New Beer Friday 12/29/23

As we bid farewell to 2023 we saw a year with new local breweries popping up and and some old favorites find their way back into the arms of their original owners. I know more breweries are in planning for 2024, and it looks to be another brilliant year for Utah's beer lovers. Cheers and have a safe and happy New Year.

Speaking of the New Year, we have a guide to help you find some celebratory beers today on Beer Nerd Radio. Troy Higgins from Park City Brewing and Dani Archuleta from Epic Brewing will help Steph and I find the right beers for you. Look for us today at 2pm on 99.9fm KUAA.

Epic - Barrel Aged Imperial Vanilla Porter: Pours pretty dark with a tan head that holds a nice lacing. On the nose, big bourbon notes with some vanilla. Taste is a little vanilla up front followed by a moment of strong bourbon notes and finishes with some hop bitterness. Feel is somewhat thin but is to be expected with a porter. Overall, it's pretty nice. 9.0% - On sale today at Epic.

Salt Laker Brewing - Smoked Porter: Aroma is charred oak, maplewood and, some caramel malt. The smoke is median to light. The body is a complex mix of maple, smoky charred barrel, and caramel malts, almost like a good smoky barbecue. Interesting and tasty, with a bitter body that brings out the flavor well. 5.0% - Only at SL Brewing.

Bewilder - I Love Juicy: This version is made with Cryo-Sultana, Citra & HBC 586.Ccreamy white froth and a billowing bouquet of peach, tropical fruit, melon and citrus. A light cereal sweetness kicks off the taste with notions of honeysuckle, angel food cake and vanilla wafer. As those hope open up, the radiant aromas turn fruit to taste with a stone fruit  and mandarin orange character and is backed with pink grapefruit and lime. With pineapple, mango, passionfruit and papaya coming in next, the middle palate is rife with fruit cocktail flavor. Trending juicy with honeydew, the late taste comes with a balancing bitterness with hints of juniper, currant, hemp, hay and green tea. 8.0% - Available starting today at Bewilder.

Prodigy - Brewed Awakening: Missed this new coffee stout brewed with beans from Cafe Ibis. 5.0% - Only at Prodigy.

Equilibrium - Einstein's Little Favorite: The nose with candied orange and vanilla cream. With a backdrop of tea, botanical herb and fresh spruce. Taste mirrors nose with a bit of a pastry type flavor due to the addition of a little lactose. Very smooth and finishing with orange zest/peel. Nice feel and overall. 4.8% - found at the Bayou, Handlebar, Slackwater.

Here are this week's Small Batch Beers from Hopkins Brewing.

Cheers!

New Beer Friday 12/22/23

In these darkest days of the year, Krampus is out punishing all the bad girls, boys and non-binary kids who are not out supporting their New Beer Friday Breweries. If you want to get your ass - off of the bad list, I'd suggest you haul your naughty asses to one of these fine establishments (or one of their supporting pubs) to do your penance. Hope you all have a safe and happy holiday.   

On Beer Nerd Radio we recap the Utah year in beer as we hit some of the highlights of 2023. Check us out at 2pm today on 99.9fm KUAA.

Offset - Just Me (Tettnang): The first in this new series of single hop pilsners features Tettnang. Great color and clarity here. Some mineral qualities up front with a pinch of sulfur. The hops sing though, with a huge floral & spicy herbal zap. Quite tasty. 5.0% Available at Offset, also found at the Bayou.

Offset - Glossy: This new version of Offset's "Modern IPA" comes in at a new ABV (6.5%) and features Simcoe, NZ Cascade, Citra, Citra Incognito and Waimea hops. The results are big citrus flavors and aromas with tangerine, pithy grapefruit, bright lemon and lime zest. Available at Offset, also found at the Bayou.

Level Crossing - Sun Slope Sour: This sour IPA is mostly citrusy combined with the sour from the Philly yeast. A tasty sour IPA. 5.0% Available at Level Crossing (West Temple).

Salt Lake Brewing - Stratasbier: As the name implies, Strata hops be happen'n here. This has an unfiltered apricot color. Grapefruit and cannabis with a lot of those wonderful mango, passion fruit, melon, strawberry flavors. Great session IPA. 5.0% Only at SL Brewing.

Salt Lake Brewing - Vienna: Light caramel, some toffee too. Some nuttiness kicks in midway adding some heft to this lager’s light body. Nice lager. 5.0% Only at SL Brewing.

Uinta - Cascading Dark: Light aroma of cocoa, berries & pine. A swig of light roast character is followed immediately by citrus berries & pine. Medium amount of lingering bitterness. This is a style that a lot of breweries have a tough time with. This is subtle & sessionable. 5.0% - Small batch, only at Uinta.

Cheers!

New Beer Friday 12/15/23

This week's New Beer Friday is full of sexy smokiness, flavor and festivities. You won't want to miss the smoldering appeal of this weeks offerings. 

Beer Nerd Radio this week is all about holiday festivities and of course beer as we welcome Slatfire's Ryan Miller and Ogden Beer's Jaquie Wright. Hit us up at 2pm on the easiest number on the dial 99.9FM KUAA or stream us at KUAAFM.org.

Helper - Imperial Stout: Strong aromas of dark chocolate, cocoa, some bitter coffee roast underneath. Somewhat dry. Flavor: Strong and rich flavors of dark chocolate, cocoa, some vanilla, dark fruit, light espresso roast. Yeasty in the middle and ultimately finishes with lingering dark chocolate notes. tasty stuff. Available at Helper Brewing, Beer Bar, Slackwater 

Shades - Gold Rush IPA: So this is made with Pilsner malt & corn. Hops are Mosaic, Citra and Galaxy. The yeast is Kveik. It's not tart though, the yeast provides a citric twang. I think Kveik yeast makes brilliant IPAs & this is quite nice. All the citrus & melon well done.

Roosters - Smoked Porter: I tried to snag some of this at the Layton location, but they don'y have it. Name of the beer says not all I guess. If you've tried it, share your thoughts. 5.0% - At Odgen Roosters only.

Fisher - Let Chad Smoke: Oh yeah, Chad is SMOK'n!!! The beer ain't bad either. Bacon-y aroma of hickory-ish smoke. Tastes starts with a medium amount smoke and noticeable malt from the Helles. Very nice. 5.0% - available at Fisher.

Park City - Peanut Butter Porter: Missed this one too. Seems self explanatory. 5.0% - Only at Park City Brewing.

TF - Gose with Black Lime and Sumac: Don't k ow the flavors of sumac very well, but this does have big flavors of fresh lime on top of a lemony sour base. salt content is low as well. finishes with a nice tart smack. Tasty. 4.8% - Only at TF on draft.

Bewilder - Czech Lager: This comes out today. Sorry no notes yet. 5.0% - Only at Bewilder.

*Saturday is Hopkins' 5th anniversary and to help celebrate they have made Hopkins' first canned IPA! Star IPA is a  7% ABV 55 IBU unfiltered IPA featuring all local Solstice Malt and hopped with Cascade, Centennial, Chinook, Mosaic, Simcoe, Warrior. This is an extremely limited batch beer - only 1BBL was brewed. The beer is not available to go since they don't have a Package 5 license yet. 

Today Hopkins will host the second annual Veteran Beer tap takeover. Brewed by veteran breweries - Talisman, Strap Tank, Policy Kings and Hopkins. All of the breweries use the same Veteran’s Blend Hops and all make different beers. Each location will have a tap takeover of all beers. More details and menu to come.

And on top of all that it's a Small Batch Friday at Hopkins as well. 

Cheers!

New Beer Friday 12/8/23

It's a relatively small New Beer Friday. We have an eclectic mix of mostly wheat beers this week. It's a nice opportunity to get familiar with some of the different wheat styles.

On Beer Nerd Radio today, we get into Holiday/Christmas beers in a blind tasting with Scion Cider Bar's Rio Connelly and and Libby Taylor. We get started at 2pm today on 99.9fm 

KUAA.Kiitos - Appleweizen: This collaboration with Second Summit Cider is a blend of different apple juices and wheat bier. It's not hugely tart like you might expect. There is some tartness but it pretty subdued. Nor is it heavily tannic, just a nice refresher on a fluff bed of toasted wheat. Great beer. 5.0% - Only at Kiitos and Second Summit Cider on Draft.    

Talisman - The Griffin: Missed this citrus wheat beer. This is a collaboration beer with the men and women of the 419 fighter wing. There's a limited amount of this on draft and in cans. 5.0% - Available only at Talisman. 

TF - Facing Grace Dunkle: Pours a nice, soft, off-white head that collapses and laces a bit. A very floral nose with a noticeable acidity and caramel. Deep, deep burnt umber color. Starts with a toasted malt/floral hop flavor with a touch of sweet caramel behind that. Moves into a nice, low-medium bitterness near the end, and this floral hoppiness lingers into the finish as the toasted malt comes back and it all lingers softly. 5.0% - Only at TF starting today on draft and in cans.

Desert Edge - Norsewoman Farmhouse Ale: A hazy yellow color with a light white head that descends into itself almost immediately. Slightly funky, with lemon peel and a bit of a twang and perhaps a touch of spice in the finish. Lemony, though with a hint of booze. Slight caramel, as well as some Belgian yeast fruit notes in the finish. Medium light in body, highly carbonated with a soft feel, and a dry finish. 5.0% - Available at Desert Edge. 

Park City - Kickturn: Missed this new version of this Double Hazy IPA. 8.1% - Only at Park City Brewing.

Cheers!

New Beer Friday 12/01/23

We're Back! Sorry, we needed a holiday off. This week is a combination of the previous week and this week so there's probably some stuff that you may have already had.

Today on Beer Nerd Radio we shift gears a bit as we get into Utah's first beer choir. Yup! We're going to have the Great Salt Lake Chapter of Beer Choir in studio to chat and get the info and this new social group. We get our singing voices dialed in at 2pm today on 99.9fm KUAA.  

Shades - Gingerbread Stout: This holiday beer pours a black body with medium brown head.

Aroma of chocolate, nutmeg, and gingerbread. There's lots of nutmeg and gingerbread cookies in the taste. Light milk chocolate profile that still reminds you that you are drinking a stout. Medium body with moderate carbonation levels. This is a pretty tasty Christmas theme stout.

9.0% - Available at Shades and DABS.

Chappell - Playground 6 (Sabro and 1019): Poured out a cloudy, golden orange color with a large, cream-colored head of foam. It smells of coconut, citrus, pineapple, caramel and floral notes. Sweet toasted caramel taste with tropical fruitiness and a sharp piney bite. 5.0%

RoHa - 1221 Coffee Stout: This is a collaboration with Midway Coffee. This is a black, oily-looking brew with a diminutive tan head. Wonderful toasted grain aromas in the nose. Dark-roasted coffee and bittersweet chocolate flavors dominate the palate. Creamy in texture. I look forward to having it again. 7.8%

Policy Kings - Smokey: Missed this Rauchbier made with dark malt and smoked oat malt. I need a Cedar City Beer Mule, applications being accepted. 5.0% - Only at Policy Kings.

TF - Wavy Boi:  This new Hazy IPA features Superdelic, Cryo-Superdelic, Starata, Nelson Savin and Motueka hops.  This brings both familiar and unique notes. The distinctive yeast and Juicy Fruit personality are there, along with bright pineapple, lemon/lime, and muddled tropical fruit. But here there are also strong notes of apricot, peach, pear, and musky white grape, with a nice herbal and floral note at the end. There's a little piney resin that lingers throughout, which is wonderful. In keeping with other TF beers, the flavor profile is huge, overwhelming and extremely well layered. 7.0% - Available at TF.

TF - Jesse Delmarish Lebkuchen Cookie: Aroma has a slight Jäegermeister thing happening. The aromas continue on to the taste with more Jäeger happening, but with a sweeter, gingerbread spiciness. Whiskey shows up next adding vanilla and oak with some herbal bitterness wrapping it up. 12.0% - Available at TF.

Helper - English Dark Mild: I love English Milds! sad to have missed this. 5.0% - Only at Helper Brewing.

Proper - The Daily Rations: Made with the Veteran’s hop blend. Great clarity. Dry for the most part, lotsa berries from the hops, some citrus peel too. Finishes light and dry. Tasty stuff. 

Proper - Proper Paper Ankles: This coffee infused Kölsch has a big coffee aroma. The coffee blend is quite nice. Big cafe from such a light beer. Kölsch is a good base for this blend. It’s all pretty simple, but it works well. Mikey Likey!

Proper - Kōkua: Tastes like Citra & Mosaic hops? A classic combo with great clarity. Citrus and melon mostly, slightly bitter in the finish. Tasty stuff plus 100% of the proceeds from this beer will be donated to the Legacy of Aloha, Makai Foundation for fire relief. 5.0% - 

Saltfire - Deep Dive Series [Japanese Lager]: Not much head retention, but DAMN, it’s brilliantly clear. Quite dry too. This is really quenching and drinkable. This would be a money printing machine in the heat of summer. Mikey Likey. 5.0% - Only at Saltfire.

Saltfire - Blood Orange Wheat: A very juicy wheat beer. It’s basically a “beermossa”. Tons of juice in a light wheat beer. This is the brunch beer you’ve been looking for. 5.0% - Only at Saltfire.

Uinta - Small Batch [Tiger's Blood Sour]: It’s actually quite quenching. Nice watermelon up front with a hint of strawberry following up. The coconut rounds it out in the end. Nice sour. 5.0% - Only at Uinta.

Level Crossing - Nitro Fruit Bat (Peach): Seems like the nitro has taken some of the edge off the puckering part of the yeast. It drinks quite well and the peach comes across as unripened or green. I'm starting to think all Kettle/Philly/Kviek sours should at least have a nitro option. 5.0% - Only at Level Crossing.

Here are this week's Small Batch Beers from Hopkins Brewing. 

Cheers!