New Beer Friday 5/15/20

Most of Craft Beer Week will culminate this weekend with a few brand new releases that cover the gambit of flavors and styles. These are the highlights of what you can expect. Have an excellent New beer Friday.

Epic - CBD Free IPA: This is hitting later this morning in growlers and next week in bottles. I hear it quite tasty. 6.8% - Available at Epic.

Kiitos - Cucumber Tart: The aroma is big with cucumber with hint of yogurt tartness. The flavor is thankfully more subdued. The cucumber is fresh tasting and it works well with the medium amount of lemony tartness in the base beer. It's pretty straight forward and refreshing. 5.0% - Available starting tomorrow (5/16) at Kiitos.

Kiitos - Rye Cream Ale: Nice sweetness in the nose. The rye is in the back but definitely there. The cream ale is up front, allowing the rye to work the the end of the ale. Very subtle at first then it just keeps building leaving this long rye finish. Tasty. 5.0% - Available starting tomorrow (5/16) at Kiitos.

Shades - Hogshead Reserve 2020: This a complex beer. It's a milk porter made with maple and bacon and aged in Wyoming Bourbon barrels for two years. It's sweet for sure. Lots of maple cake, smoke and hints if mint up front. Dark fruits begin to emerge next with a minor prune twang in the finish. As it warms the maple becomes more pronounced as it battles with the whiskey over dominance. Not for the timid. 9.0% - Available at Shades now.

Saltfire - Mobius Trip (Fate Bell): This beer was made to celebrate Saltfire's second anniversary. This is a sour ale like the other Mobius Trip releases. This one is in Sotol barrels from Texas. If you're not familiar; Sotol is kin to tequila and mezcal, that shares many of the characteristics of agave but it's far from that. It has a very earthy tequila profile, which comes through well in the beer. The beginning is tart and earthy with some granny smith peel. Next comes notes of pineapple and salt. The finish is oaky with puckering lemon. This is super complex and very intriguing. Never had anything like this. It's well worth your time if you like tequila flavors and sour beers. 7.1% - Available starting tomorrow (5/16) at Saltfire.  

Fisher - Bailout Pale Ale: It smells of grainy and doughy caramel malt, muddled tropical fruit notes. The taste is gritty and grainy caramel malt, a touch of biscuit, some guava, pineapple, and mango. Some understated leafy, soapy, and musky floral verdant hoppiness. Tasty stuff. 5.0% - Available now at Fisher.

Fisher Dukes of Haze: Pours a hazy golden yellow color with streaking white lacing. Taste and smell are topical with citrus and papaya notes very floral and juicy. Mouth feel is soft with minimal bitterness. A well don NE Style Pale Ale.

Talisman Juicy IPA: I hate missing out on the Ogden stuff. There's so much good beer up there that I just don't have time to check out. If you have a sharp palate and like to nerd-out on local suds like me, hit me up for a Northern Utah correspondent gig. This NEIPA is loaded with Citra and Mosaic hops and dials in at 8.1% - Available starting today at noon. One crowler per customer.

New Belgium - VooDoo Ranger 1985: Missed this one. 6.8% - Available at DABC.

Returning

2 Row - Juice Bomb-OMB: If you missed this one from March of 2019 or just flat-out don't remember it, you're in luck. Citrus aroma - tropical, orange, mango, perhaps a touch of pine.  Good malt presence transitions to the citrus promised with the aroma. Initial taste is mild - no bittering at all. Moderately juicy - citrus, perhaps orange, pineapple. Certainly tropical. Certainly juicy, but not overbearingly so. Well balanced. Finish is slightly sweet, with no bitterness in the finish or aftertaste. On the high side of very good.

Cheers!

New Beer Friday: Mother's Day Edition

With Mother's Day approaching, I couldn't resist. Cheers to all of you beer loving mothers out there, you don't get enough credit. Happy New Beer Friday!

Fisher - Hazard Pay: A sturdy backbone of pale, bready malts and caramel sweetness soon gives way to some citrusy grapefruit and resiny pine notes. The finish is pithy and bitter, with a lingering, astringent aftertaste. On the light side of medium-bodied, with middling carbonation levels appropriate for the style. Fairly refreshing, with a reasonably hoppy kick to it - definitely session-worthy. 5.0% - Available in Crowlers to go at Fisher.

UTOG - Puckertime: The aroma is lactic with a funky yogurt appeal, lemony with spoiled grain and hints of cream corn. The taste is tart and lemony lactic, slightly vinous and fruity even. Some faint hints of dusty to earthy brett and grain. This isn't a super sour bomb, if you're looking for brutal tart ripper, you'll be disappointed. 5.0% - Available in Crowlers to go at UTOG

Bewilder - Orange Honey Wheat: This one debuts today. I have no notes on it yet. 5.0% For dine-in and to-go at Bewilder Brewing.

Talisman - Spindrift: Not quite new. New to me I guess. Aroma of sticky buns and bread crusts. Very malty aroma here. Some blood orange and apricots. Flavor brings up ripe citrus fruits, cantaloupe, pineapple, caramel with faint herbal hops. Feel is somewhat juicy and creamy. Slight resins, some puckering in the finish. 5.0%  - Available at Talisman.

Returning

2 Row - Divine Lunacy: The barrel aged quad is back! aged in bourbon barrel for nearly a year. The bourbon is nearly overpowering at first, but once you palate adjusts the bubblegum and peach from Quad begin to assert themselves. Very nice! 11.5% - Available at 2 Row Brewing.

Cheers!

New Beer Friday 4/24/20

Grid City is finally selling their suds from the brewery. In what has to be the worst timing in in local beer history, Grid City was unceremoniously required to close 48 hour before their soft opening, due to the pandemic. Get out and support the new guys and hit up some of these other great breweries offering up beer this week.
 
Grid City - House Pilsner: The nose is a nice malty base that has hints of peppery hops and and faint hint of apples and fructose. The flavor is a greatly hopped and like the nose there is a fold malty foundation that has some complex peppery hops riding on top then notes of fruit, nutmeg and lemon peel. 4.5% - Available at Grid City.

Grid City - Hoppy Pilsner: This one does smell pretty hoppy. Herbaceous, lemon, maybe a bit of grain, straw, grass and grape. Fairly hoppy with a hit of fruit up front before the malt edge takes over. Hits on the green grape and grassy notes. Aspirin like bitterness in the end. Malt begins to show as the beer warms. Getting a slight breadiness. Still, this one is pretty hop dominant. Finishes sharp before completely drying out. 4.8% - Available at Grid City.

Templin Family - All Together: This beer will be released today at noon. No tasting notes yet. 100% of the profits from this beer will go to the employees of TF to offset their financial burdens. 6.5% - Only at TF Brewing

Heber Valley - Hefeweizen: Missed this new beer from Heber.

Wasatch Guava Rosa: Murky and turbid peach color. The aroma is mostly guava. Flavor-wise the guava is fairly subtle, with some hibiscus like tartness. There's a medium amount of bitterness in the finish. 7.1% - Available at the UBC's Beer Store.

2 Row - Belgian IPA: Missed this one as well. Look for spicy yeast notes with a good dose of citrus and tropical fruits.

Shades - Magna-tude: Made with orange ginger and honey. The tart base enhances the citrus qualities with a subtle amount of spicy ginger. the honey gives it a slight dryness. Quite tasty, try it with sushi. 5.7% - Available at Shades.

Returning 

Hopkins - Stonewall Sour Saison: If you missed it the first time around, stop by and check it out.  3.7% - at Hopkins.

Cheers!

New Beer Friday 4/17/20

One of the things I miss most from my individual exile, is sitting my ass down at any given pub and socializing with all of you. Lauren Lerch (pictured above) is an obvious riot and just one of the many humans that make our beer community so much brighter. Here's to all of you, and a Happy New Beer Friday!

Roosters - On Wednesdays We Wear Pink: This version of Roosters Pink Boots beer has less hibiscus than the previous year's beer. The nose is citrusy and floral with toasted character. The flavor is fairly dry with cracker-like malts and caramel. The hops bring in orange peel and flowery hops. It's dryness just adds to its drinkability.  5.0% - Available at all Roosters locations in crowlers.

Shades - Aftershock: The flavors pack a punch of strawberry, banana and guava. There's also some fresh pineapple juice cocktail in there; I don't know if there's actual pineapple juice, or if it's just the base beers tartness mingling with the fruit cocktail. Anoter winner from Shades. 5.7%. Checking Shades' status this morning, it appears that this beer has already sold out.

2 Row - Stimulus Check: This is one beastly IPA. This unfiltered triple IPA boasts a shload of Mosaic, Citra and Idaho 7 hops. Look for a massive hop profile with a huge malt backbone. The hops are resinous grapefruit, pine, lemons, floral esters and chrewy resins. The rest of the flavors are malty sweet with caramel, earthy bread and alcohol. Oh, and did I mention 11.0% alcohol?  Available at 2 Row starting today.

Uinta Pina Colada: The use of the lactose in this "milkshake pale ale" is pretty even handed. It's not as sweet as you may anticipate. You get coconut off the top for sure and it is subtle as well. Next you get some tropical fruit juices; mostly comprised of pineapple - maybe some mango. There a good dose of bittering hops in the finish to balance it all out. Solid. At 7.0% it's basically an IPA instead of a pale ale. Available starting today at Uinta.

Proper - Hey Joe!: This Amber Ale is on the dryer side of the style. What you get is is a good dose of toasted malts with a lot biscuit flavors. Hops are floral with some minor pine accents. the whole package come close to being a brown ale without the nuttiness. Drinks really well. It's dryness keeps its drinkabilty high. 5.0% - Available at Proper.

Kiitos Tripel Dry Hopped Hazy IPA: This new hazy features Citra, Amarillo and Lotus hops. Lotus is a fairly new hop that features notes of citrus, vanilla, berries and tropical fruits. Look for medium to low bitterness with an ample amount of malt sweetness. 5.0% Available at Kiitos.

Lone Pine- Tiny Tess: This appears to be mostly available in Davis Co. at the moment. I haven't tried it yet, you have please share your thoughts.  5.0%

Stone - Enjoy By 4/20/20: Alycen the manager of the Avenues liquor store announced yesterday that she got in this year's Enjoy By 4/20/20. I'm sure it's at other locations as well, but if you want some for the big day, you'd better pull the trigger soon.

Returning

Epic - Supersize Me IPA: If you missed out on this when it debuted last month in crowlers, you can rejoice, it's now in 22 ounce bombers. This big ass IPA is made with apricots, Citra and two of the hottest new hops on the market Grüngeist and Styrian Dragon. The  Grüngeist hops add flavors of Passion Fruit, Melon, Berries, Fleshy Fruit and Sweet Pepper. Styrian Dragon offer intense floral character and moderate herbal and citrus tones. All of this is wrapped up in a hearty 12.0% IPA.

Epic would also like me to pass on that you can go to www.epicbrewingmerch.com and select the Salt Lake City location to place an order for their beer. Epic will build and box your order and all you have to do is come right inside the door to show ID and swipe your card. (you have to come inside the building to pay, according to the DABC you can't pre pay, it has to be paid for after your ID is checked). 

Cheers!

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 3/20/20

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!

New Beer Friday 2/7/20

I think you'll find these New Beer Friday options agreeable to most beer nerds. If you're into stouts and porters this will be a good weekend for you.

Wasatch - Cerveza Molé (Mexican Red): Mexico was the inspiration for this beer. Brewed with corn, dried chilies, peanuts, cocoa, cinnamon, allspice, cumin and coriander. for such a busy beer it comes together quite nicely with mole flavors that take advantage of the caramel malt base. Quite nice. 5.0% On tap now, only at Wasatch Brewpub Sugar House, and only for a limited time!

2 Row - Smoked  Jalapeño Porter: The aroma has a faint hint of chilies and roasted malt. In the mouth you get a nice dose of cocoa and dark roast coffee. The jalapeño heat is pretty subtle and is mostly limited to a scratchiness on the back of the throat, with little fire. A solid chile beer. 7.5% Available at 2 Row, I also found it a Beer Bar.     

Policy Kings- Imperial Stout: Missed this one. Look for flavors and aromas of dried fruit, coffee, and dark chocolate in this new offering from the Cedar City brewery. ABV N/A. Only available at the brewery.

Policy Kings - Juiced Up: Missed this one.This a citrus forward pale ale featuring notes of grapfruit. ABV N/A. Only available at the brewery.

Roosters - Untamed Juicy IPA: This new IPA is very cirtus forward along with big tropical notes. It only has about 20 IBUs, so the bitterness is pretty low. This just went on sale and shout be at all Roosters locations soon (if it isn't already) 7.0%

Squatters - Strawberry Kolsch: This new 5% version has in-house made strawberry puree. It punches up the fruitiness, but not in an obnoxious way. It's clean, fruity and highly drinkable. Very nice. Available at Squatters Downtown.

RoHa - Barrel Aged Porter: This is RoHa's project porter aged on oak. Look for vanilla undertones with robust malts and a slight bourbon aroma. 5.0% - This is very limited and only available at RoHa.

Kiitos - Oatmeal Stout: This is a straight-up oatmeal stout. Lots of cocoa and chocolate notes here with a slight bit of coffee. It's silky smooth and perfect for a rainy day. 5.0% - On Draft now at Kiitos.

Deschutes - Planéte Rouge:This is a somewhat vinegary take on the oud bruin style. Notes of dark malts, cherry and apple. The 10.2% ABV is a bit overwhelming; combine that with the acidic vinegar and you get an overly aggressive sour that's just average. Available at Slackwater Sandy and select DABC stores.


Returning 

Shades - Kveik Thai Tom Kah: Shades' 2019 gold medal winning herb and spice beer is back in limited release. The coconut is strong enough to be noticed, Ginger is pretty subtle and the lemon grass gets a little lost. All n’ all it’s damn delish. 6.5% At Shades.

Salúd!

New Beer Friday 1/10/20

It looks like the breweries are back in their grooves and the suds of 2020 have begun to flow. There's a strong variety of of new stuff this week along with a new east coast brewery's entry into the market.

2 Row - Galaxy Juice: This is the first new NEIPA to come out of 2 Row in a while. This one features galaxy, Simcoe and El Dorado hops. Look for flavors of honey malts, followed by juicy citrus, stone fruit and tropica hops which impart a light amount of bitterness which fades away almost instantly leaving lingering tropical citrus hop flavors. 7.0% Should be available as soon as the doors open thius morning.

Hoppers - Oat Brown Ale: This is and American style brown ale. It has a supper toasty grain profile with a good dose of hops that lean into the piny end of the spectrum. The oat addition gives in a nice silky feel. 5.0% - Available at Hoppers.

Roosters - Mountain Hazy: Obviously hazy in appearance with earthy mango dank pine and cantaloupe in the aroma. Taste-wise you get damp florals, sappy pine and a hint of cannabis. Overripe papaya. Candy sugar sweetness with an earthy bitterness. 5.0% Available at Roosters

Roosters Downhill Munich Dunkel: Missed this one. Look for a lager full of rich caramel and and toasted malts. 5.0% Available at Roosters.

TF Brewing - Pomegranate and Blackberry Berlinerweisse: Smells of pulpy pomegranate and black berry lactic sourness. Taste has the berries up front quickly being joined by the mild lactic sourness, doughy grain and light must. More tart than sour in the feel, bit of chewiness as well.

Jester King - Omniscience and Proselytism (Blend 4): This sour ale was re-fermented in oak barrels with Strawberries. The berries were matured then allowed to ferment to dryness. There's a refreshing lactic acidity, followed by earthy yeast and strawberry jam. Sweetness emerges as it warms, but remains bone dry and crisp in its finish. 5.0% Found at Slackwater.

Sierra Nevada - 40th Hoppy Anniversary: Pours a bright amber with a nose of grapefruit and pine. Taste follows suit. This is quite appropriate; seem like a throwback to what made Sierra Nevada great. If you love SN's pale ale and celebration ale you will like this. 6.0% Found at DABC.

Brooklyn Brewery -  Bel Air Sour: Brooklyn Brewery is brand new to the market. The Aroma is full with of muted lemon and mild funkiness - Tastes sour for sure, definitely a vinous quality - Feels light and dry with a puckering chardonnay like finish. 5.8% - Available at Select DABC.

Prost!

New Beer Friday 10/11/19

New Beer Friday may not be the biggest thing in your life, but for some of us, it's a strong third and for that we're pretty damn thankful.

2 Row - Boysenberry Sour: Tart lemon/lime base with a generous dose of boysenberry. 2 Row always manages to create fruity sours that don't skimp on fruit. 6.1% - Available at 2 Row.

Avenues Proper - Where the Wild Hops Are: They're referring to this new ale as an Autumn Ale. The base beer is Proper's Best Bitter. Hops were foraged from the mountains near Wanship, Utah. Boiled and dry hopped with the wild hops. Smooth, rich, earthy, stone fruit.

Level Crossing - Look-Up Amber: Aroma is toasted malts, thin caramel with a small dose of floral hops. Taste is slightly a slightly more robust version of their 4.0% Amber Ale - with more hop character emerging in the finish. 5.0% Available at Level Crossing.

Level Crossing - In the Pines: Citrus filled aroma. Initial taste is very mild. Light-moderate bittering with moderately juicy - citrus, orange and pineapple. Certainly tropical. 5.0% Available at Level Crossing.

Fisher - Best Fresh: This wet hopped pale ale was made with 100 lbs. of fresh Idaho 7 hops. All hops were added post boil; giving the beer a grassy citrus quality with a good dose of hop bitterness in the finish. Nice beer. 4.0% - Available at Fisher.

Fisher - Chandler’s Backyard: This pale ale was hopped from the bines in "Chandler's" back yard. I belive they said, Chinook and Cascade? Thanks for the Hops Chandler! 4.0% - Available at Fisher.

Fisher - Fist Full of Aces: This pale ale was hopped with Sorachi Ace. this hop has a slight lemony profile which comes though in the body of the beer. It's not tart just subtle lemon. 4.0% - Available at Fisher.

Fisher- (IM) Peach Sour: This one definatly has a tart lemon base with peach that is detectable and not completely over powered with the base beer's tartness. 4.0% - Available at Fisher.

Wasatch Barrel Aged Polygamy Porter (High West): Last year's version of the beer was aged in  Heavenly Hills Bourbon barrels. This year we get our whiskey: High West. This version offers a tad more bourbon and rye components with all of that wonderful chocolaty good you expect. A nice blend. 9.5% - Available at all Wasatch locations.

Dre Fontaine Ode Geuze: This geuze is dusty dry with sharp & tart lemon, poppy seed and oak  tanins. It has all of the classic gueuze characteristics. Puckering finish. 6.0% - Found at Beer Bar

Dre Fontaine Cuvée Armand Gaston: The nose is acidic with Smarties, apples and hay. There is also a light funk. The taste is dry and tart with more hints of apple, lemon and hay. The finish is clean lip smacking, making it easy to quaff. 6.5% - Found at Beer Bar.

Jolly Pumpkin/Monkish - Problem No Problem: This saison was brewed with raw sugar, green lentils, sweet and bitter orange peel, and a funky homemade curry spice blend (cumin, ginger, mustard seed, peppercorns, coriander, and fenugreek).  Aromas of brown sugar, oak, and funk in the nose. Tastes of oak, maple syrup, and just a hint of spices pairs well with the subtle funk, and light tartness. 7.6% - Found at the Bayou. Cheers!

Ninkasi - Dry Skies: This brut IPA smells of cracker malt with floral hops and citrus hops. The taste is mostly bitter piney hops with a modest backing of cracker malts. The finish is crisp and dry, but given the style could be drier. 6.8% - Found at Bayou

Green Flash Tropical DNA: Missed this one. 7.0% Available at DABC

Wild Ride - Nut Crusher: This peanut butter porter is mostly chocolate and caramel complimented by the addition of creamy peanut butter flavor. Think: Reese's Peanut Butter cups. 6.0% - Found at the Bayou.

Pipeworks - Ninja vs Unicorn: Missed this one. It's supposed to be big and dank with 5lbs of hops per barrel. 8.0% - Found at the Bayou.

Pipeworks - Lizard King: Flavors of Stone fruit, orange and caramel start you off with strawberry and melon accents rounding it out. malt profile is caramel-y and round. 6.0% - Found at the Bayou.

The Bayou also got a bunch of exclusive beers for those of you that prefer a European twist.  I haven't had a chance to try any of these. 

Brouwerij Alvinee - Sour'ire De Mort

Brouwerij Alvinee - Cuvée Freddy (Sofie Edition)

Birrificio - Loverbeer Bruga

Birrificio - Loverbeer Nebiulina

Dulle - Teve Beer

Bayerischher - Bahnhof Leipziger Gose

Baladin - Xyauyu Barrel Aged '13


Cheers!

New Beer Friday the 13th - 9/19

Shades - Berry Pie Kveik: The flavors here are basically a berry medly. The fruits are semi sweet with some lactose for balance. Graham cracker comes in next to give it the full pie effect. Very drinkable and enjoyable. It won't last long, get it before it's gone. 6.5% - Available at Shades, also found at Craft by Proper and Bayou. 

Epic - Deep Pocket: This is Epic's first Helles and it's pretty solid. It offers a touch of sweetness with a good dose of spicy German hops. The malt character is soft and bready and the finish is slightly bitter. 5.0% - Available at Epic in growlers.

TF Brewing - Luckenbach: This American brown ale is mostly toasty and malty with some pine bitterness backing it up. It's on the edge of being dry, but the malts have enough sweetness to keep it balanced. 4.0% - Available at TF Brewing.

Level Crossing - Jazz Loon: Can you Spot the Easter egg on the can? This new lager is made with all German hops but it's not your typical German pils. Mild melon and clementine meld with a grassy hop character. The malts are toasty and sweet giving the hops something to play with. A nice change of pace pils. 5.3% - Available starting today at Level Crossing.

Wasatch/Level Crossing - Collaboration IPA: There's a real nice aroma here, starting with zesty citrus oils of lemon and tangerine. The hops get into an herbal spicy like component as well. The taste keeps it simple. Juiced flavor with slight malty sweetness accents; an excellent and somewhat varied fruity hop flavor. Nice qualities of grapefruit to orange citrus juice with a spritzy lemon oil mixed in. 7.0% - Available at most Wasatch locations. Coming soon to Level Crossing.

Toasted Barrel - Chardonnay Apricot Sour: Haven't tried this yet, it hits later today. 2 lbs of apricot puree per gallon in this barrel aged sour. Can't wait to try this one. 6.6%.

2 Row Feelin' Fruity: This is another apricot infused beer. This is Feelin' Hazy with apricot added. The fruit adds a lot of body and depth to this beer. A hint of tartness from the stone fruit provides a welcome zip to this NEIPA. Very Nice! 8.6% - Found at Bayou.

2 Row Dunkel: Smells quite dry. Once on the tongue it's much maltier. Flavor-wise it's dominated by notes of bread, nuts, and perhaps a touch of chocolate. An enjoyable lager. 6.6% - Available at 2 Row.

Bonneville - Pumpkin Ale: Made with real pumpkin, traditional spices and lactose for a nice round mouthfeel. One of the better pumpkin beers you'll try. Available at Bonneville, Soon to All Star Lanes. 

Dogfish Head - World Wide Stout: This beast of a beer generally dials in anywhere between 15 - 20% and is made with a massive amount of barley to get it there. The nose is super boozy with roasted malts and char. The flavor is fairly sweet with chocolate and espresso up front with hints of vanilla and more hot alcohol in the finish. It has a very thick and oily mouthfeel. Found at the Bayou and Beerhive.

Cheers!

New Beer Friday 7/26/19

Did that mid-week "holiday" screw up the rhythm of your week? It sure did with mine. To help you get your groove back there are three new saisons and a pils that are (for the most part) light and kind for these high temperature days. Happy New beer Friday!

2 Row - Czech Pilsner: This new lager has a that classic floral aroma with a light, crip body and crystal clear appearance. Up front is a grassy and peppery hop feel with some balancing sweet and  toasty malt. It finishes slightly dry. This pils has a nice broad palate and is pretty enjoyable. 5.3%. Available at 2 Row starting today. 

Saltfire - Saison de Femme Fatale: This collaboration with the Hop Bombshells Homebrew Club utilizes the Pink Boots society's special hop blend and makes its debut today at Saltfire. 6.7% - Available at Saltfire. 

Mad Fritz - The Lion and Other Beasts: This farmhouse beer is a Belgian style beer known as a grisette. It's earthy and round with nice brett notes along with a good dose of cracker and dough. There's some spicy yeast as well that play off of the very subtle grassy Euro hops. 5.6% - Found at The Bayou.  

Mad Fritz - The Goose that Laid the Golden Eggs: This saison has some really nice apple and pear notes with a good deal of yeast spiciness. Herbs, oak and orange peel round out the back end with a bit of white pepper in the finish. Alcohol seems slightly high. 7.0% - Found at The Bayou.

Cheers!

New Beer Friday 7/19/19

Happy New Beer Friday. This week you get two treats as Founders' and Belching Beaver's beers hit Salt Lake. Supposedly some of these are hitting DABC stores; I have no info on that but I did find some at a couple of notorious beer spots in SLC. If you see them somewhere else, please spread the beer love.

Toasted Barrel - Bourbon Barrel Quad: This beer has aromas of fig, slight bourbon notes and a fuity sourness. The tastes follows with woody dryness and vanilla up front. Bourbon asserts itself as it warms with a little sour cherry and fig rounding it out. Finishes with boozy cherry and dark fruits. barrel dryness & figs. a beast at 15.0% - Available at Toasted Barrel.

2 Row Huckleberry Sour: This debuted yesterday and I missed it. I'm sad... I'm guessing it's got a sour lemony base with flavors of Huckleberry. If I'm wrong, set my ass straight! 5.9% - Available at 2 Row.

Wasatch Dunkelweizen: I missed out on this one too. This is a very small batch beer that is only available at Wasatch's Sugar House Brewpub. 4.0%.

Proper - It's Always Sunny in SLC: This pale ale is light with caramel sweetness, pine, orange peel and herbal hops in the finish. 4.0% - Available at Proper. 

Belching Beaver - Me So Honey: This has a golden/orange color with an aroma of honey and toasty bread. The taste is sweet with the distinct taste of honey. There is a little bitterness at the end but a lot of cracker and bread notes. If you're a fan of honey beers look into this. 5.5% - Found at the Bayou.

Belching Beaver - Peanut Butter Milk Stout: This is the beer that built this brewery. Smells of peanut butter and chocolate malts. The taste follows with more peanut butter and semisweet chocolate. Lactic sugars come in next to sweeten it up a little. There a hint of coffee in the finish. Medium to full bodied with a creamy mouth feel. 5.3% - Found at the Bayou.

Belching Beaver - Deftones Phantom Bride: This IPA an aroma that is grassy and citrus-like. The taste follows with zesty citrus, some tropical fruit, caramel malt, and a little bit of dank and floral bitterness at the end.7.1% - Found at the Bayou.

Founders Solid Gold: This lager has nice herbal hops that drive this tasty lager with notes of lemongrass and pine. Mild toast and corn round it out. Dry finish with minimal sweetness. 4.4% - Found at Beerhive.

Founders - Dirty Bastard: Pours a dark reddish brown with a nose of toffee, caramel and brown sugar. Very boozy from the start with flavors of toffee, peat and dates. It finishes with some more fruity flavors, like plum or raisins. Very nice. 8.5% - Found at Beerhive.

Founders - Centennial IPA: : The aroma is resinous with tropical citrus and melon. There's citrus and melon initially in the flavor with toasted bread and caramel malts underneath. Mostly tangerine, nectar, and melon in the end with a black tea bitterness in the finish. An excellent example of an IPA. 7.2% - Found at Beerhive.

Founders - All Day IPA: The nose has a pleasant balance of sweet malt, pine, melon and grass. The flavor is mostly driven by pine with some light tangerine backing it up. Seems thin even for Utah standards. Finishes mildly bitter. 4.7% - Found at Beerhive.

Founders - Breakfast Stout: Strong and intense aroma of coffee and dark chocolate. The flavor is full of coffee, with dark chocolate and oats in the background. Very nice. 8.3% - Found at Beerhive

Founders - KBS [Kentucky Breakfast Stout]: Subtle roasted malts and coffee notes in the aroma.    Huge bourbon notes with dark chocolate and vanilla off the top. The coffee get a little lost, but it doesn't detract from the smooth, beer's barrel character. 12.3% - Apparently this is only at the Beerhive, if you see it anywhere  else let us know.

Kiitos - Grapefruit Hard Seltzer: Just what you'd expect; spritzy and quenching grapefruit water with a little kick. 4.0% - Available at Kiitos on draft.

Cheers!

New Beer Friday 7/12/19

The heat is on, and the beers this week reflect it. I'm not saying these are all quenchers; I will say that if you need an attitude adjustment there plenty here to get the job done. Happy New Beer Friday!

Uinta - Tu Meka Tart: This has an herbaceous/fruited yogurt aroma with a lemony tart base. The New Zealand hop blend adds some perceived fruitiness and bitterness adding to the lactic twang. It finishes slightly puckering. Nice beer.  6.7% - Available at Uinta. DABC next week.

2 Row - Seeing Stars:. Pours a murky orange with thick white head. Aroma is tropical fruits with some grapefruit. Huge tropical fruit flavor with mango, papaya, pineapple and also some tangerine. Another excellent NEIPA from 2 Row. 8.3% - Available at 2 Row, Beehive, Dick n Dixie's

Shades - Tai Tom Kha: This may have already sold out, so make a call before heading out. The subtle tart base creates a nice platform for the coconut, ginger and lemongrass. A restrained amount of lactic sugar helps sweeten it up a bit - adding balance to it all. Another winner. 6.3% - Available at Shades 

Kiitos - Rimando Pale Ale: I missed out on it. I'll try to have something for you later on KBER 101 at 2:20pm 5.0% - Available at Kiitos, I also found it at the Bayou.

Mother Earth/Fremont - 4 Seasons Hazy IPA: It has a peachy nose with some peach/passion fruit vibes at the beginning of the taste. Pineapple and citrus peel round it out. Minimal bitterness in the finish. seems a little light in body for as turbid as it is. Nice. 7.5% - Found at Beerhive

Great Basin - Cerveza Chilebeso: Missed this one. I'll try to have something for you later on KBER 101 at 2:20pm. 5.5% - Found at Bayou. 

Kiitos - Hard Lime Setzer: Nice lime flavor. It looks like real fruit by it's appearance. Very refreshing. 4.0% - Available at Kiitos on draft only.

Cheers!

New Beer Friday 06/07/19

Boy, you miss one New Beer Friday and people start sending out the rescue dogs. Thanks for the concern though, everything is fine, I just went on vacation. This week we're back - big as ever with new suds to help get your weekend rolling.

Kiitos - Barrel Select Imperial Stout: Starts off with the sweet bourbon over roasted coffee and cocoa bean. The taste replicates the aroma boozy bourbon sweetness that slides into the finish. On the palate, this one sits at about a medium body with a great sipping quality about it.This is a beast at 13.2% - Available at Kiitos.

Kiitos - Huell Melon Pale: Named for the hops used, this pale ale starts with a grassy, euro-hop profile that then transitions into green melon rind. The malt sweetness is light and complimentary. Finishes quite bitter. 4.0% - Available at Kiitos.  

2 Row - Extra: This copper hued lager has a light grain sweetness, that is also vaguely nutty and toasty. The hops are nice and floral with a hint of spice. This is super crushable and a highly drinkable lager. 5.0% - Available at  2 Row.

Fisher - Doc Sarvis: This pale ale has a grassy hop character, almost noble-like hop flavor with citrus peel and pineapple. It's got a nice hop flavor that turns a bit spicy towards the finish. 4.0% - Available at Fisher.

UTOG/Zolupez - Mandarina Kolsch: This new collaboration between Ogden's newest beer purveyors was just released yesterday, Sadly I missed it. Mandarina Bavaria hops have an intense pineapple, lemon and citrus flavors with a resinous, herbal followup. Should be tasty brew. 4.0% - Available at UTOG. 

Talisman 3rd Anniversary Ale: This Flanders Red Wild Sour Ale was aged for 15 months in Pinot Noir Wine Barrels from Talisman Wines in Northern California. It will be released today at 11am in the brewery's bottle shop. 9.5% - Available at Talisman.

Toasted Barrel - Imperial Stout: This hit yesterday at the brewery and I missed it. 8.7% - Available at Toasted Barrel.

Elevation - Pineapple Acide: Mildly tart with mild pineapple notes and malts. There's some slight wheat cracker tones as well; finishing with a hint of spicy hop bitterness. 4.5% - Found at Bayou and DABC

Stone - Enjoy By 07/04/19: Piney, herbal and zesty up front with some sweet chewy malts backing it up. It's quite bitter in the finish, showcasing a huge hop bill. Probably not their best offering, but it's still pretty good. 9.4% - Found at Beerhive.

I'm sure I missed something, help us all out if I did. Cheers!

New Beer Friday 3/8/19

Today is International Women’s Day. It will also be the 2nd Annual Pink Boots Brew Day in Utah. Our local chapter of the Pink Boots Society will be brewing a Cold Session IPA at Roosters' B Street to raise money for causes related to the organization.

In conjunction with the brew day, the ladies will be having a fundraising event in the B Street tap room. Utah Pink Boots Chapter leader, Jamie Burnham has been diagnosed with breast cancer. To help offset medical bills, Roosters will be donating a portion of all pints sold at B Street on March 8th. Come by to check out the Pink Boots Members brewing, and to support one Utah's best beer advocates. Now, on to New Beer Friday.

2 Row - Divine Lunacy: This new barrel aged beer from 2 Row is a begian quad aged in "new" bourbon barrel for nearly a year. The bourbon is nearly overpowering at first, but once you palate adjusts the bubblegum and peach from Quad begin to assert themselves. Very nice! 11.5% - Available at 2 Row, Beer Bar, Bayou, Dick n' Dixie's.

Strap Tank - Cosmic Fog: This beer looks like some kind of acid trip while watching an episode of My Pretty Pony. It's a swirling cloud of purple hued pearl essence. The taste is subtle tartness with vague berries. Not Bad. 4.0% - Available at Strap Tank, Fisher Brewing's guest tap. It's going fast!

Hopkins - Hipster AF: This beer is "triple dry hopped" with citra, mosaic, and cascade hops - brewed with lactose for that “milkshakey”, juicy, hazy. 4.0% - Available at Hopkins.

Telegraph West Swell Juicy IPA: Epic's newest acquisition from Santa Barbara is finally in our market. The West Swell IPA has a nose of grapefruit and papaya. Flavor-wise we get orange and pineapple from the hop selection. Bitterness is low, while sweetness is high. Nice example of the style. 6.7% - Found at Slackwater.

Dogfish Head - Perfect Disguise: This Double IPA is supposedly a Kolsch at heart; made with Kolsch  yeast and German malts. Hopped with nearly 4 lbs. of German and American hops per barrel. It brings tropical flavors of citrus, tangerine, mango, gooseberries and peach. 8.0% - Available at DABC.

Elysian - Dayglow IPA: Aromas of citrus and flowers. The flavor has grapefruit peel and is strong with some caramel and pine. The bitterness isn't too overpowering. Nice. 7.4% - Available at Slackwater, DABC. 

Cheers!

New Brews Soon For You! - 2 Row, Red Rock, Talisman, Uinta

This week's 'New Brews Soon for You' is more of a mixed bag than we've had in previous posts. Today we have previews 2 Row, Red Rock, Talisman and Uinta. Even though the government shutdown is temporarily over; the backlog of labels to be approved is likely a mile high, so there's no telling when we'll see these new beers. Rest assured we'll tell you all about them when they officially arrive. 

We'll start with the Red Rock's 'Peaches and Steam' that's pictured above. This beer is a California
Common at it's base with the addition of peach. Steam beers are typically toasty with mild malt fruitiness along with an herbal hop bitterness. I'm curious to see how the stone fruit addition will play

with American hybrid beer. This will be a 4.0% beer.

2 Row Brewing is barrel aging a new beer called Divine Lunacy. The name alone leads you to believe that this beer will be beast of a beer. 2 row already hold the state record for the highest ABV beer, coming in 15.1%. Divine Lunacy may not come in that big, but it does give you an idea of what owner/head brewer, Brian Coleman is capable of. This a Belgian style Quadruple Ale at it's base; They're rich and malty with subtle spicy yeast are definitely on the boozier side of the spectrum. This should be fun!

Talisman Brewing Co. has a new label for all of those higher ABV 'One Off' beers that may be coming from the Ogden brewery. This is a smart label; it gives you the liberty of having a variety without all of the federal B.S. that comes with the whole labels approval process. I guess we'll just have to wait and see what style of "one off" beer will be behind this label.


Finally Uinta Brewing will finally be putting out their take on the New England Style IPA. Uinta's Test Phaze IPA will feature a hop so new that it doesn't even have an official name yet. Simply
known as  'HCB-692, this hop exhibits grapefruit, floral, stone fruit, potpourri, woody, cream, pine, and resinous notes that apparently work well with many beer styles. This particular NEIPA will dial in at 6.5% and will be packaged in 12 ounce cans. This one has been in development for a while, this should make the droves of hazy IPA fans giddy.

Again, these are just previews of what's to come in Utah. There's no guarantee that these beers will make it to market as presented here, or at all.

Cheers!   

Images found at shipcomplient.com

New Beer Friday 12/28/18

On a personal note, I'd like to say thanks to all of you that still bother to stop by the Utah Beer Blog for all of you local beer news; even though the content is not as free flowing as it once was, I hope 2019 will allow for more time to get you all of the exclusive beer news that you crave.

This was a record year for Utah's beer scene, we welcomed Toasted Barrel Brewery, SaltFire Brewing Co., Policy Kings Brewery, Cerveza Zólopez Beer Co., T.F. Brewing, Roosters' B Street Brewery and St. George's Silver Reef Brewing Co.; Sugar House's brand new Hopkins Brewing Co. is scheduled to open on Dec. 31. And if all goes as planned you can expect to see at least another 6 or 7 breweries in 2019. So please stay close and please have a safe 2019. Now On to New Beer Friday.

Even in a week where generally nothing happens, you can always rely on a few breweries to step up and get us some new beers. It's not a huge New Beer Friday, but it's enough to wrap up a pretty great year for beer,

2 Row English Brown: This has a beautiful ruby/brown color that is brilliantly clear, with a moderate to thin amount of foam on top. The aroma has plenty of malts with toffee, caramel and nutty bread. Not as nutty as you'd expect from some brown ales. The taste is full of toffee, toasted crackers and some dark fruits from the malt. A nice winter brew that is the perfect change of pace from a brewery that is known for it's hoppy beers. 5.5% - Available at 2 Row

Kiitos Pro/Am Winter Porter: The first of Kiitos’ Pro/Am Series. This 7% Porter is brewed with coconut, coffee and cocoa nibs and was brewed in collaboration with Salt Lake City homebrewer Andrew Frost. Frosted Morning Pow Porter won a gold medal at the 10th Annual Beehive Brewoff. The result is a chocolatey Porter that isn’t too sweet but has notes of coconut and vanilla to round it out. Coffee comes through more as it warms. Very drinkable with alcohol that is well hidden. Damn tasty. Found at Kiitos and Beer Bar.

Ommegang 20th Anniversary: I didn't have the stamina for a 11.1% beer; not to mention it comes in a 750ml bottle. Look for a beer that has dark fruits blended with wood, molasses and a little chocolate with definite bourbon notes. Found at Beer Bar. I'm also hearing it's at some DABC stores.

Cheers!

New Beer Friday 12/7/18

You won't want to leave your beer unattended this week; as we have great selection of local beers that cover damn near every flavor profile a beer nerd could hope for. Have a great weekend!

Avenues Proper - Ivar the Boneless: This is a Sahti; it's an old world beer style that hails from Finland and normally uses no hops. This beer has a pilsner like feel with hints of must rye and toast. Instead of hop bittereness your met with subtle notes of licorice and anise. As far as I know nobody in the market has ever made a Sahti; It's a beer worth getting to know. 4.0% - Available only at Avenues Proper 

RoHa - Millennium Falcon Pale Ale: The taste is malt-forward - sweet with a roasty touch. A subtle touch of hops give the finish an herbal/leafy dryness to balance the sweetness and the mild roast. 4.0% - Available at RoHa.

2 Row - Jalapeno Sour: A lot of people have been cocking their heads when they hear about this beer. It actually came together just fine. The flavor starts lemony tart; not too bracing as to not be quite so acidic. The pepper element is fairly subtle with the Jalapeno's meat driving the show flavor wise. On a heat scale I'd put this at a solid 4 out of 10. Worth checking out. 5.3% - Available at better beer pubs and of course at 2 Row. 

T.F. Brewing - Schwartzbier: Super dark black body, fluffy off white bubbly head that lingers. 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. A damn tasty black bier. 4.0% - Available at T.F. Brewing. 

Fisher - Ledge Hole IPL: The nose was dominated by citrus hops - grapefruit stood out. The taste copies the nose with citrusy and piney flavors - grapefruit and lemon. Mouth feel is light-medium bodied with a lingering hoppy aftertaste - but not too bitter. Very Nice. 4.0% - Available at Fisher.

Wasatch - Chocolate Coffee Cream: The aroma features wheat crackers and mild coffee. The flavor has notes of milk chocolate, wheat thins, mild coffee and toffee. The mouthfeel is very light with spritzy carbonation. Overall this is a really tasty beer - quite light in body, but with nice layers of flavor, enjoyable like a light coffee drink. 4.0% - Available in cans at the Utah Brewers Cooperative.

Tune in to KBER 101 as we discuss these and other beers with Mick and Allenat at 3:30pm today.

Cheers!

New Beer - Brewery Friday 11/2/18

Three new breweries in three weeks? I'm pretty confident that this has never happened in Utah and it may never happen again. Salt lake's T.F. Brewing lasted only seven days as the new newness; passing the baton to Ogden's Cerveza Zólupez - a nano brewery that will specialize in craft brews with a south of the boarder flair. Congrats to Javier Chavez's on his new brewery.

Cerveza Zólupez Amber Ale: I haven't had this one yet. It's described a s being brewed with Piloncillo (Mexican brown sugar), and Mexican canela (cinnamon sticks). Giving it a malty, rich caramelly taste- balanced- with a good whiff and aroma of cinnamon. Two different batches of this beer was made.  #1 (5.12%) - #2 (8.12%) Available at Cerveza Zólupez tomorrow (11/3)


Cerveza Zólupez IPA: I haven't had this one yet. It's described a s being brewed with Blue Organic Agave from Mexico, and real lime peel (not concentrated lime flavor.) The lime peel, with the Citra hops, gives this IPA a hop forward fruit taste on the palate, and aroma lift to the nose. 7.63% - Available at Cerveza Zólupez  tomorrow (11/3)


 Epic Quadruple Baptist: The fourth incarnation (technically fifth) does not disappoint. The previous adjuncts of barrel aged coconut, cacao, and coffee is now combined with barrel aged almond creating a silky and smooth incarnation of Big Bad Baptist. The almond addition almost gives the whole chocolate/coffee/whiskey things and almost oat like quality that really sets it apart. If you're a fan of this series this one is a must for you. The version I had an ABV of 11.2%, but some are as high as 12.7% and as low as 10.3%  Available at Epic and soon to better beer pubs.

T.F. Brewing Northern Red Pale Ale: This is reminiscent of an old school pale. It has a medium light malt profile with hops that are citrus like to start then transition to more of a pine/herbal bitterness. Finishes dry. 4.0% - Available at T.F. Brewing.

2 Row Raspberry Sticks: If you're a fan of chocolate raspberry sticks, then you'll love this new holiday beer from 2 Row. This beer mimics the holiday treat quite well. It's got a good balance of raspberry and chocolate; the raspberry is particularly tart and fruity. The chocolate part come courtesy of Millcreek Cacao Roasters, it's adds a nice silky element to the stout. A very nice beer. 8.3% - Available at 2 Row, Bayou and Beerhive 

Proper - Country Mack's Harvest Pale Ale: This just hit my radar this morning. It's described as an old school American Pale Ale made with six different hops; including Meridian, Wolf and Dr. Rudi Hops. It's said to be bitter and dank with notes of vanilla and crackery malts. 4.0% - Available at Proper.

Toasted Barrel Oread Barrel 1: I missed these. A Brett Farmhouse ale aged in Waterpocket Distllery's Oread Botanical Liqueur. Look for notes of orange peel, anise, sage and lemon. 9.2% - Available at Toasted Barrel

Toasted Barrel Oread Barrel 2: Same beer, same barrel with a different balance of beer and barrel. Look for notes of orange peel, anise, sage and lemon. 9.2% - Available at Toasted Barrel.

Toasted Barrel Oread Barrel 3: Same beer, same barrel with a different balance of beer and barrel. Look for notes of orange peel, anise, sage and lemon. 9.2% - Available at Toasted Barrel.

Odell Isolation Ale: Has a nice aroma with caramel, citrus, and spices. The taste is sweet and malty with a slight bitterness. Starts with caramel, citrus, spices, and toasted malt. This is a malt driven beer that has enough bitterness to keep the the overall experience from getting too cloying. 6.0% - Available at Beer Bar, DABC.

Odell Whiskey Barrel Aged Lugene: The original Lugene was mothballed last year. This stout is a nicely round chocolate stout that can be on the sweet side. Lot's of barrel notes including wood and vanilla. It's full of chocolate,and lactose along with some light notes of coffee, and surprising amount of hops on the back end. Almost has a liqueur feel. Available at Beer Bar, DABC.

Saison Dupont: Light notes of clove, pink peppercorns, and a phenolic note cutting in. Nice peppery note at the front of the tongue, hint of bubble gum and sweetness, and a nice crisp finish. Super clean and refreshing. 6.5% - Available at the Bayou.

Speaking of the Bayou; they just got in a bunch of sour Belgian beers from Brouwerij Boon. I haven't had any of these yet, but my mouth is watering just thinking about them. These are in limited supply. get 'em before they're gone.

Boon Frambois
Boon Oude Gueze
Boon Oude Gueze Black Label
Boon Oude Gueze Mariage Parfait
Boon Oude Gueze - VAT 109
Brouwerij Van Steenberge - Tripel Van De Garre

Cheers!

New Beer Friday 10/5/18

Fisher -"Yet Unnamed Lager": As of yesterday this beer had no name. It's a toasty and clean lager with pine like bitterness along with malts that lean towards caramel and almond. Kinda like a Altbier. 4.0%. Available at Fisher.

Saltfire - Wet Hop Lupulin Dew: I missed this one, but I hope to have tasting notes for you on this later today on New Beer Friday's segment on KBER101. That's at 3:30pm with Mick and Allen.

Toasted Barrel - Doll Face White IPA:  This Belgian influenced white IPA is described as being brewed with orange peel and coriander to compliment the tropical hops. This compilation creates a smooth, hoppy finish approaching a NE style IPA.

2 Row - Roll Out: This a new oatmeal Stout from 2 Row. It's 4.0% and sadly i missed it. It's only on draft at 2 Row, so bring your growlers.

Ballast Point/Western Standard - Saloon Lager: This barrel aged lager is a collaborative beer between Constellation Brands' Ballast Point Brewing and High West Distillery. It starts with a good dose of oak, marshmallow and bourbon. Some lager graininess emerges in the end. finishes semi hoppy. Don't judge this session barrel aged lager against the bigger bodied ales. Knowing this, you can now proceed. 5.2%. Available at The Bayou and select DABC stores.

Elysian - Punkuccino: I was really looking forward to this one; anticipation is always better I guess. A good dose of pumpkin spices start you off with some gourd flavors as well. After that you get mostly thin acidic coffee and a harsh bitter finish. 6.0%. I found it at Beer Bar. 

Elysian - The Great Pumpkin: Much better than the previous Elysian Pumpkin beer. Look for great pumpkin pie spices: nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon and perhaps a touch of clove. There's a generous amount of malt backing this all up. 8.1%. Found at Beer Bar.

Odell - Jolly Russian: This Rum barrel aged Imperial Stout has notes of sweet rum followed by some heavy oak. Raisins, figs, tobacco and brown sugar.  Other rum notes make for a sweet offering, but the warming alcohol does a nice job of balancing the heavy sugars. 13.3%. Found at Beer Bar.

Odell - Double Pilsner: Toasted bread with grainy crackers start you off. From the you get a slight mineral bite that leads you to grassy and citrucy hops. Alcohol is evident put it is an Impy Pils. 9.0%. Found at Beer Bar

Stone - Enjoy By 10/31/18: These never seem to disappoint; some may be better than others, but IPA fans can usually agree that these are pretty decent beers. This one is no exception. It has great citrus notes with a fair amount of tropical-fruit-like hops. The malt balance is spot on with a descent amount of citrus peel and pine bitterness. It's damn yummy. 9.4%. Available at Beerhive, Bayou.

Cheers!