. This is a small batch cream ale has a nice cereal grain aroma with light floral hops. Tastes of white bread, light grainy malt, corn and cereal are the primary flavor notes throughout the entire profile but there is a bit of very light caramel and light grassy hops that are light and lingering. 6.0% - Only available at Uinta.

Wasatch - Great Deceiver: This new Imperial Pilsner has a nose of biscuity and grainy malt along with a lot of noble-like hops characters. Very Czech pilsner-ish. Similar flavors. Bready, grainy malt and spicy, grassy hops. Finishes with a bold, slightly metallic bitterness. Good moderately high carbonation. 7.0% - Available at most Wasatch locations.

Kiitos - Black is Beautiful: Aroma of dark toasted malt with mild char, chocolate, light coffee and molasses; a bit boozy. Flavor is dark toasted malt with moderate char, dark chocolate, licorice, char and coffee in the finish with a little biscuit; slightly dry. A very nice stout. 10.0% - Only at Kiitos.

Bewilder - Los Hazey Boi: Aroma of orange/tangerine, grapefruit and melon - some faint pine as well. Taste is similar to the aroma, melon, tangy citrus and tropical fruit, grainy malt, light spicy/herbal hop notes. 4.8% - Available at Bewilder.

Destihl - Key Lime Gose: The aroma has yogurt, lime, malts, and salt. The flavor starts with cream cheese and graham cracker. You may think, cream cheese? and go, ewww.  It works. These flavors are followed by lime and lemony tartness from the base beer. Overall it's a tasty pie- beer (which might become its own style), not too much sourness, with a nice creamy feel.

Destihl - Haze of the Dead: It's hazy, so if that's important to you, you're already good to go. The color is orange with nice foam. There a good dose of citrus hops with pith and lime zest. The tastes follows with added pineapple and mango with pithy grapefruit flavors and a hint of bitterness in the finish. This gets into West Coast IPA, purists please take note. It delivers strong hops without being overly bitter or too sweet. Very nice.

Cheers!

New Beer Friday 09/04/20

Grid City - Extra Pale Ale: Building on the success of their standard pale ale, Grid City decided to make two bigger versions using the same malt and hop bill. This version drinks like a pale should with nice caramel, citrus peel and pine. at 6.6% You'd think that it would be more like an IPA but it's not. The malt profile keeps it in check. Available mid-late afternoon on Friday. Call before making the trip, just to be safe.

Grid City - Imperial Pale Ale: At 8.6% you'd think this was an IPA as well, and technically it is. But the same malt bill keeps the base style alive with loads of caramel. The kicker here is the hops. They're big chewy and resinous with the same citrus and pine qualities. Available mid-late afternoon on Friday. Call before making the trip, just to be safe.

Shades - Double IPL: This is slightly sweeter than your typical IPL which gives it more of an IPA feel. The Citra hops give it a good dose of tangerine and it has a nice clean finish. Think: West Coast Double IPA. 8.0% - Available at Shades.   

Shades - PB&J Blueberry: The base beer is Shades' kveik beer so it's slightly tart at first. Subtle peanut butter comes in next with light blueberry taking you the rest of the way. All the flavors are pretty balanced and the PB&J effect is pretty solid. 6.5% - Available at Shades. Not vegan friendly and it obviously has nuts.

Shades - PB&J Raspberry: The notes here are pretty much the same, up to the point where the raspberry kicks in. The berry is a little more assertive in this one and it does come across as being "jammy". If you like less peanut butter, the is the one for you.  6.5% - Available at Shades. Not vegan friendly and it obviously has nuts.

RoHa - Sophia: This is brett pale ale that was started right as the pandemic hit. It's a100% brett fermentation that gives it a slight balsamic nose. The tartness is fairly low with biscuity malts and dough being the primary flavors. there are hints of vague berries as well. If your into brett pales you should defiantly check this one out. Very limited supply of this one. This is the first in a series of four Golden Girls themed brett beers. Blanche, Dorothy and Rose will be coming soon. 5.0% - Available only at RoHa in crawlers to go.

2 Row - Old Fence Wrecker: This beer is a colaboration on many fronts. Made from a recipe formulated by award winning home brewer Zach Belles, this barrel aged barleywine. Look for flavors of caramel and toffee, followed by a hit of bourbon barrel that provides woody oak, vanilla and more caramel. Mid-palate continues with bourbon, and brings out sweet dark fruit notes of fig & raisin . Named for an unidentified Beehive bartender who's love of barleywines has resulted in more that one accidental fence demolitions. 11.6% - available today at 2 Row Brewing. 

Cheers!

New Beer Friday 8/28/20

There's no need to scream. We've heard your cries, and in response we're giving you shloads of new beers to end your work week – along with some favorites that are making a return.

Toasted Barrel - Huckleberry Cream Ale: The aroma is mostly dominated by huckleberry. The taste starts again with the berries, some minor sourness and sweet malt. Slight nuttiness in the finish.  Light body, it's an overall enjoyable ale. 5.0% - Available at Toasted Barrel.

Saltfire - Master Control Program: Sadly, no notes on this one. This is being canned this morning and it goes on sale today. Super fresh! 7.1% ....end of line.

RoHa - Barrel Aged Porter: If there is ever such thing as a summertime oak-aged aged porter, this would be the one. Aromas of wood and whiskey. The taste begins with roasted malts and cocoa. Hints of bourbon and vanilla come next with a very nice oak finish rounding it out. 5.0% - in crowlers to-go only.  RoHa is now open for sit down business, with added outdoor seating and limited indoor seating. Check it out.

Fisher - Roating IPA: This week's new IPA is actually a double IPA and it probably Fisher biggest beer yet at 10.1%. This is a west coast style IPA, with big chewy malts and tangerine peel dominating at first. Grapefruit then joins in adding some pithy flavors. The end is mostly resinous pine with a bit of alcohol heat. There is a chance that this may be delayed today, so a phone call may be in order before heading over.

Fisher - Post Office Pale: The hop profile in this pale ale generates big flavor with assertive bitterness, adding significant citrus zest and cantaloupe fruit character. Lemongrass and herbal tea. Bitterness round it out. Nice pale ale. 5.0% - Available at Fisher.

Fisher - Recession Rye: This rye ale has a nice dose of rye that slightly spicy with malts that are on the lighter side. Hops are mostly floral with a hint of citrus. Very nice. 5.0% - Available at Fisher.

Bewilder - Schwartzbier: Dark body with huge roasty aroma and flavor with hints of coffee bean, subtle dark chocolate along with clean and crisp  biscuity malts. A slight hint of floral hops in the finish. 5.0% - Available at Bewilder. 

Lone Pine - Crush Puppie: Missed this one. Spotted at Maveriks in Davis County. If you've seen it elsewhere please share! 5.0%

Returning Favorites––––––––––––––––––––––––––

TF - Corduroy: This sold out in hours in its initial release. If you missed it, you get another chance.

Epic - Barrel Aged Pumpkin: One of the worlds best pumpkin beers, in my opinion. The whiskey makes it.

Epic - Imperial Pumpkin Porter: The original big, dark pumpkin ale.

Red Rock - Otto: A brilliant new world lager.

Shades Peach Cobbler Kveik: It's uncanny how they duplicated the pie flavor.

Hopkins Brewing has a new selection a very limited small batch beers for you to enjoy this weekend. 

Cheers!
 

 

New Beer Friday 8/21/20

 It's another locals only New Beer Friday. Surprisingly, there's only one hop forward beer this week. That's refreshing. Check out this nicely rounded selection. 

UTOG - Huckleberry Sour: Smells great. Some lemon, lots of huckleberry, some yogurt. Flavor is huckleberry, medium tartness, some lemongrass grass and bicarb. Light bodied with medium carb and a slightly wet finish. Pretty decent. Available at UTOG. 5.0%

Toasted Barrel - Bier de Garde: Aroma immediately hits you with whiskey, wood, red currant, toffee and biscuit. Taste is exactly as the smell would indicate, with a hint of brett, and a smooth sour and vinegar like pucker on the finish. 7.0% - Available at Toasted Barrel.

Strap Tank - Kismet: Missed this raspberry and plum smoothie. Sounds tasty though. 4.4% Available at Strap Tank (Springville). Not vegan friendly. 

Fisher - Peach Plum Sour: Plum and peach in the nose with a hint of aspirin. Medium bodied with a crisp mouthfeel. Ripe plums and a peach undertone on the palate. Finishes dry, lightly tart, and with plenty of fruit.

Red Rock - Black is Beautiful: Organized by Weathered Souls Brewing Co, Black Is Beautiful is a collaborative effort among the brewing community and its supporters who believe in bringing awareness to the injustices that many people of color face. Red Rock is donating a portion of profits to the Utah YMCA and the Rocky Mountain Innocence Center. Roasted flavors with milk chocolate and some sweet blueberry character up front. A bigger finish of milk chocolate, roasted flavors, licorice, tobacco, as well as some light sourness from the blueberries. A bold and lingering finish with roasted chocolate, tobacco, some hop bitterness and some hints of sweet-sour blueberries as well. 7.0%

Avenues Proper - Transform and Roll Out: This hazy pale ale has low bitterness with with a bigger than normal yeast profile. It's not estery at all but it's noticeable. Hops are tropical and slightly herbal. The malt comes across with pleasant and muted powdered sugar sweetness. 5.0% Only at Avenues Proper.

Mountain West Cider - Colada Be Kidding Me: This new cider mimics the classic pina colada – and it does so brilliantly. The pineapple and coconut never get out of hand and manage to keep the apple base in check. It tough to identify when the pineapple starts and the apple ends. The coconut is subtle and pleasant. Very tasty. This doesn't go on sale Monday Aug 24th. Only at  Mountain West's Cidery.

Cheers!

New Beer Friday 8/14/20

I'm not a doctor, but I play a beer doctor on the interwebs. If you're suffering from end of the week fatigue, Doc Mikey has his New Beer Friday prescription pad out and has provided a list of remedies below. Please follow dosage recommendations and have an excellent weekend.

Shades - Slurry (Peach Habenero): If your not familiar with Shades' Slurry series, It's basically at tart kveik yeast base with rotating fruits. This week's fruits a both potent enough to punch through the tartness but don't overwhelm the entire beer. the peach comes of green due to the tartness and the habenero is more scratchy in the throat than hot. Tasty stuff. 5.0% - Available at Shades.

TF - Cool Change: This is an IPL (India Pale Lager). It basically a pilsner that's been hopped like an IPA. TF's Starts off like an NEIPA but quickly diverts with a noticeable dryness that you get from the pilsner malt and the lagering. The dry hopping adds some welcome bitterness, making this a very crushable - hopped up lager. 6.9% - Available at TF starting today.

Fisher - Rotating IPA (Big Citra Bomb Tom): As of this writing, I don't think this one has an official name, but I was told that it's basically an amped-up version of Fisher's Citra Bomb Tom. There's a fresh aromatic burst of grapefruit, lemon, and lime. Tropical citrus. Piney accent. It just smells fresh and clean.
The taste is very "bright". Citrus immediately hits your tongue, with grapefruit and lemon zest, light-medium bitterness. Finishes with mango and a light malt. 6.9% - Available at Fisher in Crowlers to-go starting today.

Fisher - Black Lives Matter: A portion of the proceeds from this beer will go to non-profits that support Black Lives Matter. Nose of chocolate, char and malt goodness. The flavor brings more chocolate, yeasty breadyness, pumpernickel, rye and even some whole wheat. A very drinkable, smooth and satisfying dark lager. 5.0% - Available at Fisher on Saturday 8/15/20.

Wasatch - Top of Main Series (Belgian Double aged in Brandy Barrels): Nose is brandy, port, raisins, oak, and maybe a touch of spice. The taste is great. Tons of flavor exploding on the first sip. Lots of brandy - the most I have tasted on a beer aged in brandy barrels. Lots of grapes, oak, candy, toffee, bread, and leather. Mouthfeel is medium bodied, and the alcohol is well hidden. 10% - Available at most Wasatch/Squatters locations. I found it at the Co-op's Beer Store.

Wasatch - Landbier: I initially got a pretty healthy dose of toasty malts and sweet malts. I do get a bit of hops adding a subtle grassy note, but they are very supportive of the malts. The flavor is really clean and malty with toasty and sweet light caramel aplenty, but there is a welcome bitterness present in the finish . Overall the mouthfeel of this beer is medium to light with plenty of carbonation, so it comes across quite light. You could drink this beer all day and I really dig the unexpected hoppy burp. 6.0% Available at the OG brewery in PC - I found it at the Beer Store. 

Policy Kings - Dark Hustle: I missed this new coffee stout from the Cedar City brewery. If you've had it, please share your thoughts. 5.0% - only at Policy Kings.

Modern Times - Critical Band: Brewed with Denali, Ekuanot, Citra, and Centennial hops, Critical Band is a blast wave of pineapple, papaya, and pink grapefruit over a crisp, restrained malt bill, before wrapping up in a soft, round finish. 6.7% - Found at Slackwater.

Here's a list of the small batch beer available this weekend from Hopkins Brewing.

Prost!

New Brews Soon For You: IPA Edition

 We're all about the new suds here at Utah Beer. When we sniff out the possibilities of new suds, Utah's oldest beer nerdist site just has to spread the word. The following new brews that are coming soon for you are not yet available for purchase. Rest assured when they are you'll get where, when and hopefully some tasting notes.

Saltfire - Master Control Program: Our first beer preview is an homage to the classic Disney film TRON. The NEIPA will feature the Master Control Program from classic film. I think it goes without saying that this beer will pair well with the original TRON or the sequel Tron: Legacy. Hell, any video game would also be a good pairing. I hope to see this one soon. This will be 7.1% and will come in 16 ounce cans.

Uinta - Test Phaze: Our next IPA will be part of the second incarnation of Uinta's Test Phaze series. This is another NEIPA. In you missed it, the international beer consortium decreed that every brewery from now until the end oftime must make a hazy IPA. Well, that's obviously not true, but it sure seems like it sometimes, doesn't it? I' sure that this IPA will be perfectly on style, but I'll leave it up to the hazy purists to carve up the minutia. 6.5% and will be in 12 oz cans.

Epic - Creamsicle IPA: Epic's newest IPA rides the milkshake craze, but don't you dare call it one. This is a creamsicle IPA. It mimics the classic frozen treat with addition of orange and lactose to provide the dairy component. One of the things that I like about Epic is that they use real fruit whenever possible. I think this may be the case here. These lactose infused IPAs are hot right now and I suspect this will do quite well. This will dial in at 8.5% and be in 22 ounce bottles.

Once again, these are just previews so don't bug the breweries about the details. Keep checking back, because I have no life and your likely to see the details here first. 

Prost!

All images found at Shipcomplient.com