New Beer Friday 8/12/21

The incomparable Loretta Fudge was commissioned to create a sound track for our upcoming and untitled New Beer Friday documentary. Sadly, the "Fudge-meister" was involved in what was described as a "bloody flautist incident" while touring in Uzbekistan with her band, Stirring Soup. The Fudge family has gone dark and is no longer taking my calls in regards to her music catalog. Until I hear from her estate, I'm offering up these tasty new Friday beers to placate you until the project resumes. #FingeringandPrayingForLoretta 

TF - Where's Barry:  Tons of pineapple & mango in the nose. Taste follows with a big dose of pineapple, mango & passion fruit. This beer has a tart base, but it’s hard to tell where the tart fruits start and the sour beer begins. There’s lactose, but it’s only enough to cut the more acid parts of the pineapple. The finish is puckering & you can really feel it in the back of your jaw. 6.8%  not vegan friendly

Epic - Munich Mayhem: I think this may be the first Märzen of the season, which is fine by me, I love those damn lagers. It pours a clear amber with copper hues. It smells of dark bread, nuts, spice, and a whiff of caramel. The taste is sweeter than the smell with abundant caramel, bready malt, nuts, spice, and a slight raisin fruitiness towards the end. It is medium-bodied with pleasant carbonation, and the alcohol is barely noticeable. Overall, it is a delightful Marzen that is perfect for summer drinking or on a crisp autumn afternoon. 5.0% - In 16 ounce cans, only at Epic Brewing, starting today.

Talisman - Anniversary Ale: This saison was aged in Pinot Noir barrels. Look for notes of white grape, pear and oak. Of course it will have all of the spicy yeast character you'd expect from a saison, with some bubblegum and clove. This one debuts today. Only at Talisman.

Level Crossing - Honey Rye: This has a nice unfiltered honey color with some musty rye and orange peel aroma. The honey comes through very nice and it works well with the rye. It’s quite flowery & botanical. Can’t tell if it’s the honey or the hops. Definitely some orange peel essence in the finish. 5.0% - A small batch, only at Level Crossing. 

Fisher - Space Gold: Nice aroma of mostly tangerine peel and pine. Taste-wise There's great rye character with light melon, berry & citrus from the hops. If you're into rye pales like me you'll love this one. 5.0% - Only at Fisher.

Bewilder - Hoppy Agave Amber: This a deep garnet color with toast and pine in the nose. It starts out with firm caramel and toasty malts. That being said: it is quite dry, probably from the agave that fermented out. It actually comes across a lot like a lager. Super clean & dry. 5.0% - Only at Bewilder.

Shades - Tropical Rain: This new sour features pineapple, strawberry and pomegranate with a hint of lactose. I haven't tried this one yet, it's set to debut Saturday at the brewery. 6.5%.

E9 - Starbreaker: An unfiltered light orange with a fruity aroma typical of most hazy IPAs. Flavor-wise  this starts-off with peach, fresh pine and gin botanicals. The tropical flavors come next with papaya and pineapple; balanced but not overdone. The hops are only mildly bitter, nothing green and vegetal about them, the pine element creates an east coast meets west vibe. Pretty clean finish. 6.4% - Found at Slackwater

E9 - 2+2=IPA: One thing I'm loving about E2 is their lower ABV IPAs. Any IPA in the 6 percent range is A-Okay with me. This one is hazy but not overly so. Straw yellow with a nice aroma of melon and citrus zest, fresh and lush. The flavor is also fruity, with some nice peach and guava, but the moderate bitterness runs throughout. It's not just a hop bomb. juicy berries and generic citrus to finish. 6.2% - Found at the Bayou

Cascade - Oregon Summer: I missed this one. It's a sour wheat ale aged in oak barrels for 10 months with Oregon grown blackberries, boysenberries and lavender. 5.7% - Found at the Bayou.

Kasteel - Rouge: is a blend of Kasteel Donker (Quad) and cherry liquor. Huge tart cherry on the nose with faint bready toasty caramel underneath. The flavor is huge tart cherry syrup with faint tartness and light caramel maltiness. It's quite wonderful. 8.0% - Found at the Bayou.

Flensburger - Winterbock: Lots of sweet overripe alcohol soaked plums, raisins, apples and cherries. Malts scream marzipan and almond notes with some light holiday spices. The taste has a lot of sweet bready and grainy malts, with spicy raisins, currents and figs. Honey sweetness comes next with some metallic notes and more marzipan. Some peppery and grassy notes round out a sweet dark sugar finish. This lager is definitely a winter warmer. 7.0% - Found at the Bayou.

Redhook - Big Ballard: This IIPA has a great aroma that has resinous orange and pineapple, though it's subtle. The flavor goes deeper with the piney grapefruit and hits of tangerine peel. Reminds me that larger breweries still have some good game left in them. 8.6% - Found at DABC

Revision - Dr. Lupulin: This Tri-PA pours a hazy orange with an aroma of mango, tropical fruits, and dank hops. The taste follows, with a bit of caramel malt, citrus and piney hops. There's some light dankness, mango and guava next with orange and pineapple and pine resin slowly building into a quite resinous and lingering finish. 11.3% - Found at Angry Goat 

Prost!