New Beer Friday 8/21/20

 It's another locals only New Beer Friday. Surprisingly, there's only one hop forward beer this week. That's refreshing. Check out this nicely rounded selection. 

UTOG - Huckleberry Sour: Smells great. Some lemon, lots of huckleberry, some yogurt. Flavor is huckleberry, medium tartness, some lemongrass grass and bicarb. Light bodied with medium carb and a slightly wet finish. Pretty decent. Available at UTOG. 5.0%

Toasted Barrel - Bier de Garde: Aroma immediately hits you with whiskey, wood, red currant, toffee and biscuit. Taste is exactly as the smell would indicate, with a hint of brett, and a smooth sour and vinegar like pucker on the finish. 7.0% - Available at Toasted Barrel.

Strap Tank - Kismet: Missed this raspberry and plum smoothie. Sounds tasty though. 4.4% Available at Strap Tank (Springville). Not vegan friendly. 

Fisher - Peach Plum Sour: Plum and peach in the nose with a hint of aspirin. Medium bodied with a crisp mouthfeel. Ripe plums and a peach undertone on the palate. Finishes dry, lightly tart, and with plenty of fruit.

Red Rock - Black is Beautiful: Organized by Weathered Souls Brewing Co, Black Is Beautiful is a collaborative effort among the brewing community and its supporters who believe in bringing awareness to the injustices that many people of color face. Red Rock is donating a portion of profits to the Utah YMCA and the Rocky Mountain Innocence Center. Roasted flavors with milk chocolate and some sweet blueberry character up front. A bigger finish of milk chocolate, roasted flavors, licorice, tobacco, as well as some light sourness from the blueberries. A bold and lingering finish with roasted chocolate, tobacco, some hop bitterness and some hints of sweet-sour blueberries as well. 7.0%

Avenues Proper - Transform and Roll Out: This hazy pale ale has low bitterness with with a bigger than normal yeast profile. It's not estery at all but it's noticeable. Hops are tropical and slightly herbal. The malt comes across with pleasant and muted powdered sugar sweetness. 5.0% Only at Avenues Proper.

Mountain West Cider - Colada Be Kidding Me: This new cider mimics the classic pina colada – and it does so brilliantly. The pineapple and coconut never get out of hand and manage to keep the apple base in check. It tough to identify when the pineapple starts and the apple ends. The coconut is subtle and pleasant. Very tasty. This doesn't go on sale Monday Aug 24th. Only at  Mountain West's Cidery.

Cheers!

New Beer Friday 1/17/20

Congratulations, your having a New Beer Friday! Fruit is a heavy influencer this week, and 99% of them are local. Have an excellent weekend.

Avenues Proper - Charleston Cherry: This new farmhouse ale is made with local tart cherries from Woddyatt Farm. This brettanomyces beer is more fruit forward with a subtle yeast profile that brings the cherry into the foreground. Proper is on a roll right now, If you love Brett beers I'd get your hinies to Avenues Proper Sooner than later. 5.0%

Avenues Proper - Blood Orange Blizzard: This is a kettle soured IPA with blood orange added post fermentation. More tart than sour, look for a nice citrus twang with tangerine bitterness. 5.0% - Only at Avenues Proper.

Proper- Fonzie’s Jacket: A milkshake IPA made with Citra hops and lactose. Reminds me of a hoppy Orange Julius. Despite the fruit this is not a vegan friendly beer. 5.0%

Epic - Big Bad Yankee: This is the newest variant in Epic's Big Bad Baptist line-up. 'Yankee' is aged in Yankee Spirits' whiskey and rye barrels. This actually an imperial porter aged (not a stout) made with coffee, cacao, hazelnuts and vanilla. This is a very small batch, and only available at Epic's Salt Lake brewery starting this morning.

Epic - Lemon Bomb Tart n Juicy: This sour IPA is dosed with lemon juice to compliment the hop selection that is already citrus forward. No lactose in this one! 5.0% Available at Epic in growlers.

Hopkins- Deseret Dunkel: The aroma is described as malty sweet and bready, while the flavor profile is rich and complex, displaying notes of toasted bread, chocolate, and graham cracker. Bitterness is minimal. The flavor is reminiscent of Golden Graham cereal. 5.0% - Available at Hopkins.

Strap Tank - Nelson/Mosaic Hazy Pale Ale: This made with a couple of my favorite hops right now. The Nelson hops will add a berry-like component, while the Mosaic hops bring fresh pine, mango, blueberry and citrus. 5.0% - Available at both Strap Tank locations.

Strap Tank - Witbier: Look for high level of wheat with coriander and orange peel. 5.0% - Available at both Strap Tank locations.

Strap Tank - Blueberry Lime Smoothie Sour: . This one shines with tartness from the blueberry and lime, this gives it a sherbet or sorbet quality. 5.0% - Available at both Strap Tank locations.

Kiitos - Fruit Milkshake Ale (Berry Pomegranate): Made with real raspberry, blackberry, blueberry and pomegranate juices, They also reworked the base beer to make it 5%. Despite the fruit this is not a vegan friendly beer. On draft now at Kiitos.

Melvin/Arc'teryx collaboration - Son of Apocalypse IPA: This brand new IPA by Melvin debuted in SLC last Wednesday (1/15). Look for big citrus peel, pine and tropical fruits from this 70 Ibu ale. 5.0% - Available at Beerhive, Bayou.  

Returning Champs

Epic - Oak and Orchard Cherry Vanilla: This foeder aged sour reminds me of cherry sorbet with a hint of Balsamic vinegar. 6.5% - Available in crowlers at Epic.

Wasatch - Kick-back Series - Oatmeal Stout: Silky smooth chocolate, espresso and vanilla all wrapped up in a bow. 6.0% Available at Park City's brewery and the West Side Tavern.

Cheers!

Strap Tank's Lehi Brewery Opens Soon

Utah's next brewery will soon be open and the natives couldn't be happier. On Monday, August 5th this grand craft beer palace on the northern most end of Utah County will open it's doors, bringing local suds to Utah's bustling technology corridor.

The Lehi brewery is a pretty remarkable achievement; mixing carnival, garage and theatrical themes. It's defiantly one of the most unique craft beer spots that you'll find anywhere in North America.

Once Lehi's brew house goes online, look for head brewer, Shawn Smith to get his core brands on tap before he has the opportunity to get his "passion projects" to you. Strap Tank Lehi, has a restaurant license so bring your appetite; or at the very least plan on ordering an appetizer with your beer.

I think the opening of this new brewery is very telling in regards to Utah's changing attitudes on beer and where entrepreneurs are choosing to spend their money to bring it to the masses.

Congrats to the Strap Tank gang and to Utah County beer nerds in general on their newest craft watering hole. Strap Tank: Lehi is located at 3661 n. Outlet Parkway.

Cheers!

New Beer Friday 3/8/19

Today is International Women’s Day. It will also be the 2nd Annual Pink Boots Brew Day in Utah. Our local chapter of the Pink Boots Society will be brewing a Cold Session IPA at Roosters' B Street to raise money for causes related to the organization.

In conjunction with the brew day, the ladies will be having a fundraising event in the B Street tap room. Utah Pink Boots Chapter leader, Jamie Burnham has been diagnosed with breast cancer. To help offset medical bills, Roosters will be donating a portion of all pints sold at B Street on March 8th. Come by to check out the Pink Boots Members brewing, and to support one Utah's best beer advocates. Now, on to New Beer Friday.

2 Row - Divine Lunacy: This new barrel aged beer from 2 Row is a begian quad aged in "new" bourbon barrel for nearly a year. The bourbon is nearly overpowering at first, but once you palate adjusts the bubblegum and peach from Quad begin to assert themselves. Very nice! 11.5% - Available at 2 Row, Beer Bar, Bayou, Dick n' Dixie's.

Strap Tank - Cosmic Fog: This beer looks like some kind of acid trip while watching an episode of My Pretty Pony. It's a swirling cloud of purple hued pearl essence. The taste is subtle tartness with vague berries. Not Bad. 4.0% - Available at Strap Tank, Fisher Brewing's guest tap. It's going fast!

Hopkins - Hipster AF: This beer is "triple dry hopped" with citra, mosaic, and cascade hops - brewed with lactose for that “milkshakey”, juicy, hazy. 4.0% - Available at Hopkins.

Telegraph West Swell Juicy IPA: Epic's newest acquisition from Santa Barbara is finally in our market. The West Swell IPA has a nose of grapefruit and papaya. Flavor-wise we get orange and pineapple from the hop selection. Bitterness is low, while sweetness is high. Nice example of the style. 6.7% - Found at Slackwater.

Dogfish Head - Perfect Disguise: This Double IPA is supposedly a Kolsch at heart; made with Kolsch  yeast and German malts. Hopped with nearly 4 lbs. of German and American hops per barrel. It brings tropical flavors of citrus, tangerine, mango, gooseberries and peach. 8.0% - Available at DABC.

Elysian - Dayglow IPA: Aromas of citrus and flowers. The flavor has grapefruit peel and is strong with some caramel and pine. The bitterness isn't too overpowering. Nice. 7.4% - Available at Slackwater, DABC. 

Cheers!

New Beer Friday 8/3/18

I love a nice round selection of beers for New Beer Friday; that is exactly what you're getting this week. Nearly all of this week's beers are local. Enjoy!

Strap Tank Utah Valley Foraged Ale #1: Also known as "Treebeard" this version of Strap Tank's locally sourced ale has willow, spruce, juniper, local wheat, solstice_malt barley, and Bagley Honey. 8.0%. Available at Strap Tank.

Saltfire Summer Camp Crush: This pours a  straw color with soapy white head. The aroma is citrusy and herbal with some honey. The taste is light and grainy; like a pilsner but more hoppy. The hops are floral herbal and citrusy. Aftertaste is slightly bitter. Medium body with a good amount of carbonation. As a NEIPA this really missed the mark. As a very hoppy kolsch I give it high marks.7.1%. Available at Saltfire, Dick n' Dixie's, Beerhive.

Uinta Alpenglow: This was supposed to hit last week, however shit happens and now we have this week. This Wild Golden Ale is a blend of Uinta's soured wild ale with a brett dosed golden ale that been ageing for two years in oak. The result is a beer with a medium fruit like sour/tart profile combined with a small dose of funky Brett with perceived pineapple flavors & malt. Finishes with oak and a brut champagne dryness . It’s a winner! 7.0%. Available at Uinta

Toasted Barrel Blueberry Summer Wheat: Missed out on this one. The name says it all. 4.0%. Available at Toasted Barrel.

Squatters Umbrella Ella-Ella Nitro IPA: Fruity and herbal hops with light malt & toast. The nitro enhances the sweetness from the malt. You can't really appreciate how much bitterness CO2 gas adds to a beer until it's removed. Very light and tasty. 4.0%. Available at Squatters Brewpub.

Squatters Long Boat Red Lager: The aroma has a light floral hop presence with some toasted cereal. The taste is full and smooth with a well concocted malt presence. The hop profile is medium in strength with a spicy/herbal bite and flavor.This is a wonderful malty lager, I wish I had found this weeks ago. 4.0%. Available at Squatters Brewpub.

Hitachino Nest Anbai Ale - Ume Plum Gose: Missed out on this one. This is described as being infused with grown green sour plum (ume), and finished up with a pinch of Japanese sea salt (moshio). The balance of sourness, bitterness, comes from the plum and subtle saltiness. 7.0%. It's available at Takashi in downtown SLC. Takashi actually does a great job of getting great craft beers imported from Japan, that are exclusive to their restaurant. Check them out.  

 Cheers!

New Beer Friday 6/8/18

Found some new beers.... and it's Friday. We should come up with a name for this!

Saltfire Galaxy Singularity:This has a somewhat dank citrusy nose with a good dose of tropical fruits and citrus on the palate. Probably my favorite of the Singularity series so far. 6.9%. Available at Saltfire, Beerhive 

Strap Tank Matt: I havn't had this one yet. This hazy and citra hoppped IPA uses an experimental yeast found in Indiana. It produces lactic acid similar to a kettle sour. 4.0%. Available at Strap Tank.

Strap Tank Maracuya: I haven't had this one yet. Described as being very tropical with a good dose of passion fruit. 4.0%. Available at Strap Tank.

Strap Tank Air Quality Control NEIPA: I havn't had this one yet as it is being released today. It's made with Ella and Mandarina Bavaria hops with lactose.Sounds yummy. 4.0%. Available at Strap Tank.

Zion Strawberry Rhubarb Gose: While not new in Southern Utah it is new to me; and I like it. The Strawberry and Rhubarb both shine in this subtly tart beer. 4.0%. Available at Zion Brewery and Beer Bar.


Uinta Crimson Tart: This pomegranate ale tastes mostly of the fruit with a moderate dose of tartness. Very refreshing for a 8.0% beer. Available at Uinta.

Uinta XXV Anniversary Imperial Pilsner: Spicy nose with light grains. Bread and grainy malt lead the palate to a drying, crisp finish with a touch of lemon peel. Medium body and medium to medium high carbonation. Full flavored but well balanced with a pleasant bitter hop accent on the finish. 7.5%. Available at Uinta tomorrow.

Proper Buckhorn Draw: This porter is made with buckwheat and it's evident in the flavor. It's also somewhat earthy and herbal and pretty drinkable for a summer porter. 4.0%. Available at Proper Brewing and Avenues Proper.

Salt Flats Jitterbug: I havn't tried this lager yet. It's described as having cucumber added. 4.0%. Avaiable at The Garage Grill in Draper.

Latitude 33 Blood Orange IPA: The nose here is strong with orange citrus. The taste is more subdued and not as strong as the aroma, but the IPA shines with a good dose of bitterness. Nice balance. 7.2%. Available at Beer Bar.

Latitude 33 Honey Hips: Honey and pear dominate this strong ale that offers a good dose of citrus zest for balance. A tad sweet but overall very good. 8.3%. Available at Beer Bar and Bayou.

Latitude 33 Mangovaza IPA: The aroma has mango with hints of guava, papaya and passion fruit. The taste has mango followed by some mellow habanero heat. It's rounded out by guava, papaya and citrusy tropical hops. An excellent peppery IPA.7.2%. Available at Beer Bar.

Odell St. Lupulin:  The aroma has citrus zest, tropical fruit and biscuit malts. The flavor is more citrus zest along with lemon, tangerine, tropical fruit, grass while caramel sweetness backs it all up. A very nice DIPA. 6.5%. Available at the Bayou.

Odell Extra Special Red: Pine, and citrus in the nose. Brown sugar, and woody/nutty notes combined with tangy, leafy hops create a spicy/woody flavors that are nicely balanced. 9.1%. Available at the Bayou.

Three breweries are throwing anniversary parties this Saturday: Uinta, Talisman and Strap Tank are all celebrating and each would like to share their Saturday with you. For details on each celebration check out the individual social media pages for these breweries.

And if that's not enough: Snowbird's Brewfest hits this Saturday and Sunday. Over 25 Local and national breweries will be pouring their beer.

Cheers!   

May the 4th Be With You - New Beer Friday

Today is practically a holiday for me. When two of my great passions collide (Star Wars and New Beer Friday), I get chocked-up quicker than Admiral Motti - pissing on the force. There's a nice selection of beers available today that will make your May the Forth Be With You pub crawl a huge success.   
  
Strap Tank IPA #2: Pineapple and stone fruit with a backbone of dank, but drinkable sense of bitterness (ain’t no NEIPA). This is an  O.G.W.C.I.P.A. 7.0% ABV; 75 IBU. Available only at Strap Tank. 

Brasserie Bocq Blanche De Namur: A solid aroma of coriander, wheat, and light fruit. The taste has a moderate amount of wheat, some coriander notes, light malt, a little bit of licorice, banana, a some orange peel. 4.5% Available at select DABC stores.

Upslope Nitro Pale Ale: I missed out on this one yesterday. If you've tried it please share! 4.0% Found at Beer Bar.

Base Camp Rye Saison: Spicy rye nose with a hint of Band-aid and apple. The taste is a nice combo of heavy rye malt, sweet honey, some graham cracker with a moderate dose of clove rounding out the back end. There is Brett in here as well but it's not huge on the palate. I'm currious to see how this tasty beer evolves over time. 7.5% Available at Beer Bar.

Lagunitas CitruSinensis:  The aroma is strong orange, grapefruit and sweet malt. The taste is a mix of semisweet caramel malt and citrus and pine hops. There is a substantial bitterness as well for balance. A very nice pale ale. 7.9%. Available at the Bayou.

Samuel Adams Sam '76: Missed this one too. It's supposed to be some kind of Ale/Lager hybrid. Have you tried it? Please share. 4.7%. Available at Bayou, DABC. 

May the Force Be with You!

New Beer Friday 2/23/18

Okay beer nerds, listen up. You’re going to have to put a little more planning into your Saturday beer shopping schedule. Three coveted beer releases are happening at the same time: Squatters 529, Strap Tank’s IPA and Fisher’s Anniversary IPA all three go on sale at 10am Saturday (11am for Strap Tank). I’ve tried all but Strap’s, here are your New Beer Friday tasting notes to help aid in your plan of attack.

Desert Edge Irish Red on Nitro - This is an easy drinking amber ale with light caramel and toasty malt flavors. It has low hops and bitterness with a light roasted dryness in the finish. Served on nitrogen it's smooth and creamy Mmmmmmm! Stop in for a pint or two! Available at Desert Edge

Proper Professor Plum - Toast off the bat with mellow maltiness. The Plum is subtle and in the background. It accents the base beer with nice, mellow tartness. 4.0% Available at Proper

Uinta RS Ale IPA - This new session IPA; designed specifically for Real Salt Lake is pretty much all west coast. It's full of citrus peel mango and resinous pine. Fantastic flavors with a mellow kick. 4.0% Available at Uinta's pub, Beer Bar and eventually everywhere.

Fisher Anniversary IPA - This is Fisher's second high point IPA and it's another winner. Hopped mostly with Galaxy and Citra hops with doses of Citra and Simcoe this limited edition IPA has shloads of tropical fruits, including citrus, papaya and pine apple. 6.8%. On sale at 10am Saturday 2/24

Wasatch Haze Craze - Another full flavored session IPA from Wasatch. This East Coast style beer is again, full of wonderful tropical flavors. with great pithy citrus notes. You need some of this! 4.0%. Available at Wasatch Brew Pub in Park City and the West Side Tavern (UBC) in SLC.

Strap Tank IPA - Sadly this is being bottle this morning and I havn't had the oportunity to try Strap Tank's first high point IPA. If I know Brewmaster, Mike Dymowski (and I do) he will kill it. 7.0%. On sale at 11am Saturday 2/24

Returning Favorites:

Squatters 529 - My tongue got a preview of this year's version yesterday. Look for tart cherry with moderate doses of funky yeast all wrapped in a blanket of fruity and tart balsamic. One of the better versions Squatters has produced in a while. Buy extras for cellering. 7.1%. On sale at 10am Saturday 2/24.

I will discuss these beers and other beer related toipics with Mick and Allen today at 3:30pm on KBER 101. Please check it out!

Cheers!

New Beer Friday 1/12/18

RoHa State Room Brew: This beer was done specially for The Stateroom, the local music venue in SLC.  It described as "combining all the essential beer flavors you need while dancing and listening to the show.  A nice bright red color with a subdued malt character and a hop flavor in the end enough to keep you drinking but not overpowering.  It has great balance to make sure it can quenches your thirst". Think of it as "Gig beer". 4.0% ABV. Only at RoHa and the State Room.


2 Row New Zeangland IIIPA: Yet another IPA is here from 2 Row this one is a Triple IPA made in the New England style with a variety of New Zealand hops (including Motueka), hence the name. It's described as having a "sweet light fruity aroma, flavor is the same with a dryer soft bitter finish". 10.1% ABV. This is available pretty much at any craft beer bar and of course at the brewery.

Mother Earth Four Seasons 2017 Winter BBA Brown Ale: From Mother Earth - "What started as an award winning Imperial Brown eventually made its way into Mother Earth's barrel program, thanks to a dependable base recipe and customer following, they decided to double mash it, which involves using wort instead of water to gain a higher ABV and more complex favor. Finally, they threw in some brown sugar to add a light molasses favor and age the beer in toasted oak barrels to create the perfect winter-warmer". 12.0% ABV. Available at the Beerhive, Beer Bar.

Strap Tank Barrel Aged Saison:  This Saison is described as having layers of farmhouse funk that complement perfectly the aromas and tannins of Cabernet from the barrel. At least one strain of Brettanomyces was picked up, created notes of barnyard funk, pineapple and hay that we couldn’t be happier to discover as we blended the final mix. Like a wine-beer hybrid, it pours apricot-orange with an off-white head. Balanced bitterness & healthily carbonated". 11.6% ABV, This beer goes on sale Saturday morning (1/13) at 11:00am. Only available at Strap Tank.

I know I missed something, help a brother out with the info!

Prost!

New Beer Friday: Adiós 2017

What a weird year 2017 has been, there's been no shortage of strange shit and many of us wondered if we were living in some kind of alternate reality. However, there was one thing that wasn't out of Bizzaro-Land; Utah had a record breaking year in regards to brewery expansion. 2017 saw the  addition of A.Fisher Brewing Co., the RoHa Brewing Project, RPM Brewing Co.and Kiitos Brewing Co. to our brewery count. As I see it, Utah now has 28 breweries (counting two independent brew houses for Roosters and Proper and three for the Wasatch/Squatters group). 2018 will likely see an additional three or four new breweries added to the roster. I don't have to tell you that a vibrant beer scene will help take Utah's beer culture out of the 1970's while greatly improve the outstanding local beverages we currently enjoy. Happy New Beer Friday and please have a happy and safe New Year!
  
Strap Tank Barrel Aged Stout: This is a barrel strength stout. Meaning it is not blended with a fresh batch of the base beer. This gives the beer more "umpf" and body. The beer is jet black, with a chocolate colored head. the nose has chocolate, booze, bitter coffee, woody highlights, and tangy cream sweetness. The flavors are rich and robust, with a smooth milk chocolate highlighted by campfire smoke. All of this on a bitter roasted coffee backbone, with woody and boozy highlights. Some crème notes, too. It has a rich, chocolate and vanilla aftertaste, with whiskey highlights in there, too. Smooth, slow finish, with a nice warmth and lingering chocolate. 9.6% ABV. Available for enjoyment at the brewery today. To-go sale coming next week. Congrats on UTah County's first barrel aged beer! 

Avenues Proper Coffee Pale Ale:  Brewed with La Barba Ethiopian coffee beans and American hops. The idea here is to find a good combination of a fruit-forward coffee bean that wouldn't be overly acidic to pair with fruity American hops and bready malts to try and coax some flavors out of a coffee beer that you don't normally see. I havn't had a chance to try it yet but it sounds very intriguing. 4.0% ABV. Only at Avenues Proper.


Kiitos Wheat Ale: Kiitos is flexing a little muscle with this beer. Though it's only 4.0%

ABV, it's made using 75% wheat malt. If you've ever brewed with large amounts wheat and rye; you know it's a sticky mash. Kiitos' brew system allows them to utilize these water retaining grains with high efficiency. Basically, what I'm saying is that you won't find many 75% wheat beers in the market. This one is clean and bready with nice cereal and cracker qualities. Give this one a shot. Available at Kiitos. 

Moab FMU Double IPA: Generally FMU means "Fuck Me UP" and while that may not be Moab Brewing Company's intent, it is becoming common vernacular in regards to high ABV beers. This Double IPA boasts a shload of throughout and packs a 9.6% ABV. I'd give this a rating of, "meh". This feels more like a thin barley wine. It's sweetness overpowers much of the hop profile, though it does finish quite bitter on the back of the tongue. Available at most DABC stores.
  

Oskar Blues Barrel Aged Ten Fiddy: Some bourbon, vanilla, oak, chocolate, caramel and a bit of coffee in the aroma. Lots of chocolate malts and some vanilla, caramel and coffee. Some roasted malts. The Bourbon isn't too overpowering. Smooth, silky texture. A very nice brew!
12.9% ABV. Available at your better beer bars.

Base Camp 5th Anniversary: This beer is basically an olde stock ale. It's kind of a baby barley wine. This was aged in multiple wine and "spirit" barrels. The malts are sweet and the barrel aging adds nice vinious tartness that is light and pleasant. It does feel a bit thin though. Non the less it's an enjoyable beer. I found it at Beer Bar. 7.9% ABV.

Stone Vengeful Spirit IPA: : A tropical and citrusy nose with mandarin orange, mango and pineapple along with malt. The taste is similar with orange and and mango off the top. The pineapple is a bit more restrained by the malts and the fruitiness as whole. pineapple. The finish is light and bitter. A nice and easy IPA with good fruit flavors and nice balance.7.3% ABV.

Deschutes Abyss - Tequila Barrel: The nose has a noticeable tequila that works well with the dark chocolate, coffee notes and licorice. I can't tell if I'm getting agave or not, but there is a vegital like sweetness off the top of the taste. This Abyss variant is a little lacking in the distinctiveness of the tequila barrel. And frankly I don't know if tequila is the best fit for an Imperial stout like this. What are your thoughts? 11.9% ABV. I found this at the Bayou.

Cheers!

Thanks to the Columbia Daily Tribune for letting me alter their cartoon.

A Peek at Strap Tank's Debut Packaging

A few weeks ago I was able to a preview of the labels that Strap Tank Brewing is going to be using for their up and coming Barrel aged beers. We now have a look at the bottle and the new non-barrel aged versions of those beers.

As you can plainly see, the Springville brewery is not shying away from their motorcycle roosts or going cheep with the packaging. These bottles will clearly be different from anything else in out market.

The barrel aged bottles are 750 ml. and the standard bottles will be 11.2 oz. You'll likely see one or both of these next month when they hit the market. Stay close for their release dates.

Cheers!

Strap Tank to Introduce New Barrel Aged Series

It looks like Springville's Strap Tank Brewing will be making good on it's promise to deliver new high point beers. I recently came across these to new labels that preview what is in store for you in the coming months.

The first beer up will likely be a Barrel Aged Saison. It's been quietly resting in wood since July and will dial in at a hefty 11.6% ABV. Stay close for more news on it's release.

The second beer in their barrel aged series will be a Barrel Aged Stout. Though not as big as the saison it will come in at a respectable 9.6% ABV and will hit a little further down the road.

From what I've noticed, the Strap Tank crew doesn't do anything half-
assed. Their beer, brewery and packaging is top notch and I can't wait to try these new additions to our beer market.

Some of you guys tend to get a little over excited when I do these these previews so let me restate,  this is a preview. I promise I will spread the word when these beers get close to their release dates. What do you think about Strap Tank's new direction?

Cheers!

Labels found at Shipcomplient.com
Image courtesy Strap Tank Brewing

New Beer and Brewery Friday 9/29/17

Oh, Happy day! Not only is it New Beer Friday but it's also New Brewery Friday! Kiitos Brewing finally has beer available for you today. They will debut with three beers; a pale ale, amber and blonde ale. Look for some higher gravity beers towards the end of the year. Congrats guys on helping to make a better brewtah!

Epic Barrel Aged Barley Wine: The nose has sweet dark fruit and vanilla a bit of bourbon. The taste Is very pleasant, with toffee along with vanilla and a hint of raisin. Bourbon wraps it all up  with a minimal amount of piney bitterness. Quite tasty. 12% ABV. Available at Epic SLC/Sugar House

Uinta Barrel Aged Dubhe: The aroma is boozy bourbon with vanilla, chocolate and piney hops. The tastes is dark chocolate, vanilla, toffee like malt and big whiskey running throughout. This is defiantly not the Dubhe your familiar with. Aged six months in Buffalo Trace barrels. It says, 9.3% on the label but tastes much bigger. Available at Uinta starting today - two bottle limit.

Uinta Grapefruit Hop Nosh: A big fresh grapefruit nose. The taste starts with a sweet backdrop of malt with added grapefruit puree, grapefruit rind and hop derived grapefruit flavors playing off one another. The interactions of the various grapefruit elements make this a very tasty beer. A little less pithy than it's tangerine brother. 7.3% ABV. Available at Uinta today.

Kiitos Amber Ale: The aroma has some light hints of caramel. The taste is toasty and brings back the caramel really strong while adding a decent yet subtle flavoring of hops. A very nice crisp aftertaste adds to this. The palate is about a light to medium with nothing harsh on the tongue, and is very sessionable and clean. 4.0% ABV. Should be popping up at some of the better beer bars around town and will be in Harmons and Maverik stores by Oct 3rd.

Kiitos Blonde Ale: Clear golden color, with a decent white head that fades into a thin ring. Malt forward on the nose. Quite a bit of sweetness, with a light body and an almost leafy dryness and a touch of pleasant, spicy hop bitterness on the finish. Should be popping up at some of the better beer bars around town and will be in Harmons and Maverik stores by Oct 3rd.

Kiitos Pale Ale: Pours orange amber. The aroma is subtle and sweet of floral and pine notes. The taste is malt forward but light as expected from a session pale ale. The hops primarily shine at the end creating a toasty pine finish. The mouthfeel Feel is unsticky and crisp. 4.0% ABV. Available at Liberty Taphouse and Big Willy's.

Strap Tank LopLop: I've not tried this one yet, it's described as a more full-bodied than version of their Sgt. Holtz Stout. The play of Belgian yeast and specialty malt brings forth notes of fig-like sweetness, vanilla, cherry and smoke. Named after avant-garde painter Max Ernst's. 4.0% ABV. Available at Strap Tank.

Boulevard Love Child #8: I haven't had this one yet either. This is always a great wild ale that changes a little bit every year. It's generally quite tart and on the high side alcohol wise. I saw it a Beer Bar. 8.2% ABV.

Don't forget that you have the 4th West Oktoberfest this Saturday and Sunday. It's hosted by Red rock Brewing and Mountain West Hard Cider. Also, happening Saturday is the 5th Annual Boho Fest. Both will be offering food and music along with great German beers and cider.

Prost!

Strap Tank Plans New Brewpub

Is Strap Tank Brewing just a little too far south to make it a regular stop for you? If that's the case I have some news that will make you happy. Earlier this month, the Lehi City Planning Commission approved Strap Tank's concept plan for a new restaurant and microbrewery that is to be located at 3525 N. Outlet Parkway in Lehi's Traverse Mountain area.


The concept plan is said to be very similar to the Springville Strap Tank location, but will be modified to adjust to the sloped geography of Traverse Mountain. Of course some residence made their concerns known to the commission saying, they didn't want the brewpub near schools, parks or neighborhoods. They were assured by Lehi City, that zoning would not be an issue.

Lehi's Planning Commission unanimously approved the concept plan. Strap Tank still needs to return with a finalized site plan.

It would seem that owner, Rick Salisbury has "tapped" into an under served market in Utah County and that the area is due for a craft beer boom. I'll be following Strap Tank's progress in Lehi. Stay close for updates.

Cheers!

New Beer Friday: End of June Edition

There's no better way to say, adios to the month of June than with a little New Beer Friday action. It's not a massive NBF but it will satisfy. Today's beer meme is dedicated to Kirsten, who doesn't drink alcohol but loves her some New Beer Friday.

Oskar Blues Fugli - If you're not familiar with Yuzu and Ugli fruit, think Passion Fruit and that'll give you an idea of what's going on here. The Yuzu and Ugli fruit are subtle and just add a enough sweetness to balance out the bitter hops. 5.8% ABV @ Bayou

Upslope Citra Pale Ale - Orange peel pretty much dominates this beer. There is some hop bitterness and the malts are subtle, but if your not into orange peel? you will be sad. If you're a fan of Citra hop you won't taste 'em here. Not too bad for a fruit enhanced Pale Ale. 5.8% ABV

Sierra Nevada 3 Weight IPA - This new beer from Sierra Nevada was brewed especially for our market with input from local beer industry insiders, including Beer Bar's Rich Noel and Duncan Burrell. The Boys actually went to the Chico Brewery and help design the beer. The malts are light and somewhat cracker like. The hops have a dankness to them along with some citrus smack. Right now it's just on draft at Beer Bar, but it will start popping up in grocery and c-stores [12oz. bottles] in the coming weeks. 4.0% ABV

Strap Tank Dampfbier - This one is akin to steam beer. Lots of toasted malts, biscuit caramel. hops are mostly piney and herbal. The big difference here is the banana/clove flavors that you get from the yeast. A nice "change of pace" beer. 4.0% ABV.

Don't forget about tomorrow's SLUG Mag On-Tap Beerfest that's in support of the Utah Brewers Guild. I'm hearing there will be a DUI Blitz tomorrow, PLEASE USE PUBLIC TRANSIT.

Slainte!

New Beer Friday's "Spicy" Edition

Not even Press Secretary "Spicy" can deny that this is one Hell of a great New Beer Friday. "We have the best New Beer Friday, nobody has it better".

Bohemian's Lebowski Beer: This is a light golden lager showcasing Polish Lubelski hops. Prominent floral, lemon, and spicy aromas are followed by a soft herbal hop flavor. Graham cracker and grainy malt sweetness is balanced with the perfect bitterness that abides to your palate. This beer really ties the room together, Dude. 4.0% ABV. This is a super small batch brew available for a limited time at Brewvies and at the Bohemian Brewery.

Uinta's West Coast - Style IPA: Tangerine, grapefruit, peach, pineapple and mango. Light toasted bread comes next. The sweetness from the malt creates ghostly melon and berry notes, that transition into white pepper and pine. Towards the end an herbal and grassy earthiness rounds out the flavors leaving a dry and slightly puckering finish. 6.3% ABV @ Uinta - soon everywhere.

Epic's Citralush:  The nose has tropical fruit, hops and malt. The flavors are pithy grapefruit, resiny hops and malt. The finish is lightly bitter with a fruity hops aftertaste. 7.2% ABV. Limited supply in growlers at Epic's bottle shop.  

Elysian's Superfuzz: The nose has citrus with herbal hoppy notes. The taste has mellow blood orange citrus flavors, mild hops, very present dryness bite mixed in with a minor floral flavor. It has an obvious extract taste, but it doesn't deter fro the enjoyment too much. 6.4% ABV @ DABC, Beer Bar.

Shades of Pale's Misconception Belgian IPA:  The nose is fruity with straw, Belgian yeast notes, bread and citrusy hops. Flavor follows, with some of the fruit ester notes from the yeast well melded with citrusy hops. Fairly dry and not overly bitter. 8.0% ABV @ SOP's Pub and bottle shop.

Shades of Pale's Berlinerweiss w/ Plum: Moderately tart. The plum adds some freshness. It basically like unripened plum. Light and totally crushable. Very limited. 3.5% ABV @ SOP's Pub 

Shades of Pale Brett Saison w/ cherry: This will be bottled this afternoon. I'm really looking 
 forward to trying this one. Only at SOP's Pub and bottle shop.

Shades of Pale's Hogs Head #4 Bourbon Barrel Belgian Quad: Very reminiscent of Boulevard's Bourbon Barrel Quad. Sweet candy sugar with sour berry tartness and a Bourbon back. AND it's in a 12oz. bottle. This is a nicely complex beer, one of SOP's best beers yet. 13.0% ABV @ SOP's Pub and bottle shop.

Strap Tank's Ypres Saison: I haven't made it down there yet to try this. This Saison is made with 100lbs blueberries/50lbs blackberries. I really need to try this. 4.0% ABV


Fisher's Yellowbelly Amarillo Sunshine: Not tried this one yet. The name has my attention though. Described as crisp and citrusy. 4.0% ABV @ Fisher

How has your Craft Beer Week been? There's been a lot going on and I hope you've found my coverage helpful. Here's today's schedule. I normally don't post much on the weekends, but I'll keep up to date schedules through Sunday. Hope to see you at the Sugar House Pub Crawl tomorrow!

Friday - May 19th:

Uinta Brewing: Firkin Friday. Enjoy a specialty firkin TBD in the Uinta Brewhouse Pub.

$5.00 for Flights of Four – Blind Taste Test. Guess ¾ of the beers correctly and you will be entered into a daily raffle for a limited Uinta swag item.

Prix Fixe On-Demand Beer Dinner. Enjoy a three-course meal – each course paired with a different beer. Available all day.

Wasatch/Squatters locations: $2.50 12OZ DRAFTS ALL WEEK

West Side Tavern: Tour our breweries and end with 2 samples, 1 full pint of beer and glass to take home.

Shades of Pale Brewing: Release of Hogshead Reserve No.4 - Belgian Style Quad Aged in Bourbon Barrels. 12.0% ABV 

RoHa Brewing Project: Tap Takeover at the State Room. 

Bohemian Brewing: Food Specials.

RedRock Downtown: 4PM beer class hosted by Cameron Jones.            

o   Limited seating.  Inquire at RRBC to purchase your spot.

o   $10 a head.  Includes beer & finger food

o   The class will be approx. 1 hour.

Daily food/beer pairing special and ½ off 1 appetizer if you mention Craft Beer Week to your server.

Featured draft beer every day.  $2.50

Featured bottle beer of the day.  $2 off

RedRock Fashion Place: 

$2 off Featured bottle beer of the day.    

$2.50 Featured draft beer every day.
Check in on Untappd, earn the new ‘This is the Place’ badge (that we created after we became Utah’s first Untappd Verified Venue Brewpub) and earn 10% off your meal.

Talisman Brewing: Free pint glass with $50 purchase.

Epic Brewing: All week long, enjoy a special cheese board featuring a couple of goodies from the Caputo's Cheese Cave, while supplies last.
Cave Aged Cheddar made from Beehive's curds, bound in cloth soaked in butter and duck fat, along with the Double Skull washed rind Taleggio. Pair up this unique board with a couple of Epic's IPAs!

All week long, get a free pub-style pint glass with the purchase of any t-shirt, hoodie or cycling jersey.
Stop in early in the week to sign up for a Friday brewery tour. We've got limited space that evening, so sign up early.

Proper Brewing: $10 Pitchers.

Strap Tank Brewing: Ypres French Saison with 100lbs blueberries/50lbs blackberries. On tap for American Craft Beer Week 5/15-21.2 Row Brewing: Special re-release of the Falconers Flight Random IPA. This recipe was a huge hit last year and is back by popular demand.

Prost!

New Beer Friday - Saint Patrick's Day Edition

Well, it's a Saint Patrick's Day - New Beer Friday. Some of you will stay home and leave today in the hands of the temporary Irish - others, will conquer the holiday in a more Viking like fashion. Just stay safe and avoid the green beer. Seriously, just don't. I managed to come across two new beers this week. Seek them out if you can.

Strap Tank Eat Side Ride - Not tried this one yet. Made with five pounds of fresh ginger and fourteen pounds of lemon grass. Your tongue and your gutty-works will thank you. 4.0% ABV @ Strap Tank

Proper Beckerman's Brew - The nose is malty and toasty with some earthy hops. The taste starts grainy, with some bready notes. Not overly malty or sweet, but definitely drying and bitter towards the end and into the aftertaste. The hops are on the floral/piney side and they finish off the palate with a drying bitterness. Nice, very drinkable lager.

Desert Edge Irish Red - This Red Ale is described as being malty, with low hop flavor and bitterness with a medium dry finish. 4.0% ABV @ Desert Edge

Desert Edge Wai-iti IPA -  This session IPA is brewed with Simcoe and Wai-iti hops. The aroma is mango and citrus. The flavor is the same with a light bready caramel flavor. 4.0% ABV @ Desert Edge

Now onto the Utah Beer Challenge. Part 2 of Round One of the High Point competition Starts now. You have 48 hours as of the publish date below to vote. Ballots are in the column to the right. The bracket above is updated, so you can see what's coming up in the next round. It already looks tough.  Please spread the word on you social media, let's get those votes up!

Slaite!

New Beer Friday 3/10/17

People just can't stop putting my mug on labels.... Yeah, you laugh but that's me the day after St. Patty's Day last year. Anyway, I found a few beers that are made by our friends and neighbors that stretch from Ogden to Springville. Happy New Beer Friday!

Roosters Mosaic SMaSH - Look for berry, tangerine and papaya backed by graham cracker malts with a bit of rose blossoms and grass in the finish. 4.0% ABV @ Roosters Ogden

Fisher Brewing Rye Cream Ale - nutty malts, with peppery hops. Some rye spiciness as well. A wee bit thin as well. Overall a nice pounder for a warm day. 4.0% ABV @ Fisher

Squatters Apollo 13 -  Hopped only with Apollo hops from start to finish. Then dry hopped with more Apollo. Just enough caramel from the malts to compliment. Nice. 4.0% ABV @ Squatters

Strap Tank Adele Saison - Haven't tried this one yet. 4.0% ABV @ Strap Tank

What did I miss? Help out your fellow beer nerds and spread the new brew love.

Cheers!

New Beer Friday 3/3/17

I'd like to thank the "Academy" for this prestigious honor. New Beer Friday began as a dream. A dream to find a pint of something new every week. I'd also like to thank my wife - who keeps me grounded, by roller her eyes at me at every available opportunity.

Talisman Imperial Coffee Stout with Cocoa nibs - This is under the Talisman Presents label Look for big coffee in the nose and on the palate. Chocolate rounds out the back with some acid coffee in the finish. Made with Wasatch Roasting Company and Ritual Chocolate. 9.5% ABV @ Talisman

Wasatch Denali UTX - I Haven't tried this one yet - look for a nice lemon/lime aspect from the hops with some slight resin. 4.0% ABV @ Wasatch/Squatters

Strap Tank Lorraine Tart Cherry Saison - I Haven't tried this one yet - It was made with Mexican hibiscus and tart cherries.You have my attention sir! 4.0% ABV @ Strap Tank

Strap Tank Road Rash IPA - This Beer isn't really new, ,just previously unmentioned.Straight up resony pine and grapfruit peel with a bit of light caramel backing it up.Solid Session IPA. 4.0% ABV

Squatters Tempest-tost Wit - I Haven't tried this one yet - Made with green cardamom, sweet orange peel and a healthy dose of torrified wheat. Remember, all proceeds from the sale of this beer will benefit the Utah Chapter of the International Rescue Committee, an organization that supports refugees in realizing their dream of leading self-sufficient and fulfilling lives. 4.0% ABV@ Squatters

Rogue Hazelutely Choctabulous - The nose is nutty and chocolaty with some vanilla and light char, cream, nuts, deeply roasted malts, dark breaded malts, light vanilla, and light char. The taste follows with vanilla and cake like malts swirling around a sea of hazelnuts and roasted malts. Some light coffee and dark chocolate as well in the finish. This is one of those beers you'll love or hate. I found it tasty but the 22oz bottle is too much for such a rich beer. 5.7% ABV @ DABC

Big Sky Shake-a-Day IPA - The nose has a fresh grapefruit and pine aroma with sweet malt beneath. The taste has a big dose of sweet caramel malt out of the gate - tangerine and orange come in next with a bit of pine to balance it all out. The finish is fairly bitter, which is good because it controls the initial sweetness. Overall a nice refreshing IPA. 7.5% ABV @ DABC

2 Row Hop Reload - Never got around to this one last night. But it's a 2 Row IPA. I'm sure it's a winner. Please share what you think! 6.2% @ 2 Row

Avenues Proper Chai-Hulud Saison with Chai - There are no Sand Worms in this beer, what it does have is Chai spices intermingling with spicy coriander from the yeast. With all of those assertive flavors, it's still pretty subtle - justy missing a little melange. Ok, i'm done with my "Dune geeking". 4.0% ABV @ Avenues Proper only.

Anchor Steam Brotherhood Steam - Made in collaboration with the Chris Robinson Brotherhood this steam beer has hints of wet grass and pine in the nose along with some toffee and biscuit. The taste is nicely bready and earthy with with notes of caramel, grass, and citrus. Floral hops come next with notes of grass and pine. The end has some light citrus notes of orange peel and grapefruit. Good malt presence with notes of caramel, toffee, biscuit, and yeast. A wonderful and solid beer. 5.6% ABV @ Beer Bar

Wasatch White Label -Though not new, it is returning after a long absence. It's wheaty, spicy with clove acsents and has hints of orange and mellow citrus. Good carbonation, balanced with a clean after taste. 6.0% ABV @ Wasatch Squatters - soon to DABC.

Tune in to Mick and Allen on KBER 101 today at 3:20pm as we discuss these and other beer related topics in New Beer Friday Radio.

Cheers!

New Beer Friday - Happy Place Edition

This probably one of the best weekends to drown out all of the noise. Pop in your favorite 8-track, pour yourself some new beers and deal with the rest on Monday.

Strap Tank's New Hope Brown - Made with 50 lbs of 'Organa' Texas roasted pecans, cinnamon, orange peel and apricot. It's described as an uber crushable spiced-brown ale and Strap Tank's ode to a lifelong inspiration of Carrie Fisher, and new beginnings. 4.0% ABV @ Strap Tank

Proper's Snow Plow Pale - This American pale ale is described as both dry-hopped (think Citra and Lemondrop) and dry. . .peeled (meaning they added grapefruit and lemon peel after fermentation), resulting in a bright and hoppy brew that's chock full of midwinter citric joy. 4.0% ABVFull Sail Session Black ~ Black Cherry Lager - Not tried this yet. Thanks to Matt Walker for spotting this. 6.5% ABV @ DABC

Full Sail's Papaya IPA - Full Sail describes this as having notes of papaya with Pale and wheat malts along with healthy additions of Equinox and Cascade hops provide the perfect golden base for the addition of papaya. The result is a refreshing IPA with the subtle essence of papaya. Tropical aromas of citrus, passion fruit, and papaya are well complemented by clean malt notes. Thanks to Matt Walker for spotting this. 6.2% ABV @ DABC

Stone's Enjoy by 02/14/17 - Looks like an average IPA, smells like an IPA with a bit off coffee buried far below. The taste is mostly citrus and fruity hops with some cocoa and coffee. It kinda takes this into Black IPA territory - without the black. Not too bad,  but it's not in my groove. 9.4% ABV @ The BeerHive  

Stone's Ripper - The nose has grapefruit, orange, grass, peach and caramel. The taste has a good amount of sweet caramel and toasted bread, balanced with red grapefruit, orange flesh, a bit of apricot and pineapple, and dirty grass and pine on the finish. Not sure why it's called "Ripper". It's far from getting me ripped at it's pleasant 5.7% ABV. @ Beerhive

2Row's Dark Alley Bourbon Barrel Imperial Stout - Looks like Utah has a new ABV beer champ. The standard Dark Alley from 2Row is already big at 13.4%, The barrel aging in this new version bumps it up to a bulky 14.9%. Luckily it doesn't taste like it. Look for molasses cocoa, dark fruits and of course Bourbon. Great beer! it goes on sale Saturday at 11am at the brewery. Very limited. This was brewed with the cooperation of SLC's Whiskey Street. Most of the bottles can be found there if you miss out at the brewery.

2Row's Hopslinger - This new IPA debuts Saturday also. Brewmaster, Brian Colman describes this one as an unfiltered massive 2x dry hop with a ton of tropical fruitiness. This one utilizes a different yeast than most of his IPAs. He also says, "it's similar to a New England style IPA flavor-wise with the mouthfeel of of a West Coast. It's a 2Row IPA - it's gotta be wonderful! 7.2% ABV @2Row

All this and more coming up today at 3:30pm when New Beer Friday on KBER 101 hits.

And, just a little House Keeping announcement. I've decided to delete the Utah Beer Forum. We created the forum back before social media really took hold. With the advent of Facebook and all the other social media outlets it's become obsolete. I really appreciate the efforts of those participated and made it work. Please feel free to keep on doing what you've already been doing... this time with your clothes on.

Slainte!