New Beer Friday 9/18/20

 Welcome to the adult version of New Beer Friday. We tried the kids edition – but after a few days in the pokey, we decided that wasn't going to work. So here it is, a nice, round selection of new suds for your weekend.

Proper - Strawberry Hibiscus Sour Ranger: Smells of strawberry, slight wheat with floral notes. Tastes of strawberry, wheat, hint of pale malt and slight yogurt. Mouth feel is sharp and crisp, with a slight bitterness. Overall, while the strawberry is strong in the aroma, it is much better balanced in the body. The tartness is assertive but there's enough strawberry to get above it. 5.0% - Available at Proper.

TF Brewing - Straight Stratta Pale: This wet-hop pale ale pours a medium golden amber with one finger white head with good retention and lots of lacing. Aroma of ripe tangerine peel, light lemon citrus, bready malt; a little earthy. Flavor follows with an emphasis on ripe melon, lemon and tangerine citrus, a hint of pine, bready and mildly caramel malt. Finishes with fruit forward tropical and citrus hops and nice earthy residual malt. A very tasty Stratta hopped pale ale. 5.0% - Only at TF on draft. 

Salt Flats - Pumpkin Spice Latte: Pours a slightly hazy amber orange with an aroma of pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, graham cracker and vanilla. Flavor is of cracker malts, graham cracker, pumpkin pie, cinnamon, nutmeg, and a hint of coffee.  A solid pumpkin ale one the pie side of pumpkin. Good stuff. 5.0% - Available at The Garage in Draper and Salt Flat's Brewery. Not vegan friendly.

Wasatch - Kick Back Series Oktoberfest: A toasted bread aroma with cracker, caramel and sweet malt. Very sweet and fresh smelling. Pretty well balanced between the malt and hops, maybe a little malt advantage. The abv is 6.0% and does casually make its presence known. This is like a meeting of German feistbers and American Oktoberfest brews. Available at most Wasatch/Squatters locations.

Epic - Señor Pepino: It has a nice pastel straw color with a nose that is mild, but has the unmistakable fresh garden aroma of cucumber. Earthy and green taste of fresh cucumber slices and some light traces of yeast fruitiness. The lager is complimented well by the vegetable addition, but it all seems to overpower the lime. Light and fresh feel, a clean lager with ample body and carbonation. 4.5% - Available at Epic in 16 ounce cans.

Squatters - Grandma's Cookies: Pours an opaque black with a nitro foamy khaki head. Aromas of dark roasted malt, allspice toasted oats, and slight cocoa. Taste is much the same with cookie dough and a cocoa flavor on the finish. There is a mild amount of roasty bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a silky and creamy mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer that is tasty and easy to drink. 5.0% - only at Squatters downtown.

Flensbberger - Pilsner: This is a somewhat hoppy pilsner that has a great balance of doughy, grainy malt and grassy hops going for it, with some lighter floral, citrus accents and a good bitterness in the finish. Quite crisp and clean, with a very balanced flavor profile leaning towards hoppy-side of the style. 4.8% - only at the Bayou in crowlers to-go.

Mike Hess Brewing - 4:59 Little IPA: Citrus hops are the most prevalent. Some floral hints as well. Biscuity light malts are also noticeable yet subtle. Flavor is assertive and hop forward with notes of orange, grapefruit, passion fruit, pine, light caramel and a bit of grassy hops. Assertive bitter finish with pine lingering. 4.59% - Found at Slackwater in Sandy.

Last week we mentioned the Shades' 10th Anniversary beers. The were delayed due to last week's power outages. So here they are again, available for purchase. 

Shades/Ice Haüs: The Ice Haüs is a staple for craft beer lovers in Murray. This collaboration is a Bloody Mary Michelada American-Style Sour Ale. It made with tomato, celery salt, chili peppers and worchestershire sauce. This nails the flavors quite well. The tart base ups the beers drinkabilty; maybe a bit more celery salt for my palate, but it's quite nice if you like this type of beer. 6.5%

Shades/Taproot Soda: When you're chasing the perfect unconventional mixer for your spirits, you're likely pouring Utah's own, Taproot Sodas. This week's second collaboration takes Taproot's Blackberry Mint soda and combines it with Shades' Kveik sour ale. 6.5%

 Cheers!

New Beer Friday 5/22/19

Full disclosure: I've been out of town and didn't get a chance to try much of what is out this week. That's too bad, because there's a lot of interesting sounding stuff out this week. I'll be back this evening, don't drink 'em all before I get back!

Toasted Barrel - Oak Aged Pilsner: I'm big on pilsners right now. I'm curious to see how this one came out. 5.0% Only at Toasted Barrel

Uinta - Free Form Rose Ale: This is the latest offering from Uinta's Free Form line of lower calorie beers. Look for a lightly tart ale with slight fruitiness. 4.3%

Proper Fault Line Red IPA: Yeah, yeah this isns't exactly new. However it hasn't been made in quite a while and on top that it was never a 5.0% beer. So, I'm calling it new ya jerk! This has a good amount of malt to it, almost toffe like the hops are aggressive and start with citrus peel. They soon change over to resiny pine and finishes off with a balancing bitter bite. I generally like hoppy reds to be a little more fruity; this one is dry and I crushed all 16 ounces of it in 5 minutes. Good stuff. 6.9% - Available at Proper.

Bohemian - Best of Show Dopple Bock: This was the winner of last year's Lagerpalooza. True to form, Bohemian said they'd make the winner and they have. Look for this clean, toffee driven malt machine at Bohemian Brewing. Dials in at a big 9.3%.

Policy Kings - Chai Saison: This is listed at 14% on Untappd. Seriously? That doesn't sound right. If it is, it's probably the one of the biggest saison ever made. 

Kiitos - Pineapple Mango Fruit Milkshake: I'm generally a fan of this series. They're always as described and not to sweet, relaying on the Fruit to do most of the lifting. 5.0%

Heber Valley - Coconut Girl: This is a Belgian style blonde ale brewed with coconut. 5.0%

Sawtooth - Pika: This is a peanut butter milk stout. It dials in at 5.0% and is already popping up at grocery and c-stores around SLC.  Sawtooth is from Hailey, Idaho and their brand new to the Utah market.

Modern Times - Star Cloud: Just hit SLC yesterday, This a hazy made with Citra hops. 6.8% - Available at DABC and possibly some of the opening better beer bars.

In case you missed it last week Epic's new CBD Free IPA is now in 22 ounce bottles, so there's an option for your as well.

Cheers!

New Beer Friday 4/17/20

One of the things I miss most from my individual exile, is sitting my ass down at any given pub and socializing with all of you. Lauren Lerch (pictured above) is an obvious riot and just one of the many humans that make our beer community so much brighter. Here's to all of you, and a Happy New Beer Friday!

Roosters - On Wednesdays We Wear Pink: This version of Roosters Pink Boots beer has less hibiscus than the previous year's beer. The nose is citrusy and floral with toasted character. The flavor is fairly dry with cracker-like malts and caramel. The hops bring in orange peel and flowery hops. It's dryness just adds to its drinkability.  5.0% - Available at all Roosters locations in crowlers.

Shades - Aftershock: The flavors pack a punch of strawberry, banana and guava. There's also some fresh pineapple juice cocktail in there; I don't know if there's actual pineapple juice, or if it's just the base beers tartness mingling with the fruit cocktail. Anoter winner from Shades. 5.7%. Checking Shades' status this morning, it appears that this beer has already sold out.

2 Row - Stimulus Check: This is one beastly IPA. This unfiltered triple IPA boasts a shload of Mosaic, Citra and Idaho 7 hops. Look for a massive hop profile with a huge malt backbone. The hops are resinous grapefruit, pine, lemons, floral esters and chrewy resins. The rest of the flavors are malty sweet with caramel, earthy bread and alcohol. Oh, and did I mention 11.0% alcohol?  Available at 2 Row starting today.

Uinta Pina Colada: The use of the lactose in this "milkshake pale ale" is pretty even handed. It's not as sweet as you may anticipate. You get coconut off the top for sure and it is subtle as well. Next you get some tropical fruit juices; mostly comprised of pineapple - maybe some mango. There a good dose of bittering hops in the finish to balance it all out. Solid. At 7.0% it's basically an IPA instead of a pale ale. Available starting today at Uinta.

Proper - Hey Joe!: This Amber Ale is on the dryer side of the style. What you get is is a good dose of toasted malts with a lot biscuit flavors. Hops are floral with some minor pine accents. the whole package come close to being a brown ale without the nuttiness. Drinks really well. It's dryness keeps its drinkabilty high. 5.0% - Available at Proper.

Kiitos Tripel Dry Hopped Hazy IPA: This new hazy features Citra, Amarillo and Lotus hops. Lotus is a fairly new hop that features notes of citrus, vanilla, berries and tropical fruits. Look for medium to low bitterness with an ample amount of malt sweetness. 5.0% Available at Kiitos.

Lone Pine- Tiny Tess: This appears to be mostly available in Davis Co. at the moment. I haven't tried it yet, you have please share your thoughts.  5.0%

Stone - Enjoy By 4/20/20: Alycen the manager of the Avenues liquor store announced yesterday that she got in this year's Enjoy By 4/20/20. I'm sure it's at other locations as well, but if you want some for the big day, you'd better pull the trigger soon.

Returning

Epic - Supersize Me IPA: If you missed out on this when it debuted last month in crowlers, you can rejoice, it's now in 22 ounce bombers. 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.

Epic would also like me to pass on that you can go to www.epicbrewingmerch.com and select the Salt Lake City location to place an order for their beer. Epic will build and box your order and all you have to do is come right inside the door to show ID and swipe your card. (you have to come inside the building to pay, according to the DABC you can't pre pay, it has to be paid for after your ID is checked). 

Cheers!

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 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!

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 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 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 9/27/19

You can defiantly tell it's autumn by the beers that have been released this week. When the evenings develop that slight chill these are the types of beers you'll want. Happy New Beer Friday.

Epic - Big Bad Baptist Chocolate Rapture: The second release in the 2019 Big Bad Baptists is a chocolate dream. Rich, roasted coffee bean nose with a good amount of earthy potent chocolate. The taste largely echoes the aroma, with notes of caramel syrups, roasted barley malts, and dark chocolate undertones, matched by a rich, roasted coffee bean flavor, generating a balance of fruit, acidity and roast characteristics. Finishes moderately dry with a lingering roasted coffee finish and hints of bourbon manage to make an appearance. Best enjoyed on the warm-side. Available starting today at Epic's SLC brewery.

Saltfire - Mobius Trip: This barrel aged golden sour has been sleeping in chardonnay casks for 15 months. Cherries were also added for more depth. This a collaborative beer made with home brewer, Rob Rutledge an award winning brewer of sour beers. Mobius Trip officially goes on sale this Saturday at Saltfire. I'll have some tasting notes on this at 2:30pm on KBER 101 with Mick and Allen.

Desert Edge - Wet Hop Chinook: Juicy citrus fruit aromas make my mouth water. I could sit and smell it all day. The hops smack you in the face. Sweet malt is present but the hop rule here. Finishes more bitter than expected, but I'm not complaining. Very noice. 4.0% - Available at Desert Edge.

Proper - Winchester: This American golden ale utilizes oats and rye, which make for a pleasant combo in this very light golden hued beer. The hops take on a slight citrus quality with a floral finish. 4.0 - Available at Proper. 

TF Brewing - Smoked Helles: The smoke element here is quite light and it adds a round sweetness to the beer that would otherwise be there. You still retain the a hint of nuttiness and the spicy floral component of the Saaz hops. Quite nice. 4.0% - Only at TF Brewing

TF Brewing-  Oktoberfest Märzen: TF released a smoked version of this later last month. This is the traditional version that feature a good dose of caramel and vanilla flavors that come across as creamy smooth. the hops are subtle with herbal spiciness and let the malts do most of the heavy lifting. Very nice. 4.0% - Only available at TF

TF Brewing - Dos People’s Doppelbock: Lots of bready malt, dark chocolate, light roast, faint booziness, and just a touch of syrupy sweetness. Medium-full bodied with slightly sharp carbonation but also very smooth and creamy in the mouth. Lingering stickiness and aftertaste leaves plenty of malty, sweet, complex breadiness and a late emerging floral hop bitterness. 7.9% - Only available at TF Brewing.

Fisher - Baby Beast: This Belgian style table beer is mostly yeast driven with light malts and hops. The flavor is mostly phenolic spices with a slight floral snap at the end.  4.0% - only at Fisher

Fisher - Falling Leaves Lager: This pleasant looking amber lager is light and toasty with some malt driven nuttiness. The hops are traditional with a nice grassy quality that drifts into the floral side of the spectrum by the finish. 4.0% - only at Fisher

Hopkins - Munich Dunkel:  The aroma is 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. A delicious dark lager without the roasty character of a stout or a porter.

UTOG - Top Shelf: The smell is lightly hopped up front, still a nice dosage of caramel malts appear. The taste is mainly sweet, becomes slightly bitter, and has a sticky sweet aftertaste and finish. On the palate, she sits about a light to medium, comes across as a fairly sessionable IPA.

Dogfish Head - American Beauty: This American Pale Al has an earthy- orange quality with a good amount of slightly sweet honey grains. The hops take over from here adding orange peel, floral, and herbal bitterness. Plenty of malt depth with a moderate bitterness in the middle, continuing through to the finish coupled with the floral hops and slightly sweet malts.Nice pale ale. 6.5% - found at DABC.

Stone - Tropic of Thunder: They're selling this as traditional lager, but it tastes more like an IPA. So, think IPL. The aroma is full of tangerine, peach and pear. with a hint of floral hops. There's a ton of fruit to go around, with a touch of honey and grain. There's a faint herbal bitterness in the finish. It all comes together quite well. 5.8%  found at DABC

New Belgium - Hop Avenger: Missed this one. It's brand new and not too many people have tried this one anywhere. Have you? Tell us a bout it. 7.7% - found at DABC.

Cheers!

New Beer Friday 8/30/19

Proper - Purple Rain: This is a Helles with blackberry and lime added. Nice tasting beer but you don't get too much of the Helles nice blackberry and lime flavors. 4.0% - at Proper Brewing.

Proper - Boston Girl: Nice tropical flavors with a good dose of citrus peel. A solid NEPA. 4.0% - at Proper Brewing

Proper - Foe Hammer: Another NEPA, this one is dosed with blood orange. The fruit kinda takes over the flavor, but not enough to to mute the hops. Nice beer. 4.0% -  at Proper Brewing

Proper - Bier Rose: This one is kinds muddled. Strawberry, Pomegranate and Hibiscus. The hibiscus kinda steals the show from the fruits; muting their flavors. 4.0% - At Proper Brewing

Level Crossing - Three Oaks Uncommon: I thought putting this beer on three different types of oak would make it real papery. Not at all the oak adds nice toasty and sweet flavors that are subtle and balanced. Very nice. 4.0% - at Level Crossing.

Kiitos - Northeast Pale Ale + Raspberries: This a very limited batch beer made to support the UofU's football team in last nights game. The aroma is hoppy with raspberry. The taste is basically, raspberry smoothie. Very tasty if you like raspberry. 4.0% - at Kiitos

Surly - Todd-The Axe Man: Tangy citrus, tropical fruits, maybe a little melon with a bit of pine in the end. Malts are nice and sweet. Solid IPA. 7.2% found at Beerhive, Bayou 

Firestone Walker - Old Man Hatten: The aroma smells like a Manhattan cocktail with some musty German spices. Te taste starts syrupy with some nice gingerbread and some holiday fruit cake. I get what they were trying to do here, but it comes across as a dessert dresssed up like cocktail, trying to be a beer. Didn't quite work for me. 9.6% - found at Beerhive and Slackwater.

Cheers!

New Beer Friday 7/19/19

Happy New Beer Friday. This week you get two treats as Founders' and Belching Beaver's beers hit Salt Lake. Supposedly some of these are hitting DABC stores; I have no info on that but I did find some at a couple of notorious beer spots in SLC. If you see them somewhere else, please spread the beer love.

Toasted Barrel - Bourbon Barrel Quad: This beer has aromas of fig, slight bourbon notes and a fuity sourness. The tastes follows with woody dryness and vanilla up front. Bourbon asserts itself as it warms with a little sour cherry and fig rounding it out. Finishes with boozy cherry and dark fruits. barrel dryness & figs. a beast at 15.0% - Available at Toasted Barrel.

2 Row Huckleberry Sour: This debuted yesterday and I missed it. I'm sad... I'm guessing it's got a sour lemony base with flavors of Huckleberry. If I'm wrong, set my ass straight! 5.9% - Available at 2 Row.

Wasatch Dunkelweizen: I missed out on this one too. This is a very small batch beer that is only available at Wasatch's Sugar House Brewpub. 4.0%.

Proper - It's Always Sunny in SLC: This pale ale is light with caramel sweetness, pine, orange peel and herbal hops in the finish. 4.0% - Available at Proper. 

Belching Beaver - Me So Honey: This has a golden/orange color with an aroma of honey and toasty bread. The taste is sweet with the distinct taste of honey. There is a little bitterness at the end but a lot of cracker and bread notes. If you're a fan of honey beers look into this. 5.5% - Found at the Bayou.

Belching Beaver - Peanut Butter Milk Stout: This is the beer that built this brewery. Smells of peanut butter and chocolate malts. The taste follows with more peanut butter and semisweet chocolate. Lactic sugars come in next to sweeten it up a little. There a hint of coffee in the finish. Medium to full bodied with a creamy mouth feel. 5.3% - Found at the Bayou.

Belching Beaver - Deftones Phantom Bride: This IPA an aroma that is grassy and citrus-like. The taste follows with zesty citrus, some tropical fruit, caramel malt, and a little bit of dank and floral bitterness at the end.7.1% - Found at the Bayou.

Founders Solid Gold: This lager has nice herbal hops that drive this tasty lager with notes of lemongrass and pine. Mild toast and corn round it out. Dry finish with minimal sweetness. 4.4% - Found at Beerhive.

Founders - Dirty Bastard: Pours a dark reddish brown with a nose of toffee, caramel and brown sugar. Very boozy from the start with flavors of toffee, peat and dates. It finishes with some more fruity flavors, like plum or raisins. Very nice. 8.5% - Found at Beerhive.

Founders - Centennial IPA: : The aroma is resinous with tropical citrus and melon. There's citrus and melon initially in the flavor with toasted bread and caramel malts underneath. Mostly tangerine, nectar, and melon in the end with a black tea bitterness in the finish. An excellent example of an IPA. 7.2% - Found at Beerhive.

Founders - All Day IPA: The nose has a pleasant balance of sweet malt, pine, melon and grass. The flavor is mostly driven by pine with some light tangerine backing it up. Seems thin even for Utah standards. Finishes mildly bitter. 4.7% - Found at Beerhive.

Founders - Breakfast Stout: Strong and intense aroma of coffee and dark chocolate. The flavor is full of coffee, with dark chocolate and oats in the background. Very nice. 8.3% - Found at Beerhive

Founders - KBS [Kentucky Breakfast Stout]: Subtle roasted malts and coffee notes in the aroma.    Huge bourbon notes with dark chocolate and vanilla off the top. The coffee get a little lost, but it doesn't detract from the smooth, beer's barrel character. 12.3% - Apparently this is only at the Beerhive, if you see it anywhere  else let us know.

Kiitos - Grapefruit Hard Seltzer: Just what you'd expect; spritzy and quenching grapefruit water with a little kick. 4.0% - Available at Kiitos on draft.

Cheers!

Saltfire's Guest Tap Program

In an act of craft beer based altruism, Saltfire Brewing Company will be teaming up with local breweries to serve up draft beers at their South Salt Lake City brewery. As many of you know, Saltfire brews exclusively high point beer (above 4.0%) - which means that they have no draft handles in their brewhouse's pub.

Beginning this Friday, June 28th. you're going to start seeing beers from Proper Brewing Co. at Salfire in a tap takeover format that will happen for an undermined amount of time. These tap takeovers will periodically feature different beers from various local brewers over the next few months. In between the special tap takeovers you'll be able to find various guest taps with beers that the Salfire crew deem "complimentary" to their current bottle section. The first tap takeover will run from 6-10pm.

What a great idea! It's stuff like this that helps to solidify a strong, local craft beer community.

Cheers!

New Beer Friday 4/26/19

Our New Beer Friday family may not be traditional, but we are interesting AF! This week's selection may not be huge but it's diverse a hell. Have an excellent weekend!

Proper - Hopothetical: This New England style IPA has a descent fruity/tropical nose that's full of the aromas most of you love. The taste has an Orange Julius vibe that is creamy, fruity and juicy. Very little bitterness; the 'juice' is really all that lingers. Crisp, medium body. 6.1% - Available at Proper and Craft.

UTOG Scottish Ale: This seems to be like a "wee peat" style of Scotch Ale. The aroma is malty with a bit of smoke, with little in the way of hops (which is appropriate). The taste starts lightly malty with toffee notes then transitions to a more smokey profile. The smoke comes of as phenolic and medicinal - sort of like a Band-Aid. 4.0% - Available at UTOG.    

UTOG - Kolsch: This unfiltered Kolsch a hazy golden yellow appearance. The aroma is mostly light, toasted grains.

Shades Kveik #6: Apricot and peach are the featured flavors here. Of course the kveik base is nicely tart but the stone fruits used here pretty much run the show. Though the flavors can be somewhat similar, the apricots to me steal the show. Very fruity and tasty with zero bitterness. 6.3% - Available at Shades and most beer pubs.

Mother Earth - Four Seasons Imperial Stout: Missed this one; and it makes me sad, because it sounds delicious. This imperial stout is aged in bourbon barrels and was brewed with tart cherries and liquid cocoa. Sounds tasty, eh? 11.7% - Available at Beerhive, Slackwater.

Cheers!

New Beer Friday 4/5/19

After last week's massive New Beer/Brewery Friday, it was nice to have a chill beer "research" day. This week we have another solid, all local beer showing to end the work week.

Bohemian Ode to Solstice: This beer is made with malt from local maltster “Solstice Malt”. It is unfiltered and amber in color, using healthy amounts applewood smoked malt to provide an apparent yet subdued smoke character. Bready and biscuit notes add complexity for a beer that is smoked out and loc’ed out. 4.0% - Available at Bohemian

Avenues Proper - Blackcurrant and Blueberry Brett beer: The nose has currents, with tart brett funk and a light spice. Taste is full with complex red berry notes, and yeasty spice. The addition of the blueberry works well, as they are fairly light and add an additional flavor rather than take over the beer. The Brett is strong and very flavorful. Great stuff. There aren't many local breweries that are willing to put brettanomyces beers on draft, take advantage of this special beer. 4.0% only at Avenues Proper.


Proper Brewing - Apricot SkittleBrau: Missed this one yesterday. I hope to have tasting notes for you when New Beer Friday continues this afternoon at 3:30 on KBER 101 with Mick and Allen. Please tune in.

Level Crossing - Unfiltered Kölsch: A nice toasty aroma with hints of green melon. The taste follows with some toasty grains and biscuit flavors. The hops come in late and add citrus peel and honeydew flavors. Not exactly to style, due to the hops but it's damn tasty. 4.0% - Available later this afternoon at Level Crossing.   

Fisher - Yet unnamed Sour beer with blood orange and black currents: Yogurt and berry aroma with a sharp tartness on the tongue. the berries are subtle at first but begin to pop through the tartness towards the end. Finishes dry. 4.0% - Available at Fisher.

Cheers!

A Winter Solstice New Beer Friday

It's a special "Resilience" New Beer Friday this week. When Sierra Nevada Brewing Company put the call out to breweries to help raise much needed support for the victims of the California "Camp Fires". Breweries from all over the country stepped up to contribute by producing a special beer that would help fund recovery efforts. The beer is called Resilience IPA. Sierra Nevada, along with Utah's Salt Flats and Uinta Breweries brewed up individual batches of this special beer with 100 percent of the proceeds from each breweries going to this special cause. These beers are limited in supply so don't wait too long or you will miss your chance.

Uinta - Resilience IPA: Pours an amber color with a white head with decent retention and leaves some lacing on the glass. Smells of bready malt and floral, citrusy hops. Citrusy, floral hops lead the way with lots of grapefruit flavor. A bit of sweetness in the strong malt backbone is overshadowed by the firm bitterness. Medium bodied. Available tomorrow at 11am at the Uinta Brewhouse Pub in 32oz Crowlers. Get there early folks because this one will be gone super quick. $8 - all proceeds benefiting the Sierra Nevada Campfire Relief Fund.  Uinta will also be contributing portion of proceeds from items purchased at their retail store and any additional 4.0% Crowler fills to-go from the pub.

Salt Flats - Resilience: Pours a clear copper with a white head. Smells of pine, hops, light citrus, and some malt. Tastes of tons of pine, fresh and bitter hops, light citrus zest, and a nice malt balance. Medium in body and carbonation. Overall a pretty good session IPA. This 4.0% version of Resilience is currently out and available at Salt Flats and the Garage Grill in Draper. As with the Uinta version, 100% of the sales from this beer go to the Sierra Nevada Campfire Relief Fund.

Salt Flats - Tank Slapper Double Rye IPA: Aroma is spicy rye, bready malt, floral and piney hops backed by citrus. Taste is bitter across the tongue with grapefruit, piney and peppery hops. The malt comes in next with the spicy rye and a caramel malt sweetness. The finish is clean, grapefruity and peppery. 9.0%. Available at Salt Flats and the Garage Grill.

Uinta - Experimental IPA: I haven't had this one yet, it will debut this morning. This IPA is loaded with Citra & El Dorado Hops. 6.5%. In an effort to raise more money for the Sierra Nevada Campfire Relief Fund. Uinta is also donating 100% of of the money from this beer as well.

Epic - Experimental NEIPA: from Epic’s R&D department. The aroma is a blend of mango, peach, and other tropical fruit. On the tongue you get mandarin oranges, bananas, and peaches. It's like a sort of tropical fruit punch. The mouth is resinous and sticky. Available in Epic's high point growlers until they last.

Squatters - Outer Daarrgness: This Rum Barrel aged version of Outer Darkness has a nose of cherry, chocolate, rum and maple. The taste is a nice mix of rum, maple syrup, dark fruits, molasses, and milk chocolate. Mouth is nice and full. Overall, an outstanding stout. 11.6%. Available at the Beer Store

Fisher - The Great White: It smells of bitter, and slightly dank pine needles, peppy orange and white grapefruit rind. Crackers and doughy pale malt come next with the addition of leafy and tropical fruit hops. The finish has leafy pine resins. 6.7%. Available at Fisher starting today at 10am. Very Limited.

Proper - Coffee Pale Ale: Definitely starts with big coffee upfront, immediately it transitions into dry malts with floral/piney hops. It’s like having two beers in one glass. Finishes quite dry. Love the coffee selection. 4.0%. Available at Proper.

Zólupez Stout: This malty stout is spiced with three chile peppers (pasilla, del arbol, habanero) each leaving different hints of bitter herbs and citrus. It’s spicy hot and unfiltered, so best to enjoy with food, not alone. Brewed with actual chocolate- your palate with recognize it. Bottle condition fermentation. 6.97%. Available Saturday at Cerveza Zolupez.

Cheers and Hoppy Holidays!

New Beer Friday 12/14/18

Are you wondering if you're actually experiencing New Beer Friday? If so, I'd like to introduce to you the new 'New Beer Friday' test applicator from Utah Beer Labs. Simply drink a beer and pee (not on yourself) on the applicator, then throw it away and check the Utah Beer Blog for updates. Happy Friday!      

Squatters - War on Xmas: This nitro porter is infused with orange and orange peel. The orange part is super subtle with the base beer doing most of the work. The porter is mostly chocolate with a bit of coffee. hints of orange in the finish. Very tasty. 4.0% - Available at Squatters

Kiitos - Holiday Ale: You can smell this one coming a mile a way as cinnamon explodes from the rim of the glass. This basically reminds me of a ginger snap cookie with subtle malts and a lot of spice. It finishes "snappy" and prickly. 4.0% - Available at Kiitos  

Toasted Barrel - Barrel Aged Sour: I missed out on this one, but I hope to have tasting notes later this afternoon when New Beer Friday joins Mick and Allen on KBER101at 3:30pm.

Shades Brewing- O.J. Simcoe: This new IPA is obviously driven with Simcoe hops. It's in that gray area between pale ale and IPA. Lots of citrus fruitiness with light tropical notes. Finishes softly bitter and dry. Super quaffable at 5.5%. Available starting today at Shades Brewing

Proper - Ahern Nut Brown: Nuttty and toasty caramel dominate this ale. Great balance with just enough floral/pine bitterness to balance it out. Finishes with bread like toastiness. Very Yummy. 4.0% - Available at Proper Brewing.

Mare Island - Hydraulic Sandwich: Orange peel and grapefruit in the nose. The taste has a good dose of tropical fruit-like hops with citrus and caramel rounding it out. Medium bitterness in the finish. 7.1% - Available at DABC.

Ritual - Art of Dankness: Aromas of berries, melon and citrus combine with bandy sweet malt. It tastes very sweet and malty up front with notes of fresh bread and sugar. The back end has a fruitiness from the hops that imparts a flavors of berries and fresh grass. Finishes a bit malty. 9.2% - Available at DABC.

Cheers!

New Beer Friday 11/30/18

New Beer Friday this week is brought to you by Utah's Solstice Malts. For no other reason than their grains are all up in your beers this week.

*Just Added Uinta - Migrator: This Beer is a dopplebock aged in Bourbon barrels. Right off the bat you get rich caramel and toffee. Next up you get a hint of roasted malts, then the bourbon kicks in adding complex vanilla and wood flavors. Finishes a tad sweet with not too much heat. Medium mouthfeel. 8.0% - Available at Uinta.

RoHa - Shambo Juicy IPA: The nose has pungent citrus peel and vague tropical fruits. The taste follows with sweet malts more orange and grapefruit flavors. Finishes with a hint of bitterness. 6.5% - available starting today at RoHa.

Proper SMaSH Lager with Grüngeist Hops: This is a nice bitter lager made with Solstice malts. The malt Profile is on the toasty side with minimal sweetness. The Grüngeist hops are grassy and herbal with a slight citrus quality. If you love a dry lager, you’ll dig this. 4.0% - available at Proper. 

Squatters - SMaSH Kölsch: This beer is made with Solstice malts also. It’s light and toasty with more pronounced malt sweetness. The hops are more subtle making this a more malt forward Kölsch. Light and refreshing. 4.0% - available at Squatters downtown. 

TF Brewing - Barton’s Blonde Ale: This is much like Cream Ale with sweet malts and some nutty qualities. The hops have that classic German grassiness. 4.0% - Available at T.F. Brewing. 

Cheers! 

New Beer - Brewery Friday 11/2/18

Three new breweries in three weeks? I'm pretty confident that this has never happened in Utah and it may never happen again. Salt lake's T.F. Brewing lasted only seven days as the new newness; passing the baton to Ogden's Cerveza Zólupez - a nano brewery that will specialize in craft brews with a south of the boarder flair. Congrats to Javier Chavez's on his new brewery.

Cerveza Zólupez Amber Ale: I haven't had this one yet. It's described a s being brewed with Piloncillo (Mexican brown sugar), and Mexican canela (cinnamon sticks). Giving it a malty, rich caramelly taste- balanced- with a good whiff and aroma of cinnamon. Two different batches of this beer was made.  #1 (5.12%) - #2 (8.12%) Available at Cerveza Zólupez tomorrow (11/3)


Cerveza Zólupez IPA: I haven't had this one yet. It's described a s being brewed with Blue Organic Agave from Mexico, and real lime peel (not concentrated lime flavor.) The lime peel, with the Citra hops, gives this IPA a hop forward fruit taste on the palate, and aroma lift to the nose. 7.63% - Available at Cerveza Zólupez  tomorrow (11/3)


 Epic Quadruple Baptist: The fourth incarnation (technically fifth) does not disappoint. The previous adjuncts of barrel aged coconut, cacao, and coffee is now combined with barrel aged almond creating a silky and smooth incarnation of Big Bad Baptist. The almond addition almost gives the whole chocolate/coffee/whiskey things and almost oat like quality that really sets it apart. If you're a fan of this series this one is a must for you. The version I had an ABV of 11.2%, but some are as high as 12.7% and as low as 10.3%  Available at Epic and soon to better beer pubs.

T.F. Brewing Northern Red Pale Ale: This is reminiscent of an old school pale. It has a medium light malt profile with hops that are citrus like to start then transition to more of a pine/herbal bitterness. Finishes dry. 4.0% - Available at T.F. Brewing.

2 Row Raspberry Sticks: If you're a fan of chocolate raspberry sticks, then you'll love this new holiday beer from 2 Row. This beer mimics the holiday treat quite well. It's got a good balance of raspberry and chocolate; the raspberry is particularly tart and fruity. The chocolate part come courtesy of Millcreek Cacao Roasters, it's adds a nice silky element to the stout. A very nice beer. 8.3% - Available at 2 Row, Bayou and Beerhive 

Proper - Country Mack's Harvest Pale Ale: This just hit my radar this morning. It's described as an old school American Pale Ale made with six different hops; including Meridian, Wolf and Dr. Rudi Hops. It's said to be bitter and dank with notes of vanilla and crackery malts. 4.0% - Available at Proper.

Toasted Barrel Oread Barrel 1: I missed these. A Brett Farmhouse ale aged in Waterpocket Distllery's Oread Botanical Liqueur. Look for notes of orange peel, anise, sage and lemon. 9.2% - Available at Toasted Barrel

Toasted Barrel Oread Barrel 2: Same beer, same barrel with a different balance of beer and barrel. Look for notes of orange peel, anise, sage and lemon. 9.2% - Available at Toasted Barrel.

Toasted Barrel Oread Barrel 3: Same beer, same barrel with a different balance of beer and barrel. Look for notes of orange peel, anise, sage and lemon. 9.2% - Available at Toasted Barrel.

Odell Isolation Ale: Has a nice aroma with caramel, citrus, and spices. The taste is sweet and malty with a slight bitterness. Starts with caramel, citrus, spices, and toasted malt. This is a malt driven beer that has enough bitterness to keep the the overall experience from getting too cloying. 6.0% - Available at Beer Bar, DABC.

Odell Whiskey Barrel Aged Lugene: The original Lugene was mothballed last year. This stout is a nicely round chocolate stout that can be on the sweet side. Lot's of barrel notes including wood and vanilla. It's full of chocolate,and lactose along with some light notes of coffee, and surprising amount of hops on the back end. Almost has a liqueur feel. Available at Beer Bar, DABC.

Saison Dupont: Light notes of clove, pink peppercorns, and a phenolic note cutting in. Nice peppery note at the front of the tongue, hint of bubble gum and sweetness, and a nice crisp finish. Super clean and refreshing. 6.5% - Available at the Bayou.

Speaking of the Bayou; they just got in a bunch of sour Belgian beers from Brouwerij Boon. I haven't had any of these yet, but my mouth is watering just thinking about them. These are in limited supply. get 'em before they're gone.

Boon Frambois
Boon Oude Gueze
Boon Oude Gueze Black Label
Boon Oude Gueze Mariage Parfait
Boon Oude Gueze - VAT 109
Brouwerij Van Steenberge - Tripel Van De Garre

Cheers!

New Brews Soon For You: September 2018

In today's preview of new brews that are coming soon for your consumption we have what looks to be a shload of new IPAs; guaranteed to cuddle your inner hop fiend. The breweries creating these beers have not officially announced release dates on these, but trust I will let you know when they hit shelves/taps. 

Saltfire We Hop - Lupulin Dew: That gorgeous label pictured above is for Salfires new Wet Hop Ale. Wet Hop IPAs require that hops hit the brew in less than 24 hours from the time they were picked. This can be expensive due to overnight shipping costs but the taste is well worth it.

Saltfire Frankly Mr. Shankly: This IPA is Saltfire's entry into the Hazy IPA game. Look for low bitterness, a high amount of tropical/fruity hops and alomg with a good dose of malts. 

Proper Hopothetical: This experimental IPA series from Proper will feature - whatever the hell the
boys and girls at Proper want. This "mad scientist" beer will hit whenever with whatever. Hopefully sooner than later.

Vernal Autumn Harvest: I love Harvest ales! They're always so fresh and bright and they seem to add more flavor than the typical beers especially when the air outside tends to get a little crisp. This won't be your typical harvest beer. This one will dial in at a hefty 10%. Boom!

Talisman One-Off Ale: You're not going to get a lengthy description here. The name says it all; look for another whatever/whenever beer from high to low ABV. I do know that whatever these beers turn out to be, they'll be in 22 ounce bombers. Seriously, It's a great thing when breweries invest in experimental one off beers. 

RoHa Shambo: Another New England style is headed our way. Shambo is a the RoHa brewing Project's ante into the hazy IPA poker game. This one will come in at 7.0% ABV and should feature a fruit salad of tropicaL and citrus delights. All that and a handy 12 ounce can.


Uinta Pack it Out: This new IPA from Uinta describes itself as being "unfiltered" not hazy so you can
take that to mean whatever the hell you want. Uinta does a pretty good job with their IPAs, even at session strength. They hope you'll take this 4.0% beer with you when recreating in the greatnewss that is Utah. Remeber to pack it out after you pack it in. 

Cheers!

Images found at Shipcomplient.com