Rhye IPA Goes Year-Round for Smuttynose Brewing Company

Posted on by mashingin

SBC-12oz-Bottle-RHYE-silver-192x600Smuttynose Brewing Company (Hampton, New Hampshire) has announced that Rhye IPA has been officially promoted to the brewery’s Year-Round line-up.

If it is possible for a beer to serve as an example of persistence, that beer would be Rhye IPA.  This offering originally got its start as an experimental release in Smuttynose Brewing’s Big Beer Series, and its popularity quickly earned this brew a place in the brewery’s Seasonal line-up.   Even with this change, the hop-loving masses voiced that they wanted more access to Rhye IPA.  The brewery has listened and will now meet that demand by once again reclassifying Rhye IPA to become a Year-Round offering.

The brewers at Smuttynose lay the base of Rhye IPA with a variety of malts (including North American 2-Row, Rye, Aromatic, and CaraRye), but the goal is to ensure that the spiciness of rye stands out.  To complement that character, “Magnum hops were used for bittering, and Falconer’s Flight and Citra were added for flavor and dry-hopping.”  This all results in 6.9% ABV, “hoppy IPA, with rye spiciness and big hop character.”

Rhye IPA will officially roll out as a Year-Round offering beginning on April 3.  This offering will be available in 6-packs of 12 oz. bottles, 12-packs of 12 oz. bottles and on draft at craft beer establishments located in Alabama, Florida, New Hampshire and throughout the rest of Smuttynose’s distribution area.  It has been a long road for Rhye IPA, so make sure you show the beer a little love by picking up a sixer while on your next beer run.  Prost!

Vital Information for Rhye IPA from Smuttynose Brewing Company

Release – Year-round, April 3, 2017
Style – American India Pale Ale/Rye Beer
ABV – 6.9%
IBUs – 71
Hops – Magnum, Citra & Falconer’s Flight
Malts – North American 2-Row, Rye, Aromatic & CaraRye
Yeast – American Ale
Availability – 6-packs of 12 oz. bottles, 12-packs of 12 oz. bottles & draft
Beer Finder – https://smuttynose.com/beer-finder/
Suggested Food Pairings – “Spicy Asian foods: Thai, Vietnamese especially, sweet BBQ ribs and Jamaican food.”
Fun Fact – “The bottle label and package art is inspired by a drawing of an Indian rhino drawn by 16th century German painter and printmaker, Albrecht Durer. Durer was renowned throughout Europe for his wooden prints, and he worked with some of the most famous painters and artists of the day, including Da Vinci, Raphael, and many more.
Durer had never seen a rhino before, and created the drawing based on a description and a crudely scribbled sketch.”

RHYE-410

Bear Republic Brewing Adds Fastback Racer DIPA to Seasonal Lineup

Posted on by mashingin

Fastbackcollage_edited2Bear Republic Brewing Co. (Sonoma County, California) recently announced that they will expand their Double IPA series in April with the seasonal release of Fastback Racer Double IPA.

Arriving as Bear Republic Brewing Co.’s newest Seasonal offering, Fastback Racer is a massive Double India Pale Ale that has been “packed with intense bitterness and massive hop additions of Citra and Ekuanot.”  These featured hops produce pronounced tropical and citrusy notes that ride high atop “a chassis of Rye, Munich, and light caramel malts.”  Clocking in at 10.4% ABV and 100+ IBUs, Fastback Racer certainly lives up to its billing of being “a Double IPA with full-throttle hoppiness.”  Fastback Racer Double IPA joins Cafe Racer 15, Apex, and Racer X within the brewery’s Seasonal lineup of Double IPAs.

“Fastback has quickly become one of our favorites and we are thrilled for it to make its debut as part of Bear Republic’s Double IPA series.”

– Richard G. Norgrove, Bear Republic Brewing Co. Brewmaster and COO

Fastback Racer Double IPA officially releases April 1 and will be available for a limited time.  This offering will be available at select craft beer retailers, restaurants and bars located in Florida, California and throughout the rest of Bear Republic’s distribution footprint.  This release of Fastback Racer Double IPA is pretty much guaranteed to not last long on shelves and taps, so be sure to pick this one up while you can, hopheads.  Prost!

Vital Information for Fastback Racer Double IPA from Bear Republic Brewing Co.

Release – Seasonal, arriving April 1, 2017
Style – American Double India Pale Ale
ABV – 10.4%
IBUs – 100+
Featured Hops – Citra & Ekuanot
Malts – Rye, Munich & light caramel malts
Availability – 6-packs of 12 oz. bottles, 22 oz. bottles & draft
Beer Finder (a.k.a. Bear Tracker) – https://bearrepublic.com/bear-tracker/
Suggested Food Pairings – “Spicy Foods, Savory Dishes, Poultry and Pork Dishes, BBQ Pork Ribs, Honey Glazed Ham, Orange Chicken, Cheesecake, Soft Pungent Cheeses, Aged Cheddar, Blue Cheese, Goat Cheese”

Fastbackcollage_edited1

 

Monday Night Brewing Revives Serrano Eye Patch Ale

Posted on by mashingin

Serrano-Eye-Patch-Clip-On-500pxMonday Night Brewing (Atlanta, Georgia) recently announced that Serrano Eye Patch Ale will be returning for an encore release in April.

Originally released in 2015, Serrano Eye Patch Ale quickly became one of the most popular offerings to come out of Monday Night Brewing’s Clip-On series, a Seasonal lineup that is comprised of creative variants of the brewery’s six core beers.  After a couple years of requests from many dedicated fans, the brewery has finally decided that is time to brew up another batch of this one.  As the name implies, Serrano Eye Patch Ale spices things up a bit by adding fresh cut Serrano peppers to the brewery’s “award-winning English-style IPA, Eye Patch Ale.” The added peppers lend this crisp India Pale Ale a touch of pepper bite that is tempered nicely by the beer’s “caramelly front.”

Serrano Eye Patch Ale will officially release in April and should hang around for three or four months.  This offering will be available in 6-packs of 12 oz. bottles and on draft at craft beer establishments located in Monday Night’s distribution area of Alabama and Georgia.  Shake things up, wake up those taste buds, and pick up a sixer of Serrano Eye Patch Ale before it disappears once again.  Prost!

Vital Information for Serrano Eye Patch Ale from Monday Night Brewing

Release – Seasonal/Clip-On series, arriving April 2017
Style – American India Pale Ale
Base Beer – Eye Patch Ale
ABV – 6.2%
IBUs – 46
Hops – Magnum, Cascade & Columbus
Malts – Marris Otter, Crystal & Rye
Added Ingredients – Fresh cut Serrano peppers
Availability – 6-packs of 12 oz. bottles & draft
Beer Finder – http://mondaynightbrewing.com/find-our-beer/
Suggested Food Pairings – “Spicy foods, burgers, fish dishes, chicken, Paris Hilton”

 

Cigar City Brewing Expands Distribution to North Carolina

Posted on by mashingin

CCBJaiCigar City Brewing (Tampa, Florida) has officially announced that it will begin shipping 12 oz. cans of Jai Alai IPA and several other offerings to North Carolina effective immediately.

Ever since Cigar City Brewing was founded in 2009, the brewery has always taken a very cautious and selective approach when it has come to expansion of distribution.  Considering that the brewers have crafted their award-winning beers with priorities set on quality, fine ingredients and freshness, the folks at Cigar City certainly do their due diligence to ensure that their offerings can be properly represented in any prospective market.

With that said, the news that North Carolina has now been officially chosen as the eighth state – and only the second new state in over four years – to see distribution from Cigar City Brewing should be that much sweeter to the craft beer community of the Tar Heel State.  The brewery has signed with numerous distribution partners (Skyland Distributing Co., United Beverages of North Carolina, R.H. Barringer Distributing Company, Long Beverage Inc., Carolina Distributing LLC, Healy Wholesale Co Inc., Atlantic Shores Distributors, Coastal Beverage Co. and City Beverage Co Inc.) to supply the state of North Carolina with the following five beer offerings:

  • Florida Cracker Belgian-style White Ale – Citrus aromas of oranges and lime leaves mingle with bubblegum and dried flowers on the nose of this hazy and refreshing Belgian-style White Ale. High carbonation and herbaceous bitterness quench the thirst while lemon-lime esters and flavors of Valencia orange add unique depth of flavor and complexity.  ABV – 5.5%  IBUs – 18
  • Invasion Pale Ale – Tropical aromas dominate the nose of this approachable, low alcohol pale ale with distinct notes of mango, tangerine and soursop. On the palate, a moderate bitterness is tempered by flavors of navel orange and clementine and a dry, bread-like malt quality that makes this Pale Ale at once approachable and incredibly flavorful.  IBUs – 5%  IBUs – 36
  • Jai Alai IPA – An intense bouquet of tangerine and candied orange peel entice the nose while flavors of clementines, Valencia orange and subtle caramel provide counterpoint to an assertive bitterness and rich malt character. Bold hop flavor and aroma from six different hop varietals is front and center in this flavorful American IPA.   ABV – 7.5%  IBUs – 70
  • Maduro Brown Ale – Maduro is a Northern English-style Brown Ale with some American affectations. Maduro is higher in alcohol than the common English Brown Ale and features flaked oats in the malt bill which imparts a silky body and works to mesh the roasted, toasted and chocolate components together in Maduro’s complex malt profile. The end result is a remarkably full-flavored yet approachable Brown Ale that pairs well with mild to medium cigars.  ABV – 5.5%  IBUs – 25
  • Tampa-style Lager – Inspired by traditional German lagers, our Tampa-style Lager is brewed with German malted barley, Hallertauer hops and an authentic Bavarian lager yeast. We combine these ingredients to create a style that’s quite unique to our hometown of Tampa, Florida but will find admirers wherever a crisp, dry and flavorful lager is called for. Familiar to generations, it’s truly a beer that’s made for drinkin’.  ABV – 4.5%  IBUs – 22

The beers listed above will be available in 12 oz. cans at launch with draft beer expected to follow shortly behind.

To properly introduce themselves to craft beer fans in North Carolina, “numerous Cigar City Brewing representatives . . ., including Cigar City Brewing’s El Lector Neil Callaghan and Brand Manager Lucas Widrick,” will attend a series of launch events beginning the week of March 20 (apologies for being a bit late, but full list of event dates and locations available below).  Be sure to check out one of the many events over the next week or so to give Cigar City Brewing a hearty welcome to North Carolina.  Prost!

Cigar City Brewing’s North Carolina Launch Events

Raleigh, North Carolina

Brevard, North Carolina

Asheville, North Carolina

Charlotte, North Carolina

 

 

Goose Island Beer Co. Migration Week comes to Tampa

Posted on by mashingin

home_page_migration_weekBeginning on March 29, Goose Island Beer Co. (Chicago, Illinois) will declare Tampa, Florida an official Migration Week destination by hosting a series of events throughout the city.

Packed into a bus filled with delicious and elusive brews, several Goose Island brewers and representatives hit the road each year to enjoy a few brews with beer lovers during Migration Week.  Spending roughly a week in each location, this merry band of beer travelers hosts a series of can’t miss events in each city to promote beer culture through education and entertainment.

Although this year’s Migration Week schedule is loaded with international stops, the Goose Island crew has set aside some time to bring the party to Tampa from Wednesday, March 29 to Sunday, April 2.  The official list of 2017 Migration Week events in Tampa is as follows:

If you are in the area and looking for something to get into this week, believe me when I tell you that hanging out with the Goose Island crew is always good times.  All of the Tampa Migration Week events listed above are either free or ridiculously affordable, so call up your drinking buddies and make plans now to take part in one (or many) of these events later this week.  Prost!

Tasting Notes: Double Bass from Starr Hill Brewery

Posted on by mashingin

doublebassbottle500As the work week finally comes to an end, we settle into our Friday by indulging in some Double Bass Double Chocolate Stout from Starr Hill Brewery (Charlottesville, Virginia) for this week’s Tasting Notes.

Starr Hill Brewery introduced Double Bass Double Chocolate Stout in January as a new member of their All Access Series, a limited lineup of the brewery’s “most unique & inspired beers.”  This offering is a 7.8% ABV Imperial Stout that has been loaded with six malts (2-Row, Chocolate, Caramel, Crystal, Golden Oats and Flaked Barley), cocoa powder, cocoa nibs, vanilla beans and lactose.  Clearly all about that malt and chocolate, the decadent recipe for Double Bass produces aromatic and flavor notes of dark chocolate, mocha, vanilla, bittersweet chocolate and dark fruit. Double Bass Double Chocolate Stout is a limited release that is available in 4-packs of 12 oz. bottles and on draft.  If you wish to try this offering, Double Bass is still pouring in the Starr Hill Brewery Tap Room and can also be found hanging around on shelves and taps at select craft beer establishments in Alabama, Virginia, and other areas within the brewery’s distribution footprint.

Now that we are all caught up on this beer’s background information, it is finally time to put some Double Bass in this snifter and get to some Tasting Notes!

Tasting Notes for Double Bass Double Chocolate Stout from Starr Hill Brewery

Appearance:  Double Bass pours as a glossy, inky black in color.  Held to direct light, the deep and dark blacks hold but a bit of cola brown presents itself at the top of the pour.  The body is completely opaque, so the carbonation level cannot be observed visually.  The pour produced well over a finger of mocha colored foam (impressive considering the size of this snifter), and the head gradually falls to a thin top cap over time.  When swirled in the glass, the beer leaves behind a coating oil slick that makes it difficult for any lace to gain a firm hold.

Aroma:  Sweet and deeply roasted malts hit the nose first.  The malts eventually open up to expose luscious notes of chocolate.  Creamy fudge, rich dark chocolate, and satisfying milk chocolate are all present.  The roasted malts circle back around to finish things off with a black coffee character that works beautifully with all the chocolate currently filling the air.

Taste:  The flavor profile begins with a huge pop of bittersweet dark chocolate, and this note holds for quite some time.  As it fades, tones of cream, vanilla, cocoa and milk chocolate develop to create a flavor combination that is strikingly reminiscent of a gourmet, scratch-made hot chocolate.  The roasted malts supply closing notes of caramelized brown sugar and dark coffee.  Rich and intense, but still smooth and composed.

Mouthfeel:  Silky in texture, this Stout is on the lighter side of full-bodied thanks to a lifting carbonation presence. It is sweet on the palate, but still has a good amount of balancing bitterness from the heavily roasted malts, cocoa nibs and added hops.  Although gently warming, it certainly does not feel like this beer is pushing 8% ABV.  Decadence also resides in the aftertaste as it leaves behind notes of dark chocolate and fine coffee.

Final Thoughts:  To put it simply, Double Bass is a wonderfully executed, big, beautiful Chocolate Stout.  It possesses all of the roast and chocolate character you could possibly want while still somehow avoiding being overly sweet or cloying.  The hops are dialed in perfectly to stealthily provide balance while hiding behind the lightly bitter qualities supplied by the cocoa nibs and the more heavily roasted malts. Oh, and the mouthfeel on this Stout . . . a thing of beauty.  It has more than enough weight to it to firmly establish itself as a robust representation of the style, but it does so with a gliding gracefulness while on the palate.  Factor in that the ABV is so well hidden, and then you are left with a full-flavored Imperial Stout that maintains an almost unrivaled level of drinkability.  If there was a list of beers out there that makes a case for any time of year being Stout Season, Double Bass Double Chocolate Stout would certainly make our Top 5.  Prost!

 

Big Storm Brewing Co. Partners with the Tampa Bay Rowdies

Posted on by mashingin

bigstormlogodarkblueBig Storm Brewing Co. (Clearwater, Florida) recently announced that they have become the official craft beer partner of the Tampa Bay Rowdies for the 2017 season.

As the Tampa Bay Rowdies enter their first season in the United Soccer League (USL), the iconic Al Lang Stadium will now be serving a variety of Big Storm Brewing Co. offerings for fans to raise in celebration of each and every home team goal and win.  Located on the waterfront of downtown St. Petersburg, the picturesque home of the Rowdies has always been a beautiful venue to take in a soccer match, and now it will also serve as one of the most amazing places in the Tampa Bay area to experience the craft brews of Big Storm.

“Big Storm is thrilled about this partnership with such a community centric organization,” stated Jonathan Golden, CEO. “The Rowdies have been a part of the Tampa Bay area sports landscape since 1975. We are excited to partner with them to not only honor their history but the future proposed expansion into Major League Soccer.”

According to Mike Bishop, Founder of Big Storm, “Big Storm has built a reputation of making exceptionally drinkable craft beer perfect for a tailgate party with loyal and enthusiastic Rowdies fans.”

This partnership with the Rowdies “marks Big Storm’s first major announcement in conjunction with a professional sports franchise since announcing their partnership with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2016.”

The Tampa Bay Rowdies begin their 2017 season during the weekend of March 24-26, and you can purchase tickets by clicking here. Stand for Soccer. Drink local.  Go Rowdies!  Prost!

Florida SMaSH Beer Festival Returns in May

Posted on by mashingin

FLSMaSHposterOn Saturday, May 13 at 2 p.m., the city of Longwood will host the 2nd Annual Florida SMaSH Beer Festival at the Longwood Community Center (200 W. Warren Avenue, Longwood, Florida).

The Florida SMaSH Beer Festival celebrates the “creativity and camaraderie of the brewers in the Sunshine State” by asking all participating breweries to create a SMaSH beer, a brew of any style that is created with a single malt and single hop.  Although all breweries will be required to use only Golden Promise malt and Hallertau Blanc hops in their brew, this limitation actually serves as a creative playground for the brewers as they develop a recipe that will allow them to stand out and make an impression on the drinker.

Not only will this event feature exclusive, one-off SMaSH beers from all participating breweries, but there will also be a SMaSH beer competition – voted on by attendees – to crown a winner of the festival, a selection of other special brews pouring during the event, and the event will also act as a fundraiser to benefit the very worthy cause of The Sharing Center.  Since this event has quite a few moving parts, let’s break it down:

The Basics

  • What – Florida SMaSH Beer Festival
  • When – 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, May 13
  • Where – Longwood Community Center (200 W. Warren Avenue, Longwood, Florida)

Participating Breweries

The Smash Beer Competition

“With the spirit of SMaSH brewing so heavily steeped in the home brewing tradition, our festival will feature a friendly competition between brewers, judged solely by the attendees. Each attendee will receive three voting tokens to distribute among their favorite entries. Winners will take home a very unique prize.”

Ticket Information

Tickets for The Florida SMaSH Beer Festival are available now, and you can purchase tickets online by clicking here.  Tickets are available in the following tiers:

  • General Admission: $35 – Ticket grants you admittance into the festival, a commemorative tasting glass, and unlimited samples of over 80 local craft beers
  • VIP: $75 – VIP ticket allows you to enter the festival one hour early for a private brewers lunch and brewery bottle tasting, a commemorative tasting glass, and unlimited samples of over 80 local craft beers

The Cause

A portion of ticket sales will go to benefit The Sharing Center, a top-rated 501c3 non-profit organization that focuses on preventing hunger and homelessness for families and individuals in crisis by offering a hand-up to the working-poor in Seminole County and those who are struggling to move out of homelessness.

Alright, that should pretty much cover all the needed information concerning this event.  If your calendar is open on March 13 and you happen to be in the area, we highly recommend that you consider checking out the Florida SMaSH Beer Festival.  SMaSH beers act as a fantastic educational tool that allows the drinker to gain a better understanding of specific brewing ingredients, and a festival of this size will also highlight the scope of the artistic creativity thriving within our local brewing community.  Throw in the fact that you will be supporting a local non-profit while enjoying all of these tasty brews, and you really cannot go wrong here.  Make it happen, folks.  Prost!

FLSMaSH

North Coast Brewing Co. Introduces Tart Cherry Berliner Weisse

Posted on by mashingin

Berliner-Weisse-Tart-Cherry-22ozNorth Coast Brewing Co. (Fort Bragg, California) recently announced the release of Tart Cherry Berliner Weisse as the brewery’s latest limited offering.

Tart Cherry Berliner Weisse was created by North Coast Brewing Co. as a means of recognizing the vernal equinox and the arrival of spring.  This refreshing beer was brewed with the juice of Michigan Montmorency cherries to “[soften] the lactic finish of the beer and [give] it a springtime blush.”  Weighing it at just 4.1% ABV, Tart Cherry Berliner Weisse aims to be a refreshing treat that should be enjoyed on a beautiful spring day.

This “very limited” offering is available now in 22 oz. bottles and on draft. Tart Cherry Berliner Weisse might be found at select craft beer establishments in Alabama, Florida, California, and throughout the rest of North Coast Brewing Co.’s distribution footprint.  Due to the limited nature of this release, the brewery cannot confirm that any area in particular is guaranteed to see Tart Cherry Berliner Weisse.  (**Note** We can confirm that Tart Cherry Berliner Weisse is on shelves in Birmingham, Alabama. **Note**)  If this offering has piqued your interest, you can click here to contact your local distributor directly to see if they are expecting a shipment of this brew.  Otherwise, just watch those shelves and snag yourself a bottle of Tart Cherry Berliner Weisse when/if you see it.  Prost!

Vital Information for Tart Cherry Berliner Weisse from North Coast Brewing Co.  

Release – Limited, March 2017
Style – Berliner Weisse
ABV – 4.1%
IBUs – 0
Added Ingredients – Juice of Michigan Montmorency cherries
Availability – 22 oz. bottles & draft
Beer Finder – http://www.northcoastbrewing.com/beers/beerlocator/
Fun Fact – “Michael Jackson describes ‘Berlin White Beer’ as having an ‘insistent sparkle, a fragrant fruitiness in the nose, a sharp, dry palate, and a frisson of quenching, sour acidity in the finish.’” 

Starr Hill Brewery’s Four Kings IPA Pack Returns with New Lineup of Variants

Posted on by mashingin

FourkingsposterStarr Hill Brewery (Charlottesville, Virginia) has officially announced that their Four Kings IPA Pack will return again this year to feature the brewery’s King of Hop Imperial India Pale Ale and three new variants: Coffee King of Hop, Mango Habanero King of Hop, and Orange King of Hop.

When it was first introduced in 2014, Starr Hill Brewery originally brewed King of Hop Imperial IPA to be a limited release within their All Access Series.  Brewed with “heaps of American hops from the Pacific Northwest” to create massive “flavor notes of orange peel, passion fruit, grapefruit, and gooseberry”, this Imperial India Pale Ale proved to be a huge hit with hopheads and eventually won the Gold Medal for the India Pale Ale Category at the Virginia Craft Brewers Festival.

Convinced that they had created a winner, Starr Hill Brewery decided to expand their approach to King of Hop Imperial IPA in 2016 by introducing the Four Kings IPA Pack, a limited edition mixed 12-pack that showcases the versatility of King of Hop by brewing a series of inventive variants that feature various natural ingredients.  The 2016 Four Kings IPA Pack also proved to be a success, and it is back again in 2017 with a brand-new lineup of variants.

After sourcing “all natural ingredients including hand-zested orange peel, whole coffee beans, mango puree and habaneros,” the 2017 release of the Four Kings IPA Pack will feature three bottles of each of the following four versions of King of Hop Imperial IPA:

  • King of Hop Imperial IPA
  • Coffee King of Hop
  • Mango Habanero King of Hop
  • Orange King of Hop

“King of Hop has proved to be an excellent canvas to showcase each of these additives, allowing for further exploration into the complexity of the IPA category,” said Starr Hill Brewmaster, Robbie O’Cain. “We are excited to offer three new variants this year, each creating a unique and delicious take on this style of beer.”

The 2017 Four Kings IPA Pack will officially launch at a Release Party in the Starr Hill Brewery Taproom on Thursday, March 24 (click here for more details).  The beers of the Four Kings IPA Pack will then enter limited distribution beginning on April 1.  You can expect to find the Four Kings available in mixed 12-packs of 12 oz. bottles and on draft at “exclusive” craft beer establishments located in Alabama, Virginia, and other states within Starr Hill’s distribution network.  The 2016 Four Kings IPA Pack was ridiculously good, and you should expect the 2017 version to be more of the same.  Do not count on these beers to last long once released, so be sure you to get your fill before they disappear from shelves and taps.  Prost!

Vital Information for King of Hop Imperial IPA from Starr Hill Brewery

Release – Limited, launching March 24 at the brewery. Enters limited distribution April 1
Style – American Imperial India Pale Ale
ABV – 7.5%
IBUs – 50
Availability – Four Kings IPA Variety Pack of 12 oz. bottles and draft
Beer Finder – http://starrhill.com/beer-finder/

Fourkingscards