New Beer/Brewery Friday 3/22/19

It been two months since I've been able to announce a new local brewery; lately that seem like along damn time, considering that the end of 2018 saw a new brewery every damn month. Today, I'm happy to say that Level Crossing Brewing Company is Utah's newest brewery. Though their official opening isn't until March 30th, their beer is already hitting the streets. So congrats to Mark, Katie and Chris on creating a new beer oasis that will be a welcome edition to Utah's craft beer family.

Level Crossing - You-Tah Uncommon: Dark amber in color with an aroma of subtle spicy rye and sweet malt. The flavors follow the nose with rye and corn notes that mingling with caramel malt and light herbal hop notes. The finish is lightly dry with a grainy aftertaste. A highly drinkable first brew. 4.0% - Available only at Lucky 13 for now.
 
Desert Edge - Pro Tem Pale Ale:  Meaning "for the time being" this is a new rotating pale ale series with each batch using different hops. This version uses Denali, Citra and Cascade hops for a bright citrus aroma and tropical fruit flavors. It's unfiltered with a light malt character, medium bitterness, and a dry finish. 4.0% - Available at Desert Edge

Desert Edge - Frühlingspunkt: Meaning "vernal equinox" in German. This is a golden colored lager with a very light toasted malt flavor and floral hops. This lager is a balance between the darker, malty flavored beers of winter and the crisp refreshing beers of summer. It's a perfect beer 
for the transition to the sunny days and cool nights of spring. 4.0% - Available at Desert Edge.

Epic/Ellipsis Brewery - Wheat Wine: This collaboration beer between Epic and Florida's Ellipsis Brewing has a light copper color with an amber hue. The aroma starts with sweet honey and lightly burnt caramel. From there alcohol soaked raisin and hints of banana begin to emerge. Lots of peppery alcohol. The herbal and piny hops become more pronounced towards the end. The finish is dry with a slight but lingering bitterness. 10.1% - Available at Epic Brewing.

Hoppers - Hell’s Backbone Porter: Named after one of Utah's iconic destinations for dark skies and dramatic scenery, this beer is made with Utah grown barley and malted here in the Salt Lake Valley. The owner of Solstice Malt personally smoked some of the barley with mesquite wood. English Chocolate Malt and Crystal malt are added for color, flavor and full body. The flavor is a smooth chocolate and caramel with a light smoke flavor that becomes more noticed in the finish as it warms.  4.0% - Available at Hoppers.

T.F. Brewing - Delmar: This new Imperial Stout is full of dark roast components with big molasses and burnt toffee. Coffee flavors come in next adding some astringent qualities. Char and caramel duke it out towards the end. The finish is quite hoppy and bitter with a bit of heat as well. Not for the timid. 11.5% - Available at T.F. Brewing and at better beer pubs.

T.F. Brewing - Pineapple Berliner: Like most Berliner Weisse beers this starts with a good dose of lemony tartness, then bam! your hit with pineapple. It's not super sweet like juice it closer to the green part towards the rind. A super refreshing sour beer. 4.0% - Available at T.F. Brewing.

Proper - SEE YA LATER, DENISE:  Named tor an an obscure infamous specifically Utah-flavored misinterpretation of the phrase "bye, Felicia", this whirlpool-hopped American pale ale is juicy and full of fruity aromatics - and most importantly, a portion of the proceeds goes to the Hunstman Cancer Institute in honor of our badass friend, cancer warrior, and amazing beer lady Jamie Burnham - come enjoy a pint of Denise for a great cause while it lasts! 4.0%

Lagunitas - Secret Agenda: It has a very clear deep gold appearance with a nose that is malty and hoppy. The tastes is mostly malt driven with a caramel nuttiness. Some grapefruity hop flavors round out the back end. There's a slight bitter finish. If your looking for a traditional bock, this ain't it. The hop bill is somewhat unconventional for the style. 7.1% - Available at DABC.

Elevation - Apis IV: Aromas of plum, fig, caramel and honey with hints of chocolate and molasses. Rich and dark flavors with an interesting honey flavor. Next comes Fig Newtons along with the dark roasted malt. Some dank and earthy sweetness rounds out the palate. 10.7% - Available at DABC.

Elevation - Pilsner: The aroma has some light, cereal/grainy notes with grassy hops. The flavor starts light and toasty with minimal malt sweetness. From there a good dose of Saaz hop bitterness blasts the palate. Finishes crisp and dry. Nice pils. 5.0% - Available at DABC.

Elevation - 8 Seconds Kölsch: The nose offers up some hay, honey and some grainy breadiness. The flavor was quite similar with hay, lemon, honey, floral and some light grainy bread. Not quite traditional but it's got good flavor and it kinda reminds me that it's finally spring. 4.5% -  Available at DABC.

New Belgium -Glütiny Pale Ale: This beer is brewed using an enzyme to break down the proteins that trigger a reaction from gluten sensitive drinkers. Therefore, these beers are being referred to as “gluten removed” instead of gluten free. The beers fall within the FDA guidelines of less than 20 parts per million. Glütiny features Equinox hops, for flavors of guava and papaya. 6.0% - Found at the Bayou.

New Belgium Liquid Paradise IPA: Missed out on this one. It's described as having Mosaic, Incognito, Azacca and Cascade hops that boasts a mélange of tropical notes to create a delicately bitter and extremely aromatic IPA.7.8% - Found at the Bayou.

Cheers!

New Beer Friday 3/15/19

Saint Patrick's Day is Sunday, but it will likely be celebrated all weekend long. There's no need for green beer, when you have a full board of new beers to choose from this week. Enjoy your weekend and please be safe!

 Zólupez - Hibiscus Wheat Beer: Inspired by Mexican Agua de Jamaica - brewed with coriander, chamomile/aka manzanilla, orange peel, and Pineapple Pale Ale (inspired by Tepache Mexicano- brewed with brown sugar. 5.3%. Available 3/16 at Zólupez Beer Store.

Zólupe Pale Ale: Described as having sweet fruity Pineapple notes, balanced with the hoppiness of a true pale ale. The unusual fresh aftertaste that hangs around after each sip derives from yerba buena (spearmint), the Mexican herb used a traditional “cure all.” Although unfiltered, nice clear appearance, solid head retention. Inspired by Mexican Tepache (a traditional fermented Pineapple beverage). Naturally bottle conditioned. ABV. 5.25%. Small batch 12 oz. bottles available Saturday 3/16 at Zólupez Beer Store.

Uinta Test Phaze IPA: The unique hop profile in this beer comes from an experimental hop that will likely never be used again. It starts grassy and herbal, then transitions into a good dose of citrus peel, then wraps up with pleasant melon notes. There's a slight hoppy bite in the end as well. One of the more unique tasting IPAs out there. 6.5%. Available at Uinta.

Odell 180 Shilling:  A hearty roasted malt base balanced by subtle earthy hops and aged on oak to create notes of toffee, plum, vanilla and dried cherry. 9.6%. Avaialble Beer Bar, Beerhive

Odell Bull Proof: This barrel aged imperial stout has a nutty chocolate Aroma. Taste of almonds, hazelnuts, dark chocolate and a hint of coffee. A little marshmallow in the slightly boozy finish.

Rogue Outta Line: The aroma is full of pineapple and orange peel. The starts with ripe pineapple, orange along with other tropical fruits. malt profile is honey-like and balancing. Finishes with a nice hop bite. Nice IPA. 6.9%. Available at Beer Bar, DABC

Upslope Blackberry Lemon Kettle Sour: Missed this one. Look for Blackberry and lemon (duh) and low bitterness. 4.2%. Available at the Bayou

New Belgium Mural: Slight pink hue with a fruity and sour aroma. The flavor starts mildly tart with a light malty base. Hbiscus pretty much, lime, melon and some unidentified elements. Beer Bar, Dick n Dixie’s

The following are "beer adjacent". They're not beer, but may appeal to beer drinkers. 

Squatters Grandeur Peak: Grapefruit aroma with light grapefruit peel in the taste. It watery because it's an alcohol based seltzer water. Defiantly a summertime pool beverage.  4.0%. Available at the UBC's West side Tavern.

Lagunitas - Hop: This sparkling water has heavy hop aromatics with citrus flavored water. This will give Mormons and non alcohol drinkers a good idea of why beer nerds like IPAs, This is a good non-alcoholic representation of what we are talking about. 0% ABV. Found at Harmon's.

Returning favorite

Epic - Elder Brett: I know we keep saying this but this may be the last release of this beer. This batch was hidden away for over a year and you can defiantly taste it. It's very tart with an almost balsamic fruitiness. Considering its age, this one is perfect for drinking now. Cellering this one may make it a bit too over the top.

Cheers!

New Beer/Brewery Friday 10/19/18

I loves me some New Beer/Brewery Friday. This edition features new beers from Cedar City's new Policy Kings Brewing Co. It's another good week for beer in Utah.

Speaking of new breweries; I've updated the Utah Brewery Map above, cleaned it up and added some logos on the pins to make it easier on the eye. You may see some interesting additions. Any feedback is welcome.

Policy Kings IPA: I've not tried this. Look for a west coast style IPA. 8.5% Available at Policy Kings

Policy Kings NE IPA: I've not tried this. Look for a North East Style IPA. It's described by some as having a little more bitterness than is typical for style 6.5%. Available at Policy Kings

Policy Kings Wheat Ale: I've not tried this. Look for a bready and toasty ale with little yeast esters. 6.5%. Available at Policy Kings

Fisher Whups Pale Ale: This "wet hop" pale ale was made with fresh Idaho 7 hops and boy does it taste fresh. It's simple clean and citrusy with medium bitterness. Made me wet.... er.... a fan, a wet hop fan I mean. 4.0%. Available at Fisher

Fisher Democracy Pale Ale: . medium malt sweetness with a salad of citrus, floral and piney hops. Another crushable pale ale. 4.0%. Available at Fisher

Fisher RYEot: Quite light in color. Another tasty pale ale, though the rye component is a little subdued. I'd love to taste more of the spic rye  4.0%. Available at Fisher.

New Belgium Oakspire: This beer is fairly malt forward with a good amount of oak and toasty flavors. The wood adds a slight vanilla quality. The ABV is very well hidden, be careful of this one. 9.0%. Found at Beer Bar, Dick n Dixies.

New Belgium Sour Saison: A medium amount of sourness here. I don't get a lot of saison here, but you can tell it's definitely a Belgian style base beer. Tasty. 7.0%. Found at Beer Bar, Beerhive.

New Belgium Honey Orange Tripel: Tastes of Orange peel, candied sugar, white bread, peach and vanilla. Definitely on the sweeter side of the style, but it's pleasing nonetheless. The honey is most prevelent in the finish. with some spicy notes from the yeast. 10.0%. Found at Beer Bar, Beerhive.

Cheers!

New Beer Friday 1/26/18

"Dryuary" is finally over. Happy New Beer Friday!
 
Avenues Proper Brett Kriek: The aroma is big with dough, Brettanomyces and cherry. The flavor has musty dough, a fair amount of Brett funk and pie cherries rounding it out. It finishes with that nutty cherry flavor. The cherry flavor is very fresh. This is a full on brett beer. If your not a fan of brett funk you my not like this one. I think it's pretty great. 4.0% ABV. Only at Avenues Proper.

Wasatch Elemental Wit: Brewed as a traditional Belgian Wit Beer with souring bacterium from Squatters' Fifth Element. The aroma is full of yeasty esters and lemon and spices. The flavor has a descent amount of tart orange with grains of paradise and a hint of funk in the back. Very tasty. 4.0% ABV. only available at Wasatch's Park City Brewpub and the West Side Tavern at The Utah Brewers Cooperative. The tap handle at the West Side Tavern says "Session Sour".

New Belgium VooDoo Juicy Haze: I haven't tried this one yet. It's described as having a melange of tangerine, papaya, pineapple, and lemon. The mouthfeel is somewhat soft, but with fairly prickly carbonation. 7.5% ABV. Available at select DABC stores.

Great Basin Wild Horse Altbier: I haven't tried this one yet. Alts are primarily toasty and malty. 4.8% ABV. Available at select DABC stores.

Great Basin Ichthyosaur "Icky" IPA: Piney aroma with floral undertones.Traces of caramel. The taste follows with pine and floral hops; malts come through faintly with notes of cracker and caramel. Finishes with a citrus and more pine.6.4% ABV

Cheers!

New Beer Friday 9/1/17

Welcome to September. You can officially start drink those autumn beers with out feeling guilty. Our New Beer Friday selections today cover a wide range of flavors. Please enjoy.

New Belgium - VooDoo Ranger Atomic Pumpkin: Caramel, pumpkin and cinnamon dominate the nose here. Peppers are also present. The tastes follows suit with sweet pumpkin and caramel. Cinnamon and peppers round out the end. I don't think the spices are too overpowering, it's a nice change of pace for a pumpkin ale. 6.4% ABV. @ DABC

Prost Brewing - Marzen: The nose here has nutty toffee with light grassy aromas. The flavor has toffee, nutty cake and toasty biscuit. Mild grassy/floral hops round out the end. A solid example of an Oktoberfest. 5.8% ABV. @ DABC

Shades of Pale - Slick City Citrus IPA (Nelson Savin, Mosaic): The nose has tropical aromas accentuated with pine and berries. The taste has passion fruit, papaya and dank citrus. Finishes sharply with pine and bready malts. Great IPA, should be a new regular recipe. 7.0% ABV. @ SOP, Soon to DABC

Shades of Pale - Berliner Weisse: The nose is basically sour wheat. The taste is medium to high lemon tartness. Very nice and puckering. 4.0% ABV. @ SOP

Proper Revenge Double IPA: I'm not 100% sure when this beer goes on sale. It could be today or tomorrow. I'll update you when it hits. This is on sale now @ Proper

Red Rock - Juice Almighty Session NEIPA: I haven't had this yet. My pals that have had it say it's nice, tropical and juicy. @ Red Rock

Mother Earth - Bourbon Barrel Aged Strong Scotch Ale: Big Toffee sweetness infused with medium to lite bourbon flavors. Finishes sweet and oak-y. 11% ABV @ Beerhive

What did I miss? Please share.

Cheers!

New Beer Friday 3/31/17

Sometimes you need to trust those who are more brilliant than yourself. Happy New Beer Friday!
 
Uinta Hopscursion #2 - This version has more pineapple notes than the previous version due to the addition of Mosaic, Simcoe, and Denali hops. The 100% brett fermented base is full of funky, doughy yeasty notes that give this beer a full and round body. Drink this fresh! This brett beer is not for aging. 6.5% ABV @ Uinta,
 
New Belgium Citradelic - Not tried this one yet. it's described as being a Tangerine IPA brewed with Citra hops, orange peel and orange. 6.0% ABV @ DABC
 
Stone Enjoy by 4/20/17 - This DIPA is very clean and balanced. It's citrucy proifile is assertive but not over the top and it's 9.4% ABV is well hidden. A must try. @ Bar Bar, Beerhive, Slackwater, Dick n Dixie's
 
Proper New Zeangland Hazy Session IPA - Featuring Waimea, Motueka, and Wai-iti hops. These impart the tropical notes you've come to expect with grapefruit peel, pith and a wee bit o' pine. The hops leave a lingering bitterness on the sides of the tongue. Quite nice. 4.0% ABV @ Proper
 
Boulevard Rye on Rye X: Sazerac Cocktail - I haven't tried this one yet, but I'm a big fan of the previous versions. Add the Sazerac Rye Barrel to it and I imagine that it's going to be brilliant! This beer is based on the New Orleans cocktail, the Sazerac. The official recipe is composed of rye whiskey, absinthe or Herbsaint, a sugar cube and bitters all garnished with a lemon peel. To translate this classic cocktail into a beer, Boulevard brewed batches of the base rye beer that received spice additions mimicking bitters as well as lemon peel during the boil. The resulting wort was fermented with their house Scottish ale yeast before being aged in freshly emptied Templeton Rye barrels. 11.8% ABV @ The Bayou

Firestone Walker Bravo - Incredibly rich and smooth and complex with notes of graham cracker, tobacco, bourbon, coconut, orange marmalade, cherries, raisins, toffee, apricots, kiwi, and pralines. Holy shit! This is a phenomenal barleywine that you must try. @ Beerhive, Beer Bar, Slackwater

The Results are in, and it looks like it's going to be a 2 Row party in the finals this year. As you can see below, the voting was very close. But in the end 2 Row's fan base won out. 2 Row has pretty much dominated the entire competition, coming a long way in their brief time in the market. So, 2 Row's Tastes Like Citrus IPA and Dark Alley Imperial Stout will go head to head on Monday to see which beer is most beloved. After that we will begin the Session Beer Competition.

Cheers!

Total	Answer
51.5%	2 Row Tastes Like Citrus IPA	103 (51.5%)
48.5%	RedRock Paardebloem	97 (48.5%)

(200 Total Votes)

 Total

	Answer
51.01%	2 Row Dark Alley	101 (51.01%)
48.99%	RedRock Elephino DIPA	97 (48.99%)

(198 Total Votes)

New Beer Friday 3/24/17

The sweet 16 Round is over in the Utah Beer Challenge's High Point Competition and there were a few upsets. Shades of Pale's Salt City Citrus had a big win over perennial favorite, Labyrinth from Uinta and 2 Row's Dark Alley edged out what many believe is Utah's best local beer, Big Bad Baptist. It's all listed above in all of it's "bracketie glory". The Elite Eight round will begin on Monday morning.

Now, on to New Beer Friday!

Uinta 24th Birthday Suit - Mostly tart, cherry is subtle with some floral notes. You get a bit spiciness from the Belgian yeast. Overall: not the best year for this beer but it's still very refreshing and drinkable. 6.2% ABV @ Uinta

New Belgium Juicy Watermelon - Melon notes are present along with lime, but not over powering.. light pale malt and some background citrus hoppiness. A slightly tart, refreshing bright fruity pilsner. Has a definite artificial flavor. 5.0% ABV @ DABC

Sam Adams Fresh as Helles - The nose is grainy with cracker-like pale malts along with a mix of citrus fruitiness. The taste is bready and doughy with a bit of caramel and cereal. Vague citrus comes next with some earthy/floral hops rounding out the back end. This isn't a textbook Helles but it is quite enjoyable. @ DABC

Anchor Liberty IPA -This is not Anchor's Liberty Ale - a beer that most beer historians consider to be the original American IPA. This is a re-imagining of that beer. The nose is citrusy with bready/fruity malts. Pine and citrus dominate with bready malt and ripe fruit in the back. The finish is bright and hoppy. It's a simple - not too gaudy IPA. 5.9% ABV @ DABC

Bonneville 4th Anniversarye -  Haven't tried this one yet. This year’s beer features malted rye, caramel rye and big blasts of Eureka hops. It's also fermented with lager yeast at room temperature to add an additional twist to the flavor profile. The result is earthy, spicy and herbal with splashes of citrus and pine. A big, round mouthfeel that transforms into a snappy dry finish. 4.0% ABV @ Bonneville, Allstar Lanes and where there's a Bonneville seasonal tap handle.

Lagunitas Bavarian Style Dopple Weizen - The nose has banana bread, clove and honey. The taste starts with sweet banana bread and clove with pepper and spices lingering throughout. Bubblegum and orange peel round out the end. Finishes witha bit of herbal bitterenss. Quite a departure from the typical Lagunitas offering. 8.7% ABV @ Beerhive, DABC

Proper Hop vs Hop release #6 - Missed out on this one last night. This version features Idaho 7 and Wakatu hops from New Zealand. Look for resinous pine and citrus combined with stone fruit and tropical notes.7.6% ABV @ Proper

Elysian Split Shot -There's a good balance here of coffee and milk sugars. has a slight cappuccino feel. If you like your coffee beers this will please you. 6.0% ABV @ Beer Bar

Cheers!

New Beer Friday 1/6/17

To start the year you get either IPAs or stouts. It's not my call, that's just the way it is. Luckily all of this week's New Beer Friday options are all damn tasty. Enjoy!

Blue Moon Cappuccino Oatmeal Stout - The nose has dark malts and coffee. The tastes has nice cappuccino flavors with raisin, roasty grains, chocolate malts, and a little bit of hop bitterness. Finishes nice and dry. This a pretty decent coffee stout.4.0% ABV @ Grocery/C-stores

New Belgium VooDoo Ranger IIPA - The nose is mostly pine with some orange peel. The taste starts with bready malts and papaya. Pine resins come next with a dose of mango. The end is all pine & grapefruit. Finishes dry piney and grapefruity. 9.0% ABV @ DABC


New Belgium Whizbang Hoppy Blonde - The nose has a nice bouquet hoppy tropical fruits. The flavor is much of the same with more tropical fruit, caramel malts and a bit of pine. Semi-dry finish. 5.7% ABV @ DABC, Bayou

Proper Grand Sláinte Imperial Stout - Not had this yet. This releases on Saturday in both the bottle shop and the brewery on Main Street. Avenues Proper has done a session-strength Sláinte in years past, but this is the first high-point version.

2Row Tastes Like Citrus IPA - This is a North East Style IPA. These are typically cloudy in appearance - like a hefeweizen. This beer looks a bit like Orange Juice, which is helpful because this a citrus bomb. The nose has a massive grapefruit, tangerine, orange, peach and pineapple thing going on. Smells incredible. The taste follows the nose. Grapefruit, orange, tangerine and lemon zest. Slight pineapple and stone fruit mix with a bit of grass. Bready/cracker malts balance out the fruit salad. minimal bitterness in the finish - nearing sweet. Crazy good! 2 Row is becoming Salt Lake's IPA House. 7.5% ABV @2 Row Brewing, Beerhive

Samuel Adams Hopscape - The nose has citrus/fruity hops and tropical fruit. The flavor has wheaty/cracker malts, tropical fruit and citrus. The end resiny and spicy. Finishes dry. Solid offering from Boston Beer Co. 5.5% ABV @DABC

Sierra Nevada Beer Camp Golden IPA - The nose has citrus, pine, spice with a wheaty malts. The taste follows notes of orange and grapefruit along with pine and lesser spicy snap. Vague tropical fruits come next with wheat undertones. Some mild pith and pine in the finish. Another solid IPA
from Sierra Nevada. 6.5% ABV @ DABC, Bayou

Cheers!

New Beer Friday 6/24/16

There's way too much happening. Let's get to it!

Great Divide Brewing out of Denver Colorado has quietly slipped into our market and they've brought with them quite a few of their very popular brews. Some of these will start popping up around the Wasatch Front as soon as today. If you start to see them appear, please share where you saw them. Woot!

Great Divide Titan IPA
Great Divide Yeti Imperial Stout 
Great Divide Colette farmhouse 
Great Divide Hoss Oktoberfest lager
Great Divide Oatmeal Yeti
Great Divide Barrel Aged Hibernation

Strap Tank/Proper Brewing Collaboration - Properly Tanked: Have not had this one yet. It's only available at Strap Tank Brewing Co. 4.0% ABV

New Belgium - Tart Lychee: The nose has soft fruit - strawberry, lychee, musty yeast. The taste has some lychee sour/tart tropical fruit flavors with a almost wheat like malt taste balancing it out. Slight cinnamon taste as well in the finish.7.5% ABV @ Beer Bar, BeerHive

Shades of Pale - German Pils: Just released yesterday. Have not tried it. 4.0% ABV @ Shades of Pale

Shades of Pale - X36 Pale Ale: Released tomorrow and will only be available at the Hill Airforce Base's Air Show 7.5% ABV

Ska - True Blonde: The nose has grainy malt, grassy, lemons. some yeast. The taste has light lemon, sweet grainy malt. Yeasty and dusty. No hops to speak of. Finish is short and on the sweet malty side. A little cardboard as well. 5.3% ABV @Slackwater

Ska - Decadent Imp IPA: The nose has sweet caramel toffee and resiny hops. Flavor is similar, heavy and sticky caramel with a moderate hop bitterness and plenty of heft to it. Alcohol starts to creep out a bit towards the end. 10% ABV @ Slackwater

Ska - Modus Mandarina IPA: The nose has mandarin orange, caramel and floral hops. Tastes of  grapefruit and mandarin orange. Orange zest bitterness on the finish. Caramel makes an interesting but complimentary companion to the citrus. It subtle enough to let the fruit shine but strong enough to give this beer some body and character. 6.8% ABV @ Slackwater

Selkirk Abby - Saint Stephan: Saison. Not tried this one yet. 7.9% ABV @ Slackwater

Selkirk Abby - Infidel: Imperial Belgian IPA. Not tried this one yet. 8.2% ABV @ Slackwater

Selkirk Abby - Guilt: Belgian Coffee Porter Not tried this one yet. 8.3% ABV @ Slackwater

Selkirk Abby - Deacon: Belgian Pale Ale Not tried this one yet. 5.5% ABV @ Slackwater

Selkirk Abby - Saint Augustine: Rye Saison. Not tried this one yet. 6.7% ABV @ Slackwater

RedRock Tangerine Grapefruit Pale Ale: Tastes great, though not much of a pale ale. It does have a nice acidic quality which is nice. Grapefruit tartness and leafy citrus hops. Nice beer to help beat the heat! 4.0% ABV @ RedRock., The Bayou

La Trappe Isid'or: Nose of caramel malt, stone fruit, Belgian yeast and spicing; hints of banana and plum. Classic Belgian strong ale flavors, caramel malt, light and dark stone fruit, Belgian yeast, very light clove. Medium creamy body. A bit lighter in taste intensity compared to other Belgian pales, but very pleasant and well made. 7.5% ABV @Slackwater

Cuvée des Jacobins Rouge: The nose has sour cherries, lemon and a wild yeastiness. Tatse starts with a hit of lemon juice sourness, quickly progressing to a fruitier balance of sour cherry and unripe berries and aged red vinegar. A nice mild funkiness gives depth and balance, even a hint earthy herbs. Worlds of flavours here. There is a hint of sweet fruit but finishes dry. 5.5%ABV @ Slackwater

Cheers!

New Beer Friday 5/6/16

New Belgium ~ Heavy Melon - Pleasant watermelon flavors that are almost at Jolly Rancher levels. Lime comes next adding some balance to the sweetness. The finishes is quenching and fruity. If you have a sensitivity to cucumber these watermelon flavored beers my remind you of just how closely related these two gourds are. 5.0% ABV @ Slackwater

Proper ~ Leisurebrau India Vienna Lager - The nose is floral, grassy with some dry cracker aromas. The taste is bitter up front, with pithy citrus peels, grass and pine. Cracker-y malts with some mild caramel sweetness provides a nice bed underneath. This is a very hoppy lager forward with a strong bitterness throughout. Probably my favorite new brew from Proper Brewing. 5.0% ABV @ Proper Brewing, Beer Bar

Squatters ~ El Niño - Haven't tried this yet. This unfiltered Mexican style lager. 4.0% ABV @ Squatters 

We will discus these beers and other beer related topics this afternoon on KBER 101 with Mick and Allen at 3:30pm.

Cheer! 

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!

New Beer Friday 1/15/16

Uinta Biere de Mars -  This French-style spring ale combines toasted malt character with a floral hop aroma. Aged in chardonnay barrels, Uinta's Biere de Mars boasts a flavorful earthiness and unique complexity. 7.2% ABV - Available tomorrow (1/16/16) @ Uinta Brewing

New Belgium Side Trip - Described as having a crystal clear golden color with a nose of banana and tree fruits. The taste has lemon, clove, banana esters, fruits, yeast, and honey-based malts. Think of it as a low abv Belgian Tripel. 6.0% ABV @ select DABC and better beer bars.

Shades of Pale Beer X Espresso Stout - Coffee flavors exploded and overtake the palate. There's a light roasted malt flavor among the coffee flavors and a high amount of bitterness in the end. The finish was semi-dry. Nice coffee stout. 5.0% ABV @ Shades of Pale Brewing
 
2 Row Random #3 Red Rye - Described as having citrus and pine in the nose. The taste follows with a semi dry malt sweetness and more citrus peel and pine. The rye comes through in the end adding a nice spiciness. 8.5% ABV @ 2 Row's bottle shop and better beer bars

Avenues Proper Beer on Weck - This is a brand-new Gose is described as having notes of caraway and rye. A little less sour than AP's Gose the Gozerian, with slight earthiness from the rye and just the right amount of lingering caraway. 4.0% ABV @ Avenues Proper

Epic Son of a Baptist (SOB) - The nose is full of coffee, dark chocolate and molasses.  The flavor is bittersweet dark chocolate with lots of roast, coffee and toffee. There's a bit of ash in the finish. I had this on nitro so sweetness may seem higher than the CO2 version. 8.2% ABV. @ Epic Brewing in limited growers.

Hopworks IPX Simcoe - Pours a nice, bright medium copper color. The nose is all simcoe, full of citrus and pine. You get a punch of bitterness with a slight amount of malt. A real nice single hop IPA . 6.0% ABV. @ Beer Bar, BeerHive 

Utah Brewers Cooperative/Oskar Blues ~ Banana and clove in the nose with a bit of apple and ginger. The taste follows with a more pronounced yeast spiciness. This a collaboration beer made with Oskar Blues in Salt Lake City. 4.0% ABV. @ all Squatters/Wasatch/UBC locations.

Oskar Blues OB IPA - Light golden color. The nose has a fresh pineapples and tangerines aroma. The taste is full of citrus and tropical hops, a fairly dry maltiness. Great IPA. @ Slackwater

Also this week: Epic's Utah Session Series hits Harmon's downtown locations as well as Whole Foods at Trolley Square. 

Cheers!

New Beer Friday 11/13/15

Congratulations, you've made it this far. Now you just have to take it! No worries though... there no trap - just good beer and cider in this week's New Beer Friday. Just a reminder that New Beer Friday has it's own radio segment now on KBER 101 Fridays at 3:30pm on Mick and Allen's show. Tune in if you have the time. 

Bohemian Session Bock - Bohemian Brewery’s latest Brewer’Stache is made from the second runnings of their upcoming Doppelbock. Meaning, after collecting enough strong wort for a high alcohol Doppelbock there was enough sugar left in the mash to make a second session beer.  The Session Bock is unfiltered with a hazy reddish brown appearance.  The flavor is sweet and toasty with hints of toffee and caramel.  The beer finishes with rich malts and hints of dark fruit from the German lager yeast. The 4.0% Session Bock is available on draft today at the Brewery and we'll of course keep you up to date on the new BoHo Dopplebock as it's release date get near

Upslope Blood Orange Saison - Pours a clear golden, cider color with a thin but tight white head. The nose has oranges peel with some spices. The taste starts with oranges and some spicy/estery yeast. some thin doughy wheat flavors come next with notes of coriander and white pepper rounding out the back end. 6.0% ABV @ Slackwater Soon to DABC

Mountain West Ruby Hard Cider - Pours a brilliant clear golden color with a nose of dry apple. The taste follows the nose with subtle apple sweetness combined with some minor green apple tartness. Finishes nicely dry. This is my kind of cider. Brilliant! 6.8% ABV

Squatters Rye Chai -  This beer is a chai tea infused dark rye ale that is served on nitro. 4.0% ABV @ Squatters Downtown Brewpub.

Squatters Rauchbier -  A rye a ale that is brewed with smoked malt.  This imparts a smoky dryness to the beer  that is meant to complement the sweeter malts in the brew. 4.0% ABV @  Squatters Downtown Brewpub

Returning Favorites

Wasatch Winter First One Down - The former Wasatch Winterfest, pours a clear ruby color with a moderate fluffy off-white cap of foam. The nose is bright with citrus and pine with subtle spicy caramel malt beneath. The flavor starts out with grapefruity hops and a bit of orange zest. Next comes a faint hint of gingerbread then transitions to a rich maltiness. I think there may be a little roastiness in there as well. Very nicely balanced with a well hidden 7.1% abv.


New Belgium Accumulation: The nose is a hoppy blend of grass, grapefruit and lemon with a touch of earthiness. The taste is similar, tart and grassy, but more earthy and with a pleasant spiciness as the flavor lingers on the tongue. Better than most White IPAs, still not better than Ghostrider. 6.2% ABV
@ Bayou, soon to DABC

Full Sail Session Fest: Pours a nice shiny copper color with just a bit of haze. Little bit of eggshell colored head makes a brief appearance. The nose is of toasted grain, slight caramel & floral hops in the background.  The taste starts with biscuits and toast alongside some caramel malty goodness make for a nice refreshing brew. Hops add just a bit to florals to balance things out. Mouthfeel is light, crisp, and refreshing. Flavors don't exactly 'wow' you but it's still got enough going on to keep it interesting. @ Bayou - DABC

Also, Congrats to Epic and Uinta for medaling in the 2015 Brussels Beer Challenge. Uinta's Cutthroat came away with a gold medal for best Bitter and Epic's Big Bad Baptist came away with a silver medal in the coffee beer category. Shades of Pale's Tap Room is finally opening. Head on over to the brewery tomorrow and check it out. They'll have food truck(s), music and of course Beer!

Cheers!

New Beer Friday - House of Cards Edition

The Mormon Francis Underwood's star may be on the rise, but that doesn't mean he has to piss all over your weekend. Here are some tasty, barley based treats to keep your spirits up!
  
Green Flash Jibe Session IPA - pours it clear golden color with a nose that is floral with some citrus and grass. The taste is piney and earthy upfront with toasty malt notes. The end is mostly piney with some floral bitterness.  Finishes quite dry. Overall this IPA is thin, even for Utah standards.  If you're a fan of Green Flash then it's definitely worth your time. 4.0% ABV @Smith's & Harmon's Grocery Stores.

New Belgium Fat Tire - This is the new 4% version that is mow available in Utah.  I haven't tried it yet,  should start showing up at most grocery stores and convenient stores around the state.

New Belgium Pumpkick - Pours a deep but clear amber color. The nose is mostly pumpkin pie spices. The taste has more of a yam character rather than pumpkin. She does not force the spices are subtle though. Drinkable but not my favorite of the pumpkin beers  that I've come across. 6.0% ABV @Bayou, Beer Bar, BeerHive

Descutes Zarabanda Saison - Pours a clear dark gold with a thin, dissipating head. The nose is full of spices and citrus. Lots of yeast, malt, lemon lime, pretty complex. The flavor is spicy yeast, pepper, very herbal, grass, grains, citrus lemon and lime. The finish is clean, crisp, very drinkable. 6.1% ABV @ Bayou, Slackwater

Rogue Pumpkin Patch Ale - Pours a dark amber/orange color. The nose has vanilla, pumpkin spices, clove, allspice, and nutmeg. The tastes starts with vanilla, clove, cinnamon, and pumpkin flesh. Caramel malts come next with some hop bitterness and coriander rounding it out. It's okay, but thinner than expected 5.6% ABV @ Bayou

Sea Dog Sunfish Wheat - Pours a pale straw color with a medium thin head. The nose is big with floral notes and heavy peach. The taste starts out very sweet with flavors of orange and peach, then some mild breadiness comes in from the wheat. It's alight beer but the peach is quite overwhelming. 4.6% ABV @ Bayou

Upslope Brown Ale - The nose is a nice mix of nuts and roasted malts with a little hint of caramel and molasses. The nutty maltiness from the nose  continues through to the tongue with just enough caramel in there to weigh the beer down and a mild, bitter twang at the end. The finish is long toasty. 6.7% ABV @ Bayou, Beer Bar

Mother Earth Belgian Quad - Pours a mostly clears amber/brown color. The nose is a bit boozy with dark fruits and a hint of whiskey. Taste wise this is more akin to a barley wine than a Belgian quad. deep toffe notes and dark spicy fruits create an almost English barlewine feel. The alcohol for the most part is masked nicely. 12% ABV @ BeerHive

Green Flash Soul Style IPA - Pours clear golden color with a finger of head. The nose is strong with citrus, floral and some malty sweetness. The taste gets more complex with some melon flavor up front then more resiny flavors of citrus and floral. Finishes nicely with bitterness of hops dominating but some sweetness from malt. Overall, a nice IPA. 6.8% ABV @ Slackwater

Prost!

New Belgium's Fat Tire Get's Downsized

This fall your going to notice something different about New Belgium's flagship brand, Fat Tire. For the first time NB will be releasing a lower-alcohol version of its amber ale. The beer will be 4% ABV (3.2% ABW), meaning it can be sold in supermarkets and convenience stores in Colorado, Kansas and Utah, and eventually in Oklahoma.

Primarily the real reason for this move was to get it on draft in bars in Utah, which as we all know has strict limits on beer above 4% on draft. New Belgium spokesman Bryan Simpson says “We wanted to provide better access to our beer both on and off-premise in Utah,” he explained in an e-mail to Westword.com. Simpson also added that NB has concerns about how the Utah DABC stores their beer warm as well as the "considerable markup" associated with Utah's high alcohol beers. “We’ve actually made 3.2 percent versions of Fat Tire for festivals where that was required, so we know we can get a good flavor match,” Simpson says. “This helps open up some opportunities in states where 3.2 percent sales are happening.”

So what does this all mean for Utah? In a nutshell - you're going to get 4% Fat Tire packaged in cans - in Grocery stores and on tap in bars and restaurants. The state will no longer have "regular" Fat Tire (5.2%) in DABC stores, but other New Belgium beers that are currently for sale will continue to be sold there. This does not affect their other brands, just Fat Tire Amber Ale.

The label provided above is is the new "3.2" label you'll notice it doesn't list the alcohol by volume anywhere on it. What are your thought? Will this affect your consumption, increase it or are you indifferent?

Cheers!

Source: Westword.com

New Beer Friday- Seer Stone Edition

This week the Mormons released this image of what is said to be seer stone used by Joseph Smith to translate some "divine" texts into the Book of Mormon. As I look through this magic stone, all I can see is some serious New Beer Friday action and I think there's a peep show somewhere in there as well.... Yeah, I know - tough call, eh? Regardless, it's a pretty diverse New Beer Friday. Please enjoy! 

Ballast Point - Habenero Sculpin: The nose has a bit of grapefruit and a hint of chille meat. The taste is where this one really shines. It begins with grapefruit peel and flesh, balanced by a light mango sweetness and pine. Next comes vegetal habanero with an increasing presence of grapefruit peel and more pine resin. Finish is highly spicy and modestly bitter with peppers, grapefruit peel and grainy malt. If you like pepper beers this one will be right up your zip code. There's a near perfect balance of west coast IPA and pepper heat. 7.0% ABV @ BeerHive, Beer Bar, Slackwater

Sierra Nevada - Harvest Newly Developed Hops IPA: Note: I've got a bit of a cold so my palate is off - please add a review in the comments if your experience is different with this one.  The nose is fruity and herbal - slightly dank as well. The taste follows, but not as fruity. Lots of dank hops with a hint of berry flavors. Light and refreshing. 6.5% ABV  @ BeerHive, Slackwater

Hopworks Urban Brewery (HUB) Abbey Ale: Me no try yet. It's described as having a nose of plums, raisins, caramel malt and Belgian spicing. Flavor is bitter light and dark dried fruit, sweet malt, finishing with an astringent sugary bitterness. Appropriate flavors here for a dark Belgian, but the spicing and bitterness overwhelm the malt body, unbalancing this ale. Medium bodied with some creaminess. 8.5% ABV @ Beer Bar

New Belgium - Long Table: Pours a hazy golden color with a thin foamy head. The nose is strong with coriander and rye malts. The taste starts on the hoppy side with Belgian yeast and spicy malts. Some citrus and berry notes come next with heavy coriander at the end. The finish has a bit of banana and very slight citrus. Good and refreshing. 6.2% ABV @Beer Bar, Slackwater, Bayou

Cheers!

New Beer Friday 5/29/15

If your going to be hanging around this weekend, here are some new beers to keep you happy.
 
Shades of Pale - Beer X Belgian Tripel: It's described as slightly sweet with fruity banana esters.  At 9.2% abv, it's Shades of Pale's first high point 12oz.  Available only at the brewery bottle shop. 

New Belgium - "Lips of Faith" Pear Ginger: Described as having pear and ginger aromas with a taste of pear juice, and spicy ginger flavors. Some heat in the finish. 7.0% ABV @ Beerhive

Sierra Nevada - Fresh Hop IPA:  Clear amber-orange. The nose malty with a good amount of citrus. The flavor is mostly citrus, floral, and pine with a solid malt backbone. 6.7% ABV @ Slackwater Pizza

And of course all of the Ballast Point beers

Ballast Point - Pale Ale: German-style Pale Ale, inspired by the Kolsch Ales of Cologne, Germany. This Pale Ale drinks like a Pilsner, only with more body and flavor. 5.2% ABV @ Beer Bar, Slackwater, Beerhive and Bayou

Ballast Point - Sculpin IPA: Massive nose of citrus and tropical fruit. Light caramel malts keep the balance towards the hops. Medium bodied. A light, fruity, juicy and bitter IPA. 7.0% ABV @ Beer Bar, Slackwater, Beerhive and Bayou

Ballast Point - Grapefruit Sculpin IPA: This version of Sculpin IPA has grapefruit added; the grapefruit flavor really enhances the citrus aroma of the hops. It showcases bright flavors and aromas of apricot, peach, mango & lemon.7.0% ABV @ Beer Bar, Slackwater, Beerhive and Bayou

Ballast Point - Victory at Sea Coffee Vanilla Porter: Whole vanilla beans and Caffe Calabria coffee beans are infused into this robust porter with. The subtle roasted notes and minimal acidity of the cold brewed coffee, balances perfectly with the sweet caramel undertones of the malt, creating a winning combination for your palate. 10% ABV @ Beer Bar, Slackwater, Beerhive and Bayou

Ballast Point - Dorado DIPA: Has a nose that is primarily citrus. The taste is smooth and crisp with  a little bit of grapefruit and mellow caramel notes. For a 10% DIPA is surprisingly easy to drink.  @ Beer Bar, Slackwater, Beerhive and Bayou

Ballast Point - Big Eye IPA: HAs a nose of pine, citrus hops and tropical fruits Tatses starts off with a nice citrus and piney hops then transitions into bready caramel. Tropical fruits round out the end with hints of pine resin, and grapefruit peel. Similar but different than the others. 7.0% ABV @ Beer Bar, Slackwater, Beerhive and Bayou

Cheers!

New Beer Friday 2/20/15

Deschutes Jubel 2015 - Pours a dark ruby brown color. It has a nose of roasted malt and toffee with some spicy dark fruits. Some vinous barrel notes as well. The taste starts with fig, raisin and prune. Big malt sweetness comes next with some tobacco notes. The end has nice wine flavors from the barrel. It's a rich tasting beer, but not overly sweet. Impressive effort from Deschutes. 10.4% ABV @ Beerhive, Beer Bar

New Belgium Cocoa Molé -  Pours a muddy looking brown color. The nose has chile spices with rich chocolate notes. Definitely smells like molé. The taste starts with roasted malt cocoa and roasted chiles. The chile spices are at medium heat, so there a good amount of pepperiness on the back of the throat. This is a great marriage of chiles and cocoa. It is quite rich and delicious but not cloying. Reminds me of Ramon's Chocolate Molé from Red Iguana. 9.0% ABV @ Beerhive, Beer Bar

Sierra Nevada Hop Hunter - Pours a bright looking straw color with a good three fingers on top. The nose is all hops with dank weed, spruce and citrus rind. The taste follows the nose with malt lingering in the background. there is a bit of light honey like sweetness towards the end as well. Finishes super dry bitter. This is a hop extract bomb. Not for the timid. 6.2% ABV @ Beerhive, Beer Bar

The Annex's End of the Firkin Work Week Firkin is the Annex IPL (India Pale Lager) with whole leaf Amarillo and Mango. $3 pints, Tapping at 4:30. 

Cheers!

New "Big" Beer Friday

Quite a few "big" boozy beers for your New Beer Friday. Your tongues are in for a full frontal assault, so make sure your travel plans are in order before proceeding.

Firestone Walker §ucaba - Pours black with some dense brown foam. The nose is smooth with chocolate, caramel, toffee, candied fruit and char. The taste starts with a chocolate brownie character. A bit of fudge comes in next with Bourbon, oak, coconut and vanilla rounding out the end. It's one of the finest barleywines you'll find. So damn delicious! 12.50% ABV @ limited DABC stores

Sierra Nevada Barrel Aged Narwhal - Pours a viscous black with a thin cap of light brown foam. The nose  has dark chocolate. Lots of tart, dark fruit, vanilla and a hint of Bourbon. I think the best way to describe the taste of this beer is simply Bourbon soaked tiramisu. Big coffee, chocolate and vanilla notes with a bit of boozy burn. Complex and wonderful. 12.9% ABV @ Limited DABC, Beer Bar.

New Belgium Salted Chocolate Stout - Black in appaerance with a nose of phenolic Belgian yeast, banana, asphalt, vanilla and chocolate. The taste is similar to the nose...lots of belgian esters, roasted marshmallows, moderate roast with a touch of coffee, some oaky notes in the middle. The end has a slight herbal bitterness. A hint of sodium in the finish. 9.0% ABV @ Beer Bar, Bayou, Beerhive, Limited DABC stores

Sockeye High Lakes Session IPA - I haven't had this one yet. Sockeye describes it as a session-style IPA is crafted with the full flavors and aromas of its big brother (Dagger Falls IPA), but with a low alcohol by volume so as to increase drinkability without losing its signature full hop character. It has a fresh, piney hop aroma with a slight hint of caramel malt to balance the bite, and a hop forward flavor with citrus up front and a mild spiciness throughout. Comes in at a whopping 80 IBUs 4.0% ABV  @ Maverik C-stores, Smith’s Food stores, and Walmart Superstores.

Hive Preacher's Son Blueberry Honey Wine - This Melomel is described as having a silky smooth mouth feel and rich color, this pleasantly sweet wine will delight the senses. Rich, flavorful blueberry dominates the front flavor with delightful, delicate notes of clover honey. 13.3% ABV @ Hive Winery Note: this bottle features our friends Nate & Misti Cobb, steam'n up the label with a bit of "Romance de foncé".

The Annex's Firkin will be pouring their Annex Golden Ale with Haribo Gummi Bears. Yup! I said, Gummi Bears. I admit, I am curious. The Bayou has The Annex IPL in their firkin, it will be dosed with Swedish Fish. So If you feel your not not getting enough gelatin in your beer, today is your hoof smacking day. I guess it goes without saying these gummi beers are not Vegetarian/Vegan friendly. The Bayou taps at 3:30 - Annex at 4pm.

Cheers!

New Beer Friday 1/23/15

January has been brutally slow in the local beer world, but we've managed to put together a nice list of local options to help get the weekend started. Sadly, I've been "on the wagon" for most of the month so many of these beers, I have not tried. I have had a few from previous tastings, but those I've not tried are prefaced with "described as", these are the descriptions of the beer's producers.  

Bonneville Port Matcher Porter - Described as having sweet caramel malts and chocolate malt work together to give this dark English ale notes of bread, toffee and a hint of raisin. 4.0% ABV @ Bonneville, All Star Lanes and places with Bonneville seasonal handles.

Wasatch Rescue Dog American Brown Ale - Couldn't find any tasting notes on this one. If you've had it, please share your thoughts. 4.0% ABV @ Wasatch locations and where Wasatch has seasonal taps.

Alameda Barn Owl Imperial Brown - Is described as being brewed in the style of southern English brown ale, only much stronger (7.9% ABV). A myriad of specialty malts impart a smooth, layered flavor with notes of chocolate, caramel, and biscuit shining through. The perfect beer to celebrate the beginning of spring. @ Slackwater

New Belgium Yuzu Imperial Berliner Weisse - Pours a hazy, orange straw color with a small to moderate head. The nose is yeasty with Apple and Chardonnay. The taste is mostly yeast with some tart vine berries. Not as sour as I was hoping for. A bit more tartness would have made the fruit really shine. Yeast notes come next with a hint of floral hops. Somewhat dry finish. 8.0% ABV

Payette Pale Ale - Pours a semi-hazy amber/orange with a bright frothy head. The nose is floral with grapefruit and lemongrass notes. Malty notes way in the back. The taste is typical of a pale ale: graham cracker sweetness followed by floral and citrus hops. Finishes moderately dry. It's not a brilliant pale ale by any means, try Payettes's Rodeo Rye instead. 4.8% @ Slackwater

Payette North Fork Lager - Pours a very clear golden straw color with an average amount of head. The nose has herbal hops with a bit of toasty malt in the back. The taste starts with toasty crackers then transitions to herbal and grassy Euro hops. The hop bitterness is a little more subdued than I prefer in a lager but it's crisp and refreshing non the less. Still, it finishes with a nice lingering dryness. 4.4% ABV @ Slackwater


Returning Favorires

Uinta Tinder Rauchbier
Bohemian Grätzer
Avenues Proper Ro-Rye


Just in case your not aware Kyle Tremmel, Beer Consultant and former local brewer has suddenly disappeared and gone off the grid. Kyle is known for helping to get the Beer Bar off the ground and is currently contracted with Ogden's Barrelhouse as their Beer Consultant. Kyle failed to show up for work at the Barrelhouse earlier this week and has deactivated his mobile phone and suspended all of his social media accounts. This move is out of character for him, his family and we his friends are understandably concerned for his well being. There's a chance he may have left for the the North West. Kyle drives a black Subaru Legacy with the plate number X473CU. Any info should be directed to South Salt Lake Police 1-801-412-3600.