New Beer Friday 3/27/20

No clever jabs at pop culture or current events for this week's New Beer Friday. Today it's all about honoring those who were our hosts when we used to go out to dine or imbibe. I personally miss you all. Heather, Ryan, Cardi, Gretchen, Dave, Mindy, Barry, Katie, Spencer, Amanda, Alec and so many more. I know I speak for others. Hang in there, and we hope to see you soon! If you'd like to help out your pals in service industry hit this link. https://downtownslc.org/tipyourserver

Level Crossing - Space Oddity: This Hazy IPA was brewed with orange blossom honey and an outer space themed blend of Comet, Galaxy, Apollo, Ekuanot, Strata and Enigma hops. You get a very explosive aroma, full of citrus peach and pineapple. The taste follows with the addition of grapefruit pith and some hints of mango. the pith carries into the finish creating some bitterness at the end.  8.8% Only at Level Crossing starting at 11am today.

Talisman - Spindrift Hazy IPA: Another hazy for Ogden's beer nerds. This one pops with  pineapple, mango and subtle pine with that smooth and creamy haze body. You can get this to go in growlers, crowlers, and grumblers. Hit Talisman up! One of Northern Utah's greater beer makers. From 12-8pm. 5.0% ABV

Rogue - Cherry Choctabulous: Chocolate and vanilla pop in this milk stout. There is a tartness to it, but it doesn't necessarily come across as cherry - maybe, citrus? regardless of the flavor, it seems to work well enough. Seems a little boozy for style, but tasty. 8.4% - Found at DABC.

Rogue - Shavasana: Rogue calls this an "Imperial, Granola Blonde". Look for flavors of granola, honey, coconut and black tea. Low floral hop bitterness. It's not as weird as it sounds. Again, probably stronger than it needs to be. 8.0% - Found at DABC.

Dogfish Head - The Perfect Disguise: A straightforward Kölsch with a crisp Kölsch yeast and traditional German malts and hops. A quick sniff and you’re greeted by the double dry-hopping of an American Double IPA, with nearly 4 lbs. of German and American hops per barrel. It brings tropical flavors of citrus, tangerine, mango, gooseberries and peach. 8.0% - 8.0% - Found at DABC.

Cheers!

Pictured above: Beer Bar's Heather Perry

New Beer Friday 11/15/19

There's no need to hire bounty hunters to track down this week's New Beer Friday releases. Everything available this week is local (less one) and they're fresh, fresh, fresh. Go Utes!

Talisman - Bourbon Barrel Imperial Stout (2019 Limited Exclusive Release): Aged for 6 months in Sugar House Bourbon Barrels, this beer has a strong and pleasant bourbon aroma, roasted malt, very nice. Nice blended bourbon taste, strong upfront. Roasted malt backs the bourbon well, with some cocoa flavors breaking though. Easy and smooth drinking. 10.5% - Very limited. Available at Talisman.

Proper Brewing - Monolith: The taste starts off with a rich roasted coffee flavor and a bit of chocolate until mid-sip until the depth of the barrels starts to come through. Very pleasant and usual whiskey flavors come in, adding some typical spicy rye notes with added hints of tart vinous-like qualities. 10.2%.

Saltfire - Mobius Trip Raspberry: This next iteration, like its predecessor, was aged for well over a year in Chardonnay oak barrels before aging again for several months, in this case, on Raspberries. Flavor wise you get a fair amount of raspberry on top of the barrel sour base. It's slightly intense and it swells around the sour. 8.0% Available today at Saltfire 

Zion/Saltfire - SSCXWC19UT-FVB: Yes, that is the name, it's not a typo. This collaboration pale ale was dry-hopped with a new hop called "Soltano". It provides some orange peel up front with some big resinous pine in the finish. 5.0%. Available on draft at Zion and Saltfire.

 

The following beers are a new line from Shades Brewing. F.i.t. is a low calorie, low carb edition to the Shades portfolio that is targeting the more active/health conscious beer drinker. 12 ounce cans are hitting stores right now, you can also get them at the Shades Taproom. 

F.i.t. - Blonde: Light body with nutty, toasted grains and lemon grass. 4.0%

F.i.t. - Brut IPA: This IPA is bone dry and is hopped with Simcoe and Motueka hops. Some citrus qualities with a hint of tartness - due to the very low levels of sugar. 4.0%

F.i.t. - Light Lager: Very light honey malt and toast with a hint of noble hops. Sparkling carbonation. 4.0%

Dogfish Head - 75 Minute IPA: This is basically a west coast IPA. The maple syrup element isn’t very present in the flavor beyond a faint sweetness, but does add a nice smooth mouthfeel. Hops are piney and grapefruity but not too bitter. Nice. 7.5% - Available at DABC.

Cheers!

New Beer Friday the 13th - 9/19

Shades - Berry Pie Kveik: The flavors here are basically a berry medly. The fruits are semi sweet with some lactose for balance. Graham cracker comes in next to give it the full pie effect. Very drinkable and enjoyable. It won't last long, get it before it's gone. 6.5% - Available at Shades, also found at Craft by Proper and Bayou. 

Epic - Deep Pocket: This is Epic's first Helles and it's pretty solid. It offers a touch of sweetness with a good dose of spicy German hops. The malt character is soft and bready and the finish is slightly bitter. 5.0% - Available at Epic in growlers.

TF Brewing - Luckenbach: This American brown ale is mostly toasty and malty with some pine bitterness backing it up. It's on the edge of being dry, but the malts have enough sweetness to keep it balanced. 4.0% - Available at TF Brewing.

Level Crossing - Jazz Loon: Can you Spot the Easter egg on the can? This new lager is made with all German hops but it's not your typical German pils. Mild melon and clementine meld with a grassy hop character. The malts are toasty and sweet giving the hops something to play with. A nice change of pace pils. 5.3% - Available starting today at Level Crossing.

Wasatch/Level Crossing - Collaboration IPA: There's a real nice aroma here, starting with zesty citrus oils of lemon and tangerine. The hops get into an herbal spicy like component as well. The taste keeps it simple. Juiced flavor with slight malty sweetness accents; an excellent and somewhat varied fruity hop flavor. Nice qualities of grapefruit to orange citrus juice with a spritzy lemon oil mixed in. 7.0% - Available at most Wasatch locations. Coming soon to Level Crossing.

Toasted Barrel - Chardonnay Apricot Sour: Haven't tried this yet, it hits later today. 2 lbs of apricot puree per gallon in this barrel aged sour. Can't wait to try this one. 6.6%.

2 Row Feelin' Fruity: This is another apricot infused beer. This is Feelin' Hazy with apricot added. The fruit adds a lot of body and depth to this beer. A hint of tartness from the stone fruit provides a welcome zip to this NEIPA. Very Nice! 8.6% - Found at Bayou.

2 Row Dunkel: Smells quite dry. Once on the tongue it's much maltier. Flavor-wise it's dominated by notes of bread, nuts, and perhaps a touch of chocolate. An enjoyable lager. 6.6% - Available at 2 Row.

Bonneville - Pumpkin Ale: Made with real pumpkin, traditional spices and lactose for a nice round mouthfeel. One of the better pumpkin beers you'll try. Available at Bonneville, Soon to All Star Lanes. 

Dogfish Head - World Wide Stout: This beast of a beer generally dials in anywhere between 15 - 20% and is made with a massive amount of barley to get it there. The nose is super boozy with roasted malts and char. The flavor is fairly sweet with chocolate and espresso up front with hints of vanilla and more hot alcohol in the finish. It has a very thick and oily mouthfeel. Found at the Bayou and Beerhive.

Cheers!

New Beer Friday 9/6/19

Hoppers - Bungalow Kölsch: Missed this one. Look for toasty and fruity malts with a good dose noble hops. 4.0% - Available at Hoppers.

Heber Valley- Blackberry Saison: Missed this one too. Look for wheaty and spicy yeast base with blackberry accents. 4.0% - Available at Heber Valley.

Hopkins/Wasatch - Locals Only: This collaboration beer was made with 100% local ingredients. It's malty with fruity yeast esters and hops that lean to the citrusy part of the spectrum. 4.0% - Available at Hopkins and at Squatters 30th Anniversary party.

Dogfish Head - Punkin Ale: Smells and tastes of cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, pumpkin, brown sugar, malts and some vanilla. Medium to heavy body.  7.0% - Found at DABC

Returning 

RoHa's - Freshies Wet Hop: Made with wild hop from around the area; this special ale is different every year, due to the unpredictable nature of the hops. 4.0% - Available at RoHa.

Cheers!

New Beer Friday 3/8/19

Today is International Women’s Day. It will also be the 2nd Annual Pink Boots Brew Day in Utah. Our local chapter of the Pink Boots Society will be brewing a Cold Session IPA at Roosters' B Street to raise money for causes related to the organization.

In conjunction with the brew day, the ladies will be having a fundraising event in the B Street tap room. Utah Pink Boots Chapter leader, Jamie Burnham has been diagnosed with breast cancer. To help offset medical bills, Roosters will be donating a portion of all pints sold at B Street on March 8th. Come by to check out the Pink Boots Members brewing, and to support one Utah's best beer advocates. Now, on to New Beer Friday.

2 Row - Divine Lunacy: This new barrel aged beer from 2 Row is a begian quad aged in "new" bourbon barrel for nearly a year. The bourbon is nearly overpowering at first, but once you palate adjusts the bubblegum and peach from Quad begin to assert themselves. Very nice! 11.5% - Available at 2 Row, Beer Bar, Bayou, Dick n' Dixie's.

Strap Tank - Cosmic Fog: This beer looks like some kind of acid trip while watching an episode of My Pretty Pony. It's a swirling cloud of purple hued pearl essence. The taste is subtle tartness with vague berries. Not Bad. 4.0% - Available at Strap Tank, Fisher Brewing's guest tap. It's going fast!

Hopkins - Hipster AF: This beer is "triple dry hopped" with citra, mosaic, and cascade hops - brewed with lactose for that “milkshakey”, juicy, hazy. 4.0% - Available at Hopkins.

Telegraph West Swell Juicy IPA: Epic's newest acquisition from Santa Barbara is finally in our market. The West Swell IPA has a nose of grapefruit and papaya. Flavor-wise we get orange and pineapple from the hop selection. Bitterness is low, while sweetness is high. Nice example of the style. 6.7% - Found at Slackwater.

Dogfish Head - Perfect Disguise: This Double IPA is supposedly a Kolsch at heart; made with Kolsch  yeast and German malts. Hopped with nearly 4 lbs. of German and American hops per barrel. It brings tropical flavors of citrus, tangerine, mango, gooseberries and peach. 8.0% - Available at DABC.

Elysian - Dayglow IPA: Aromas of citrus and flowers. The flavor has grapefruit peel and is strong with some caramel and pine. The bitterness isn't too overpowering. Nice. 7.4% - Available at Slackwater, DABC. 

Cheers!

New Beer Friday 1/18/19

Shades - Kveik #9: This is similar to Shades' gold medal winning Kveik #1, however this one was made with Lemon Drop hops. Look for a little more lemon twang, it also slightly sweeter which gives it a little more balance between malt and tart. Very nice sour. 6.3%. Available at Shades.

Proper - Snow Plow: This "citrus pale ale" is made with grapefruit peel, lemon peel. It's obviously citrus forward with complimenting hops. English/American blend yeast strain adds to the character. 4.0% - Available at Proper

Uinta - Elevated Red:  Brewer Brandon Kemmer said that being a California native who relocated to Utah, he wanted to brew a beer in tribute to the state of Utah and its red rocks to the south, and pine-filled mountains to the east. Brewed with piney hops and the addition of spruce tips add a slight piney flavor and aroma to this mild ale.

Saltfire - A Series of Singularities "Matuwhatka"- From Saltfire: If the Citra Ninja wandered about New Zealand and mistook some hop plants for blood enemies then the carnage left behind could only be the Motueka hop verital....varital...varietal! Damn it! Anyway. Announcing the next in our Singularity line of IPAs this citrusy (is that even a word?) hop with notes of tropical fruit from the islands down under is sure to throw a Shuriken blade into your frontal cortex. Doors open at 3pm

Full Sail Malted Milkshake Style IPA: Described as having an aroma of sweet pineapple. Taste is tropical fruit pine resin and bready malt. 6.8% - Available at DABC

Wasatch West Coast IPA: Fruity aroma and taste with tangerine/orange being the most prominent. Isn't very fizzy as it goes down but it finishes smooth and very drinkable. Quite enjoyable and definitely a pick-up if you want a new IPA to try. 6.5% - Available to go in Park City only. Available to enjoy at all Wasatch/Squatters Locations.

Fisher California Common: Very light sweet malt aroma. Light sweet malt, a hint of light fruit with a spicy hop flavor and finish. 4.0% - Available at Fisher.

Toasted Barrel BA Raspberry Porter: This is described as having a bit of barrel character, slight raspberry, and a bit of tartness, that balances it out more than bitterness. 6.7% - Limited at Toasted Barrel. starting tomorrow.

Dogfish Head 75 Minute IPA: Described as being a blend two Dogfish Head favorites, add maple syrup and carbonate the mixture naturally. The carbon dioxide trapped during bottle conditioning gives 75 Minute IPA a soft and velvety mouthfeel. Dry-hopped with whole-leaf Cascades,

Crazy Mountain Snowcat Coffee Stout: Dry roasted coffee, smooth rich dark chocolate malts.
Coffee bean nose. Brown/black, opaque, with a tan foamy head with delicate lace.
Medium body. 5.9% - Available at DABC.

Cheers!

New Beer Friday 9/28/18

Apparently today is National Drink a Beer Day. This being the case, I've found a nice round selection of local regional beers to help you accomplish this sacred national obligation.

It's also worth mentioning that Utah has two new breweries that have gone online and are now fermenting beer. Policy Kings Brewing located in Cedar City started brewing last week and will hopefully be selling their suds to our brothers and sisters in Southern Utah in the coming weeks. The Templin Family (TF) Brewery went online yesterday and hopes to be serving beer at their Granary neighborhood spot by the end of October. Congrats to Utah's newest beverage playgrounds!

Fisher Purple Power Sour: Black Currents were added to this new brew. They give it a deep purple color that is tinged towards the red. The taste is lemony tart as you'd expect, with a good amount of berry fruitiness. One of their better sours for sure. 4.0%. Only at Fisher

Fisher Best Fresh Citra Pale: The name says it all - whick means this probably won't be around very long. There's a good amount of citra hops in here, which gives it that nice tangerine zing. The malts are equally pronounced giving it an all around balance. Tasty! 4.0%. Only at Fisher 

Kiitos Barrel Aged Barley Wine: This new 13.0% Barley Wine is being released tomorrow to celebrate Kiitos' one year anniversary. Look for big toffee, tobacco and dark fruits combined with bourbon and oaky vanilla. Boom!

Kiitos Fruit Milkshake: A bright red fruit blast, mostly raspberries with some blueberries and plums as well. Kiitos used over 1.5 pounds of fruit per gallon of beer and it tastes like a smoothie. Available in cans and on draft. 4.0% Available 9/29

Kiitos Marzen: is an amber lager and is their take on an Oktoberfest style beer. The beer is malt forward and very crisp. Available on draft only. 4.0% Available 9/29

Kiitos Session Brut IPA: is very light and dry with high carbonation allowing the citrus hop flavors to shine with no bitterness. Available in cans and on draft. 4.0% Available 9/29

Red Rock Fallen: This non traditional Dunkle is dark brown in color with aromas of dark malts, some cacao notes, banana and a touch of resiny hops. Taste has a somewhat spicy quality due to the ginger. The malts are semi-sweet and bready with cacao, banana, clove and lemon. It finishes with some citrusy hops. Medium/light body and carbonation. A nice twist on the Dunkle style, I think you'll like it. 4.0%. This should be hitting Harmon's Grocery stores anytime. 

Zion Pecan Nut Brown: A medium amount of sweet malts combined with toasted grain and pecans make this brown ale the perfect autumn companion. I fell in love with beer on the first sip. Very  satisfying and appropriatly complex for it's 4.0% ABV. Available At Zion Canyon's Brewpub and at Beer Bar for a limited time.

Wasatch Clothing Hoptional: While this beer isn't technically new, the use of the wild Summit County hops keep it different every year; so let's call it new. The addition of local malt makes it a true local beer. This beer debuts Saturday, 29th. at Wasatch's original Park City brewery.   

Desert Edge Fresh Hop Ale. This is an unfiltered pale ale brewed with farm fresh Citra hops used within 24 hours of harvest. Using fresh undried hops bring out subtle floral qualities usually lost in the drying process. This beer has light malt character and low bitterness to let those fresh flavors of peachy, citrusy, goodness stand out. 4.0%. Available at Desert Edge.

Desert Edge CitraNali Pale Ale: This unfiltered pale ale is brewed with lots of Citra and Denali hops for a bold hoppy ale full of bright grapefruit and tropical fruit flavors. Light malty background with high bitterness and dry finish. 4.0%. Available at Desert Edge.

Deschutes Hopzeit Autumn IPA: It starts off with toasted/bready malts and light caramel. The citrus and tropical flavors from the from the hops blend nicely with malts making it very drinkable. The finish has a nice dose of spicy/herbal bitterness. 7.0%. Available at DABC and better beer pubs.

Silver Moon Mango Daze: This is a new brewery to hit our market, it quietly slipped in from Bend, Oregon. It opens orange zest and mango. Tropical and citrusy hops dominate though, creating a nice fruit salad effect. The mango adds to the hop character in a way that seems natural and purposeful.   Mid way through you get mild toast/caramel notes with a finish that is mildly dry and acidic. Nice beer. 6.0%. Available at DABC and better beer pubs.

Dogfish Head Fruitful Fort: This beastly fruit beer dials in at whopping 18%. I don't want to over describe this beer's complexities because there's a lot going on here and it's not going to be everyone's jam. Look for chewy molasses along with concord grape, blueberry and raspberry. Calling it full bodied would be an understatement. It finishes super boozy and astringent. I'd grab some of these and cellar them for a few years. A little time in the bottle will hopefully mellow this fucker out. I found this at Beer Bar.

I'll be discussing these beers and other random beer topics this afternoon with Mick and Allen on KBER101 at 3:30pm. Please tune in.

Cheers!

Keep Dogfish Head and Kiitos on Your Mind Today

As promised, I have info regarding the initial releases of Dogfish Head's foray into the SLC market. As of today you will begin seeing DFH beers hitting DABC shelves and specialty beer pubs. Just in case you're wonder what's available, I have that too.

General Listed:
Sea Quench Sour Ale
Flesh and Blood IPA
60 Minute IPA
90 Minute IPA

Special Order:
Lupu Luau
120 Minute IPA
Palo Santo Marron
Wood Aged Bitches Brew
Burton Baton
Liquid Truth Serum
Mixed Media

Basically, the general listed stuff will be in the DABC stores and the special order stuff will be in the bars. Of course all of this is subject to change. Happy hunting!

Also today, Kiitos is releasing their new Barrel Aged Coconut Stout. This version of the popular coconut stout was aged in Sugar House Distillery's bourbon barrels. This 4% beer is packaged in 16 ounce cans and should be available when Kiitos opens today. There will be release party/pinball tournament at the brewery starting at 5:30pm.

On a side note: The barrels the Kiitos used for this beer have gone back to Sugar House Distilling and have been refilled with bourbon to become part of SHD's Boilermaker Series: a special offering that features whiskey aged in barrels that previously featured local beers. Boilermaker #1 was aged in Uinta's Cockeyed Cooper barrels and Boilermaker #2 was aged in Epic's Smoked and Oaked barrels. These are great whiskies that are definitely worth picking up when their released.

Cheers!

Dogfish Head Coming to Utah

The title says it all; the East Coast's kings of weird beer are sending their suds to the beehive state in the coming weeks. A little birdie from the east coast gave me a heads up the other day and I was able to confirm it with a local bar owner so it looks like it's about to be a done deal.

If you're not familiar with Dogfish Head Brewing: Founder Sam Calagione started Dogfish Head over 20 years ago in Milton, DE. He created a brewing culture that offers a wide selection of off-centered ale that have often skewed the boundaries of what beer could be. Some of their best known beers include  Dogfish Head 120 minute IPA, Palo Santo Marron, Burton Baton and Bitches Brew. I'm not sure what beers will hit the SLC market first, but I'd put a solid bet on Dogfish Head 90 Minute leading the charge.

As soon as I get better info, I'll pass it along. I'm sure this will make many East Coast transplants very happy.

Cheers!