New Year Beer Friday 2021

Happy New Year Beer Friday! 2020 threw a lot at breweries and for the most part they were able to overcome their challenges with your help. Here's to a kinder and hopefully more gentle 2021. 

Hopkins - Holiday Ale: This has a nice mahogany color with a nose of nutmeg and orange peel. I was expecting a spice bomb, this was much more subtle. The mulling spices are classic with some clove and nutmeg. The orange aspect is a little muted but there. Nicely drinkable. 5.0% - Only at Hopkins.

Grid City - Nitro Raspberry Cocoa Brown: This sounds like a pretty busy beer but it's not. This is their classic brown that has a nice toasty/malty character. the cocoa nibs offer a light chocolate quality that work well with the base beer. The raspberry is pretty subtle, but it manages to stand alone. All of the elements are nicely balanced. The nitro conditioning is perfect and it creates a silky and creamy body that is sublime. Defiantly worth checking out. 4.6% - Only at Grid City.

Proper - Thunder Mountain: This schwartzbier opens to even more smooth lager malt with nutty, dirty, and cocoa accents but always centered on drinkability. Maybe a smidge of caramel but for the most part just a barely black lager. Hops are low and herbal in the mouthfeel but the carbonation is just about spot on. 5.0% - Only at Proper locations.

Hi Wire Brewing - 10w-40: This brewery is new to our market and this stout mimics German Chocolate Cupcakes.  The nose has roasted malts some lactose, mild chocolate and coconut aroma some coffee notes and mild vanilla and cherry. Taste is on par with the nose the good base is there still good coffee notes but the sweetness from the lactose, coconut and cherries kind of take away from a great stout. 8.0% Found at Slackwater in Sandy. 

Sun King - Electric Reindeer: Tons of malty, chocolate, brown sugar and vanilla in the aroma. Notes of ginger as well. Taste stands up to the nose pretty well; more toasty and brown-ale like with a nice ginger/spice component and that same nutty character; more vanilla and caramel/brown sugar as well. 5.8% - Found at Slackwater Sandy.

Cigar City - Fancy Papers: If the haze is important to you, this may leave you wanting a bit. It has a fruity aroma; orange, papaya and lime. Flavors are fruit forward also orange, papaya and mango. Mouth feel is lighter and less juice like. Very enjoyable. 6.5% Found at DABC.

Sierra Nevada - Wanderland Nectarine Ale: The nose is full of stone fruits; nectarines being most prominent. Taste has citrus tangerine with some slight peach character. Bready malt and some herbal hop bitterness towards the end. Mouthfeel is medium with ample carbonation. The finish is moderately dry and balanced. Good stuff! 7.5% - Found at DABC.

Chimay - Dorée: You can always count on the Bayou to bring you classic Belgium ales on draft. This beer pours slightly hazy, transparent dark gold with a fluffy white head.  Smells of sweet red apple, pear, clove, cinnamon, black pepper, honey, and hay. The taste follows the nose precisely, plus some orange peel. Lightly sweet upfront but moderately dry on the finish. Slightly light mouthfeel, but bubbly and pillowy. 4.8% - Available to go, in crowlers only at the Bayou.

Here are this week's special New Year small batches from Hopkins Brewing. 

Cheers!