Beer Bar and Dick n' Dixie's to Offer Barrel Aged Beers.

A few of the bars around town have been venturing out to distilleries around the country and buying their own unique barrels of spirits to sell in their their respective establishments. This gives you the ability to sell a unique - one of a kind beverage that the bar can call it's own. Last year SLC's Beer Bar did this with Buffalo Trace. The Bourbon barrel they chose is quite nice and if you have the opportunity I recommend stopping by Bar X or the Beer Bar to sample some (if there's any left).

The distilleries not only provide custom bottles of the spirits but the also give you the barrel(s). And what do true beer loving beer geeks do when the have spent whiskey barrels? Yup, you age beer in them. Not long after receiving their barrel from Buffalo Trace, the Beer Bar guys struck a deal with Epic Brewing to fill their barrel with Big Bad Baptist and age it at the brewery. The result was a true one of a kind beer for a one of a kind bar.

It's a year later and it looks like they're about to do it again. This year Beer Bar will be teaming up with the Utah Brewers Cooperative to age some of Squatter's Outer Darkness Imperial Stout in their newly acquired Eagle Rare Bourbon barrels. Called Lightening Punch, this beer will have an ABV of 12.73% and will only be for sale at Beer Bar.

Add Lightening Punch to the collaboration beer that is coming from Proper Brewing/Beer Bar and I predict that the holiday's will be very bright.

SLC's Dick n' Dixie's located on the corner of 300 s. 500 e. is getting in on the barrel aging game as well - laying down some of Wasatch's Polygamy Porter in one of their recently acquired Buffalo Trace Bourbon Barrels. This beer is called Thunder Punch and will dial in at 7.76% ABV. Both of these beers will be packaged in 12oz. bottles. If you've never been to Dick n' Dixie's, they've got a better that decent beer selection along with a Bourbon collection that'll make any whiskey nerd happy.

Both bars are hoping that these beers will be approved by the DABC by the end this week. If that's the case, I'll let you know. These beers have been approved and will go on sale later this afternoon (11/17/16).

Cheers!

Proper Brewing's Géol Barleywine

First off, Congratulations go out to our friends over at Wasatch Beers for bringing home a bronze medal for their Apricot Hefeweizen at the Great American beer Festival last weekend. That's no small feat now a days considering that this year's festival set a record breaking 7,227 competition entries. That's nearly 9% more than the 6,647 entries in 2015- surpassing all previous participation records from 1,752 breweries hailing from 50 states plus Washington, D.C. Cheers to everyone at the Utah Brewers Cooperative!

I got my hands on a preview of what's coming from SLC's Proper Brewing Co. This is your first peak at their upcoming holiday barleywine. Called Géol (old English for Yule), This beer will be a big malt driven winter warmer that will be full of toffee, tobacco and and dark fruit flavors. Look for the ABV to upwards of 9.5% and to hit Proper's bottleshop in the next couple of months. Who knows, maybe we'll be seeing this one in future GABF Competitions?.

Cheers!

Label found at Shipcomplient.com

New Beer Friday 9/16/16

Oh baby! Everything is local this week - less one beer from Green Flash Brewing.

Talisman Bourbon Barrel Oatmeal Stout - Talisman continues with the very limited releases. This new brew is an Oatmeal stout aged in Sugar House Whiskey Barrels. Only 100 bottles produced - one per person. Available at the brewery. SOLD OUT ALREADY 6.3% ABV

Epic Tropical Imperial IPA - Whoa! this is one damn juicy IPA. Mango, pineapple and lotsa grapefruit. Has a bit of a Creamsicle thing going on in the finish. The 10.3% ABV is well hidden. Go get some! @ Epic locations

Uinta 801 Coffee Pilsner -  If your expecting a dark color from the coffee addition you can forget it. This beer has all that filtered out leaving a nice yellow straw color behind. The nose is cappuccino-esque with a taste that is similar and subdued. Surprising drinkable. 4.0% ABV @ Uinta's Brewhouse Pub - Everywhere in the coming days.

Green Flash Sea to Sea Zwikel Bier - Dry crackers and a touch of pilsner malts. Nice grassy and peppery hops balance it all out. Clean and crisp finish. Very crushable. 4.0% ABV @ Grocery/C-stores.

Wasatch 30th Anniversary Extra Special Pale Ale - Brewed with Cascade hops and four types of Australian hops. The hop flavor is massive. It comes across with a strong tropical fruit character the combines well with the sweet malt and deceptively high ABV, 7.3%. @ The Beer Store and better beer bars around town.

Returning Favorites

Desert Edge Radius - D.E.'s new Brewmaster, Chad Krusell is keeping the Radius tradition alive with this locally sourced ale that's hopped with wild Utah hops. Because the hops are wild you never know what you're going to get bitterness-wise. Don't wait too long, it goes fast. 4.0% ABV. @ Desert Edge.

Epic Big Bad Baptist - This newest batch of this Utah original has a spicy coffee blend combined with fruity cocoa - it's all backed up with with roasted toffee, vanilla and Bourbon. Damn! 12.1% ABV. @ Epic Locations

Cheers!

Wasatch's 30th Anniversary Ale is for Sale

Wasatch's 30th Anniversary Extra Pale Ale went on sale last night for the first time. The re-imagined tribute to one of Wasatch's original high ABV beers was bottled just yesterday and will be finding it's way to all Wasatch/Squatters locations today or tomorrow. I know it's in the cold case at the Beer Store located at the Utah Brewers Cooperative right now.

This pale is not as hop forward as a standard IPA which makes it a good choice for those who like a bit of bitterness but not the in your face hop flavor. Look for a maltier base with hops are citrusy with a bit of pine resin backing it all up.

It's packaged in the Squatters/Wasatch signature 220z. bottle.

Cheers!
   

The West Side Tavern Officially Opens

The Squatters/Wasatch West Side Tavern is now officially open. Located next to the Utah Brewer's Cooperative's Beer Store at 1763 300 W, Salt Lake City - this new watering hole is equipped with 24 tap handles - four of those are dedicated nitro taps - two of those will be rotating seasonal offering's by both Squatters and Wasatch. 

This is a tavern (for now) so the menu for will be very basic. At some point in the future, the UBC will pursue a a full club license so that their entire line of beers will be available, to be enjoyed in the tavern. I'll let you know when that day happens. For now, Cold high point beer will be for sale to-go 7 days a week from 10:00am - 10:00pm.

It's quite nice, check it out when you get a chance.

Prost!

Wasatch Brings Back Their Original Extra Pale Ale

For a limited time, Wasatch Beers will be bringing back their original Pale Ale to help celebrate their 30th Anniversary. This beer will be exclusive to Utah and will dial in at 7.3% ABV. Look for it in the coming weeks. It will be sold in 22oz bottles and it will be available at The Beer Store and better beer bars around town.

This was a great pale ale when it first burst upon the scene. It was also one of the first high point beer to be sold in liquor stores by a local brewery. Stay close for it's release date.

Cheers!

Label found at shipcompilent.com