New Beer Friday 2/10/23

Another week of mostly hop forward beer for this week's New Beer Friday. The are a couple of malt forward options, but it's basically a pale ale week.

Speaking of Hops, Beer Nerd Radio will get into the hop world when Joe Mastrorocco of Roy Hop Farms Joins Mikey and Steph today at 2pm on 99.9fm KUAA.

Saltfire - Winter Camp: The aromas in the beer are oranges, pineapple, mangos, grapefruit, mandarin oranges, a touch of pine, crackers, yeast, and grass. Theflavors are oranges, lemons, mangos, pineapple, grapefruit, with a touch of pine. There is some astringency in the finish as well. 7.0% - Available at SaltFire  

Salt Flats - yet unnamed Cali Common/Steamer: This beer is so fresh it doesn't have a name yet. This a traditional Steam Style/California Common that features Nelson, Halertau Blanc hops. Do I have your attention now? Not much aroma, but this beer is only minutes old. I’d best describe this as a dry pale ale. Not too fruity from the yeast, but lotsa berry notes from the hops. It fishes slightly which is something that doesn’t one up often when dealing with these hops. Not your classic steamer. 5.0% - Available at Salt Flats and their Garage Restaraunts. 

Salt Flats - “Rye”T Hand Turn: Wow. Caramel, rye & C-hops (with a bit of Amarillo) combine to make a simple, yet tasty citrus & berry pale that’s has siiick drinkability. RyePA fans need this. 5.0% - Available at Salt Flats and their Garage Restaraunts. 

Level Crossing - Barrel-aged The Black Album: Pitch black with a tan collar. Smells like cocoa powder with bourbon, earthy and citrus hops, roasted malt, and black strap molasses. Taste is not as vibrant, hops become stronger but more generic, bourbon booze warms up quickly through sips, more smoky as it warms. Feel is warm verging on hot, smoky, malty, but does have hop textures to break it up. 9.4% - Available Saturday 2/11 at Level Crossing.

Red Rock - Why So Serious?: This Triple IPA has an aroma of tropical fruit mango/papaya, tangerine, pine, herbal zest, and some raw earthiness, along with a healthy load of caramel malt as well and a tinge of alcohol vapors. Full frontal flavor of hops with lots of tangerine and tropical highlights. Sticky florals and some hempy herbals. Resinous with pine essence that gives way to a decent amount of caramel malt backing here. Slight sweetness about it. ABV’s are masked incredibly well at 10.1% this is dangerously drinkable. 10.0% - Available at Red Rock locations.

Uinta - Almost Paradise: Great unfiltered clarity. Grapefruit aroma with a hop profile that leans into citrus. There’s some vague pineapple as well, along with some peach, but overall it’s a super crushable session IPA. 5.0% - Available at Uinta on their R&D tap handle.

Uinta - Dark Lord: This is a Czech-style Dark lager. Roasted and malt aroma. Taste starts the same with added cocoa powder & caramel. It’s a little more round than its German & American cousins. Excellent cold weather lager. 5.0% - Available at Uinta on their R&D tap handle.

Fisher - West Coast IPA: Part of Fisher's new "Rotating IPA Series" Missed this one. 7.6% - Available at Fisher to-go only.

Fisher - Sun, It Never Sets: Missed this pale ale. 5.0% - Available at Fisher on draft.

Bewilder - Coffee Kolsch: Pours gold with a slight haze that clears as the beer warms. The coffee is faint and not dominant supported by light biscuit aromas. Taste is light fruit, then mild coffee sweetened by gentle malt with a hint of caramel. This is a rich and flavorful beer. The coffee is there but it still leaves room for the Kolsch.

Here are this week's Small Batch Beer from Hopkins Brewing.

Cheers!