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 Beer Friday - Pumpkin and Salt Edition

The theme for this week's New Beer Friday seems to be Pumpkin and Salt. Thankfully not together! If you find pumpkin or salt appealing in your beer then you're going to be a happy little beer geek this weekend.

Shipyard Pumpkinhead - Pours a semi-cloudy, pale, orange color. The nose has strong notes of spices of nutmeg, cinnamon, clove and brown sugar. The taste is a lot like the nose with notes of pumpkin and spices of nutmeg, cinnamon, clove, all-spice and brown sugar. There is not much in the way of malt nor is there any hops bitterness to speak of. This is not a remarkable pumpkin ale by any means but if your a fan of the style it'll get the job done. 4.7% ABV @ DABC

Uinta Jacked B Nimble - Pours aa ebony color with ruby highlights. the nose has nutmeg, clove, cinnamon and some boozy whiskey notes. The taste starts with the basic pumpkin pie spices along with some vanilla/bourbon notes. Gingerbread comes next - it works well with the Bourbon. The end is where you'll find most of the roasted malt character - some char and bittering hops rounding out the finish. This is quite a tasty beer, much more complex than the Shipyard. However, I like the overall palate of Uinta's original Oaked Jacked better. I's love to hear your feedback on the two versions. 11.0% ABV @ Uinta, most better beer bars.

Bonneville Pumpkin Ale - Pours a ruby/amber color with a nose of allspice and clove. The taste starts with rich caramel and nutmeg and other specialty malts. Milk sugar sweetness comes next giving the malt added boost and body while proving balance to the spices. 4.0% ABV @ Bonneville Brewery, Allstar Lanes

Bohemian Brewer'stache German Pilsner - Pours a clear gold color with good sized, stark white head. The nose was herbal with toasted malt and minerals. The taste starts nice and crisp with biscuity malts and a very slight caramel sweetness. lemon peel and spicy/grass hops come next followed by a slight honey smack. Finishes toasty, hoppy and dry. This is a great pils. Little to no sulphur and highly drinkable. Get this seasonal while it lasts. 4.0% ABV @ Bohemian and where there's a Bohemian "Brewer'stache" tap handle.

Epic Los Locos Lager - Pours a hazy golden straw color with a sturdy cap dense foam. The nose is grainy with hints of lime and grass. The taste is similar with grainy Malts and some sweet corn. Lime pops next with a slight sodium bite in the end. Finishes slightly grassy and dry. One of the nicer Mexican style lagers you will ever try. I'm not sure what.  the ABV is on this one. Only available at Epic - packaged in growlers. Very limited. See yesterday's post.

Anderson Valley Blood Orange Gose - Pours a hazy golden color with a small carbonated head. The nose has a crisp citrus aroma with a hint of sodium and orange peel. The taste starts lemony and tart with some dry orange peel flavors peeking through as well. Salt comes next providing some balance to the puckering tartness. The saltiness is not that strong but is definitely evident. Blood Oranges are definatly sweet - you'll get none of that here. This beer is all about the sourness and tartness of the fruit. 4.0% ABV @ Beer Bar (on tap!). This should be popping up in grocery stores in the next few weeks.

Estrella Damm Daura - Not tried this one yet. it's described as having a clear yellow color with an aroma of grain and frosted corn flake aromas. Taste is much the same with toast, grain, and sweetened corn flake flavors on the finish. There is a very mild amount of hop bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is an above average beer that still tastes like a normal beer of this style even though it is gluten removed. 5.4% ABV @ Beer Bar

Cheers!

New Beer Friday 7/25/14

Whoa! A busy morning and no interweb connection makes for a very, very late New Beer Friday. There are a couple of great beer to talk about today, so let's get to it.

New Belgium Transatlantique Kriek: The nose has a nice mix of cherry with light farmhouse funk and malt. The taste starts with tart and sour cherry. Next comes the funk with some sugary malt beneath. The end has a bit of tannin-ish notes with pale malt. Alcohol is a little noticeable. Finishes tart and dry.
 It has a nice flavor but could use a bit more depth. 8% ABV @ Bayou

Epic Escape to Colorado IPA:  The nose is sugary with tropical fruit notes and grass. The flavor starts with bright Mosaic citrus peel. Next comes some dank, earthy malts, with a hint of mango and pineapple. The end is dry with some resiny bite. This beer is simple and fresh tasting with a great hop character. The can does it great favors as well. Glad it's finally available for us Utahans.6.2% ABV @ DABC and better beer bars. Because it's made at Epic's Denver Brewery it cannot be sold at Epic's bottle shop downtown. Apparently their license only allows beers that are made on premises to be sold there. Whatever...

Shipyard Export Ale: The nose lemony, grassy with some graininess. The taste has a nutty maltiness with lemon peel and big floral notes. There's also a slight mineral bite towards the end. Finishes pretty clean with a lingering sweet aftertaste. @ Beer Bar

The Bayou's Firkin Friday offering today is Uinta Wyld dry-hopped with Simcoe hops. Can't go wrong there.4% ABV Tapping is at 3pm.

Cheers!

New Beer Friday: True Man Edition

Back in April 2013  we told you that Shipyard Brewing was entering the Utah market. We had no idea that it would take 15 months, but I guess that's the way things work here in Zion. Here's the first of those beers to pop up in the market. I haven't had a chance to try most of beers this week. Please share your thoughts on them if you have.

Shipyard Brewing Company - Smashed Blueberry: Dark brown in color. The nose is mild with berries, dark fruits and cocoa. The taste starts nutty with chocolate and coffee. The berries soon take over and carry on through the end. There are some hops detectable in the finish. Not exactly a "summer beer" but it's a pretty decent fruity porter. 9% ABV @ DABC

Hive - Blackberry Stinger Cider: Sadly I've not tried this one yet. I guess the name says it all. Anyone care to share their thoughts? 6.9% ABV

Roosters - Devil's Grip Blackberry Ale: Mikey no try either. It's described as having a cloudy apricot color with a bready nose full of of blackberry. Look for a sweet malt base on the tongue with plenty of pine and blackberry. 4.0% ABV @ Roosters locations

Lagunitas - A Little Sumpin' Extra! Ale: The nose has a nice tangerine/ripe orange aroma with a hint of malt and pine. The taste starts tropical with citrus up front and big sweet, bready malts. Pine resin notes come next with a hint of white pepper. The end is fresh and dry with more rind bitterness. Finishes dry - not too boozy. 8.74% ABV @ Beer Bar (limited supply)

Blue Moon - Pine in the Neck IPA: : Mikey no try. Described as having a rich malty backbone, supporting bright piney hops bitterness. 7.5% ABV

Blue Moon - Rounder Belgium Pale: Mikey no try. Described as having a nose that is slightly peppery with spice, caramel, and a bit of floral hop. Flavor is floral up front, moving to a sweet caramel and toffee finish with a lingering bitterness on the end. 5.6% ABV @ DABC

Cheers!

Rumor de Jour: Shipyard/Seadog Brewing

It's rumor time again! Yup, it may be one of the more useless functions of what we do here at Utah Beer, but at least it keeps us in good conversation.

Today's rumor has to do with Shipyard/Seadog Brewing out of Maine. The East Coast breweries have been around since the mid 90s and a "little bird" tells me they may be entering the Utah Market soon.

Not sure what labels we'll see, they will most likely be bottled beers. The breweries tend to specialize in English style ales. I've sampled some of their beers at a couple of beer festivals and they're solid beers, great additions to the market.

Take it for what it's worth, some of these rumors pan-out and some will just annoy the shit out of you, 'til the next one comes along. No! I have no new info on Goose Island. I'm sad too....

Cheers!