New Beer Friday: Let's Get 2016 Over With Edition

For the last New Beer Friday of 2016 we not only have new beer but a new brewery has entered our market as well. Elysian Brewing out of Seattle quietly slipped in this week, we will hopefully be seeing some of their more infamous IPAs and other beers very soon. As for now I'm only aware of one. Here it is.

Elysian Bifrost - The nose has a faint hint of citrus with a bit of nutmeg and malt. The taste has a rich citrus and malt blend with  assertive hoppiness. There is a slight alcohol kick as well. The finish has mostly citrus with a faint zesty pepper note to top it off. Through it all, this beer manages to retain it's pale ale character despite the added spices and higher than normal alcohol. 8.3% ABV @ Beer Bar, Beerhive

2 Row Oatmeal Stout - Big roast, some char with faint molasses dark, dark chocolate and liquorish. Very complex for an oatmeal stout. It has the body of an 8% beer but it's only 5.6%. Just bottled yesterday, it's at the brewery for now. Look for it we you normally enjoy 2 Row's brews next week.

Desert Edge American Amber - This is an unfiltered Amber Ale full of big caramel malt, citrusy and floral hop aroma. The toasty caramel malt and bright hop flavor is balanced by a medium bitterness for a complex but very drinkable beer. This is an unfiltered Amber Ale full of big caramel malt, citrusy and floral hop aroma. The toasty caramel malt and bright hop flavor is balanced by a medium bitterness for a complex but very drinkable beer. 4.0% ABV @ Desert Edge

Proper Ahern Nut Brown Ale - I haven't had a chance to try this one yet, I see it in my future this afternoon. 4.0% ABV @ Proper Brewing

Big Sky Pack Train DIPA - The nose is tropical with citrus and crackers. The taste follows with some mango, grapefruit up front. Vague citrus pith comes next with dry malts and a bit of booze towards the end. Fnishes hoppy and dry. 8.7% ABV. @ Bayou, DABC

Cheers and Have a Happy New Year!

New Beer Friday - 2016 Holiday Edition

Hopefully, you've been good little beer nerds and nerdettes. If that's the case? Santa may reward you with a shiny new spaceship or better yet, you may get that 15 year vertical of that coveted Bulgarian Boza you've had your geeky eyes on since 2001. I can't help you with the Space Ship or the Boza (or Boza's side effects) but I can help you with the new beers that are guaranteed to make your holidays bright.

Uinta Hopscursion Brett IPA - Somewhat hazy in appearance, the head retention is pretty good. The nose has bretty barnyard funk, but not so much that you can't smell the citrus peel like hops. The taste starts with full on young and doughy brettanomyces. There is a bit of tartness but it's almost undetectable. The malt starts to show itself next with the citrusy and tropical hops carrying you away the end. Finishes yeasty and somewhat dry. This is not the type of brett beer to age. Hopscursion is perfect right now - like any fresh IPA. Drink 'em up now! 6.25% ABV @Uinta, Bayou

Uinta Sea Legs Brett Baltic Porter - I got to sample a bit of this from the barrel a few months ago. It reminded me of Jolly Pumpkin's Bam Noir - this final version is so much more than just a dark brett ale. The flavors here are deep and fruity. Dark fruits, cherry, vine berries and cocoa. After your tongue recovers from all of this, you get a little funk along with vanilla and bourbon on the back end. The result of all of this is rich and complex beer that's a sensory overload on the tongue. This is a very limited offering, don't wait too long. 8.2% ABV @ Uinta, Bayou, Beerhive, Beer Bar

Proper Géol English Barleywine - The nose is of toasted malt, caramel, toffee, slight nut, and alcohol aromas. Taste is much the same with toast, nut, earth, and wood flavors on the finish. There is a mild amount of toast and earth bitterness and an alcohol kick on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp and medium bodied mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer with solid toast and nut aspects all around. This beer was designed for the winter solstice - a perfect warmer for the holidays. 9.8% ABV @ Proper Brewing

Melvin *(Asterisk) - Dank and chewy with some nice tropical hops. Pretty dry and unbalanced for such a big beer. Some medical burn. This is far from unenjoyable, it's very nice and has a wonderful hop presence. It just lacks the craftsmanship of many of Melvin's predecessors. These are limited as well. 9.5% ABV @ BeerHive, Beer Bar and Slackwater

Mountain West Green Urban Lunchbox Hard Cider - This unique cider is made from over twenty different varieties of apples that were grown in the backyards of happy apple loving Utahans. This a limited release cider made in collaboration with The Green Urban Lunchbox. A portion of the proceeds will go to them. This is one of those ciders that will be different every time it's made, due to the randomness of the apples. I'd suggest you snag some of this, if it's brilliant it may never exists again! 6.9% ABV @ Mountain West Hard Cider

Talisman Bourbon Barrel aged Stout #2 - Not had a chance to sample this latest batch. Please share if you have. 6.3% ABV @ Talisman

Also returning this week is Uinta's Cockeyed Cooper Barleywine. This beer missed the rotation last year. It's back with a modified label. Look for a beer that has a nice medley of toffee, vanilla, bourbon and caramel. I missed this beer! 11.1% ABV @Uinta

Cheers and Happy Holidays!

Epic's Utah Session Series Cans & Uinta Brett Beers

If you're a fan of craft beer in small packages, we have some great news for you. Epic Brewing will be putting some of their Utah Session Series beers in cans.

Epic's Session Mid Mountain Mild, SLC Lager and Session IPA will be getting the new packaging sometime in the second quarter of 2017. This great news for consumers that prefer the ease and mobility of cans versus the cumbersome bombers that currently occupy grocery and C-store shelves.

The Mid-Mountain Mild is malt forward with nice biscuit and caramel - The SLC Lager has a smooth, crisp bite, ample hop bitterness, lemony, herbal, bready, with a clean, dry hoppy finish - Epic Session IPA  has tropical, papaya and grapefruit with a smidge of sweet malts, Light and bitter.

In other local beer news, Uinta has Released their two newest wild ales. Brett Sea Legs is a wild interpretation on Uinta's Sea Legs Baltic Porter. It combines cocoa and whiskey and twists it wild funk. The Hopscursion Brett IPA is part of a new trend flips IPAs upside down adding doughy barnyard funk with a bit of tartness. Uinta has also brought back Cockeyed Cooper Barrel Aged Barleywine. This beer took a year hiatus, but it's back now! I'll have my full tasting notes on these and other new stuff tomorrow for New Beer Friday.

Cheers!

New Release Coming to Shades of Pale

We've got your fist peek at some new stuff coming from Shades of Pale Brewing this morning.

First up we have the Salt City Citrus IPA. If you've been keeping up on the IPAs coming out of shades you know they always are big on the citrus edge. I'm currious to see what this one brings to the table. This IPA will dial in at 7.7% ABV and be packaged in 12oz bottles.

Next up is Tin Angel. I believe this is a special label for SOP's Ready to Fly Amber Ale. This could be a label for a private entity. The Tin Angel Cafe comes to mind. I'll get that straightened out and fill you in soon.

Cheers!

Images found at Shipcomplient.com

New Beer Friday 12/16/16

Proper Brewing Gruit - Gruits are basically ancient ales. These are the way beers were made many, many centuries ago in continental Europe. These beer rely heavily on spices and berries to add flavors to the brew. The results are a somewhat herbal tea-like beer that has a bit of fruit for balance. This beer will be an Abbey Ale at it's base and be spiced with the traditional yarrow sweet gale with the addition of Labrador tea. This beer goes on sale Saturday

Desert Edge Holiday Chocolate Stout - This is a Irish stout brewed with cacao nibs and vanilla beans. The addition of unsweetened cacao nibs gives this stout a big chocolate flavor without a candy like sweetness. They added just enough vanilla to enhance the chocolate while keeping the flavor of a stout. Served on nitro it's a smooth and creamy chocolate treat. 4.0% ABV @ Desert Edge

Magic Hat Circus Boy - Pours a light golden color with a very fizzy head. The smell was mostly wheat with a little bit of citrus on the nose. I found the taste to be the exact opposite with a lot of lemon grass and orange flavors while not that much wheat. It was a little thin but for the summer I was pretty content with one. Overall it didn't blow me away or anything, but not a bad beer by any means either. 4.5% ABV @ DABC Stores

Cheers!

2 Row Dark Alley - Barrel Aged

Later this morning (12/13/16) at 11am 2 Row Brewing will officially put it's new Dark Alley Imperial Stout on sale. If you've haunted one of SLC's beer bars over the weekend, you may have already tried it.

The nose has chocolate with a hint of cookie followed by a bit of roasted malt and mocha. The flavor is very intricate. As in the nose, there is a bit of sweetness on the tongue which quickly turns in to deep strong dark chocolate. The bittersweet finish is biting but leaves the mouth watering. A few more sips brings out molasses and cocoa. As it warms a bit of raisin edges it's way out, but the dark coco stands strong. Considering the ABV is 13.4% the alcohol is pretty well subdued - don't be fooled, you will loose if you underestimate it.

On the heels of this release, you'll be happy to know that there's a Barrel Aged version of Dark Alley current asleep in in High West whiskey barrels. The label for Barrel Aged Dark Alley is pictured above. If you're a fan a big hearty Imperial Stouts, this one may make you squeal. It's already 13.4% - the barrel will likely knock that up a bit more.

As soon as it's done aging, I'll provide the date and time.

Slainte!

Label found at Shipcomplient.com

Breckenridge in Utah

Stopped in to the Maverik in Centerville to grab a "mixer sixer" last Saturday night and what do I see? A Breckenridge Avalanche Amber staring back at me!

I'm usually pretty up to date with these things, but this one hit me by surprise. Too bad it's just the Avalanche. It's a mediocre amber ale at best. I guess it's time to start rattling some chains and get some of their better options in the mix!

Has anyone seen anything else from Breckenridge other than this? Your fellow beer nerds would love to know!

Cheers!

New Beer Friday 12/9/16

This will be my last New Beer Friday. I've been replaced by Doctor, Ben Carson - who was once in the same room with someone who drank a beer from Utah. Due to his newly discovered expertise in the field of Utah's beer, I must obviously acquiesce. I hope to get my job back next week.
 
Vernal Brewing Rigor Mortis Red Ale - The nose has aromas of roasted malts, and caramel. Nice hop presence up front balanced nicely by the rush of malts. Really nice balance with this brew. Overall really a solid brew and definitely worth a shot. 4.0% ABV @ Vernal, coming soon to the Wasatch Front Area.

2 Row Dark Alley Imperial Stout - The nose has chocolate with a hint of cookie followed by a bit of roasted malt and mocha. The flavor is very intricate. As in the nose, there is a bit of sweetness on the tounge which quickly turns in to deep strong dark chocolate. The bittersweet finish is biting but leaves the mouth watering. A few more sips brings out molasses and cocoa. As it warms a bit of raisin edges it's way out, but the dark coco stands strong.Considering the ABV is 13.4% the alcohol is pretty well subdued - don't be fooled, you will loose if you underestimate it. @ Beerhive, Bayou, Beer Bar, Slackwater - goes on sale to the public at the brewery on Tuesday Dec 13th

Proper Brewing Beer Bar Blonde - Brewed exclusivly for SLC's Beer Bar. Havn't had it yet, it will debut tonight at 7pm at beer Bar.

Returning is a newly amplified Czechulator. This new version comes in at over 9% from the former 7.6%.

Bohemian CzechUlator Dopple Bock - The nose is nutty, chocolate, clean notes of malty sweetness. Some toffee and caramel in there as well. The flavor starts off similarly with some notes of traditional chocolatey, nutty, and toffee malts. As the flavor develops on the palate, though, I get some berry sweetness towards the end. Easy drinking and enjoyable. A limited release that is only available at Bohemian's Brewery.

Be sure to check out New Beer Friday on KBER 101 with Mick and Allen along with myself at 3:30pm this afternoon.

Cheers!

Fisher Brewing Update

I got the opportunity to go and revisit the guys over at A. Fisher Brewing the other day. It had been a quite a few months since my last visit and boy have things changed. My last visit to Fisher showed
more chaos than the cozy brewery I was hoping for. That is not the case now. While there is still a small level of chaos, it's far overshadowed by the new bar and collection of new stainless steel brewing vessels.

The guys have been busy collecting relics from Fisher's past to add a little old to all of the new - reclaiming much of the
 charm from the old garage that the brewery now inhabits. They even acquired an old wooden ice box that will store all of the Fisher beer you'll be buying. It may look small but it's mounted to the breweries walk in cooler, so it will always be full.

A lot of you have been asking me, "why it's taking so long"? to get this place up and running. Well, simply put, Colby, Tom, Tim and Steve are doing everything that they can do by themselves. While that may not change the taste of the beer, it may make you appreciate it and the brewery more.

If the beer gods are all happy and smiling, the A. Fisher Brewing Company should be resurrected mid to late January. It will take a while to start filling the 18 tap handles, tanks, kegs and getting
the staff up to speed, but early 2017 looks to the perfect time to enjoy a beer at the Granary District's new brewery.

Fisher Brewing is located at 320 West 800 South in Salt Lake City. As the time draws near, I promise to fill you in. 

Prost!

Great News for Vernal Brewing Co.

Great news is coming in from Vernal Brewing Company to help you stay in touch with your favorite Vernal beers. Utah's eastern most brewery has just released their “VBC Beer Locator” Android App which will give current Android users the ability find Vernal's beer, and or share the retail locations and brands offered with other potential users in “real time”.

The goal of the app is to help consumers and encourage them to locate all beers and this will in turn help every person out there. The more locations entered into the app, the easier VBC fans will be able to locate their favorite beer. Vernal's distributors also have many other craft brands in their portfolio’s, so users could even start locating other craft brands they’ve been looking for. More features will be added to the app in time to make it more useful, informative and fun for all users.

Android is the only device offered at the moment, but the iPhone version is being worked as we speak and will be available to consumers in the near future.

Vernal has provided a QR code to direct you to get you to the app faster.

Once you get the app one of the first things you may want to do is find Vernal's newest packaged beer, Rigor Mortis Red Ale. While this beer isn't completely brand new, this release will help it find a wider audience. It's malty sweet with caramel tones, a bit of grapefruit and moderate hop finish. 4.0% ABV - 36 IBUs. Look for it soon in the Utah and Wyoming distribution areas.

And if all of that isn't enough excellent news, Vernal Brewing just received their full blown liquor license - which mean no food requirements with beer purchases.

Cheers, to that!

RedRock's - The Twelve Days of Christmas at the Beer Store

RedRock Brewing Company has a sleigh full of surprises awaiting you this month at the Red Rock Beer Store.

First, if you’re a fan of Red Rock Brewery’s barrel-aged beers, we’ve got good news. The good people at RedRock have stashed a fair number of their most coveted beers for a new game that they've aptly named, “The Twelve Days of Christmas at the Beer Store”.

The concept is pretty simple. Every time you visit the Red Rock Beer Store between now and December 24th, you will be given a uniquely numbered “12-Days of Christmas Card”. Then starting on December 13th, RedRock's staff will be randomly picking numbers and matching them with one of the “sold-out” beer styles displayed in the photo above (click to enlarge).

The winning numbers will be posted on the Red Rock Beer Store Facebook page at 11:30AM daily. If your number is selected, you will be given 24-hours to decide if you would like to reserve your allocated bottle for purchase. If you do not claim your reserved bottle, the beer will roll forward to the next day’s contest.

RedRock expects to draw about 5-10 winning numbers daily, starting on Tuesday the 13th.

You can pick-up one card (entry) per-person, per day. Each winning number will be matched with (1) 750mL bottle or (2) 500mL bottles. Beer styles will be assigned randomly to each winning number. Take it or leave it…you have no obligation to purchase and RedRock will gladly keep your winning number in the game if you are assigned a style that doesn’t interest you.

Just by coming into the Beer Store, you’ll have a random chance of winning free Red Rock merchandise throughout the day. We’ll be giving away glasses, shirts, bottle openers, etc. There’s no purchase necessary to win.

Better get you asses over to the RR's Beer Store and start collecting your cards!

Cheers!

More Previews from the RoHa Brewing Project

As promised we have more of what's to come from The RoHa Brewing Project's all new portfolio of beers.

Named for the street RoHa resides on the Kensington Grand Saison will pack a little more punch than the typical Saison. Look for flavors that will be somewhat tart and complex with the spicy coriander accents that the yeast is famous for. Look for an ABV of 6.8%

Three Deep American Ale is dedicated to the founders of The RoHa Brewing Project. Light golden wheat in color this American Ale will be bright with American Malt and hops that will likely be full of all those citrus and pine notes that have made American Ales so popular around the world.

The final preview is for the Thirsty Thursday IPA. If you have beer tasting tradition or routine then you understand the name from which this hails. For the RoHa guys is all about varity being the spice of life for you it's about zip of
hops. Look for an ABV of 6.5%.

It's hard to say, when you'll be enjoying some of these new beers. Odds are pretty good they'll be out of the fermenters by February. When days get closer we'll have a better idea.

Prost!

New Beer Friday 12/2/16

Squatters Holiday Spiced Ale - This described as being made with Bengal tea, plus cinnamon, roasted chicory, roasted carob, ginger, cardamom, black pepper, cloves and nutmeg. These create a complex yet inviting aroma and flavor to his new holiday treat. 4.0% ABV

Samuel Adams Winter Lager - Nice flavors of ginger, allspice and nutmeg with a surrounding malty breadlines with hints of sweetness and a medium hop bitterness. A nice drinking brew with a decent combination of spice and malty sweetness. 5.6% ABV

2 Row Amber Ale - This is 2 Row's first 4.0% offering. The nose is mostly pine and citrus. The taste starts with biscuit and some nut brown and caramel notes. The hops a re a nice blend of pine and citrus peel. They complement each other well. The end is mildly earthy. 4.0% ABV @ 2 Row, Beer Bar BeerHive, East Liberty Tap House. Check these locations first before making the trip. The beer is in, but waiting for tap handles to free up.

Stone Best Before 12/12/25/16 - Pours hazy golden color with a mouthwatering nose of citrus, tropical fruits, pine, and bread. The is a massive juicy explosion of citrus, following through to the slightly bitter finish. A slight hint of booze comes though in the end as well. Nice beer, a little less enamel destroying than some releases. 9.4% ABV @ Beerhive, Bayou, Slackwater

Stone Best After 12/24/16 -  Hazy apricot color with a mostly yeasty brett nose along with nice citrus hops. The flavor follows. less hoppy than the nose but the brett funk is more pronounced. Need to try this again after the recommended date. 7.0% ABV @ Beerhive, Bayou, Slackwater

Cheers!