Dogfish Head launches SeaQuench Ale as new limited release

Posted on by mashingin

SQ2Dogfish Head Craft Brewery (Milton, Delaware) recently announced the limited release of SeaQuench Ale Session Sour this week.

To kick off a “new partnership between Dogfish Head and the National Aquarium that will focus on inspiring conservation of the world’s aquatic treasures,” Dogfish Head Craft Brewery has brewed and released SeaQuench Ale Session Sour.  This new offering is a sessionable Sour Ale that is a blend of three German styles.  SeaQuench starts with a “straightforward Kolsch with lots of wheat and Munich Malt, then . . . a salty Gose with black limes, coriander and . . . sea salt,” and it is all finished “with a citrusy-tart Berlinerweiss made with lime juice and lime peel.”  The National Aquarium contributed by helping the brewery replicate the sea salt from Maine and the Chesapeake Bay to give the Gose portion of this beer its satisfying salinity.  The blended, finished beer comes in at 4.9% ABV and has “amazingly tart, refreshing crisp flavors of lime and the deeper slight bitter of black lime, a touch of salt on the tongue, [and] a bit of malt sweetness in the finish.”

The limited release of SeaQuench Ale officially shipped from the brewery on August 1st and will be hanging out throughout September.  Look for this one on draft and in 6-packs of 12 oz. bottles in Florida and in other select markets within Dogfish Head’s distribution footprint (full list below).  Additionally, SeaQuench Ale will be available year-round in the National Aquarium’s cafe and at select National Aquarium events.  Get it while you can and be sure to enjoy this refresher during the hottest months of the year.  Prost!

Vital Information on SeaQuench Ale Sour Session from Dogfish Head Craft Brewery

Release – Limited, August through September
ABV – 4.9%
IBUs – 10
Distribution – FL, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, GA, IL, IN, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, NC, NH, NJ, NV, NY, OH, OR, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, VT, WA, WI
Fun Fact – “Releasing just in time for the 500th anniversary of the Reinheitsgebot – aka the ‘German Beer Purity Law’ that says it’s illegal to brew with anything other than water, barley, and hops – SeaQuench Ale both commemorates (and disintegrates) this art-censorship law.”

 

 

Stone Brewing ships Stone Enjoy By 09.05.16 Unfiltered IPA

Posted on by mashingin

eb_090516_6pack_webStone Brewing Co. (Escondido, California) recently announced that Stone Enjoy By 09.05.16 Unfiltered IPA officially releases this week.

Stone Enjoy By 09.05.16 Unfiltered IPA is basically the Stone Enjoy By IPA that we all know and love, but this offering just leaves out that whole filtration step.  Not only does this treatment allow the “extra yeast, hop sediment and proteins that build up in beer as a natural result of the brewing process” remain in the brew, but it also amps up its “peach and tropical fruit hop flavors.”  The finished product is a hazy, 9.4% ABV Double IPA that gives you a new perspective on an old favorite.  

This beer is officially available as of Monday, August 1st.  You can look for Stone Enjoy By 09.05.16 Unfiltered IPA on draft, in 22 oz. bottles and in 6-packs of 12 oz. bottles at craft beer-friendly establishments in Alabama, Florida and other select markets throughout Stone Brewing’s distribution area.  “This IPA is brewed specifically NOT to last,” so be sure to get your hands (and palates) on this beer before September 5th.  Prost!

Vital Information on Stone Enjoy By 09.05.16 Unfiltered IPA from Stone Brewing Co.

ABV – 9.4%
IBUs – 90
Hops – Nugget, Super Galena, Simcoe, Delta, Target, Amarillo, Cascade, Galaxy, Citra, Nelson Sauvin, Motueka & Helga
Release Date – August 1, 2016
Packaging – Kegs, 22 oz. bottles, 6-packs of 12 oz. bottles
Distribution – AL, FL, AK, CA, CO, CT, DE, GA, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MT, NV, NH, NY, NC, OH, OR, PA, RI, SC, TN, VA, WA

Terrapin Beer Co. releases Hi-10 DIPA as latest Side Project

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Hi10DIPAcanTerrapin Beer Co. (Athens, Georgia) recently announced that Hi-10 Mango Habanero Double India Pale Ale has been released as the brewery’s latest offering in their Side Project Series.

What started as a challenge to improve the already tasty Hi-5 California-style India Pale Ale, the brewers at Terrapin Beer Co. doubled down and created Hi-10 Mango Habanero DIPA as Volume 27 in the Side Project Series, a series of limited release “extremely unique, fun and creative beers.”  Hi-10 DIPA starts with the original recipe for Hi-5 IPA, boosts the beer’s gravity, and then takes on an infusion of mango juice concentrate and habanero.  This combination leads to a 9.3% ABV DIPA that has a “big and juicy upfront hop aroma that gives way to flavors of mango and habanero” and finishes “a touch sweet with a spicy pepper kick that sneaks up on you after a couple of sips.”

From the label:
“Surf’s up with our ‘Hi-10’ Mango Habanero Double IPA. With citra waves for days, and just enough heat to make you sweat, our big and juicy DIPA has plenty of kick to keep you barreled from start to finish. ‘It takes two to Mango'”

Previous Side Project Series offerings were only released in 22 oz. bottles, but Hi-10 Mango Habanero DIPA mixes things up this time around by being available in 6-packs of 12 oz. cans.  Look for this limited release to be available at select craft beer-friendly establishments in Alabama, Florida, and throughout Terrapin’s distribution footprint.  Prost!

Vital Information on Hi-10 Mango Habanero Double India Pale Ale from Terrapin Beer Co.

ABV – 9.3%
IBUs – 110
Original Gravity – 20.5
Hops – Zythos, Amarillo, Citra, Simcoe (Dry Hop Amarillo, Centennial, Citra, Simcoe)
Malts – 2-row, CaraMalt, CaraPilsner
Other Ingredients – Mango and Habanero

B. Nektar to release The Mutant Zombie Killer Zombie Manhattan Project Thingy

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bnektarMutantB. Nektar (Ferndale, Michigan) recently announced that they will release The Mutant Zombie Killer Zombie Manhattan Project Thingy this week.

In what could be the longest and most fantastic beverage name of the year so far, B. Nektar is unleashing a mutant creation on the mead-loving masses.  The Mutant Zombie Killer Zombie Manhattan Project Thingy is a result of an “Uh-Oh” where brewers “accidentally blended a few hundred gallons of Zombie Killer [Cherry Hard Cider] into one of the two tanks that contained Zombies Take Manhattan“, an Apple Mead with cherry added aged in Rye Whiskey barrels.  After discovering that this mistake turned out to be quite tasty, it was then decided that B. Nektar fans should be allowed to experience the result of this happy accident.

The Mutant Zombie Killer Zombie Manhattan Project Thingy officially releases in the B. Nektar taproom on Saturday, July 30, and then a limited amount of 500ml bottles and 1/6 barrel kegs will make it out to select markets within the meadery’s distribution footprint.  According to the B. Nektar – South Facebook account, bottles will be hitting the Florida market very soon.  Make sure to snag a bottle if and when you see it because this offering is sure to move quickly off of shelves once they hit.  Prost!

Tasting Notes: Cage Radler from Victory Brewing Company

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CageRadlerlogoNow that things have gotten settled with the establishment of this site, it is finally time to get into a little Tasting Notes action thanks to Cage Radler from Victory Brewing Company (Downingtown, Pennsylvania).

Before we get to the sampling of this tasty liquid, we should probably cover some background information on Cage Radler.  This offering is Victory Brewing’s take on the historic beer cocktail that combines fine German-style beer with citrus soda or juice.  Cage Radler starts with a base of a Light Lager and adds “fresh lemon” to take things to another level of quenching drinkability.  The finished beer comes in at a more than sessionable 3% ABV that is absolutely the perfect call for warm weather drinking.  You can find Cage Radler in 6-packs of 12 oz. cans (suggested retail price of $9.99) and in 12 oz. bottles found exclusively in Victory’s Summer Selection’s Variety 12- Pack.  This offering is available in Alabama, Florida and throughout Victory Brewing’s 37 state distribution footprint all summer long.  Now that we have that covered, let’s get to the fun part and jot down some Tasting Notes!

Tasting Notes for Cage Radler from Victory Brewing Company

Appearance: Cage Radler pours up a very hazy, matte yellow in color.  When held to the light, the yellows brighten a bit but still holds the haze and pale appearance.  To put the look in perspective, this brew is a bit lighter in color than say a traditional German wheat beer, but it definitely displays the cloudiness with pride and great form.  Through that haze, you can spot a lively and speedy carbonation activity streaming throughout the body.  The pour produced a loose finger of bright white foam that quickly withdraws to a much tighter, thin top cap.  Spots of lace do find some stick from time to time, but most of it just slowly slips back into that cap.  This Radler certainly looks great and just as I hoped it would.

Aroma: The aromatic notes kicking around in here are light, but still present and discernible nonetheless. The first note that grabs you is a clean lemon juice aroma with just a touch of sugar.  Basically, it is coming across as a really nice and freshly squeezed lemonade.  The malts and hops are muted, but you can find some Pilsner graininess hiding behind that lemon.  On just scent alone, this offering is hinting at being an incredibly nice balance of beer to soda-like qualities.

Flavor: First thing I can say about this beer is that it is quite clean in flavor and completely lives up to what one would expect from a Radler.  That lemonade note spotted in the aroma definitely translates to the taste with lovely lemon and citrus notes attacking the tongue.  It does push the boundaries of sweetness from time to time, but it holds the line and absolutely crushes it when it comes to refreshment.  That Pils base is no slouch either, coming in to level off the sweetness with some grain and a nice earthy hoppiness to lend a grace of bitterness.  Fantastically put together here by going with a straight forward flavor profile that strives for refreshment with just the right amount of complexity to be found if you want to look for it.

Mouthfeel: Cage Radler is wonderfully light and easy drinking, but still somehow avoids feeling watered down or resembling the lemon-flavored malternatives out there.  The carbonation level is high and up there to boost that quenching ability.  This offering may be sweet at times, but it dries out quickly and cleanly.  Aftertaste is all lemonade and/or lemon-lime soda.

Final Thoughts:  If the German-style lovin’ brewers at Victory Brewing Company are going to tackle a Radler, you just know that they are going to do it right.  In all categories, Cage Radler just comes together as liquid perfection when it comes to summer drinking.  It has just enough ABV to give you that reassurance that you are definitely sipping on a well-crafted beer, but it remains easy drinking and soda-like enough to be the highly drinkable and quenching beverage you need to beat the heat.  The name of the game when developing a Radler is satisfying drinkability.  With that said, Cage Radler absolutely has that game down.  This offering is spot on for the “style”, and it just might be one of best American-made representations out there in cans these days.  Get you some while you can! Prost!

Monday Night Brewing releases Super Nerd as latest Clip-On offering

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MNSuperNerdCOMonday Night Brewing (Atlanta, Georgia) recently launched Super Nerd Imperial Pilsner as the latest release in their Clip-On Series.

In order to give their fans a true Lager experience, the brewers at Monday Night Brewing developed Super Nerd Imperial Pilsner as the newest offering in the Clip-On Series, a limited lineup of beers that produces variants of year-round favorites from the brewery.  Super Nerd revamps the brewery’s recipe for Nerd Alert Pseudo Pilsner by adding “more malt, more lagering, and more throat punch.”  This offering comes together as a relatively large Pilsner (clocking in at 7.5% ABV) that still remains “refreshing and crisp, with the perfect balance between sweet malt and hop bite.”

Super Nerd Imperial Pilsner is available now at select retailers in Monday Night’s distribution area in Alabama and Georgia.  You can enjoy this offering in six-packs of 12 oz. bottles and on draft for the next three to four months.  Prost!

Vital Information on Super Nerd Imperial Pilsner from Monday Night Brewing

Style – Imperial Pilsner
ABV – 7.5%
IBUs – 22
Hops – Hallertau, Willamette
Malts – Munich, Pilsner

Avery Brewing Ale to the Chief returns for 2016 election

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AletotheChiefAvery Brewing Company (Boulder, Colorado) recently announced that Ale to the Chief, A Presidential Pale Ale is returning to shelves and taps for the 2016 election season.

Only available every four years, Ale to the Chief was originally brewed back in 2009 to celebrate Inauguration Day.  This offering reached such a level of popularity that it returned in 2012 to celebrate democracy throughout the entire election season.  This Presidential (a.k.a. not Imperial) Pale Ale returns for a “third term” during this year’s election boasting a hefty dry-hopping of Cascade hops for a powerful floral and citrus punch.  The hops are balanced with a malt bill of “Caramel-120 malt adding contributing caramel flavor and color, Honey Malt for honey-like sweetness, and Dark Munich Malt bringing biscuity notes to the table.”  The finished product comes in at 8.1% ABV and is truly “a brew worthy of the Oval Office.”

From the label:

”We the Brewers of Avery Brewing Company, in order to form a more perfect ale, require leadership that can liberate us from quagmires in foreign lands; embrace environmentally sound energy alternatives; continue healing our healthcare system; and unite the parties around this bipartisan brew. We hereby pledge to provide him or her with an ample amount of our Presidential Pale Ale whilst they achieve the aforementioned goals! Hail to the Chief!”

Ale to the Chief officially launched at the brewery on July 18, and has started to work its way to Florida and other select markets within Avery Brewing’s distribution area throughout the country (Sorry, Alabama.  Your state was not on the list this time around.)  Look for this limited release to be available in 22 oz. bottles and on draft throughout the election.  Prost!

Vital Information on Ale to the Chief, A Presidential Pale Ale from Avery Brewing Company

ABV – 8.1%
Availability – Limited offering, available every four years in kegs and 22 oz. bottles
Distribution – FL, AZ, CA, CO, GA, IL, KS, KY, MA, MD, MN, NC, NY, OH, OK, PA, SC, TX, VA, WA, and WI

Big Storm Brewing to tap Four Year Storm Imperial Stout for 4th Anniversary

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bigstormAnnyPromoBig Storm Brewing Co. (Clearwater, Florida) will be celebrating four years of brewing on July 30 by tapping Four Year Storm Imperial Stout at anniversary parties held at both taproom locations (Pasco taproom- 2330 Success Dr., Odessa, Florida.  Pinellas taproom – 12707 49th Street N, Clearwater, Florida)

To celebrate four great years in the brewing industry, the folks at Big Storm brewed up a big ol’ Imperial Stout as the perfect offering to raise in celebration of such a milestone.  Four Year Storm is an Imperial Stout that “has an unbelievably full but smooth mouthfeel with flavors of espresso beans and molasses with chocolate undertones… [finishing] sweet with a slight booziness” This brew weighs in at 9.1% ABV and 60 IBUs.

In addition to enjoying pours of Four Year Storm Imperial Stout, the first 100 Anniversary Party attendees at each taproom will also receive a special cupcake that has been made with Big Storm beer.  Attendees will also enjoy $1 off every beer purchased throughout the day, and 6-packs to take home are buy one, get one free.  The party starts at 11 a.m. at both taprooms, so make those plans now to attend if you are free and in the Tampa Bay area on Saturday.  Prost!

Bell’s Brewery Octoberfest returns to bottles

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BellsOctoberfestBottleBell’s Brewery (Comstock, Michigan) has recently announced that Bell’s Octoberfest Beer will be returning to bottles in 2016.

After a five year break, Bell’s Brewery is officially reviving Bell’s Octoberfest Beer as a packaged offering this year.  This Märzenbier comes in at 5.5% ABV and is described by the brewery as having “a light, dry toasted malt note without too much sweetness.”  This lager has achieved its popularity with Bell’s fans due to its smooth character and easy drinking nature.

“Octoberfest is a brewery and a fan favorite, one that we get a lot of questions about,” said Bell’s Vice President Laura Bell. “This is the year we can finally say yes, Octoberfest is coming back in bottles. It has been too long, it’s a perfect way to welcome cooler weather.”

6-packs and 12-packs of 12 oz. bottles of Bell’s Octoberfest Beer will begin shipping in August.  Look for this one on shelves at craft beer friendly establishments in Alabama, Florida and throughout all states within the Bell’s Brewery distribution footprint.  Prost!

Vital Information on Bell’s Octoberfest from Bell’s Brewery

ABV – 5.5%
Style – Märzenbier/Oktoberfest Lager
Original Gravity – 1.06
Shelf Life – 90 Days
Packaging – limited offering on draught, 12 oz. 6-packs, 12 oz. 12-packs
Release – August to October

Founders Brewing Co. introduces Pale Joe as new limited release

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Pale_joe_bottle-1-421x1000Founders Brewing Co. (Grand Rapids, Michigan) announced this week that they will release Pale Joe as a limited offering beginning in September.

Pale Joe is a unique twist on the Pale Ale style thanks to the addition of coffee during the brewing process.  Instead of using the more traditionally employed Brown Ale or Porter/Stout base for a coffee beer, the brewers at Founders decided to go with the Pale Ale style this time around to create a “golden ale [featuring] notes of gently roasted, fruit-forward coffee.”  This 5.4% ABV ale gets its coffee boost thanks to “a special blend of high-end Ethiopian coffee expertly roasted by… Ferris Coffee and Nut.”  The final product comes together to create a satisfying iced coffee experience in a craft beer package.

“Pale Joe came out of my current infatuation with pale, sessionable beers,” says our Brewmaster Jeremy Kosmicki, “Being the ArtPrize beer, I wanted to play with expectations so I experimented with adding coffee to a lighter, pale ale. Turns out, using gently-roasted, fruit-forward coffee adds a nice roasty flavor that does not complete with the malts in the beer.”

In addition to being a fun new release, Pale Joe is also the fourth beer brewed by Founders to benefit ArtPrize, “an international art competition [promoting] critical dialogue and collaboration through new, creative ideas among a large and diverse population of people.” ( Inspired Artist Black IPA, Mosaic Promise and Spectra Trifecta were the previous three ArtPrize releases from the brewery).  All employees at Founders Brewing Co. were given the opportunity to submit their artistic portfolio for the chance to create the label for Pale Joe.  Aaron Rossell, Lead Cellar Operator and Kendall College of Art & Design graduate, earned the honor of illustrating the label artwork thanks to his “striking character illustrations and unexpected use of color.”

September 13 will mark the official release of Pale Joe on draft and in 12 oz. bottles in Michigan, Wisconsin, Missouri, Iowa, Illinois, Ohio, New Jersey, New York City and Boston, Massachusetts with limited availability on draft only in all other markets within the Founders Brewing distribution footprint (this includes Alabama and Florida).  Mark those calendars and be sure to get your Pale Joe fix when you see it.  Prost!