Beer News | Mashing In

Schlafly Raspberry Hefeweizen Makes Seasonal Return

Posted on March 20, 2019 by mashingin

Schlafly Beer (St. Louis, Missouri) has officially announced that the Seasonal release of Raspberry Hefeweizen will begin during the week of March 18.

Also known as “brewers’ summer water” at Schlafly, Raspberry Hefeweizen is an unfiltered Wheat Beer “that uses real raspberry in the brewing process.” Hazy pink in color, this “true fruit beer” allows the flavor and aroma of raspberries to mingle “with citrus aromas from the wheat and a desirable tart flavor.” Coming in at a “delightfully drinkable” 4.1% ABV and 16 IBUs, Raspberry Hefeweizen “is low in bitterness and not overwhelmingly sweet, but refreshing and balanced.”

“Drinking pink isn’t only for the rosé lovers out there,” says Founding Brewer Stephen Hale. “Our Raspberry Hefeweizen is the ideal crushable beer for warm weather. Now, in 16-ounce cans, it is even more approachable for summer pool hangs, beach time, or porch sipping.”

Raspberry Hefeweizen is officially rolling out this week with plans to hang around through the warm weather months. You can expect to find this Seasonal offering available in 6-packs of 12 oz. bottles, 12-packs of 16 oz. cans and on draft at craft beer-friendly establishments located in Missouri, Tennessee, and throughout the rest of Schlafly’s distribution footprint. Prost!

Vital Information for Raspberry Hefeweizen from Schlafly Beer

Release – Seasonal, returning mid-March 2019
Style – Hefeweizen/Fruit Beer
ABV – 4.1%
IBUs – 16
Added Ingredients – Real raspberry
Availability – 6-packs of 12 oz. bottles, 12-packs of 16 oz. cans & draft
Beer Finder – http://www.schlafly.com/beer-finder/

Highland Brewing Company Brews 25th Anniversary Rustic IPA with Sierra Nevada

Posted on March 19, 2019March 19, 2019 by mashingin

Highland Brewing Company (Asheville, North Carolina) officially announced that it is brewing a new collaboration brew – Rustic IPA – today alongside Sierra Nevada Brewing Company (Chico, California | Mills River, North Carolina) and independent, family-owned hop and malt suppliers including Riverbend Malthouse, Briess Malting, Crosby Hop Farms, Roy Farms, and CLS Farms.

Brewed by Highland Brewing and Sierra Nevada – two multi-generational, independent craft breweries – with malt and hops exclusively sourced from independent, family-owned suppliers, Highland’s Rustic IPA 25th Anniversary Ale is a Hazy India Pale Ale featuring “experimental hops like Motueka, Zappa, Azacca, and Strata that lend notes of tropical fruit and lemongrass to the brew.” A “hazy malt bill featuring flaked oats, rye, pilsner malt, and wheat” rounds out the recipe and further accentuates the beer’s “fruity hop character.” Coming in at 5.8% ABV and 45 IBUs, Rustic IPA promises to be “a balanced showcase for the best of innovation and tradition from each of the collaborators.”

Brian Grossman, Family-Owner and Second-Generation Brewer for Sierra Nevada in Mills River, said, “When Sierra Nevada chose to build our second brewery in Asheville, Highland welcomed us with open arms. Being multigenerational, family-owned companies, we share similar values and experiences. We were proud to collaborate with our friends to brew a special beer to celebrate their 25th anniversary. “

“Good businesses are built on relationships and we genuinely enjoy and are proud of our relationships with Sierra Nevada and these suppliers,” said Family-Owner and President of Highland Brewing, Leah Ashburn. “Brian and I are in a small group of second-generation family leaders in craft beer and we intend to build a sustainable future for both our breweries. This collaboration beer celebrates that future.”

Rustic IPA will debut at Highland Brewing Company’s two-day anniversary festivities on May 3-4 and limited distribution is scheduled to follow the on-site release. You can expect to find this special collaboration available in 4-packs of 16 oz. cans and on draft at select craft beer-focused establishments located in North Carolina, Tennessee, and South Carolina. Prost!

Vital Information for Rustic IPA from Highland Brewing Company & Sierra Nevada

Release – Limited, May 2019
Style – Hazy India Pale Ale
ABV – 5.8%
IBUs – 45
Hops – Motueka, Zappa, Azacca & Strata
Grains – Flaked Oats, Rye, Pilsner Malt & Wheat
Featured Malt & Hop Suppliers – Riverbend Malthouse, Briess Malting, Crosby Hop Farms, Roy Farms & CLS Farms
Availability – 4-packs of 16 oz. cans & draft
Distribution – Limited; North Carolina, Tennessee & South Carolina only

Highland25thBrewDay — On the morning on March 19, representatives from Highland Brewing Company, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Riverbend Malthouse, Briess Malting, Crosby Hop Farms, Roy Farms, and CLS Farms gathered at Highland Brewing Company to mash in the brewery’s 25th Anniversary Ale – Rustic IPA. **Photo Credit: Highland Brewing**

Founders Brewing Co. Adds Green Zebra to Seasonal Lineup

Posted on March 19, 2019 by mashingin

Founders Brewing Co. (Grand Rapids, Michigan) has officially announced that Green Zebra will return in April as the brewery’s spring-to-summer Seasonal.

Originally introduced in 2017 as a part of Founders Brewing Co.’s ArtPrize Series, Green Zebra is “a delightfully tart and slightly sweet gose style ale, brewed with watermelon and sea salt.” Built for supreme refreshment, the added watermelon offers “a hint of satisfying juiciness to balance the tang and bite we love in a gose style” while addition of sea salt provides “a soft mouthfeel and dry finish.” Coming in at an easy-drinking 4.6% ABV, Green Zebra “pairs well with warm days and never-ending sunshine.”

Green Zebra will officially release in April and is scheduled to hang around through July 2019. You can expect to find this Seasonal offering available in 6-packs of 12 oz. cans, 15-packs of 12 oz. cans and on draft at craft beer-friendly establishments located in Alabama, Florida, Michigan, and throughout the rest of Founders Brewing Co.’s distribution area. Prost!

Vital Information for Green Zebra from Founders Brewing Co.

Release – Seasonal, April – July 2019
Style – Gose
ABV – 4.6%
IBUs – 10
Added Ingredients – Watermelon & sea salt
Availability – 6-packs of 12 oz. cans, 15-packs of 12 oz. cans & draft
Beer Finder – https://foundersbrewing.com/beer/find-our-beer/

Terrapin Beer Co. Delivers Krunkles IPA Travel Trunk Mixed 12-pack

Posted on March 18, 2019 by mashingin

Terrapin Beer Co. (Athens, Georgia) has officially announced that it will introduce Krunkles IPA Travel Trunk, a new variety 12-pack of Krunkles-inspired India Pale Ales, at the end of March 2019.

After nine years of traversing the world and brewing innovative India Pale Ales to serve as Side Project/Limited Release offerings for Terrapin Beer Co., the legendary and mysterious Krunkles has returned from his travels with a Travel Trunk full of goodies. The Krunkles IPA Travel Trunk is a mixed 12-pack of 12 oz. cans that contains two well-known and beloved Krunkles brews and one of his newest concoctions, the aptly and simply named Mr. Krunkles. The full descriptions for all three beers featured in the Krunkles IPA Travel Trunk are as follows (descriptions sourced directly from Terrapin’s website):

Luau Krunkles | Passion Fruit Orange Guava IPA – Tropical aromas of Passion fruit, Orange and Guava dominate the nose while a big juicy hop flavor and smooth bitterness complement the balance of the beer. ABV – 6.5% IBUs – 72
Panama Krunkles | Pineapple Papaya IPA – Continuing his world brewing tour, Krunkles is back with another fruit-forward IPA. “Panama Krunkles” blends the tropical juiciness of pineapple and papaya for this Central American-inspired beer. ABV – 6.5% IBUs – 77
Mr. Krunkles | India Pale Ale – The newest IPA from our man of mystery. Perfectly balanced by a tropical fruit forward hop bill, this delicious IPA highlights his craftsmanship and favorite beer ingredient…hops. ABV – 6.5% IBUs – 50

The Krunkles IPA Travel Trunk will officially release in late March and will hang around through the summer months. You can expect to find this new variety 12-pack at craft beer-friendly retailers located in Alabama, Florida, Georgia and throughout the rest of Terrapin’s distribution area. Prost!

Tasting Notes: Schöfferhofer Pomegranate from Schöfferhofer

Posted on March 15, 2019March 15, 2019 by mashingin

For this edition of Tasting Notes, we close the office down early and slip into the weekend with a little help from a bottle or two of Schöfferhofer Pomegranate Hefeweizen from Schöfferhofer and the Radeberger Gruppe, the leading German brewing group.

Created to be the latest line extension from Schöfferhofer and the sister brew to the incredibly popular Schöfferhofer Grapefruit, Schöfferhofer Pomegranate is “made of 50% authentic unfiltered German Hefeweizen and 50% pomegranate juice.” Coming in at an astonishingly low 2.5% ABV, Schöfferhofer Pomegranate promises to supply its drinker with “a refreshingly tart and tangy taste experience.”

After a successful limited launch in the Pacific Northwest and parts of Florida, Montana and Northern California in 2018, Schöfferhofer Pomegranate will now be more widely available throughout 2019 in areas that include Tampa, Orlando and Miami (Florida), Boston (Massachusetts), Southern California, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Las Vegas and Reno (Nevada), New Mexico, Idaho, Arizona, Colorado, Alaska, Ohio and Wisconsin. You can expect to find this new offering available in 6-packs of 11.2 oz bottles at craft beer-friendly establishments located in the previously mentioned areas.

Now that we have gotten all of that official background data out of the way, let’s pop a few bottles and get into these Tasting Notes!

Tasting Notes for Schöfferhofer Pomegranate from Schöfferhofer

Appearance: A lively pour yields an orange-tinged pink brew that is capped with a solid finger of bubbly white foam. When held to direct light, the color brightens to take on the appearance of a pithy pour of ruby red grapefruit juice. The beer is quite cloudy and nearly opaque (not at all surprising since the base is an unfiltered Hefeweizen), but steady streams of carbonation can be seen coursing within. Head retention is quite good, slowly falling to a 1/4 finger of tight foam that lays wide, sticky tracks of lace down on the glass throughout the experience.

Aroma: First impression – this smells like a super tropical mixed drink or fruit juice cocktail. Pomegranate is incredibly pronounced and brings with it notes of dragonfruit, banana, orange and raspberry. Clean wheat and a sprinkle of white sugar turns up at times to support, but the fruitiness completely dominates the aromatics . . . and I cannot get my nose out of this glass. Smells. So. Good.

Taste: The pomegranate juice is quick to rush the taste buds and is accompanied by a burst of raspberry and cranberry juice. Not to be outdone, the Hefeweizen then asserts itself with notes of banana, bubble gum, apple and vanilla, bolstering the fruitiness with a healthy amount of added sweetness. The juice does dominate the wheat a bit, but you do occasionally get a wisp of earthy grain. All tropical juiciness here as well.

Mouthfeel: Light in body with a bright carbonation, this juicy brew is so wonderfully crisp that it practically dares you to gulp down the entire glass in one pull. Although it is tart and tangy, the balance does tilt to the sweet side. This is a good thing though because it forces you to slow down, sip, and enjoy each pour as a tropical treat. At 2.5% ABV, the experience is remarkably light and easy-drinking. The aftertaste is all tropical fruit punch.

Final Thoughts: If you have been on the hunt for an infinitely crushable beer option that is full of tropical flavor but still low in ABV, look no further than Schöfferhofer Pomegranate. The aromatics are heavenly, the tropical flavors are over-the-top tasty, and the overall experience is just extremely refreshing. Sure . . . it does lean to the sweet side a bit, and I imagine that could make this a “love it or hate it” scenario for some folks . . . but, if you look at this as more of a Radler than Hefeweizen, expectations can be dialed in appropriately and that scenario can be trimmed to just “love it” (Pro Tip: If you are at all a fan of beer cocktails, a little added gin or vodka can probably work wonders here to cut that sweetness a bit).

All in all, Schöfferhofer Pomegranate is just a fun, easy-drinking option that is sure to come in handy now that the temperatures are beginning to rise here in Florida and around the country. Be sure to check out Schöfferhofer Pomegranate whenever it hits your area. Prost!

Wild Leap Brew Co. Begins Limited Release of Alpha Abstraction DIPA – Vol. 6

Posted on March 15, 2019March 15, 2019 by mashingin

Wild Leap Brew Co. (LaGrange, Georgia) has officially announced that it will release the sixth offering from its wildly successful Alpha Abstraction Series during the third week of March 2019.

Boasting “the same juicy haze we have all come to love” from Wild Leap’s experimental Double IPA series, Alpha Abstraction – Vol. 6 is a Hazy Double India Pale Ale that explores the newly developed Lotus hop. Previously known as Experimental Hop #06297, these fruity Lotus hops supply Alpha Abstraction – Vol. 6 (8% ABV) with “a warm, tropical combination of orange, vanilla and berry.”

“This hop is incredibly unique and fresh,” explained Head Brewer Chris Elliott. “When we first received the shipment, the bag still had #06297 as the name!”

“We first discovered these when we were looking for a perfect addition to Truck Chaser, but decided to save them for the Alpha 6 series,” said Elliott. “It turned out to be exactly what they said it would be – carrying strong notes of vanilla with an almost tropical punch flavor.”

Alpha Abstraction – Vol. 6 is scheduled to release during the third week of March and will only stick around as long as supplies last. You can expect to find this Limited Release offering available in 6-packs of 12 oz. cans and on draft at select craft beer-focused establishments located within Wild Leap’s distribution footprint in Georgia. Prost!

Vital Information for Alpha Abstraction – Vol. 6 from Wild Leap Brew Co.

Release – Limited/Alpha Abstraction Series, late March 2019
Style – Hazy Double India Pale Ale
ABV – 8%
IBUs – 46
Featured Hops – Lotus
Fun Fact #1 – On Lotus hops: “Lotus hops are experimental in nature. They have been crossbred across several different hop varieties and until recently went under the name Experimental Hop #06297. This past February this experimental strand was dubbed ‘Lotus,’ symbolizing the rebirth and celebration of a hops harvest.”
Fun Fact #2 – On the Alpha Abstraction Series: “The Alpha Abstraction Double IPA series began as an idea to explore experimental hops and a chance to think creatively about new flavor profiles.”
Availability – 6-packs of 12 oz. cans & draft
Beer Finder – http://www.wildleap.com/beer-finder/

Tasting Notes: Dark Swan from Lagunitas Brewing Company

Posted on March 14, 2019 by mashingin

For this installment of Tasting Notes, we enjoy an enchanted moment with the ever-elusive Dark Swan Sour Ale from Lagunitas Brewing Company (Petaluma, California).

Developed to be Lagunitas’ take on the beer-wine hybrid, Dark Swan is a “uniquely deep and rich purple [hued]” American Sour Ale that has been “dry-hopped with some experimental Pekko hops from the Yakima Valley, then fermented with . . . house yeast on some of Sonoma County’s-own Petite Syrah grape juice from . . . Adobe Road Winery.” Swooping in at 7.9% ABV and 25 IBUs, Dark Swan promises to be “smooth, slightly sour, and superbly strange.”

Dark Swan officially released in mid-February, but there is still a good amount of it hanging around out there on shelves and taps. You can look for this Limited Release offering to be available in 6-packs of 12 oz. bottles and on draft at select craft beer-focused establishments located in Alabama, Florida, California, Illinois and throughout the rest of Lagunitas Brewing Company’s distribution area.

Now that we are all a bit more familiar with Dark Swan’s background information, it appears that it is finally time to crack open a bottle and plunge into some Tasting Notes!

Tasting Notes for Dark Swan Sour Ale (2019) from Lagunitas Brewing Company

Appearance: A somewhat vigorous pour produces a beer that is a beautiful deep purple in color and wearing nearly two fingers of rose-pink foam. When held to direct light, red tones push through and blend with the purple to create a color that is similar to pure cranberry juice. Although dark in color, it still reveals an incredible degree of clarity and a mellow amount of carbonation activity. Head retention is decent, reducing slowly to a lasting, chunky ring that leaves spotty lacing on the glass at times.

Aroma: A clean grape presence opens the aromatics with both sweet, fresh grape juice and a complex dark red wine/Shiraz-like character. The complexity builds as the hops shuffle in to add floral notes, a pop of black currant, and a tinge of spicy herb. Underneath all of this lies a faint sweetness similar to a hard fruit candy (think grape Jolly Rancher).

Taste: The vinous qualities lead here as well, playfully weaving in notes of Concord grape juice, lightly tannic red wine, and just straight fresh dark-skinned grapes. The hops add supporting notes of black currant, assorted berries, a twist of citrus, and soft floral tones. The profile closes with a gentle dose of sour funk and nondescript malt sweetness.

Mouthfeel: On the lighter side of medium in body with a medium carbonation, Dark Swan is wonderfully crisp and easy-drinking. On the palate, it playfully bounces between sour, fruity and sweet. The 7.9% ABV is completely hidden, allowing this beer to drink much lighter than it is. Aftertaste is all red wine and berries.

Final Thoughts: Dark Swan is a whimsical take on the beer/wine hybrid that somehow boasts both the approachability of the grape juice box and the complexity of a fine red wine. The hops seem to be dialed back a bit for a Lagunitas offering, sacrificing in-your-face dankness for just the right amount of complementary fruity and floral notes. This approach allows the grape/wine character to shine, but the beer is still able to assert itself as . . . you know . . . a beer by casually reminding you of the hop qualities and malt sweetness that would clearly be out of place in a wine. This results in a ridiculously refreshing beer that basically drinks like a slightly less carbonated wine spritzer. Overall, Dark Swan is wildly unique, a little weird, and extraordinarily tasty. If you are at all a fan of red wines (or pilfering juice boxes from the children’s stash), be sure to grab some of this year’s batch of Dark Swan before it disappears from shelves. Prost!

Cascade Brewing and Beachwood Blendery Collaborate on Tropical Embers

Posted on March 14, 2019 by mashingin

Cascade Brewing (Portland, Oregon) has officially announced that it will begin the Limited Release of Tropical Embers, a new collaboration with Beachwood Blendery (Long Beach, California), on March 15.

Inspired by “Beachwood’s reputation for renowned BBQ”, Tropical Embers (7.3% ABV) is a blended Sour Wheat Ale brewed with smoked malt and “aged in oak barrels for up to 18 months with additions of whole pineapple and mango.” The final blend of this “limited collaboration project offers a unique combination of wood smoke aroma and tropical fruit flavor.”

Tropical Embers will hit Cascade’s two Portland pubs on March 15 and is expected to enter distribution at or around that date as well. You can find this Tier One offering available in 500ml bottles and on draft at select craft beer-focused retailers, bars and restaurants located in Alabama, Florida, Oregon and throughout the rest of Cascade Brewing’s distribution footprint. Prost!

Vital Information for Tropical Embers from Cascade Brewing & Beachwood Blendery

Release – Limited/Tier One; March 15, 2019
Style – American Sour Ale
ABV – 7.3%
Treatment – A blended Sour Wheat Ale brewed with smoked malt and aged in oak barrels for up to 18 months with additions of whole pineapple & mango
Fun Fact – Tropical Embers is a Tier One offering; “Cascade’s bottles have distinct label styles for each of the three Cascade Brewing pricing tiers, with each label within the tier utilizing distinctive colors to clearly differentiate each beer. The tiers differ by the style of beer used in the product, the type ingredients contained within, the time aged in the barrels and types of barrels used.”
Availability – 500ml bottles & draft

Portland Cider Co.’s Pineapple Rosé Makes Seasonal Debut

Posted on March 13, 2019 by mashingin

Portland Cider Company (Clackamas, Oregon) has officially announced that it will release Pineapple Rosé, its brand-new summer seasonal cider, in mid-March 2019.

Created to give cider fans the chance to “rosé all day” this summer, Pineapple Rosé is a Hard Cider “bursting with fresh juicy pineapples” and rocking “a pretty in pink hue from a splash of Northwest-grown blueberries.” This refreshing combo produces a “fruity, tropical cider [that comes] in at 5.2% ABV and, much like the rosé wine it’s modeled after, is versatile with a variety of foods.”

“We’ve been working on releasing our own rosé cider for a while now, but wanted to wait until we could get the fruit combination just right,” explained Helen Lewis, Marketing Director for Portland Cider Co. “The juicy and delicate pineapple fruit works beautifully with a hint of blueberry juice, creating an elegant cider on par with the rosé wine that so many love.”

Pineapple Rosé will debut on March 15 at a release party at the Portland Cider House and is scheduled to enter distribution in the weeks that follow. You can expect to find this new Seasonal offering available in 6-packs of 12 oz. cans, 19.2 oz cans (coming in April 2019), and on draft at cider-friendly establishments located within Portland Cider Company’s distribution footprint in Oregon and Washington. Prost!

Vital Information for Pineapple Rosé from Portland Cider Company

Release – Summer Seasonal, mid-March – August 2019
Style – Hard Cider
ABV – 5.2%
Featured Ingredients – Pineapples & Northwest-grown blueberries
Suggested Food Pairings – “Spicy Thai peanut sauce, pork quesadillas, chicken salad with pecans and grapes, or a brie and apple panini”
Availability – 6-packs of 12 oz. cans & draft at launch. 19.2 oz. cans will release in April 2019
Distribution – Oregon & Washington

Proof Brewing Co. Goes Year-Round with La La Land IPA

Posted on March 13, 2019 by mashingin

Proof Brewing Company (Tallahassee, Florida) has officially announced that La La Land West Coast-style IPA will join its Year-Round lineup in mid-March 2019.

Developed to be an “East meets West . . . homage to the classic West Coast-style”, La La Land is an American India Pale Ale “featuring bright aromas and flavors of citrus and tropical fruit, with a crisp, resinous bitterness.” Although it comes in at a sizable 7% ABV and 90 IBUs, La La Land West Coast-style IPA still possesses “a vibrant balance of hops and malts for any landscape!”

“Our new production facility has given us the space to increase our line-up of beers,” said Angela Burroughs, Proof Brewing Company’s founder. “This release of La La Land has been a long time coming and a fan favorite for years. It’s exciting to be able to provide our customers with a beer they’ve been wanting.”

6-packs of La La Land will hit Proof Brewing’s new tasting room on March 15 and distribution will follow shortly after the on-site release. You can expect to find this Year-Round offering available in 6-packs of 12 oz. cans and on draft at craft beer-friendly establishments located in Tallahassee and any other area of Florida that regularly sees cans of Proof Brewing Co.’s Eightfive-0 or Mango Wit. Prost!

Vital Information for La La Land West Coast-style IPA from Proof Brewing Company

Release – Year-Round, launching mid-March 2019
Style – American India Pale Ale
ABV – 7%
IBUs – 90
Availability – 6-packs of 12 oz. cans & draft
Distribution – Florida (limited)