New Beer Friday 6/9/17

Here I am, still drying out from last weekend's Mountain Brewers Fest, and now I have wrap my tongue around this massive amount of new beers? I hope you all know how much I love you...

This week we have not only new beers but new breweries. Look for Ex Novo Brewing and Pfriem Family Brewers [both from Oregon]. Big thanks to Rich and Duncan at the Beer Bar for bringing these gems to SLC. Uinta Brewing has a brand new Brett Saison that should be released today as well. Guess we'd better get on with it.

2 Row Hop Dust (Simcoe) - The nose has a blast of tangerine and orange like candy. The taste is very much Clementine-like. Next comes apricot and chewy malts. The finish is on the spicy resinous side with lingering hop bitterness.9.1% ABV @ 2 Row, Beerhive

Uinta Brewing Brett Tripel - If all goes according to schedule, this should be released sometime today. I hope to have some tasting notes by this afternoon at 3:30pm on New Beer Friday - KBER 101.

Ex Novo Dynamic Duo - The nose has apricots, peach, citrus and malt. The taste is malt forward, earthy and spice mixed with big NW citrus and pine hops finish. Bitter and resiny. 8.0% ABV @ Beer Bar 

Ex Novo Eliot IPA - Haven't tried this one yet. 6.6% ABV @ Beer Bar

Ex Novo Cactus Wins the Lottery - The nose is fruity and juicy. The flavor starts off with tangy prickly pear. It adds a nice sweet balance to the lemony base of the beer. Nice, light and refreshing. 4.2% ABV @ Beer Bar

Gigantic Dip Hoppa II Belmont Boogaloo - The nose has spicy citrus with some tropical notes. The taste is mostly orange and herbal with some ripe tropical fruit. Finishes dry. 5.6% ABV @ Beer Bar

Gigantic Massive - Haven't tried this barley wine yet. 12.0% ABV @ Beer Bar

Gigantic Mons Meg Ale - The nose has big earthy malts and herbal hops. The flavor follows suit, with rich caramel malt and light citrus and spices. A tasty, malt forward beer. 8.0% ABV @ Beer Bar

Gigantic PipeWrench - Haven't tried this one yet. 8.0% ABV @ Beer Bar

Gigantic The City Never Sleeps - The nose on this is very Imperial Stout like with big roasted notes of char. The taste is far more subtle. Molasses, plums, toasted barley to start it off. Chocolate, brown sugar, plum and vanilla round it out. The finish is slightly herbal. Very nice! 7.6% ABV

pFriem Family Brewers Saison - The nose is phenolic and wheaty. The taste has dry crackers, spicy phenols and pepper. Next come a mild sweetness combined with white grapes and green banana. surprisingly vinous.Very nice. 6.5% ABV @ Beer Bar

pFriem Family Brewers Brett Wit - Nice doughy, horse blanket nose. The taste is very brett forward with some malt fruitiness, dough and peppercorns. The end has a splash of tartness. Very Yummy! 5.6% ABV @ Beer Bar

Oakshire Citrafonix - Haven't tried this one yet. it's described as having deep citrus zest and piney hop nose. It is a light bodied American Pale ale with a balanced bitterness and a mildly tangy finish. We used a mélange of citrus including, orange Peel, lemon peel, lime peel, grapefruit zest, and a splash of grapefruit juice in both the kettle and the fermenter to give a citrusy fruit character that perfectly compliments the American hops. 5.5% ABV @ Beer Bar

Oakshire Sun Made Cucumber - Haven't tried this one yet. 4.0% ABV @ Beer Bar

Deschutes Cultivateur -  Haven't tried this one yet. It's described as having rustic brett notes of pear and apricot blended into this bright oak aged saison.8.0% ABV @ The Bayou

Cheers!

New Beer Friday: 11/11/16

It's been a strange week for sure. That darker dimension has defiantly crept into our lives. I've found not only new beers but new breweries to our market - many are courtesy of SLC's Beer Bar. Strap in there's a lot to talk about. Enjoy your New Beer Friday!

Remember, Liquor Stores are closed today for Veterans Day.

Shades of Pale Hog's Head Reserve #3 - The bourbon and rye flavors are still quite prominent and these flavors do work rather well with the sweet Tripel Ale base. Look for notes of honey and raisins and a bit of sweet pineapple. On the back end, you have a skosh of butterscotch sweetness with light vanilla from the wood. Nicely complex. The ABV is 11%.

Melvin Brewing Killer Bees This one is very reminiscent of breakfast cereal to me The nose is grainy and grassy with a dry, vague, toasty Honeycombs cereal taste. Not Melvin's flashiest beer but it's pretty drinkable. 5.0% ABV @Beerhive, Beer Bar, Slackwater 

Ex Novo Dynamic Duo - I haven't had this one yet. It's described as having big hop aroma of pine, grapefruit, and pineapple with a very light body. Extremely drinkable and aggressively hopped with Citra and Chinook for a clean, bitter finish. 8.0% ABV @Beer Bar

Ex Novo Eliot IPA - The nose has citrus zest, pith and tangerine aromas. The taste is much the same with citrus zest, tangerine juice, and tropical fruit flavors in the finish. The bitterness is moderate to high. This is a great IPA, drink 'em up while their fresh! 6.6% ABV @ Beer Bar

Ex Novo The Most Interesting Lager in the World - I haven't had this one yet. It's described as being mildly hoppy and earthy with a little lemon. Some doughy, grainy malt, mildly cereal and straw like. These notes are replicated on the palate, an inoffensive, light bodied, cleanly fermented lager with a mild fruitiness from the yeast, a little bit of hop flavor(lemon, grass) and some grain. 5.0% ABV @Beer Bar

Ex Novo Liquid Sweater Winter Warmer - I haven't had this one yet. It's described as having an aroma and taste of molasses spice, toffee and dark fruits. Malty taste but with a nice bitter hoppiness. Light boozy finish. 7.0% ABV @ Beer Bar

Oakshire Gose to 11 - The nose has tart lemony citrus, coriander and salt. The taste starts with wheaty with tart lemon flavors that finish dry with subtle salt and barely perceivable coriander. Some lingering acidity on the tongue. Nice gose. 4.0% ABV @ Beer Bar

Oakshire Hellshire VI - I haven't had this one yet. It's described as having a nose of chocolate, some vanilla some oak. Look for caramel and chocolate in the taste, with notes of bourbon and some coconut in the finish. 12.0% ABV @ Beer Bar

Ecliptic Spica Pilsner - I haven't had this one yet. It's described as being brewed in the Un-filtered Keller bier style. Pale malt is used exclusively to give the beer a nice malt body and light golden color. Sterling hops add a rich herbal character. The yeast left in the beer works with the hops to add a nice spicy flavor. 5.5% ABV @ Beer Bar

Ecliptic Orbiter IPA - I haven't had this one yet. It's described as having Chinook and Columbus to create a formidable IPA. Bright and citrusy hop flavors shine in a medium body with caramel malt character. Dry hopped to amplify the hop aroma and flavor 7.4% ABV @ Beer Bar

Ecliptic Carina Peach Sour - The flavors here are mostly unripened peach. Some hops are detectable on the back end but for the most part this beer is peach and lemon driven. Nice beer. 5.5% ABV @ Beer Bar

Ecliptic Filament Winter IPA - I haven't had this one yet. It's described as having nice caramel up front with a citrus end and subtle hop bite. Fairly light mouth feel.7.2% ABV @ Beer Bar

Ecliptic Third Orbit Anniversary Ale Imperial Porter with Cherries - I haven't had this one yet. It's described as having an aroma of dark toasted malt with mild char, cocoa and a hint of cherry. Flavor is dark toasted malt with a little smoke, almost a hint of peat; milk chocolate and a touch of cherry. Finishes with some char and residual chocolate. Nice medium creamy body. A rich, very well integrated porter, bordering on stout territory but smoother and better balanced 9.0% ABV @ Beer Bar

Ecliptic/Fort George Collaboration JH² (JH Squared) IPA - I haven't had this one yet. It's described as having a nose of  massive citrus fruit and hints of wine they meld nicely! Palate...brisk, bright and bitter with hop resin and grapefruit pith and skin. The mid palate is quite dry and smacky and the finish is sharp with citrus and very long and oaky. 7.2% ABV @ Beer Bar

Magic Hat Circus Boy - I haven't had this one yet. It's described as unfiltered and unfettered, Circus Boy is a unique and refreshing American-style Hefeweizen. Is he a who? Or a what? Or perhaps some of both? Be amazed by the flavorful haze of this wonderful wheat beer. 4.5% ABV @ DABC

Magic Hat #9 - I haven't had this one yet. It's described as being a beer cloaked in secrecy. An ale whose mysterious and unusual palate will swirl across your tongue and ask more questions than it answers. A sort of dry, crisp, refreshing, not-quite pale ale. #9 is really impossible to describe because there's never been anything else quite like it. 5.1% ABV @DABC

RedRock's Secale returns today at all RedRock locations - however, for take home you'll have to wait til tomorrow morning (11/12) at 11am. This beer is a bock at it's base, but has the addition of rye malt and is aged in High West Rye Whiskey barrels. Secale pours a dark ruby color with a moderate two fingers of off-white head. The nose has a dry roasted malt aroma along with a light rye spiciness. It's rounded out with a mild caramel malt and vanilla aroma. The taste starts with Caramel malts and toffee. Chocolate covered raisins come next come next with a dry rye spiciness. Hints of vanilla and whiskey come next in the end, as well as a subdued hop bitterness that balances the malty sweetness in the finish. The body is full and the whiskey notes become a bit more pronounced as it warms. The 8.5% abv is well hidden but sneaks up you quickly.

We'll discuss these beers further later today with Mick and Allen at 3:30pm on KBER 101

Cheers!

New Beer Friday: Breakside Edition

New beer Friday this week is for the most part dedicated to Breakside Brewing Company. The Beer Bar guys have been working on acquiring Breakside's beers for quite some time. In a state with 150 breweries this Oregon brewery's beers tend to always stand out - we're lucky to have them available in SLC.
    
Breakside Oui, Chef - Pours a straw-color with a moderate amount of thick foam. The nose is mostly earthy fennel. The taste starts with a rye like malty spiciness. doughy wheat and fruity yeast comes next with apple , liquorish and pear rounding out the back end. the finish has a bit of citrus bitterness. A wonderful take on a saison. 6.9% ABV. @ Beer Bar

Breakside India Pale Ale - This light copper beer has huge citrus and tropical fruit aromas with hints of perfume and pine. The taste starts with a nice malt punch of caramel and bread. Next comes the hops with lots of oranges, grapefruit and pine tar. The finish is persistently dry. The body is smooth
and highly drinkable. 6.8% ABV @ Beer Bar

Breakside India Golden Ale - Pours a near opaque light orange with a thick white head. The nose has juicy grapefruit and notes of jasmine. The taste starts with the citrus/floral and floral hops that transition to Graham Cracker malts. Sweet tropical fruits round out the back with bitter resinous pine. Finishes dry and herbal. This is one of the most amazing golden ales I've ever tried. Not to be missed. 8.1% ABV. @ Beer Bar

Breakside Lunch Break India Session Ale - Pours a clear golden with a good amount foam on top. The nose has floral, pine and a bit of citrus. The taste starts with citrus and pine. Next come a bit of earthy malt and a touch of honey. Pine. Some bitter flowery notes round out the end. The finish is clean and hoppy. A nice flavorful session IPA. 4.7% ABV @ Beer Bar

Breakside Amuse Farmhouse Ale - Pours a bright yellow amber color. The nose has great floral aromas with spicy clove and hibiscus.The taste starts with pepper, lemon peel and a touch of corriander. Earthy floral notes come next with sticky pine rounding out the end. A nice, full flavored - but light saison. 5.0% ABV. @ Beer Bar

Avenues Proper Ainsly Amber - Haven't tried this one yet. It's apparently brewed with Buckwheat so it may have a bit of  "nuttiness" to it. And no, It's not gluten free. 4.0% ABV @ Avenues Proper

Uinta Ready Set Gose - Pours a hazy straw color with a nose of lemon dough. The taste is mostly cereal grain and wheat with minor sodium bite. Lemony tartness is soft and subtle. I was hoping the tartness in this beer would have been a little more assertive. For the most part it's pretty tame. Tasty but tame. Give me more sour! 4.0% ABV This will be available at the Utah Beer Festival on Saturday and should be popping up on Uinta's seasonal tap handles early next week.

Oakshire Overcast Espresso Stout - I didn't get a chance to try this one. It's described as being black/brown with a nose of coffee and burnt toast as well. Coffee dominates the flavor with light notes of bitter dark chocolate and cacao as well. Medium weight body, slick and creamy. 5.8% ABV @ Beer Bar

Gigantic Snakebite - Light straw in color with a small cap of foam. The nose is full of apple, pear, and grapefruit rind. The taste starts with an earthy floral hop presence. The apple fruitiness comes next and is a bit more subdued on the tongue. Sweet malted grain rounds out the back with a bit of grassy hops and grapefruit rind. Quite subtle and pleasant. 5.6% ABV @ Beer Bar

Gigantic White Light White Heat - Pours a copper/amber color with a pleasant nose of citrus and grassy hops and light tropical fruits. The flavor starts with bready wheat, cardamom and clove. Citrus rind and mildly grassy hops come next with a bit of Belgian yeast spiciness. The end is plesantly hoppy, leaving a nice lingering bitterness in the finish that melds well with the spices. This one has a little more alcohol than your typical White IPA. Seems more like a Belgo-IPA. Tasty. 8.2% ABV. @ Beer Bar

Goose Island Sofie -Hazy, golden pale color with a thick frothy head. The nose is big with banana, spices, tropical fruit, peppery, sweet pale malts. The taste starts with phenolic peppery-fruity notes. Coriander and orange zest come next with a bit of grape must and biscuit rounding out the end. The finish is somewhat tart and crisp. Dry, smooth and refreshing. 6.5% ABV @ BeerHive

Whew! my head is still spinning after all that "research" yesterday afternoon. Don't forget, it's the Utah Beer Fest tomorrow (Saturday) afternoon  at Library Square and Oktoberfest at Snowbird also begins this weekend. It looks like beer is in your future this weekend.

Skol!

New Beer Friday 2/27/15

First, let me preface this week's New Beer Friday by saying all of these beers will be available at the Beer Bar, later this (Friday) afternoon. Unless the DABC is unable to get them into their system on time, then they will be available Monday afternoon. Check back here or the Utah Beer Facebook page for updates on their availability. 

The big news this week is Beer Bar's acquisition of Gigantic Brewing Company's brews. Gigantic makes a shload of highly regarded hoppy beers and is also known for their eye catching comic book style beer labels. Here's what made it to the market. I have no reviews for most of this week's new brews. Sorry.
Ginormous Imperial IPA
Gigantic IPA
Intensify Belgian IPA
Saboteur Baltic Porter
Catch 23 Experimental Pale Ale

Hopworks Urban Brewery Rise up Red - Pours a ruby/mahogany color with an fluffy off-white head filling top of the tulip glass. The nose is juicy with pineapple and grapefruit. some toffee sweetness as well. The taste starts with resiny grapefruit peel and juicy pineapple hops. Light caramel and toffee come next adding balance with a bit of berry fruitiness rounding out the back end. Moderately bitter finish. Not a brilliant red ale but quite tasty.

Hopworks Urban Brewery Organic Belgian Apple Ale - No review
Hopworks Urban Brewery Motherland Imperial Stout - No review
Hopworks Urban Brewery Nonstop Hefe Hop - No review

Base Camp Ultra Gnar Gnar IPA - No review

Oakshire The Perfect Storm Double IPA - No review. If this is half as good as their Watershed IPA we'll all be very happy hop heads.

This week the Annex has their Schwartz with Coffee bean and Cocoa Nibs in the firkin. Sounds damn yummy! Geoff tells me that last week's firkin was gone by 8pm, so don't procrastinate. Tapping is at 4:30pm. $3 Firkin Pints. Also look for a solid tap line up including Kettle Sour IPA, Berlinerweiss, Belgian Pale Ale, IPL single hopped with Centennial Hops and Milk Stout on Nitro.

Cheers!

New Beer Friday: Halloween Edition

Welcome to this special Halloween Edition of New Beer Friday! Today we have a new brews from local and out of state Booeries. See what I did there? I said, "booeries instead of "breweries".... because it's Halloween! ..... never mind, here are your beers.

Sadly, I've not had one of these beers. All descriptions are from the makers. The new beers from the Beer Bar are scheduled to arrive today and may not be available until after 5pm, so call first if your making a special trip.

Hoppers - Pumpkin Ale (Unspiced): Secret Agent and Hoppers Brewmaster Donovan Steele has a pumpkin ale - who doesn't, right? The difference is his has the pumpkin but no traditional pumpkin pie spices. The only spice like flavor is from the variety of hops used. The ale is made with fresh roasted pumpkin and pumpkin puree. Brown malt, caramel, honey malt, oats, and roasted barley to enhance the pumpkin flavors and texture. 4.0% ABV @ Hoppers

Oakshire Brewing - Watershed IPA: Brand new to the Utah market. Described as having a floral nose with lemon and hints of caramel. The taste has toasted grains followed by grapefruit, pine and some floral notes. 6.7% ABV @ Beer Bar

Base Camp - S'more Stout: Aromas of chocolate, coffee, fig, and smoke invite you in to a gigantic maltiness that is distinct in its smooth and refined character, with flavors of chocolate and hints of smoke mingling with rich caramel, fruit, and warming alcohol.  Top with a roasted marshmallow and you have the ultimate S’more experience! 7.7% ABV @ Beer Bar

Base Camp - Northwest Fest: Base Camp's take on the malt-forward fest biers of Bavaria. Extensive malt aroma and taste trials over the last two years led us in crafting this recipe, a subtly-hopped amber lager that walks the line between dry and full-bodied, not too sweet but definitely not lacking in malty goodness.  Lagered on our in-house toasted oak to round out this brew’s flavor profile. 5.6% ABV @ Beer Bar

Hopworks - Fuggle IPX: Fuggle hops are typically floral and grassy so look for that along with a bit of light caramel malt. 6.0% ABV @ Beer Bar

Hopworks - Abominable Winter Ale: This is described as a Winter IPA. Look for toasty Munich and light caramel malts with a medley of citrus fruit notes from the hops. @ Beer Bar

Woodchuck - Granny Smith Cider: Brilliantly clear golden hue. The nose is simply apple. The taste is tart green apple. Not jaw locking tart but enough to feel in your cheeks. The are some tannin notes in the end. Very drinkable. 5.0% ABV draft @ Beer Bar (This one is on right now)

By the way, Heretic Brewing did confirm that they are bringing their beers to SLC in early 2015.

Cheers!