New Beer - Brewery Friday 2/28/20

Utah, you are getting your first brewery of 2020 this week, though the beers are in extremely limited availability. Grid City debuted three of their beers last night at a "Tap Takeover" over at the Commonwealth Room last night. Grid City's tap room and kitchen still has a couple of weeks to go before it's ready for customers, but I did get your first preview of what they have.

Grid City - Honey Cream Ale: This is loaded with local honey and you can definitely taste it. The hops are floral and light and the whole beer finishes quite dry. If you're a fan of honey ales, this one may go straight to the top of your list. 5.0%

Grid City - Pale Ale: A biscuity pale with caramel malts generating a filling malt profile and the hop profile that covers an equally profound bitterness. Flavors of pine resins, fruit and pepper. Finishes with a lingering fruity and spicy hop profile and moderate bitterness. 4.6%

Grid City - English Brown Ale: The taste here is pumpernickel, burnt malts: chocolate, caramel and molasses with roasted nuts and a touch of dark fruit. A floral hop smack rides in the back. Aftertaste is malty and toasty. This was probably my favorite. 4.2%

The Rest of your New Beer Friday is quite stellar. There's quite a few new local option and some very tasty out of market stuff.  

Epic - Super IPA Me: This big ass IPA is made with apricots, Citra and two of the hottest new hops on the market Grüngeist and Styrian Dragon. The  Grüngeist hops add flavors of Passion Fruit, Melon, Berries, Fleshy Fruit and Sweet Pepper. Styrian Dragon offer intense floral character and moderate herbal and citrus tones. All of this is wrapped up in a hearty 12.0% IPA. This one goes on sale Leap Day (2/29) and will available in 32 ounce crowlers. Very limited availability in SLC. So, don't wait too long to snag this one.

Hoppers - Burnout Brown: This is a German-style lager made with Utah grown Solstice barley malt, German Munich and dark caramelized malt. Well hopped at 24 IBUs, and late hopped with US Sterling hops and German Perle hops. A nice combination of spicy and floral hops with toasted and caramel malt. Dark but drinks light.

RoHa - Millennium Falcon: This is a red ale dry hopped with Falconers Flight hops. It has a slight tropical nose with malty notes. The flavor is toasted malt up front with a slight lemon finish. This is the first in series of dry hopped reds that will be available on draft at RoHa. 5.0%

Proper - Belgo-Blitz: Tropical flavors abound in this Belgian-esque NEIPA. You get some citrus peel as well with the slightest amount of clove from the yeast. Generally not my style, but I did enjoy this one. 5.0% - Available at Proper.

Proper- Plum Sour Ranger: The sourness of the version seems slightly tuned down to allow the tartness and sweetness from the plum to shine. It all comes off as nice balanced drinkable fruit sour.  5.0% - Available at Proper.

Proper - Guava Lamp: The guava is potent, but it’s not being a dick about it. There’s not a lot of wheat, but what is there is nice and biscuity. 🤘 5.0% - Available at Proper.

Bewilder Kellerbier: Missed out on this one, but I'll post an update later this afternoon. on Utah Beer's Instagram 5.0%    

Uinta - Blueberry Unicorn Glitter Ale: Missed out on this one, but I'll post an update later this afternoon. on Utah Beer's Instagram 5.0%  

Salt Flats -  Bombshell Belgian Red Sour: Missed out on this one, but I'll post an update later this afternoon. on Utah Beer's Instagram 5.0%  

Hopkins - Black Sesame Stout: Roasty stout profile with a toasted sesame finish. 5.0% -Available at Hopkins. 

Hopkins Small Batch Friday Beers:

Raspberry Wine Ale

Root amBeer

Autobahn Ale

Strawberry Peach Saison

WTF Jalapeño/Garlic ESB

House Roadhouse Rye

Horchata Cream Ale

Chocolate Peanu butter Stout

Revision/Shoe Tree - Disco Ninja: This collaboration beer between two of Northern Nevada's favorite breweries is a NEIPA. The nose is very mild with melon and citrus along with floral hops. The taste follows with more grassy hops, mango and peppery orange peel. Very little bitterness. 7.0% - Found at Slackwater (Sandy) and Angry Goat.

Slaapmutske - (FLOSS) Kriek: The aroma is subtle with cherry, vinegar, lemon and oak. Some sweet malts up front in the taste, with sour fruit notes of blackberry, cherry and apple cider. Finishes quite dry with 'oaky tannins' (the name of of my bluegrass band). 5.0% - Exclusively on draft at the Bayou.

De la Senne Narrenvat: This is a brown ale, aged for 10 months in oak barrels with Brettanomyces. It is inspired by the English beers of the past. Look for flavors of red fruits (alcohol preserved cherries) and notes of malt (biscuit, brown candied sugar, caramel, and roasted hazelnuts). It's lightly bitter and sour, with wine accents. 5.8% - Exclusively at the Bayou.

Garden Path - The Curious Mix Methods: Missed this one. 6.9% found at the Bayou.

Cigar City - Margarita Gose: Missed this one. MAde with orange peel and lime essence. 4.2% Found at the Bayou.

Cheers!

New Beer Friday 2/21/20

Every damn beer this week is an IPA, IPA variant or a hoppy pale ale. If these are not your jam, you have my apologies. If you dig the hoppier side of life, then please proceed. Happy New Beer Friday!

Roosters/Square State - Lime Rickey Milkshake IPA: This collaboration with Square State Brewing Company out of Rock Springs, Wyoming was made to help celebrate Roosters' 25th Anniversary. Look for a good dose of lime and lime zest with a medium amount of lactose sweetness. The hop profile should be lightly bitter. 5.0% - This is pouring Square State now, and is currently on draft at Roosters 25th Street location only for now. It will hit B-Street and Layton in the next week or two. Not vegan friendly

Templin Family - Who's Barry:  We have another 'milkshake' IPA. this one is a mixed berry sour. This one hits Saturday morning, hopefully we'll have some tasting notes this afternoon. 6.8%.  Not vegan friendly

Fisher - 3rd Anniversary IPA: Another anniversary beer is hitting this week as well. It may not be a quarter of a century - like our friends at Roosters, but well take a solid three years from our pals at the re-born A. Fisher Brewing Company. This anniversary IPA will be a New England style and it will be available Saturday morning as well in 32 ounce crowlers. 7.2%

Epic - Spiral Jetty:  Robert Smithson's iconic Spiral Jetty on the north shore of the Great Salt Lake turns 50 next month. to celebrate, Epic made a special, limited batch of their Spiral Jetty IPA. It has all of the great citrus peel and pine, with added notes of vanilla and berries from the yeast. 6.6% - Available now only at Epic SLC.

Policy Kings - Pekin Pale: This new beer was brewed with pomegranate  and mint green tea. Look for a sweet aroma from the tea and just a touch of Pomegranate on the front then the mint and citrus hops take over for slight bitterness on the back end. 5% - only at Policy Kings.

Flying Fish - Hopfish IPA: This New Jersey made beer is new to our market. Look for floral hops dominated by caramel malt and hints of dark fruit. Towards the finish there's a small dose of pine hops and biscuit. 6.2% - found at Slackwater

Ninkasi -- Galaxy Trippin': Missed this one. Look for citrus and passionfruit flavors to dominate this new IPA. 7.0% - Found at DABC

Rogue - Newport Daze: Missed this one too. This is so new only a handful of markets have revived it. Look for aromas of pineapple & stone fruit, features tangerine and peach flavors and finishes slightly sweet. 5.5% Found at DABC

Destihl- Touch of Haze: This is described as having big additions of Mosaic and Cascade hops harmonized with the smooth mouthfeel of flaked oats, for a mellow, juicy and hazy IPA. 7.3% - Found at DABC

Modern Times - Mythic Worlds: This is one of Modern Times' newer IPAs; stuffed with Galaxy, Motueka, Mosaic, and Experimental hop 06277. This makes notes of peach, passionfruit, and tropical fruits over a backbone of ripe citrus. 7.6% - Found at Beerhive

Revision Brewing - Alpha Point: I hear a lot of brewers say that Galaxy hops are hard to get, but there seems to be no shortage of Galaxy driven beers this week. This new session IPA also features Citra hops for a nice tangerine twang. I've only seen this one on draft so far. 5.0% - Found at Bayou and Angry Goat.

Returning

RoHa -  Americano: This American ale brewed with espresso and coffee returns, this time it's in cans. Now you can stuff your fridge until your heart is content. 5.0% - At RoHa, grocery and C-stores soon.

Cheers!

Provo City Clears the Way for Micro Breweries

The Provo City Council has had a love/hate relationship with craft beer for some time now. They would love the tax dollars the bring, but would hate the fact that someone was making beer in angelic Provo City.

Now it appears that restaurants in Provo will be allowed to expand their operations to include the on premise brewing of craft beer. After a city council vote on Tuesday night, the Provo council members voted 4-3 to approve the new ordinance.

"It includes a sunrise clause that would require the proper licensing to be in place before this goes into effect," according to a tweet from the Provo City Council announcing the vote.

This new ordinance doesn't mean that you can have brewpubs or breweries anywhere within the city, it only allows for restaurants in certain zones: regional shopping centers, the general downtown area and the downtown Provo core.

Provo City's booze regulations are also more restrict for restaurants serving alcohol, in addition to regulations that the state already has in place. 

There were plenty of concerns about the micro brewery ordinance during the public comment portion of the council meeting. However most of those concerns expressed by some of those in attendance were for issues that are already regulated by the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control.

A survey of city residents conducted by Provo City found that there is broad support for the change among Provo residents and it now looks like craft beer will begin to flow in the heart of Happy Valley.

I'm curious to see who will be the first to take advantage of this new ordinance. Any guesses?

Cheers to all of you beer nerds in Provo!

Muddy Creek Brewery Needs a Hand

Normally, we here at Utah Beer try to keep the content focused only on local beer issues and events. However, when others in the craft beer community are met with unforeseen setbacks it's only right for good neighbors to show up, and help in anyway they can.

In the early hours of Thursday, January 23rd, the Muddy Creek Brewery of Butte Montana was destroyed by a devastating fire that consumed the brewery's landmark 100 year old building. It took firefighters 6 hours to get a handle on the blaze. The entire 2nd floor of the building was consumed. The taproom, the artwork, the awards, the photos of family and friends – all completely lost. Sadly Muddy Creek was about to celebrate their fifth year this month.

Currently the owners and staff are all attempting to sort through the aftermath, physically, mentally, and emotionally in order to move forward resurrecting the business and lives of the small 11 person staff. 

To help, a fundraiser page has been created by friends of the brewery to help offset the mounting expenses that are quickly piling up. Let's show our pals in Butte that Utah has their back and we wish Muddy Creek Brewing and their community a speedy and prosperous return.

Cheers!

Photo credits: Mtstandard.com, Krin Riedel (below)

New Beer Friday 2/14/20

It's going to be a beer filled Valentine for sure. Buy your sweetie one of the new brews and you'll be pitching woo fer sure. 

Bewilder Citra Pale Ale: Great tangerine aroma. The taste follows with juicy citrus and pith. the malt isn't too sweet and compliments the hops well. Nice and very drinkable. 5.0% Available at Bewilder.

Templin Family - Jesse Delmar: This Barrel Aged Imperial Stout is big on chocolate coffee notes and it hits with a big whiskey wallop. This the full barrel proof, no blending down of the aged beer; dialing in at a solid 12.0%. Very nice stuff. Available at TF.

Avenue Proper - Wolf Mountain: This has an aroma of citrus peel and heavy pine. Creamy malts at first sip then your met with a huge blast of dank pine, with some citrus and herbal hops. This one lights up the sides and bottom of the tongue. Its more of a pale ale with super hoppy bite. 5.0% - Only at Avenues Proper.

Squatters - Blonde Latte: Nice coffee aroma and flavor here. There is some higher than normal sweetness due to the addition of lactose. It all comes across as the latte the name implies. This is not a vegan friendly beer. 5.0% Available at Squatters Downtown.

Squatters - Dragon Slayer: This IPL starts off super dry. The hops are a blend of citrus peel and old world German hops and herbal spices. this is all IPL with little IPA character. Super crushable. 5.0% Available at Squatters downtown.

Desert Edge Cashmere in the Rye: Haven't had this one yet. By the name it appears to be a rye pale ale with Cashmere hops. 5.0% Available at Desert Edge and the Bayou.

Toasted Barrel - Juicy Double IPA: This just hit late yesterday afternoon. I missed it. All I know is that it's described as having five different types of hops. 5.0% Limited batch, available at Toasted Barrel.

Roosters - Winter Blues: This another hazy IPA except this one is made with blueberry purée, butterfly pea flower and Mosaic hops. I haven't had this yet, but its piqued my curiosity. 5.0% on Tap Now at Roosters locations and at Slackwater in Ogden as well. 

Silver Reef - Snowman Golden Bock: A mostly traditional crisp yet malty German Helles Bock finished with Mosaic hops. 6.8% - Only at Silver Reef

Silver Reef - White Dome: This is a Belgian white IPA brewed with wheat and candy sugar. Hopped with Nugget, citra, ekuanot and crystal. 6.75% - Only at Silver Reef

Coniston Brewing - Bluebird Bitter: Caramel malts are noticeable at first. Then spicy hops come in and add a surprisingly sharp punch of bitterness. The bitterness starts to fade quickly though, transitioning to a sweet malt finish. 4.2% - Exclusively on draft at the Bayou.

Libertine - Plumphry’s McGee: I missed this one. This is a tart Dunkle made with plum. 4.5% - Exclusively on draft at the Bayou.

To Øl - Fuck Art - This is Architecture: The taste starts out bready with Belgian yeast and a hearty malt character. Then a strong but not over-powering hops bitterness comes in. The finish is slightly bready and bitter. 5.0% - Exclusively on draft at the Bayou.

Founders - Mountain Brown: Missed this one. 9.0% Found at the Bayou

Founders - Canadian Breakfast Stout: Missed this one. 11.3% Found at the Bayou

Stone - Viking Space Probe: Missed this one. 8.5% Found at Beerhive

Great Basin - Bitch’n Beery: Missed this one. 5.6% Found at Slackwater (Sandy)

The following are limited small batches from Hopkins Brewing.

Hopkins - TROPKVEIK PALE ALE

Grain: Maris Otter, Munich, Wheat, Rye
Hops: Citra, Simcoe, Mosaic, Cascade, Cashmere
Yeast: Imperial Kveiking
Notes: Brewed with a tropical hop blend and kveik yeast

Hopkins - THE WOODSMAN
Grain: Maris Otter, Crystal 35L, Crystal 80L, Crystal 120L, Biscuit
Hops: Simcoe, Chinook
Yeast: Imperial Flagship
Notes: Brewed with vanilla and oak chips for a barrel-aged flavor.

Hopkins - HALLERTAU BLANC HEFE
Grain: Pilsner, Wheat
Hops: Hallertau Blanc
Yeast: Imperial Stefon
Notes: Traditional-style German Weissbier featuring Hallertau Blanc hops. These hops have fruity notes as well as grapes and lemongrass.

Hopkins - ROSEMARY: "LADY IN WHITE"
Grain: Maris Otter, Wheat, Munich, Flaked Corn
Hops: Cashmere, Saaz
Yeast: Imperial Napoleon
Notes: Brewed with coriander, orange peel and rosemary. This Belgian White is inspired by the alleged apparition that haunts our brewery after hours. We've only heard stories so far, mainly being a lady in a white dress.

Hopkins - HOPPED-UP BROWN
Grain: Maris Otter, Biscuit, Crystal 80L, Crystal 120L, Chocolate Malt
Hops: Simcoe, Mosaic, Cascade, Citra
Yeast: Imperial Darkness
Notes: India Brown Ale style featuring a complex chocolate and caramel body with a heavy hand of hops and dry-hopped with Citra.

Hopkins - MINT CHOCOLATE CHIP BLONDE
Grain: Maris Otter, Munich, Wheat
Hops: Cascade
Yeast: Imperial House
Notes: Blonde ale features a pleasant blend of fresh mint leaves and chocolate.

Hopkins - RED VELVET AMBER
Grain: Maris Otter, Munich, Wheat, Crystal 80L, Crystal 120L, Chocolate Malt
Hops: Simcoe, Mosaic
Yeast: Imperial Flagship
Notes: Brewed with lactose, chocolate, vanilla, and beets.  This red-hued amber is inspired by the decadent dessert, Red Velvet Cake.

Hopkins - "SHUCK IT" OYSTER STOUT
Grain: Maris Otter, Chocolate Malt, Crystal 120L, Biscuit, Flaked Oat, Black Barley
Hops: Chinook
Yeast: DCL/Fermentis US-05
Notes: Brewed with oysters, coffee and chocolate. This rich stout is salty up front with roasted dark chocolate notes and a slight hint of coffee at the end.

Cheers!

New Brews, Soon For You: Epic, Red Rock, Templin Family and Uinta

We haven't done a New Brews, Soon for You preview in a while. If you're not familiar with our little word salad phrase, It's a basic preview of beers that are coming to brewery near you, in the near future. These beers ARE NOT available as of the date of this publishing, and we promise to fill you in, when they do hit the streets.  Let's begin.

We'll start with Epic Brewing Company's Oak and Orchard: Ginger and Lemongrass. If you're not familiar with the Oak And Orchard Series, It's Epic's foeder aged sour program that offers up new blends of oak aged beers with common and uncommon fruits, spices and various types of produce. This upcoming version will obviously feature ginger and lemongrass. Epic really nails these sours and I can't wait to see what they come up with here.

Red Rock's "Don't Murder Me" (above) will be an Irish Style Export Stout. I don't have a lot of info on this beer's theme. I think it refers to the Grateful Dead's tune, Dire Wolf. Anyway, if you're not familiar with Export stouts, they're higher in alcohol (less than imperial stouts) with very pronounced roasted character with a soft bite. it will dial in at 6.7% and be packaged in 500ml bottles.

Corduroy from the Templin Family Brewing Company will be a Juicy India Pale Ale. What's the difference between a "juicy" IPA and a "hazy" IPA? Not much really. If you call it "juicy" it defiantly sounds more appealing, and it doesn't necessarily have to be hazy or turbid. All of that aside, T.F. does this style right and rest assured, this one will sell out when it eventually goes on sale. This will have an ABV of 7.7% and it will be available in 16 ounce cans.

Uinta Brewing finishes us off with their Piña Colada Milkshake IPA. These are mostly fruited IPAs with lactose added for sweetness and body. The result is a smoothie-like IPA that often blurs the line between beer and malted milk. These are terribly popular right now and they kill in the markets that are selling them, this will likely 'kill' as well. You'll probably see this 7.0% ale in 12 ounce bottles in the coming months.

I have more New Brews, Soon for You that we'll be publishing soon, so stay close.

Cheers!

Images found at shipcomplient.com 

Grid City Beer Works Preview

Utah's next brewery will be here sooner than you think. If all goes well, you'll see Grid City Beer Works in early March 2020. I was invited to check out the new South Salt Lake City brewery, and have some interesting things to report.

The brewery occupies the old, Tile for Less building located at 333 w. 2100 s., right across the street from Home Depot. The real estate has undergone a complete transformation from top to bottom. The building's lid was removed and a new one was constructed so that it could support a new roof top patio and an additional bar area.

The brewery is showcased behind a horseshoe shaped bar that is open - without glass barriers that allow for the full sensory overload from the brewing process. Adjacent to the brew house is a full kitchen that will deliver a full range house-designed, pub fare to pair with the house beers.

Speaking of beers: Grid City will be debuting with four beers. A pale ale, brown ale, a pilsner and acream ale. A fairly simple offering, however, what will make this presentation different from any other brewery anywhere, is that all four of these beers will be served three different ways – conventional carbon dioxide, nitrogen and on cask - via  four separate beer engines. Owners, Justin Belliveau, Drew Reynolds, and Brewer, Jeremy Gross believe that providing these time honored, age old formats; on top of everyday CO2 will educate and stimulate their customers palates and will keep them coming back. Right now the plan is to provide draft options but cans are in the works down the road.


There are a lot of secrets that I've been asked to withhold. Normally, I'd provide some more detailed photos of the bar and other interesting aspects of the brewery to help give you a better feel. However, the Grid City boys would prefer that you experience the brewery that they've worked so hard on with fresh eyes, for your first visit.

I can reveal that they've acquired some Czech made, side pour, Lukr faucets for their pilsners. You may be familiar with these if you've been to the Templin Family Brewing Co. These provide a quicker pour with better head retention. It's real nerdy shit, and we love real nerdy shit. 

I know that you're all excited to get another brewery/brewpub to add to your weekly brewery crawls; this will be South Salt Lake City's fourth brewery and its location actually begins to bridge a gap between the South Salt Lake beer district and the downtown Salt Lake City district.

As soon as they nail down their opening date, you'll see it here. I promise. Again, thanks for bothering to waste your bandwidth here at Utah Beer.

Prost!

Photo (right): Grid City -  Jeremy Gross, Drew Reynolds, Justin Belliveau

Utah's Winners at 2020 Best of Craft Beer Awards

Last weekend (Feb 7-9) 96 beer judges gathered in Bend, Oregon for the 2020 Best of Craft Beer Awards. 170 winning breweries from 33 states took home medals for their exceptional beer that covered 95 categories.

Utah's brewers managed to snag a handful of medals from the international competition. If you get a chance, stop in to one of these fine breweries and try (or get re-acquainted with) one of these fine medal winners.

Uinta Brewing Company - Golden Spike [Bronze] - American-Style Wheat Beer Category

Uinta Brewing Company - Yard Sale  [Silver] - German-Style Maerzen or Oktoberfest/Wiesn

Templin Family Brewing - Leichte Weiss Bier [Gold] - Other German-Style Wheat Beers

A complete list of winners can be found here.

Congrats to Uinta and T.F.!


Credit: Original Gravity Events

New Beer Friday 2/7/20

I think you'll find these New Beer Friday options agreeable to most beer nerds. If you're into stouts and porters this will be a good weekend for you.

Wasatch - Cerveza Molé (Mexican Red): Mexico was the inspiration for this beer. Brewed with corn, dried chilies, peanuts, cocoa, cinnamon, allspice, cumin and coriander. for such a busy beer it comes together quite nicely with mole flavors that take advantage of the caramel malt base. Quite nice. 5.0% On tap now, only at Wasatch Brewpub Sugar House, and only for a limited time!

2 Row - Smoked  Jalapeño Porter: The aroma has a faint hint of chilies and roasted malt. In the mouth you get a nice dose of cocoa and dark roast coffee. The jalapeño heat is pretty subtle and is mostly limited to a scratchiness on the back of the throat, with little fire. A solid chile beer. 7.5% Available at 2 Row, I also found it a Beer Bar.     

Policy Kings- Imperial Stout: Missed this one. Look for flavors and aromas of dried fruit, coffee, and dark chocolate in this new offering from the Cedar City brewery. ABV N/A. Only available at the brewery.

Policy Kings - Juiced Up: Missed this one.This a citrus forward pale ale featuring notes of grapfruit. ABV N/A. Only available at the brewery.

Roosters - Untamed Juicy IPA: This new IPA is very cirtus forward along with big tropical notes. It only has about 20 IBUs, so the bitterness is pretty low. This just went on sale and shout be at all Roosters locations soon (if it isn't already) 7.0%

Squatters - Strawberry Kolsch: This new 5% version has in-house made strawberry puree. It punches up the fruitiness, but not in an obnoxious way. It's clean, fruity and highly drinkable. Very nice. Available at Squatters Downtown.

RoHa - Barrel Aged Porter: This is RoHa's project porter aged on oak. Look for vanilla undertones with robust malts and a slight bourbon aroma. 5.0% - This is very limited and only available at RoHa.

Kiitos - Oatmeal Stout: This is a straight-up oatmeal stout. Lots of cocoa and chocolate notes here with a slight bit of coffee. It's silky smooth and perfect for a rainy day. 5.0% - On Draft now at Kiitos.

Deschutes - Planéte Rouge:This is a somewhat vinegary take on the oud bruin style. Notes of dark malts, cherry and apple. The 10.2% ABV is a bit overwhelming; combine that with the acidic vinegar and you get an overly aggressive sour that's just average. Available at Slackwater Sandy and select DABC stores.


Returning 

Shades - Kveik Thai Tom Kah: Shades' 2019 gold medal winning herb and spice beer is back in limited release. The coconut is strong enough to be noticed, Ginger is pretty subtle and the lemon grass gets a little lost. All n’ all it’s damn delish. 6.5% At Shades.

Salúd!

New Beer Friday 1/31/20

It's the last day of January, Dryuary, Veguary, Mortuary, or whatever. If you decided to forgo something in your life to help you get a jump on 2020, I'm officially giving you permission to dump that shit and get on with your life. This week's New Beer Friday options will defiantly help with the latter. Try not to do it all in one day like me....

TF Brewing - Fluffy Nuts: Yes, I said "Fluffy Nuts". This is a 5.0% pastry stout, and the complimenting ingredients are marshmallow and peanut butter. Fluffy Nuts debuts today; I hope to have tasting notes for you on this, later this afternoon with Mick and Allen on KBER101 at 3:30pm. Fluffy Nuts....

Proper - Peach and Mango Sour Ranger: The newest member of the Sour Rangers squad is quite tart and slightly soapy. The flavor for the most part is lemon with some mango floating around in the background. The mango becomes more pronounced towards the finish. Not much in the way of peach flavor. Enjoyable enough. 5.0% - Available at Proper

Epic - Sour Brainless Lucy: This is a tart, foeder aged, unfruited blonde ale with notes of green stone fruit and mild tannins. The effervescence is on the light side and it finishes quite dry. Lucy is the name of the foeder that had aged this particular sour beer. Sadly Lucy's day are over and she's being dismantled. All that's left is being put into crowlers and they can be found at Epic Brewing. Thanks, for all of you delicious beer, girl. 

Level Crossing - Dallas Alice: This new beer from Level Crossing is a Belgian style blonde ale. There;s some sweet earthy clove and banana in the nose. The taste follows with added candy sugar sweetness that punches up the body and flavor. German hops round out the overall providing balance. Finishes with a hint of sweetness. 6.2% - Available at  Level Crossing - There will a release party today as well.

Bewilder - Oatmeal Stout: This is not an overly roasty stout, but it does have nice cocoa notes to carry it through. The oatmeal adds smoothness to the overall feels of the beer. The nitro gas adds a perceived sweetness that is pleasant and authentic. 5.0% - Available at Bewilder

Talisman - Adventures in IPA No.5: I'm really pissed that I missed this one. Talisman went a different direction in this IPA; pursuing German hop varietal instead of American/New Zealand blends. The use of  Mandarina Bavaria and Hallertaur Blanc Hops, will likely make this a different and delicious IPA. 5.0% - Available at Talisman

Hopkins - Cranberry Farmhouse:  Brewed with cranberry and a touch of cinnamon, this beer has a
slight cranberry tartness, balanced with complex notes from the Kveik yeast. 5.0% - This very small Batch beer will be available starting Saturday at Hopkins.

Hopkins - Apple Pie Amber:  Heavily malted with just enough hop bitterness. Brewed with apple,
cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and vanilla. It's the American classic in a glass! 5.0% - This very small Batch beer will be available starting Saturday at Hopkins.

Hopkins -  Citra Hefe:  Traditional-style German Weissbier featuring Citra hops which are
very popular among IPAs for its tropical citrus aroma and flavor. 5.0% - This very small Batch beer will be available starting Saturday at Hopkins.

Hopkins - Dankster Saison:  This "dank" saison is heavily hopped with a citrus blend and finishes
with complex spiced notes of the Belgian style yeast. 5.0% - This very small Batch beer will be available starting Saturday at Hopkins.

Hopkins -  Kitchen Sink Session IPA: This beer has a heavy body for a traditional IPA, but sits nicely at 80 IBUs. 5.0% - This very small Batch beer will be available starting Saturday at Hopkins.

Hopkins - Mango-Lime Ale:  Brewed with mangos and lime; featuring a simple grain bill with a citrus blend of hops, perfectly complimented by mango and lime. 5.0% - This very small Batch beer will be available starting Saturday at Hopkins.

Hopkins - The Dude Ale: Inspired by the drink of choice of the hero in Big Lebowski, this beer is
White Russian themed. Cream ale base, lactose, vanilla, rum extract, coffee.
It really ties these small batches together, and we abide by that! 5.0% - This very small Batch beer will be available starting Saturday at Hopkins.

Hopkins - Early Morning Stout:  Brewed with maple syrup, vanilla, coffee, toasted oak chips. This beer will have you feeling like you're spending time away in a cabin in the woods! 5.0% - This very small Batch beer will be available starting Saturday at Hopkins.

Roadhouse - The Walrus: I missed this Double IPA. Look for flavors of tangerine, pineapple and  melon with big tropical fruits and bitterness. 8.3% - I found it at the Bayou.

Roadhouse - Outcasty Sweet Potato Porter: Made with hand-peeled, quartered and roasted sweet potatoes, this porter has all of the classic flavors - caramel, cocoa and coffee with added earthy/nuttiness from the sweet potato. 8.0% - Also found at the Bayou.

Cheers!

Lone Pine Brewing Headed to Utah

Lone Pine Brewing Company out of Portland, Maine has their eyes set on the Beehive State. Many of you may not be familiar with this east coast brewery; Hell, we don't many beers from that region out here period.

What will make this news interesting to many of you is the notoriety that Lone Pine received at the 2019 Great American Beer Festival. Lone Pine earned a bronze medal in the hotly-contested Hazy Imperial IPA category. The winning beer, Chaos Emeralds, beat out nearly two hundred competitors from around the U.S.

If you’re a fan of the style, this will obviously come as big news to you. Stay close, as Lone Pine gets closer to its arrival date and I'll fill you in to the where and when. I should also point out that Utah will be the only state that's not located in the north east to have these fine beers.

Cheers!

New Beer Friday 1/24/20

There's a nice round selection of styles this week. There may not be a lot, but the flavor factor here, more than makes up for it.

Red Rock - Juicy Pale Ale: Juicy hop aromas dominate this hazy pale ale. Oats and barley are used to create a big silky body that can hold up the round juicy, berry-citrus, white-pine hop profile. definitely more hop fruitiness than bitterness happening here. 5.0% - Available at Red Rock location and at Harmons.

Toasted Barrel - Barrel Aged Sour with Grapes: This beer was aged for 18 month in French oak. The beer/wine hybrid definitely has a vinous quality with doses of balsamic vinegar from the funkified barrel. 7.5% - Available at Toasted Barrel.

Toasted Barrel - Cranberry Sour: This lactobacillus sour has a moderate amount of sweet and sour going on. The tartness from the cranberry, really fights for your affections as it dukes-it-out for dominance over the base beer's sourness. 5.0% - Available at Toasted Barrel    

Shades - Kveik Cherry Pie: The newest incarnation of Shades' Kveik Series features cherries, vanilla, cinnamon, graham cracker and lactose for sweetness. Look for tart pie cherries with that signature graham cracker crust toastiness. It tastes like a desert beer but drinks like an everyday ale. Non-vegan friendly. 6.3% - Available at Shades and your better beer pubs.

UTOG - Red Eye: This new imperial red ale is bright with fruity malts that take you into berry territory. the hops a a bit of citrus, but it's pine that drives the majority of the hop profile and bitterness. 8.3% - Available at UTOG.

Bewilder - Fresh Sesh IPA: The new IPA from Bewilder is hopped with Warrior, Citra and  Mosaic Hops. I havn't tried this one yet as it will be tapped later this afternoon. If you want to try this, call first to find out if it's on or not. 5.0% - Available at Bewilder. 

Cheers!

Desert Edge to Package Beer

Desert Edge Brewing Co. has been a staple in Utah's beer scene since 1995. Hell, The Pub portion of the business has been in operation since 1972 - few establishments can claim that kind of longevity. In all of that time of making and serving beer, the draft only brewpub has never got into the packaging game... until now.

Through a little digging, I came across what appears to be a new label for a 'high point" IPA called Pando. The label art feature a tranquil, water color scene of aspen trees and appears to be designed for a 12 ounce can.

Desert Edge's head brewer, Chad Krusell makes some of the best pale ales in the state, I have high confidence that this 7.1% India Pale Ale will make the Trolley Square brewpub (and the state) proud.

More info on this endeavor will follow, as it comes my way. 

Cheers!

Image found at Labelvision.com

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!

New Beer Friday 1/10/20

It looks like the breweries are back in their grooves and the suds of 2020 have begun to flow. There's a strong variety of of new stuff this week along with a new east coast brewery's entry into the market.

2 Row - Galaxy Juice: This is the first new NEIPA to come out of 2 Row in a while. This one features galaxy, Simcoe and El Dorado hops. Look for flavors of honey malts, followed by juicy citrus, stone fruit and tropica hops which impart a light amount of bitterness which fades away almost instantly leaving lingering tropical citrus hop flavors. 7.0% Should be available as soon as the doors open thius morning.

Hoppers - Oat Brown Ale: This is and American style brown ale. It has a supper toasty grain profile with a good dose of hops that lean into the piny end of the spectrum. The oat addition gives in a nice silky feel. 5.0% - Available at Hoppers.

Roosters - Mountain Hazy: Obviously hazy in appearance with earthy mango dank pine and cantaloupe in the aroma. Taste-wise you get damp florals, sappy pine and a hint of cannabis. Overripe papaya. Candy sugar sweetness with an earthy bitterness. 5.0% Available at Roosters

Roosters Downhill Munich Dunkel: Missed this one. Look for a lager full of rich caramel and and toasted malts. 5.0% Available at Roosters.

TF Brewing - Pomegranate and Blackberry Berlinerweisse: Smells of pulpy pomegranate and black berry lactic sourness. Taste has the berries up front quickly being joined by the mild lactic sourness, doughy grain and light must. More tart than sour in the feel, bit of chewiness as well.

Jester King - Omniscience and Proselytism (Blend 4): This sour ale was re-fermented in oak barrels with Strawberries. The berries were matured then allowed to ferment to dryness. There's a refreshing lactic acidity, followed by earthy yeast and strawberry jam. Sweetness emerges as it warms, but remains bone dry and crisp in its finish. 5.0% Found at Slackwater.

Sierra Nevada - 40th Hoppy Anniversary: Pours a bright amber with a nose of grapefruit and pine. Taste follows suit. This is quite appropriate; seem like a throwback to what made Sierra Nevada great. If you love SN's pale ale and celebration ale you will like this. 6.0% Found at DABC.

Brooklyn Brewery -  Bel Air Sour: Brooklyn Brewery is brand new to the market. The Aroma is full with of muted lemon and mild funkiness - Tastes sour for sure, definitely a vinous quality - Feels light and dry with a puckering chardonnay like finish. 5.8% - Available at Select DABC.

Prost!

New Beer Friday 1/3/20

Welcome to 2020! Utah's craft beer scene had a strong decade and it looks like the 20s will be equally progressive. Thanks for sticking with the Utah Beer Blog as we enter our fifteenth year of Utah specific beer nerding  - I wouldn't have lasted this long without all of your support. Here's your first New Beer Friday of the year.

Bonneville - Cool Fuzz: This new 'hazy' IPA is hopped with Cashmere. There's a good dose of lime and tropical fruits that provide high fruitiness with low bitterness, due to the late hop editions. This one is super fresh and only available at the source in Tooele. 5.0% 

Fisher - Life Throws Melons: The hop profile in this pale ale generates big flavor with assertive bitterness, adding significant citrus zest and cantaloupe fruit character. Lemongrass and herbal tea. Bitterness round it out. Nice pale ale. 5.0% - Available at Fisher.

Kasteel - Rogue: The aroma is mostly tart cherry that implies sweetness is coming. The taste confirms it with sweet pie cherries and a medium tartness. There's a hint of a malt floating around in the background. For a quad it feels a bit thin, though it is easy to drink. It's a little more fruit forward than I was expecting, but it's still tasty. 8.0% - Found at Beer Bar.

Don't forget that we have New Beer Friday this afternoon at 2:30pm on KBER 101, with Mick and Allen.

Cheers!

Beer Zombies SLC Opens Today

A Las Vegas staple in craft beer has it's cloudy eyes locked on SLC - starting today you get to experience Beer Zombies SLC. Starting at 5pm today (12/31/19), this new concept in craft beer will offer a wide variety of mostly local craft beers on draft, in cans and in bottles.

Located at 153 s. Rio Grande Street, Beer Zombies will be part of the new HallPass food hall. Joining its sister company SkinnyFATS, the 11,000-square-foot 'gastropub' will anchor the southern end of the Gateway Complex.

You'll find beers from 5.0% to 'whatever' from breweries from all over the area. Beer Zombies is currently in soft opening mode, so keep that in consideration upon making you visit.

Cheers!

Photos Courtesy: Beer Zombies SLC

New Berer Friday 12/27/19

I hope the holidays treated you well. It's not like you were suffering from lack of beer this week, but just in case you're jonesing for something new, I did manage to find a few new things to keep the end of the decade fresh.

RoHa - Project Porter: Roasty malt is strong on the nose. There's a lot of chocolate in the taste, and there's a rich creaminess, too. A touch of hop bitterness to balance (or is it char?). Its body is rich and substantial, a lot like a stout. 5.0% - Available at RoHa.

Kiitos - West Coast IPA: The aroma started with citrus peel somewhat bitter with an underlying sweet to bitter pine to blend. The taste was moderately bitter with an underscore of bitter piney-ness. There’s a lingering bitter piney aftertaste leading into a slight dry sweet citrus finish. 5.0% - only on draft at Kiitos.

Pipeworks - Close Encounters: This Black IPA has a bright citrusy nose with subtle cocoa and roasty malts. The taste is bitter up front with citrus rind and earthy notes. The roasted malt followed closely behind with coffee, char , and a hint of licorice. I've kinda fallen off of the BIPA bandwagon, due to a lack of well executed recipes. This one is pretty solid. If you're a fan of the style, check this one out. 6.0% - Found at Slackwater. 

Pipeworks - Normcore: This brown ale has a good amount of roasty and toasted malts for a nutty caramel flavor that feels just right for this time of the year; not to sweet, just enough to compliment the toast. It's balanced by a restrained dose of Bramling Cross hops - an obscure U.K. variety that adds fruity notes of lemon, blackcurrant and pear. A solid English style brown ale. 6.0% - Found at Slackwater.

Cheers!

New Beer Friday 12/20/19

You can "use me" for all of your holiday beer research, and as a conduit for hours of classic holiday music and beer pairings (sorry Meista). The New Beer Friday Singers will be singing classics such as "All I want for Xmas is Brew", "The Little Drammer Boy" and that classic, "Rudolph the Red Nosed Haze Bro".  Be safe out there, kids!

Fisher - Holiday IPA: This hits Saturday morning and it will be one of their high point crowler releases. This is full of grapefruit peel & dehydrated orange with herbal and floral hops backing it up. West Coast IPA for sure. Nice beer. 7.0%

T.F. Holahaze:  This one drops Saturday Morning as well. Big citrus peel and herbal nose, that creeps into dank territory. Medium malt sweetness nourishes a good dose of chewy grapefruit peel that creeps into that gange territory. Not a classic ‘haze’ beer but it’s got broad appeal. 7.4% at TF starting Saturday morning.

Kiitos - Lime Salt Pilsner: there’s a fair amount of lime tartness backing sweet and toasted malts. 5.0% - Available at Kiitos.

Proper - Yacht Rock Juice Box: This has more of that herbal/citrus combo with light caramel malts.  5.0%. - Available at Proper

Proper - Bonestorm: This hopped-up amber ale hits taps today. Much more toasty than malty. Feels more like an ESB - 5.0% Available at Proper.

Bewilder - Coffee Bock: Missed this collaboration with Wasatch Beers. 5.0% - Available at Bewilder.

Bewilder - Citra Wheat Lager: Clean wheat crackers with a nice hoppy zip. Mostly tangerine & orange. Super drinkable. 5.0% - Available at Bewilder.

Heber Valley - Snake Creek BA Imperial Stout: Missed this one. 10.0% - Available at Heber Valley.

Level Crossing - Oat Slayer: 4.6% 4.7% - Released on 12/21

Level Crossing - West Coast IPA:  5.0% 4.7% - Released on 12/21

Level Crossing - Santa Slayer: Stout brewed with cinnamon, ginger, allspice, vanilla and nutmeg. 4.6% 4.7% - Released on 12/21

Level Crossing - Peppermint Slayer: Aged on Brazilian and Mongolian oak. Infused with York Peppermint Patties. 4.7% - Released on 12/21

Shades - Grape Kviek: One of my favorites in their Kveik Series. Mostly tart berries that come across as Smarties candy. 5.6% - available at Shades.

Destihl - Wild Sour Cranberry Criek: This sour evolved by merging tart cranberries with sweet cherries, normally associated with a traditional kriek, but in a kettle sour beer that is wonderfully intricate, balanced, fruity and tart. It was then dry-hopped adding a touch of citrus aroma and flavor, adding another layer of complexity with a tart finish. 5.0%. Found at DABC

Destihl - Weissenheimer Hefeweizen: This classic German-style Hefeweizen has fruity aromas and flavors of banana, clove and vanilla with a full mouthfeel and an appropriate amount of yeast haze. 5.2%. Found at DABC


Elevation - Señorita: This Imperial Porter has aromatic notes of vanilla, cinnamon and sweet milk. The beer hits the palate with vanilla, sweet chocolate malts, and a hint of cinnamon; all with a medium body and a balancing pine hop bitterness. 8.2%. Found at DABC.

The Following (for the most part) are largely exclusive to the Bayou this week. If you're a fan of sour beers the Bayou is defiantly a must stop for you this year.

Dogfish Head - Super 8: This Gose style sour ale was brewed with Hawaiian red sea salt, prickly pear, mango, boysenberry, blackberry, raspberry, elderberry, and kiwi juices & toasted quinoa. It's bacically a fruit salad. 5.3%

Dogfish Head - Wood Aged Bitches Brew: This a fusion of a Russian Imperial Stout aged in American oak and an Ethiopian Tej Honey. This beer was also aged in Paraguayan, Palo Santo Wood. 9.0%.

Boulevard 30th Anniversary: This beer is a blend of nine Boulevard beers. 34% Imperial Stout in rye whiskey finished port casks –  26% Belgian Dark Strong Ale in ruby and tawny port casks – 16% Double Mashed Imperial Stout in bourbon barrels – 9% Belgian Dark Strong Ale in California sherry casks – 5% Imperial Stout in bourbon barrels – 5% Imperial Stout in Spanish sherry puncheons – 3% Imperial Stout aged in bourbon barrels followed by ruby/tawny port casks and 2% Belgian Dark Strong Ale in bourbon barrels. Yeah, this screams the holidays. 12.5%

Firestone Walker - Mole Merkin: This version of Velvet Merkin has dried Puya chili, cinnamon and cocoa nibs from the Dominican Republic to a brandy barrel-aged version of Velvet Merkin. The chili adds a spicy. yet approachable heat, with rich dark berry fruit flavor. The addition of cocoa nibs helps balance the heat from the peppers, adding to the mouthfeel. The result is a complex, yet delicate beer, with flavors of earthy chili pepper, cinnamon and cocoa. 7.8%

Stone Jägermeister & Arrogant Bastard Ale: Flavor-wise there's a bit of pine and black licorice up front. An oaky character brings notes of cinnamon. It finishes with dark fruits and an herbal bite - similar to strong mint tea with lemon. The flavors in this beer are extremely strong. Not for the timid. 8.5%.

Stone - Enjoy by 01/01/20: These IPAs rarely disappoint. Havn't had this one; it's more of a double at 9.4%.  

Jester King - Super Ultrameg Hyperforce: This saison has a orange, golden color with a nose of funk, tartness, melon, yeast spiciness and wheat. Taste follows, but it finishes with melon, and a nice crisp tartness. Very nice. 4.5%.

Jester King - Vague Recollection: Funky yeast with wine barrel notes. Grape must, apricot and lemon as well. Apricot and peach notes with lemon acid round it out. The mouthfeel is tart, dry and crisp. 6.0%.

Jester King -  B.A. Bier de Miel: Missed out on this 6.9% Bier de Garde.

Jester King - Das Wunderkind: This saison was refermented in oak barrels with wild yeast and souring bacteria. It was then blended with fresh, dry-hopped beer prior to bottle-conditioning. Dry and lightly tart, with notes of citrus, barnyard, and tropical fruit. 4.5%

Jester King -  Hibernal Dichotomous: This wild saison is brewed with cardamom pods and refermented with roasted beets and carrots. Notes of earthy carrots, pears, apricot, dark fruits, plum, lemongrass and beets. Finishes slight tart. 5.8%.

Jester King - Le petite Prince: Throughout Northern Europe, light-bodied, well-hopped, low alcohol table beers were often the beverage of choice with all meals at times and in places where the water wasn’t always safe to drink. This is a clear and simple expression of the delicate interplay between noble hops and farmhouse yeast. Low point beer haters need not apply. 2.9%.

Jester King -  No Whalez Here: This witbier has notes of sweet wheat crackers, plantains and coriander. Subtle floral hops play well of the white pepper from the yeast and lemony twang. 6.8%.

Jester King -Nobel King: Missed this one. This is a highly attenuated, unspiced farmhouse ale brewed with an abundance of organic noble hops, and fermented with wild yeasts from the Texas Hill Country. 5.9%.  

Prairie Artisan Ales/Evil Twin - Bible Belt: This huge Imperial Stout is based on Evil Twin Brewing's "Even More Jesus" Imperial stout, but spiced like Prairie Artisan Ales' "Bomb!" made with coffee, vanilla, chilies and cacao nibs. This one may make you clutch your pearls at 13.0%.

Prairie Artisan Ales -  Birthday Bomb: Caramel Sauce and a healthy dose of coffee and spices make this one unique from the standard Bomb! 13.0%.

Prairie Artisan Ales - Oh Fudge: This a chocolate brownie stout. The flavor is roasted malts, dark chocolate brownie and raisins. It's a bit sweet and quite tasty.11.5%.

Prairie Artisan Ales -  Bomb!: This imperial stout is aged on coffee, cacao nibs, vanilla beans and ancho chili peppers. 13.0%.

Cascade Cuvée Du Jongleur: A blending of select barrels of Cascade's Flanders Reds and soured Belgian Triples aged in oak for up to 18 months. Then blended with fresh 25° Plato, Blonde Quadruppel - then aged, allowing lactic fermentation. 8.4%.

Cascade - Rose City Sour: This is a blend of wheat and blond ales aged in oak wine barrels for up to 14 months with rose petals, rose hips and hibiscus tea. Look for fresh roses matched with notes of dried cranberries, pomegranates and a hint of white pepper. 6.8%.

Cascade - Brunch Line: This sour was made with chardonnay grapes and orange zest and aged in white wine barrels. A mature, puckery, and clean sour ale. 9.6%.

Cascade - Coastal Gose: Missed this beer. 7.3%

Cascade - Coral Horizon:  This is a blend of sour blond ales aged in oak wine barrels for up to 16 months with late infusions of grapefruit zest, hibiscus tea and freshly chopped ginger root. Pouring a brilliant coral-red hue reminiscent of a summer sunset, this small batch blend offers a soft, approachable acidity level with aromas of ruby red grapefruit and a refreshing ginger spice. 8.0%.

Cascade - Pistil Whipped: A blend of sour strong blond ales infused with saffron, annatto and chamomile flowers. Pouring a rich golden-yellow from the saffron’s distinct color infusion, this Sour Flower Fest creation captures saffron’s earthy, hay-like spice character with a gentle chamomile tea background. 7.6%.

Cascade - Tropical Embers: Missed this one. 7.3%.

Cascade - Vlad the Impaler: Dark Fruit with big sour and heat from the 12.5% alcohol. Notes of bourbon and a lactic bite as well. This sour quad is hugely complex.

Revision -  IPA: Simcoe hops lay the hop foundation for this extremely delicious, flavorful and quaffable American IPA. Tropical citrus, orange and pine accents meld seamlessly. Low impact bitterness, high impact aroma and flavor. Very nice IPA. 6.5%. Also at Slackwater

Revision -  Double-Up IPA: Simcoe and Mosaic hops battle for domination in your mouth. 8.0%. Also at Slackwater

Revision - Citra Slam: This West Coast IPA is of course hopped with Citra and is tropically sweet with ripe tangerine, with an edge of mango and passion fruit. 6.5%. Also at Slackwater

Petrus Cherry Chocolate Nitro Quad: This is a perfect blend of Quadrupel, using 6 different types of roasted malts and cherries. The nitrogen adds nice body to the quad, giving it more body and creaminess and making it extremely drinkable. The only Belgian Quad on nitro! 8.5%.

Have I given you enough! If not, please share, damn it!

Cheers!

New Beer/Brewery Friday - Bewilder Brewing Co.

This has been a pretty big year for beer in the state of Utah. We of course had the the big switch fro 4.0% to 5.0% along with four new breweries opening around the state. Four breweries is a big number for a state with our low alcohol consumption, and in any other that would be a record breaker. Not this year however. as of today we now have five new brewery to end 2019, as we welcome Bewilder Brewing Company into Utah's craft beer fold.

Cody Mckendrick and Ross Metzger have sent the better part of the last two years turning their dream into reality and as of today, their dream has finally been realized. It's a good day for all of us and an even better day for them. If you get a  chance stop by sometime this weekend and help them celebrate the opening of Utah's 40th brew house.

 Bewilder Brewing- Munich Festbier: This beer was made with cooperation from Bohemian Brewing. Crystal clear with a nice aroma grainy malts and crackers. The flavor is similar with toasted bread, more crackers and herbal hops. There's a hint of malt sweetness in the end but it's most hop driven in the finish. 5.0% - Only at Bewilder.

Bewilder Brewing- Amarillo Mosaic Oat Pale Ale: This pale is was made in cooperation with 2 Row Brewing. It's got a huge citrucy and fruity nose. The taste follows with nice tropical fruits and massive grapefruit and mango. It's simple, yet straight to the point. Very nice. 5.0% - Only at Bewilder.

Bewilder Brewing - Apple wood Smoked Porter: This beer was made with cooperation from Toasted Barrel Brewing. There's a good amount of smoked cocoa in the aroma. There's less smoke on the tongue as you get nice roasted malt character with chocolate and grainy malts. Nice medium body, highly drinkable. 5.0% - Only at Bewilder.

Roosters - Nordic Porter: Big chocolate and espresso up front with sweet caramel and roasted grains. Soon after the barrel kicks in with nice spicy bourbon notes that hike the body and add complexity to an already beaming palate. This is a barrel strength porter, not blended which gives it raw untamed character. Thisis Roosters first barrel aged beer. Nicely done. Git sum! 9.3% - Only at Roosters.

2 Row - Cherry Chocolate Stout: Nice chocolate aroma with roasted malts up front on the palate. Smooth black coffee follows; mixed with bittersweet cocoa. It finishes with a mild dark cherry twang. As the beer warms the sweet tart cherry part of the beer becomes more pronounced. 11.0% Available at 2 Row, also found at Beerhive.

Policy Kings - O.P.P. IPA: Missed this one. 5.0% only at Policy Kings.

Toasted Barrel - Chardonnay Farmhouse: Missed this one too. 5.0% - Only at Toasted Barrel.

Funkwerks - Tropic King: Super hopped saison with big citrus peel bitterness and essence. The taste is dominated by equally huge wheat and yeast phenolic spices. Found at Beer Bar.

Funkwerks -Saison: Missed this one. 5.0% - also found at Beer Bar.

Cheers!