Unibroue Launches Éphémère Strawberry & Rhubarb as New Seasonal

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UnibroueEphemereSRUnibroue (Chambly, Québec) has officially released Éphémère Strawberry & Rhubarb as the newest installment in its Seasonal Éphémère Series.

Developed as the newest iteration of Unibroue’s “ephemeral ale that comes and goes with the seasons”, Éphémère Strawberry & Rhubarb (5.5% ABV) is the first Éphémère variant to feature two fruits.  “Pleasant strawberry and rhubarb flavors” combine with Éphémère’s Belgian-style White Ale base to create an experience “reminiscent of the pie that unites these two fruits.”

“When the idea came to me to combine two fruits for the very first time in a beer from our Éphémère series, it was natural for me to lean towards a blend of strawberries and rhubarb. The herbaceous and tart profile of rhubarb pairs up perfectly with the sweet taste and smooth scent of ripe strawberries. I see the result as a keepsake reminiscent of Spring and Summer memories. I hope it will bring sweet moments to your lips as well!”

 

– Jerry Vietz, Master Brewer at Unibroue

Éphémère Strawberry & Rhubarb is rolling out in the U.S. now and will be available as long as supplies last.  You can expect to find this Seasonal offering at select craft beer retailers, bars and restaurants located in Alabama, Florida and throughout the rest of Unibroue’s distribution network in the U.S.  Prost!

Vital Information for Éphémère Strawberry & Rhubarb from Unibroue 

Release – Seasonal/Limited, launching July 2018
Style – Fruit Beer/Belgian-style White Ale
ABV – 5.5%
IBUs – 11
Added Ingredients – Strawberry & rhubarb
Recommended Glassware – Flute or Tulip
Suggested Food Pairings – “Curried chicken, pineapple ham, spinach salad, blue cheese, triple cream Brie cheese, pineapple upside-down cake, vanilla ice cream (float)”
Availability – 6-packs of 12 oz. bottles, on draft and in Unibroue’s seasonal variety six-pack
Beer Finder – https://www.unibroue.com/en/find-our-beers

Lagunitas Brewing Company Sends Super Cluster Out as Latest Limited Release

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SuperCluster_12oz_Custom195x519_061818_01_JPFLagunitas Brewing Company (Petaluma, California) has officially introduced Super Cluster, A Citra-Hopped Mega Ale of Intergalactic Proportions, as the newest addition to its portfolio of Limited Releases.

Described by Lagunitas as a “galactic blast from the glass”, Super Cluster is an “out-of-this-world” Pale Ale brewed with “2-Row Malted Barley, a helluva lotta hops – Citra, Citra, Citra, and some more Citra, . . . and . . . dry-hopped . . . with 100% Citra.”  Clocking in at 8% ABV and 60 IBUs, Super Cluster promises to be a “Citra supernova in the sky, jettisoning lupulin lusciousness through the cosmos and across the universe of your palate.”

Super Cluster is gradually rolling out now and will hang around through September 2018.  You can expect to find this new Limited Release available in 12-packs of 12 oz. bottles and on draft at select beer-friendly establishments located in Alabama, Florida, California, Illinois, Washington and throughout the rest of Lagunitas Brewing Company’s distribution area.  Prost!

Vital Information for Super Cluster from Lagunitas Brewing Company

Release – Limited, July – September 2018
Style – American Pale Ale
ABV – 8%
IBUs – 60
Featured Hops – Citra
Availability – 12-packs of 12 oz. bottles & draft
Beer Finder – https://lagunitas.com/beer-finder

 

Wicked Barley Brewing & Natalie’s Orchid Island Juice Company Collaborate on Two Summer Seasonals

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WickedBarleyLemonade
Above: School in the Summertime Shandy made with Natalie’s Natural Lemonade. Top: Natalie’s Blood Orange IPA made with Natalie’s Blood Orange Juice. (Image Credit: Wicked Barley Brewing Company)

Wicked Barley Brewing Company (Jacksonville, Florida) recently announced the release of two Seasonal offerings that have been brewed with or influenced by juices from Natalie’s Orchid Island Juice Company: Natalie’s Blood Orange IPA and School in the Summertime Shandy.

When the folks at Wicked Barley Brewing Company made up their minds to create a couple citrus-driven Seasonals for the summer, they stood true to their commitment to “using local, fresh ingredients in [their] handcrafted brews” whenever possible by forming a “homegrown partnership” with another Florida company, Natalie’s Orchid Island Juice Company.  Natalie’s Blood Orange Juice and Natalie’s Natural Lemonade, two “renowned high-quality citrus” juices from Natalie’s, were selected by Wicked Barley to inspire and star in these new Seasonal brews:

  • Natalie’s Blood Orange IPA: A refreshing summertime beer, brewed with fresh Natalie’s Blood Orange Juice and zest from fresh blood oranges and lemons. The crushable 6.5% IPA is a celebration of all things Florida and can be enjoyed on tap during the summer months at both Wicked Barley’s bar and Keg & Coin, Jacksonville’s video game bar.
  • School in the Summertime: A refreshing summertime lemon shandy made from tropical American wheat, brewed with lemon drop hops, and mixed with Natalie’s Natural Lemonade during the pour.

“We’re really excited to have discovered Natalie’s Juices,” said Wicked Barley co-owner and brewmaster, Philip Maple. “Their juices bring the exact, true, citrus notes we were looking for when crafting our special ales for summer. The lemon shandy has been so popular with our customers, we’ve had to return to production for additional brewing time!”

 

“Our minimally processed, minimal ingredient juices let the fruit do the talking,” said Natalie Sexton, VP of marketing and namesake of Natalie’s Orchid Island Juice Company. “And it’s that authentic citrus taste that makes our award-winning juices enjoyable on their own, in cocktail recipes, and in this case, as part of a wonderfully refreshing Wicked Barley summer ale. We love this collaboration and the opportunity to introduce craft beer lovers to our family of distinct, squeezed fresh juices.”

Natalie’s Blood Orange IPA and School in the Summertime will both be available on draft throughout the summer months.  Natalie’s Blood Orange IPA will be on tap in Wicked Barley’s taproom and at Keg & Coin.  School in the Summertime will be available exclusively at Wicked Barley Brewing Company.  Prost!

 

Boulevard Brewing’s Berliner Weisse Makes Seasonal Return in Cans

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Berliner-Weisse-Diamond-BadgeBoulevard Brewing Co. (Kansas City, Missouri) has announced that its Berliner Weisse will officially return for another Seasonal run on July 9, 2018, and this time around this refreshing brew is ditching bottles for a more convenient packaging option: 6-packs of 12 oz. cans.

Back for another year to serve as Boulevard Brewing’s easy-drinking, summer-time Seasonal, Berliner Weisse is a “light bodied, straw yellow” German-style Sour Ale that boasts a “refreshing lactic acidity” and “citrus aromas hinting to the soft sourness and lemon, lime and orange peel” added at the end of the boil.  With a flavor profile that mirrors those aromatics, Berliner Weisse (4.5% ABV) promises to be “incredibly flavorful and fruity while being super refreshing and ideal for a balmy summer day.”

Berliner Weisse will officially release in the Greater Kansas City Area on July 9 and enter wider distribution shortly after that date.  You can expect to find this Seasonal brew available in 6-packs of 12 oz. cans and on draft at craft beer establishments located in Alabama, Florida, Missouri and throughout the rest of Boulevard Brewing’s distribution network.  Prost!

Vital Information for Berliner Weisse from Boulevard Brewing Co.

Release – Summer Seasonal, roll out begins July 9, 2018
Style – Berliner Weisse
ABV – 4.5%
IBUs – 6
Malts – 2-Row, Malted Wheat & CaraPils
Hops – Topaz
Added Ingredients – Orange, lemon & lime peel
Suggested Food Pairings – “creamy Havarti; crab eggs benedict; pretzels with tangy mustard; citrusy salad with mint, honey and lime; spicy tuna rolls”
Availability – 6-packs of 12 oz. cans & draft
Beer Finder – https://www.boulevard.com/beer/beer-finder/

Avery Brewing Develops Go Play IPA to be its Ultimate Thirst Quencher

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desktop_1528740311_WEB_GoPlayIPA_Can_and_GlassAvery Brewing Co. (Boulder, Colorado) has officially introduced Go Play IPA, an Activated India Pale Ale, as the newest offering to join its Year-Round portfolio.

Brewed as “a celebration of those who do their thing, whatever it is, with the same all-in, obsessive enthusiasm [Avery Brewing Co. has] for beer”, Go Play is an Activated IPA that “sports juicy, tropical, and dank aromas, fueled by dry-hop additions of Vic Secret, Idaho 7, and Simcoe hops.”  If you are wondering about that “Activated” portion of the description, it refers to an addition of sodium and potassium.  These two not-so-expected ingredients “help activate this motivated, lively India Pale Ale” and raise its overall thirst-quenching ability, making Go Play IPA (5.5% ABV) an ideal, go-to option that can be enjoyed post-workout or during outdoor activities.

Go Play IPA is available now in 6-packs of 12 oz. cans and on draft.  You can expect to find this new Year-Round offering at craft beer-focused retailers, bars and restaurants located in Alabama, Florida, Colorado and throughout the rest of Avery Brewing’s distribution area.  Prost!

Vital Information for Go Play IPA from Avery Brewing Co.

Release – Year-Round, rolling out June/July 2018
Style – American India Pale Ale
ABV – 5.5%
Hops – Columbus, Simcoe & Idaho 7; Dry-hopped with Simcoe, Vic’s Secret & Idaho 7
Malts – Vienna, 2-Row & Wheat
Yeast – London Ale
Added Ingredients – Sodium & Potassium 
Availability – 6-packs of 12 oz. cans & draft
Beer Finder – https://www.averybrewing.com/brew-finder

AveryGoPlay

Tasting Notes: Painted Cave Guava IPA from Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co.

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aviary-image-1530218470339For this edition of Tasting Notes, we close out the week seeking refuge from the summer heat in a Painted Cave Guava India Pale Ale from Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co. (Buellton, California).

Created to honor “the beautiful painted caves hidden throughout the west”, Painted Cave is a Seasonal India Pale Ale brewed with Citra, El Dorado, and Simcoe hops to “impart a tropical fruit profile with bright citrus and pine notes.”  Pink guava purée is then introduced to add a juicy level of complexity and balance.  Weighing in at 7.25% ABV and 55 IBUs, Painted Cave comes together to offer an alluring display of flavors and aromatics.

Painted Cave Guava India Pale Ale is available now for a limited time in 6-packs of 12 oz. bottles and on draft.  You can expect to find this Seasonal Rotation offering at select craft beer establishments located throughout Figueroa Mountain’s distribution footprint in California and Arizona.

Alright.  It’s hot.  We are thirsty.  It’s time for some Tasting Notes.  Let’s get it!

Tasting Notes for Painted Cave Guava India Pale Ale from Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co.

Appearance:  Painted Cave is an orange-laced, deep golden in color and is capped with just over a finger of creamy white foam.  When held to direct light, the orange hues filter out to leave a strikingly vibrant gold to shine on its own.  Rocking the softest haze possible, this beer is mostly clear and displays a super energetic carbonation presence darting about within.  Retention is good, but the head ultimately reduces to a thin, but complete cap that drops down some sizable spots of lace after each pull.

Aroma:  The guava absolutely billows from the glass, setting the tone with a pleasantly musty, tropical character.  The tropical trend continues from there with notes of papaya, passion fruit, pineapple, mango and melon.  A bright grapefruit tone and a touch of earthiness then surface to close out the profile.  This thing is all guava and hops on the nose, and we are not mad at that.

Taste:  Citra hops waste no time to assert themselves in the flavor department and kick things off with big bursts of grapefruit and passion fruit.  This transitions easily to the guava’s tropical sweetness that brings along added juicy hop notes of pineapple, melon and mango.  A touch of grassiness and pine works its way in at times, but is easily tamed and subdued by the more pronounced tropical tones.  Pale malts turn up near the end of the experience, adding a nondescript sweetness that calls the guava out for an encore in the finish.

Mouthfeel:  Medium bodied with a peppy carbonation level, Painted Cave offers a slightly slick, oily feel that cleans up and dries out quite quickly.  Balanced beautifully, this beer works the palate with a nearly equal amount of bitter and sweet.  That 7.25% ABV does turn up with a bit of warmth in the throat as the pour warms, but the beer’s juicy qualities tamp that down and keep the experience easy-drinking and refreshing.  The aftertaste is a soft, lingering presence of guava and passion fruit.

Final Thoughts:  Skillfully crafted, absolutely every aspect of Painted Cave has been dialed in to complement and/or accentuate another.  The guava coaxes out the tropical characteristics of the hops, the hops reinforce the mustiness of the guava while also adding a dynamic contrast of earthiness/pine, and the pale malts balance out all those hops and further encourage the guava to shine.  It seems as though everything just instinctively knows its place, and it all comes together to become a ridiculously easy-drinking and juicy IPA that still retains its West Coast roots.  Simply put, Painted Cave is an embodiment of summer that all hopheads should cross paths with at some point. Make it happen.  Prost!

 

Celis Brewery’s Pale Bock Now Available in Cans

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CelisLogoCelis Brewery (Austin, Texas) has officially announced that Celis Pale Bock will have availability in aluminum cans beginning in June 2018.

Now the third original recipe from Celis Brewery to find its way into cans, Celis Pale Bock is an easy-drinking, Belgian-inspired Bock bier “brewed with caramel malts with Saaz, Willamette, and Cascade hops.”  Boasting “delicious flavors of berry, malt, and a touch of bitterness at the finish”, Celis Pale Bock (4.9% ABV) promises to be “as refreshing on a hot day by the lake, as it is as satisfying with a burger at a cookout.”

“Our original recipe Belgian Pale Bock is a great beer for any occasion,” says Christine Celis, founder of Celis Brewery. “Now that it is available in cans, people can enjoy Celis Pale Bock at their favorite outdoor activities. This is our third heritage beer to be packaged in cans this year. Our Celis White and Celis Raspberry have been incredibly popular in cans, and people have been clamoring for Pale Bock to be distributed in cans too. Here it is.”

Celis Pale Bock will hit shelves in 6-packs of 12 oz. cans in late June and 16 oz. cans will turn up in the near future.  Along with the cans, you can also find this Year-Round beer available in 6-packs of 12 oz. bottles and on draft at craft beer retailers, bars and restaurants located throughout Celis Brewery’s distribution footprint in Texas.  Prost!

Vital Information for Celis Pale Bock from Celis Brewery

Release – Year-Round, cans arrive June 2018
Style – Bock
ABV – 4.9%
Hops – Willamette & Saaz
Availability – 6-packs of 12 oz. cans, 6-packs of 12 oz. bottles & draft (16 oz. cans coming soon)
Distribution – Texas

 

Straight to Ale Launches Boldly Gose as New Summer Seasonal

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StABoldlyGose2Straight to Ale (Huntsville, Alabama) has announced that it will officially introduce Boldly Gose, a Blackberry Gose, as its new summer Seasonal on Friday, June 29.

To create a take on the Gose style that has the capability to properly tackle a summer in South, the Straight to Ale crew laid a traditional foundation for Boldly Gose by starting with that familiar salty and tart base.  Blackberry was then introduced to add a little sweet to the tartness, giving Boldly Gose (4.2% ABV) absolutely everything it needs to be “perfect for summer sipping.”

Boldly Gose will make its official debut in Straight to Ale’s taproom on June 29 and enter distribution shortly thereafter.  You can expect to find this new Seasonal available in 6-packs of 12 oz. cans and on draft at craft beer friendly establishments located in Alabama, the Florida Panhandle and throughout the rest of the brewery’s seven state distribution area. Prost!

Vital Information for Boldly Gose from Straight to Ale

Release – Seasonal, July – September 2018
Style – Gose
ABV – 4.2%
IBUs – 10
Added Ingredients – Blackberries, salt & coriander 
Fun Fact – On the Gose style (as defined by The German Beer Institute): “Gose is an ancient, sour and saline tasting ale, made from more than half malted wheat and the rest malted barley. The brew is fermented with both yeast and lactic bacteria and is spiced with both coriander and hops. It is brewed with slightly salted water. This peculiar beer style is now most closely associated with Leipzig, the capital of the German State of Saxony.”
Availability – 6-packs of 12 oz. cans & draft
Distribution – Alabama, Florida (Panhandle), Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina & Tennessee

Tasting Notes: A Little Sumpin’ Extra Ale from Lagunitas Brewing Company

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lagunitasLSXtraPour2For this installment of Tasting Notes, we push through the mid-week slump with a little inspiration from A Little Sumpin’ Extra Ale from Lagunitas Brewing Company (Petaluma, California).

Stepping in to fill the big sister role for Lagunitas’ Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’ Ale, A Little Sumpin’ Extra is a “Double-ish White IPA” sporting a grain bill comprised of “50% malted barley and 50% wheatly-esque-ish-ness.” Although it may be a bit lighter in color than lil’ sis, the “bigger, badder, and bolder” A Little Sumpin’ Extra Ale (8.7% ABV) proves to be “huge in flavor and satisfaction” while rockin’ a uniquely “curious malt complexity.”

A Little Sumpin’ Extra is nearing the end of its Limited Release run, but you can still find it available in 22 oz. bottles and on draft at select beer-friendly establishments located in Alabama, Florida, California, Illinois, Washington and throughout the rest of Lagunitas Brewing Company’s expansive distribution area.

That should just about cover the necessary background data, so let’s do what we all came here to do and get into these Tasting Notes!

Tasting Notes for A Little Sumpin’ Extra Ale from Lagunitas Brewing Company

Appearance:  A Little Sumpin’ Extra presents itself as a light gold in color and is adorned with over two fingers of frothy white foam.  When held to direct light, the color softens and settles in as more of a light to straw yellow tone. Pristine in clarity (impressively so considering the wheat bill), the beer shows off a plentiful carbonation presence.  Head retention is bordering on incredible as the foam barely falls at all and coats the glass with an all-encompassing sheet of lace.

Aroma:  Citrus driven hops blast the nose with notes of tangerine, grapefruit and orange zest.  Floral tones then develop and bring with them just a touch of pine.  A soft wheat presence and a bit of honey-like sweetness rests underneath to support and showcase those hop notes.

Taste:  The flavors nearly mirror the nose as citrus fruits move in first with a dynamic orange character that is less sweet and more reminiscent of Cara Cara and Seville varieties.  Floral and grassy notes work their way in and interlace with the breadiness of the sweet wheat and pale malts that are mostly here to supply an exquisite, supporting balance.  Occasionally, you can pick up on notes of banana, pineapple and honey.   It all closes out with a memorable punch of bitter grapefruit meat and zest.

Mouthfeel:  Full bodied with a bright carbonation, this beer has a hefty, viscous weight that somehow remains easy-drinking and gulp-worthy.  Although this Double IPA does have a good amount of hop bite, the level of balance here is damn near perfect.  The bitterness is on point, the sweetness is satisfying without being cloying, and it all just dries out beautifully.  The ABV comes across as pretty tame for 8.7%.  Aftertaste is just a little grapefruit drizzled with honey.

Final Thoughts:  Beyond being ridiculously delicious, A Little Sumpin’ Extra is an incredibly unique offering and it all starts with the mouthfeel.  You may not expect a real-deal full-bodied experience to function well in Double White IPA that still holds a good amount of bitterness, but it works.  It does so because the hops have just enough sharpness to give you that lupulin fix, that 50/50 mix of barley and wheat malts slips through the sensory experience with a stealthy, sweetening balance, and everything dries out before you even realize what hit you. Despite being released every once in a while since 2009, this beer still feels new, playful, and just completely and utterly different from anything else out there on beer shelves and taps.  To us, that is an indication of something truly special, and we will certainly take a pour of A Little Sumpin’ Extra anytime we have the opportunity.  Be sure to check it out while you still have the chance.  Prost!

Smuttynose Brewing Co. Revives Smuttlabs with Release of Lady Stardust New England IPA

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LadystardustcloseSmuttynose Brewing Company (Hampton, New Hampshire) has announced that its Smuttlabs project will officially make its highly-anticipated return on June 30 with the brewery-exclusive release of Lady Stardust New England IPA.

Smuttlabs, the creative and innovative subset of Smuttynose Brewing Company, is back at long last and kicking off its return with a take on the wildly popular New England-style India Pale Ale.  Lady Stardust is a “delicate IPA” that sources its eye-catching “golden haze . . .  from hops, flaked wheat, and flaked oats.”  Brewed with El Dorado, Amarillo, Citra, Hüll Melon, Ekuanot and Mandarina Bavaria hops, Lady Stardust offers a “mild bitterness” and a juicy character loaded with notes of “pineapple, citrus, mango, and just a dash of pear.”

“Although I am captaining the creative foundation of the new Smuttlabs beer concepts, I am excited to work in collaboration with my team of brewers to create the best product possible,” said Charlie Ireland, Head Brewer of Smuttlabs. “This collective mentality is what Smuttynose strives for in our creative process.”

Smuttynose will offer a special sneak peek of Lady Stardust New England IPA at its “A Walk Among the Stardust” event at the brewery on Friday, June 29th from 7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. (click here to learn more).  The brewery-only release will follow at 11 a.m. on Saturday, June 30.  Lady Stardust will be available for purchase in 4-packs of 16 oz. cans (two-case limit per person) during the release.  This highly limited offering is not expected to see distribution.  Prost!

Vital Information for Lady Stardust New England IPA from Smuttynose Brewing Company

Release – Limited/Smuttlabs, brewery-only release on June 30
Style – New England-style India Pale Ale
ABV – ???
IBUs – ???
Featured Hops – El Dorado, Amarillo, Citra, Hüll Melon, Ekuanot & Mandarina Bavaria
Availability – 4-packs of 16 oz. cans (two-case limit per person)
Distribution – None. Lady Stardust is a brewery-exclusive release