New Beer Friday 11/10/17

Happy New Beer Friday! with the colder weather upon us, the big, full bodied beers are hitting the market. Hold on to you chair, there a shload of new stuff this week. Let's get to it!

Epic Triple Barrel Big Bad Baptist:  The aroma is intensely roasty, with notes of bourbon, dark roast coffee, baking chocolate, fudge and toasted coconut. Alcohol perfume is evident as well; it creates a countering effect that keeps the bouquet from becoming too dessert-like. The taste is immediately bold and rich. Medium sweet dark chocolate and roasted barley jump out at first. Big cold-brew coffee flavors push aside the roasted malts and assert a rich and spicy blast that is equal parts fruity and floral. At the midpoint, the bourbon barrel begins to play its part, adding oak, toffee and vanilla along with a bit of booziness. Toward the end of the palate, coconut custard becomes apparent, as it creates a toothy Mounds Bar sweetness that plays well with the coffee and bourbon thump. The end of this roller coaster relies on a bit of oak and the slightest hint of floral bitterness to wrap it all up in a nice bow. The finish is roasty and slightly dry, as lingering acidic tones from alcohol and coffee parch the tongue. 12.7% ABV Available at Epic SLC starting today.

Desert Edge's Munich Dunkel Lager: The Munich Dunkel is a deep amber colored German lager. This beer is full of rich, toasty malt flavor with a low bitterness and medium dry finish. 4.0% ABV. Available at Desert Edge.

Desert Edge's 7 Devils IPA: This is a session IPA brewed with large amounts of Idaho 7 hops. These hops have bright citrus, and resiny pine aromas. Light malt with high bitterness and a dry finish. 4.0% ABV. Available at Desert Edge.

RoHa's Pumpkin Black: Smells of cocoa and pumpkin spices. The taste follows with milk chocolate, nutmeg and allspice. Very dessert-like with a fair amount of body for a 4.0% ABV beer. Available at RoHa Brewing Project.

Oskar Blues' Death by Coconut: Dark brown with a soapy tan head. The nose has huge coconut that drowns all other aromas. The flavors starts with coconut then transisitions into a nutty, chocolate flavor. Toasted grains and caramel round out the back end. It's sweet, but not overly so with a rich body that is full and pleasant. I'm glad the brown ale here didn't get completely stomped on. 6.5% ABV. Available at Dick 'n Dixie's.

Laughing Dog/Boneyard Bloody Brews: This beer has a nice opaque cardinal red color and an aroma of tomato and a hint of pepper and vinegar. The taste is primarily dill pickle juice, garlic, tomatoes, salt, vinegar and a hint of beer. Think bloody marry with a bit of fizz. A tasty alternative to beer. 4.0% ABV. Available starting this weekend at various grocery and C-stores around the SLC area.

Stone's Saison du Buff: There's a strong aroma of herbs, lemon and penolic yeast.The taste is  starts with peach, spices and citrus peel. The malt s are tame while the fruit and spices are more assertive.  Big hops inhabit the beer throughout and hang on through the finish. 6.8% ABV. Available at Beer Bar, Beerhive, Bayou

Stone's Stygian Descent: Pours black with a tan head. The nose has roasted malt, vanilla, dark fruit and spices. The taste has a touch of bourbon/vanilla sweetness is present as is some dark fruit flavors (figs/prunes) and then the hops hit on the end. The beer is medium but is smooth thanks to the barrel aging. 11.6% ABV Available at Beer Bar, Beerhive, Bayou

Stone's Fyodor: Not tried this Bourbon Barrel age Imperial stout yet. 13.5% ABV. Available at Beer Bar, Beerhive, Bayou

Stone's Xocoveza Charred: Notes of cocoa and chicory. The taste starts with cocolate, coconut and caramel. Some char as well. Nice vanilla notes along with  almond and coffee round it out. Finishes dry and warming.This is quite delish! 10.0% ABV.

Stone's Mikhail Odd: Not tried this Espresso Imperial Russian Stout aged in bourbon barrels. 13.9% ABV. Available at The Bayou.

Have I given you enough?

Cheers!

Boneyard's Bloody Blend

The maker of one of Utah's most popular locally made bloody marry mix has teamed up with Idaho's Laughing Dog Brewing Company to produce a chelada beer that's worth checking out. Boneyard's Bloody Blend has been making their special bloody marry blend since 2012. It's a spicy and savory tomato based concoction that the manufacturer recommends you enhance with Clamato and vodka.

For the Bloody Blend none of that is required. Laughing Dog has provided their cream ale as a base for this bloody beer which has a nice opaque tomato red color and an aroma of tomato and a hint of pepper and vinegar. The taste is primarily dill pickle juice, garlic, tomatoes, salt, vinegar and a hint of beer.

This a primo breakfast or hangover drink. Bloody beers are also a nice change of pace when you want a beer but "don't want a beer". I urge you to put your beer geek attitudes aside and check this 4% ABV bloody marry meets beer concoction out as it will be hitting grocery and C-stores around the area in the coming days.

Cheers! 

New Beer Friday 5/26/17

Happy New Beer Friday! I hope you all have a safe and long weekend. There's a lot of tasty stuff out there to help you kick off summer right.

Cigar City: Jai Alai - This IPA pours a very clear, golden copper color with a nose that has pine and citrus. The taste follows the nose, with some pine up front, followed by a huge wave of malts. The finish is full of bitter citrus and pineapple.7.5% ABV @ Dick n' Dixie's, DABC, Bayou

Perrin: Black Goat Lager - Not tried this one yet. 5.8% ABV @ Bayou, DABC

Payette: Aura: Guava and Hibiscus - Not tried this yet, sounds interesting. 4.0% ABV @ Beer Bar

Firestone Walker: Luponic Distortion #6 - It has a nose of pine and citrus - a wee bit of pepper too. Big earthy bitterness dominates the taste with grapefruit peel and pine backing up some crackery malts. Not my favorite version of Luponic, but it's still pretty great. 5.9% ABV @ Beerhive, Beer Bar

Firestone Walker: Leo vs Ursus - The nose has mango, pineapple, vanilla and caramel. The taste starts with apricot, pineapple and orange peel. Sweet caramel malts come next with tropical and earthy hops backing it all up. finishes slightly sweet. For a DIPA it has a great balance - not too cloying and easy to drink. I liked this one a lot. 8.2% ABV @ BeerHive, Beer Bar

Laughing Dog: The Dogs of Helles - The nose has apple sweet grains with floral hops. The taste has a bit of creamed corn and nutty caramel. Finishes with grassy/floral hops. 4.0% ABV @ Harmons

Laughing Dog: The DogFather - The nose has chocolate, roasted malt, plum and bourbon. The taste starts with molasses, licorice, fudge abd wood. Vanilla, raisin coffee and bourbon. A bit of ash in the finish. Nice barrel aged stout. 11.0% ABV. @ Slackwater

Proper: Hop vs Hop 7 - This is being released today. This version is hopped with Eureka and Simcoe hops. 8.2% ABV. @ Proper

Avenues Proper: New Zealand Lager - This version is hopped with Dr. Rudi and Rakau hops. Not triedit yet. 4.0% ABV. @Avenues Proper

Cheers!

New Beer Friday 2/5/16

There are so many tasty option out there today, you'll never have time to work them in. I'm sure some of you will try.

Payette Apres Extra Pale Ale - Not tried this yet. It's described as having an orange/amber color with flavors or caramel malts and heavy piney hops. This beer is brewed exclusively for Snowbasin Ski Resort. 4.0% ABV @ Snowbasin

Shades of Pale Publican Pale Ale - Not had a chance to try this big boy version of Shades of Pale's Publican. It's got an ABV of 6% and is only available at SOP's bottle shop.

Hopworks Urban Brewery Non Stop Hef Hop - Not really new, but this beer are now available at select grocery and convenience stores, so I thought it was worth a mention. This basically a White IPA. It has a dank piney/citrusy nose with a taste that follows. some doughy wheat is present beneath the hops. Light, hoppy and refreshing. 3.8% ABV @ Beer Bar - Grocery

Hopworks Urban Brewery Totally Radler - Looks like a witbier, smells like lemon rind and tastes lemony - but not too tart. If you're into radlers, you'll like this. The lemon isn't too crazy.  3.1% ABV @Grocery

Boulevard Tell-Tale Tart - Not tried this one yet. It's described as having subtle acidity with a soft, biscuity malt character, suggesting, rather than announcing its tartness. Beginning with a bracing sharpness at first sip, the ale mellows on the palate to a smooth and faintly lingering finish. 6.2% ABV @ DABC

Boulevard The Calling - This billed as Boulevard's most heavily hopped beer ever, bursting forth with unmistakable tropical fruit and pine hop aromas and flavor supported with a slightly sweet malt character, tapering to a crisp, dry finish. 8.5% ABV @ DABC

Sierra Nevada Tropical IPA - Clear golden color with a nice full head. The nose is full of citrus, mango and oranges with a toasty biscuit backbone. The taste is appropriatly bitter with a little bit of mango more orange and a little bit of lemon. This is damn delicious. 6.7% ABV @ Beer Bar

Laughing Dog 219 (two-one niner) Pilsner - Described as having a grainy aroma with some corn, color is light straw with brilliant clarity. Light malt notes are balanced with a very subtle Willamette hop presence. 4.8% ABV @ Slackwater

Laughing Dog The Dogfather - Described as being  one of the biggest brews Laughing Dog makes. Weighing in at a hefty 11% percent, the Dogfather has 7 malts and 4 different hops giving it a complex flavor profile of roasted malts, bourbon and dark fruits. @ Slackwater

Laughing Dog Alpha Dog - Described as true hop bomb brewed plenty of Columbus and Mt Hood hops for a piney hop character. Premium Pale, Honey and Munich malt make this beer a little less malty but packing plenty of hop punch. 8.5% ABV @ Slackwater

Be sure to join me today on the Freakshow with Mick and Allen on KBER 101 around 3:40pm as we dissect New Beer Friday's offerings further. 

Cheers!

New Beer Friday 1/22/16

It was a busy week with all the new brewery talk. Now it's time to decompress with pant loads of new beers. You can't go wrong this week!

Uinta Farmhouse Saison - The nose has orange peel, pepper, clove, and Chardonay grapes with a Brett like funk. The taste tends to follow. Upfront you taste Belgian yeast with good notes of black peppers, clove, and a funky taste that is akin to Brett. Chardonay grapes shine throughout giving it a nice tart vinious taste. Also some notes of pear, apple and orange zest. Hops are very subtle. If your a saison fan, you'll love this. 5.6% ABV @ Uinta Brewing 

Uinta Cutthroat+ - This version of Cutthroat pale ale (called Cutthroat "plus") is made with cocoa nibs, orange peel and cayenne pepper. Sadly I've not tried it yet. Please share your thoughts! Only available in Utah. 4.0% ABV. @Uinta Brewing

Bohemian Bremish White - Not tried this yet. Described as incredibly smooth and drinkable. Orange and lemon citrus in the nose . Smooth malt and a wee bit of lacto. (thanks Zach Bells) 4.0% ABV @ Bohemian

Heretic Brewing Shallow Grave - This porter is described as a big, dark ale with a complex and rich chocolate and caramel malt character followed by a touch of warmth and light malt sweetness, leaving you ready for more. 7.0% ABV

Heretic Brewing Evil Twin - This blood-red ale is described as a malty and hoppy craft beer. Evil Twin has a rich malt character, without being overly sweet. It has a huge hop character, without being overly bitter. It is a great example of a bold, rich, balanced craft beer, without being heavy and hard to drink in quantity. 6.8% ABV   

Heretic Brewing Evil Cousin - Heretic's take on a West coast imperial IPA is described as a bold, in-your-face hop monster. It has a light, easy drinking malt character that allows the hops to stand out. The hop character in this beer is intentionally on the dank side; big, sticky, and aggressive. This beer is for those of you who can't get enough hops. 8.0% ABV

Heretic Brewing Chocolate Hazelnut Porter (CHP) - Is described as dessert in a glass. It is a rich, robust porter bursting with luscious chocolate and hazelnut. Notes of coffee and caramel round out this delicious treat. 7.0% ABV

Heretic Brewing Torment - This 10% Belgian-style dark ale is described as a rich beer with lots of caramel, malt, dark fruit, and Belgian candi sugar notes. The luscious fruity character is full of caramel apples, candied pears, and chocolate covered oranges. Torment is the dark counterpart to Heretic's Worry Belgian Golden Ale.

New Belgium Blackberry Barleywine -  Pours a ruby color with golden highlights. The nose has a mild combo of caramel, malt and berries. Sugary malt up front with a lot of berry syrup. Some boozy clove and oak flavors round it out towards the end. Finishes cloyingly sweet. This beer lacks balance. English barleywines are sweet as it is - the berry fruitiness just turns this beer into "diabetes in a glass". Too sweet for my wussy palate. 10.0% ABV

Augustiner Bräu Maximator - Ruby/brown in color with a nose of caramelized sugar, pumpernickel and allspice.. The taste starts with caramel, dark cake and toasted malt. Next comes a bit of vine fruitiness. More toast and oak in the end - slightly warming. Complex and sweet not at all like the Blackberry Barleywine. 7.5% ABV

Laughing Dog De Acheste Hond - Pours a golden amber color. with a peachy nose with a hint of tart strawberry. The taste is mildly tart with some peach and more strawberry. The tartness has a yogurt like sour profile. The end has some tangy citrus flavors. There's an odd flavor in here that I'm having trouble identifying. It's not offensive, but it takes me away from the enjoyment of the beer. 7.0% ABV @Bayou

Samuel Adams Winter Snap - Described as an unfiltered White Ale with smooth wheat with the bright snap of spring spices. From the subtle sweetness of orange peel and plum to the peppery bite of fresh ground coriander, the blend of spices creates just the right refreshing kick to signal that spring is on its way. 5.3% ABV @DABC

Pelican Saison Du Pelican -  The nose is strong with musty yeasty pear and apple. The taste is somewhat herbal and phenolic with some peppery notes. A bit of lemony tartness comes through in the end. The finish is herbal and dry. Alcohol is noticeable. 6.0% ABV @Bayou

Cheers!

Laughing Dog Beers Coming to SLC

On the heels of Ballast Point's entry into the market, Sandpoint Idaho's Laughing Dog Brewery has announced that they are about to enter the SLC market. Established in 2005 Laughing Dog produces around 6000 barrels annually and is currently available in 26 states. What makes their move into this market different than others is the commitment to make new session brews that are tailor made for our market. Here are some descriptions of some of the beers coming soon to grocery stores and bars near you.

CREAM ALE
This is a traditional Cream Ale fermented with both ale and lager yeasts. Brilliant clarity with a malt aroma and a soft, malty sweetness. Available year round. 4.0% ABV

HUCKLEBERRY CREAM ALE
We begin with slight variations on our traditional Cream Ale recipe. Real huckleberries are added during the last minutes of the boil to lend a subtle berry aroma and flavor. Available as a seasonal release in April. 4.0% ABV


TRAIL RIDE AMERICAN PALE ALE
We brew our Pale Ale “Big, Bold and Hoppy” with plenty of Citra hops lending a floral / citrus aroma and flavor complimented with a balanced malt backbone 4.0% ABV 34 IBU

Higher ABV beers will be coming as well. Look for the some of the following beers as well, sometime in the future.

Look for Laughing Dog's beers by the end of June. Barring any hangups they will have draft available at the June 27th WeeBeer Festival in Ogden with packaged beer and full release into Utah by July 13th.  Keep checking back here for updates. 2015 looks to be a great beer year!

Cheers!