New Beer Friday 5/18/18

Not only is it New Beer Friday; it's also New Brewery Friday! Saltfire Brewing Company, Utah's newest brewery is officially releasing their first batches of beer tomorrow. Along with these we also have a shload of sour beers to talk about; combine all this with Craft Beer Week and you have a damn full weekend. Check out the updated craft beer week calendar here.

Epic Oak and Orchard Strawberry Rhubarb: The nose has a strong, dry sourness that is masking a bit of  funky strawberry. The taste is berry tart with darker berries and some strawberry sweetness. Finishes bone dry. 6.9%. Available at Epic.

Kiitos American Lager: Light spicy herbal nose with an even lighter touch of bready to grainy malts. The taste starts light and bready with bitter, but mellow, herbal hops jumping in.  Some light yeast flavor and graininess in the finish. 6.0%. Available at Kiitos.

SaltFire Dirty Chai Stout: Releases 5/19 - 6.7%. Available at Saltfire

SaltFire Fury Kolsch: : Releases 5/19 - 6.0%. Available at Saltfire

SaltFire A Series of Singularities Idaho 7: Releases 5/19 - 6.9%. Available at Saltfire

SaltFire A Series of Singularities: Releases 2:  5/19 - 6.9%.  Available at Saltfire

The RoHa Brewing Project - Red Ace: Sweeter berry-like malts with hops that have a bit of lemon peel bitterness. 4.0% ABV. Available at RoHa.

Squatters Meteor Shower: This is being released on Sunday at Squatters' Brewer's Brunch. I'll have tasting notes later today at 3;30pm with Mick and Allen on KBER 101.

Talisman Anniversary Ale: I havn't tried this Belgian style ale aged in Pino Noir barrels. 9.5% Available at Talisman.

8 Wired Cosmic Chaos: This Sour Black IPA is a bit tart with cola, some raisins + chocolate, slight char with some orange peel bitterness. 7.5% Available exclusively at the Bayou.

8 Wired Fistful of Cherries: This Wild Ale has a nose of tart cherries, grass and vinious oak. The wine barrels are surprisingly pronounced  - pushing through the tartness. Tart cherries and Brett yeast complete the flavor profile. 7.6% Available exclusively at the Bayou.

8 Wired Gypsy Funk: I havn't tried this American style Wild Ale yet. 7.5% Available exclusively at the Bayou.

8 Wired Lord of the Atlas: This American style Barely Wine has a nose of Toffee, vanilla and booze. The taste is more toffee, with marmalade and bitter pine rounding it out. 12.0%. Available exclusively at the Bayou.

8 Wired Big Smoked Porter: Not tried this one yet. 6.2%. Available exclusively at the Bayou.

8 Wired iStout: I havn't tried this Russian Imperial stout yet. It's described as having roasted coffee and chocolate malt flavors which are balanced by a brisk bitterness and bold freshness from the hops. 10.0%. Available exclusively at the Bayou.

8 Wired Wireless Black IPA: Missed out on this one too. 6.2%. Available exclusively at the Bayou.

Amager/Mikkeller - Frederiksen Væsel Brunch: Collaboration blend with Mikkeller/Amager. A blend of Hr.Fredriksens (Amager) and Beer Geek Brunch Weasel (Mikkeller) - then aged in bourbon barrels. 10.7%. Available exclusively at the Bayou.

Amager/Crooked Stave - Chad, the King of Wild Yeast: This sour ale has a strawberries nose with lemon zest, and herbal hops. The taste follows with lemon zest, strawberries, and melon with a touch of herbal hops in the back. 5.0%. Available exclusively at the Bayou.

Melvin Your IPA: This is possible the most bitter beer I've ever had. The aroma is danky, dank, dank herbal grass. The taste follows with dank pine resin and herbal hops. It finishes bone dry. If you're looking for an anti-haze bro beer, this is the one. 7.1%. I had it at Beerhive.

Cheers!

New Beer Friday 12/11/15

Okay, There's a shload of new stuff today, so we're just going to get right to it.

Anchor Brewing Our Christmas Ale 2015 - Pours dark mahogany color with Carmel colored head. The nose has nutmeg and toffee notes. There's a nice balance nutty chocolate, gingerbread spices up front with earthy hops and roasted bitterness rounding out the back.The finish is quite bitter. Overall, this is one of the better years for this beer.  A great Christmas ale. 5.5% ABV @BeerHive, DABC

Sockeye Brewing Winterfest - The nose is sweet and fruity with herbal hops orange peel and a bit of vanilla. The taste starts sweet with vanilla and fruity alcohol notes. The English-style ale peeks through underneath with that distinct sweeter malt edge. Herbal hops come next balancing out the sweetness of the malt. Toasted malt and sweet orange peel come next rounding out the back end. Lingering resinous hops on the finish. A really nice winter warmer. 7.0% ABV @ DABC

Shades of Pale Beer X White IPA - Cloudy straw color. The nose is tangerine with some coriander & clove. Tastes with orange peel, a bit of tangerine and lemon peel. A little doughy sweetness comes accompanied by coriander spices. 7% ABV. @ Shades of Pale

RedRock Furlong Bourbon Barrel Imperial Stout - I hope you like Bourbon. Because this beer comes with a shload of it. It's very whiskey forward upfront, with some nice caramel and roasted malts punching up from beneath. The finish is herbal and quite bitter. This beer is not blended. It went from barrel to bright tank to bottle. It's raw and unapologetic. Sadly it sold out on the first day of the release. However, it is available at RedRock locations for in house consumption and it's at most better beer bars as well. 10.2% ABV

To Øl Jule Mælk - I haven't tried this one yet. This is a 15% ABV Milk Stout. Yeah, I know... me too! @ Bayou

Hive Apricot Eau Da Vie Brandy - This elegant brandy opens with a wonderful warm apricot nose, transporting you to a warm summer day standing next to an apricot tree full of ripe fruit. A distinct, but not overpowering, apricot flavor makes this a perfect spirit for sipping. @ Hive Winery

Hive Blackberry Eau Da Vie Brandy - Proudly made from Blackberries  picked fresh at Frost Farms in Layton, this clear spirit has a fresh blackberry nose with slight floral undertones.  A light pleasing blackberry flavor dominates the profile of this smooth and pleasant brandy. Enjoy it neat in a brandy snifter, or using it in place of vodka in a “screwdriver” for a delightful berry twist on an old classic. @ Hive Winery

Hive Sisterwives Sparkling Bing Cherry Wine - A delightfully sweet, subtly sparkling wine featuring a full, rich, sun ripened dark cherry flavor with pleasantly understated earthy undertones, reminiscent of a good port. Perfect addition to any Holiday Celebration; try it in place of a standard Champaign in your favorite holiday drinks. @ Hive Winery

The DABC finally let the Bayou have their shipment of Holiday beers. Here's what's available today.

Mikkeller Winbic

Mikkeller - Santa's Helper
Mikkeller From/To

To Øl Frost Bites Holiday IPA

Bourganel - Biere aux Marrons (Chestnuts)

Ridgeway Brewing Beers:
Bad Elf
Very Bad Elf
Lump Of Coal
Santas Butt
Warm Welcome
Reindeer Droppings

Serafiijn Christmas Angel

Sruise Tsjeeses 
Thiriez Noel

Also today, Squatters and Wasatch are now serving some of their "high point" beers in Crowlers! They will have 3 Wasatch beers – Ghostrider White IPA, Devastator Double Bock and a seasonal offering, which is First One Down Winter Warmer. The Squatters beers are Hop Rising Double IPA, Off Duty IPA and the Seasonal offering, which is currently Takeout Rye IPA.

They will be filling the Crowlers every morning and will only fill a certain quantity for the day in order to keep the product fresh. Since they are Crowlers, they will be filled off their tap lines, then purged and sealed, which makes it possible for them to stay fresh for a longer period of time. The price will be $5.50 per Crowler. As these were just approved yesterday, I'd call ahead before making the trip. Capiche?

Cheers!