Beer News | Mashing In

Spencer Brewery Introduces Peach Saison

Posted on February 6, 2018February 6, 2018 by mashingin

Spencer Brewery (Spencer, Massachusetts) has announced that it is officially launching its Fruit Series with the February release of Peach Saison.

The monks and brewmaster at Spencer Brewery, the first certified Trappist Brewery outside of Europe, continue to add diversity to their portfolio by establishing the Fruit Series. This new line of fruit lace brews seemed like a natural fit for the monks at the brewery considering “their monastery has been home to Trappist Preserves for the past sixty-three years” and this operation has led to the production of “thirty different varieties of jams, jellies, marmalades, preserves and conserves.”

Peach Saison will be the first beer to kick off the Fruit Series and tap into the monastery’s “decades of knowledge from working with fruit.” With the use of carefully selected peaches, the brewing team at Spencer crafted Peach Saison (4.3% ABV) to be “a light, refreshing, sessionable ale” that possesses “a delicate peach flavor . . . highlighted through sparkling carbonation producing a fresh, clean taste.”

Spencer Brewery Director Fr Isaac tells of the excitement the brothers had about the two businesses working together. “Trappist Preserves Quality Control Manager Br. Francis was delighted to assist us in the selection of the peaches to use in our Peach Saison.”

Peach Saison will officially begin distribution on February 12, 2018. Once released, you can expect to find this new offering available in 4-packs of 33cl bottles and on draft at fine beer establishments located in Florida, Massachusetts and throughout the rest of Spencer Brewery’s distribution network. Prost!

Vital Information for Peach Saison from Spencer Brewery

Release – Fruit Series; launching February 12, 2018
Style – Saison/Farmhouse Ale
ABV – 4.3%
Added Ingredients – Peaches
Availability – 4-packs of 33cl bottles & draft
Fun Fact – Peach Saison is the latest beer from Spencer Brewery to receive approval from the International Trappist Association to wear the “Authentic Trappist Product” seal
Beer Finder – http://spencerbrewery.com/index.php/find-our-beer

Founders Brewing Co. Introduces Solid Gold Premium Lager

Posted on February 5, 2018February 5, 2018 by mashingin

Founders Brewing Co. (Grand Rapids, Michigan) has announced that Solid Gold Premium Lager, the brewery’s newest Year-Round offering, will officially release on March 1.

Arriving as a revamped take on a Founders taproom classic by the same name, Solid Gold is a beautiful non-filtered, golden Lager that has been created especially “for sessionable drinking.” A recipe featuring lager yeast, corn and lemondrop hops yields a refreshing Solid Gold (4.4% ABV) that is meant to “appeal to classic lager drinkers but adds a craft character, to balance natural sweetness with a touch of citrus.”

“We built Founders on an attitude of no regrets,” shares Mike Stevens, Co-Founder and CEO of Founders. “An attitude of taking risks to bring the best beer possible to our fellow renegades and rebels. Never brewing to style, but always brewing what we want to drink. Our take on a classic, Solid Gold is a drinkable golden lager brewed with the highest quality ingredients. Challenging what a lager can be? That’s something we won’t regret.”

Solid Gold will launch exclusively in cans – the first Founders Year-Round release to do so – on March 1. You can expect to find this new Year-Round available in 6-packs of 12 oz. cans (suggested retail price of $7.99), 15-packs of 12 oz. cans (suggested retail price of $14.99) and on draft at craft beer friendly establishments located in Alabama, Florida, Michigan and throughout the rest of Founders Brewing Co.’s distribution network. Prost!

Vital Information for Solid Gold Premium Lager from Founders Brewing Co.

Release – Year-Round, launching March 2018
Style – Lager
ABV – 4.4%
IBUs – 20
Featured Hops – Lemondrop
Availability – 6-packs of 12 oz. cans, 15-packs of 12 oz. cans & draft
Beer Finder – https://foundersbrewing.com/beer/find-our-beer/

Offshoot Beer Co. Introduces Its First Year-Round Release

Posted on February 5, 2018 by mashingin

Offshoot Beer Co. (Orange County, California) has announced that it will release Relax [it’s just a hazy IPA] this month as its first Year-Round offering and first beer to be available beyond the brewery.

Developed to be The Bruery’s hop-focused brewing project, Offshoot Beer Co. has produced 20 limited release hoppy beers since its inception in April of 2017. These lupulin loaded IPAs, Double IPAs and Triple IPAs have only been available for purchase directly from the brewery and exclusively to members on its Interest List” . . . until now.

Relax [it’s just a hazy IPA] is rolling out this month as Offshoot Beer Co.’s first offering that will experience limited distribution. With Citra, Centennial, Simcoe and Amarillo hops filling out the hop bill, this new Year-Round features “fruity, tropical and citrusy notes to complement the round, soft mouthfeel of a hazy IPA.” Hop lovers can expect Relax [it’s just a hazy IPA] (6.8% ABV) to deliver an experience that “embraces the new way to enjoy IPA – unfiltered, fresh and full of hop flavor and aromatics… without the bitterness to stand in the way of kicking back with a juicy beer.”

“Offshoot Beer Co. has allowed us to branch off in new directions, continue our passion for experimentation and explore the art of developing hop-forward beers,” said Patrick Rue, founder of The Bruery and its hoppy offshoot, and one of just 16 individuals to earn the title of Master Cicerone®. “Now such a pursuit will be within arm’s reach for fans of independent craft beer from coast-to-coast looking to relax with a fresh can of hazy IPA any day of the week.”

“After nearly a year of developing special releases, we couldn’t be more excited to dial in a fresh new beer that’s available year-round to even more fans,” added Rue. “If you’ve been wondering what it would taste like if The Bruery made a hazy IPA, this is it. You won’t find a more approachable and accessible 4-pack on the market.”

Relax [it’s just a hazy IPA] will debut at the Tasting Rooms at The Bruery and Bruery Terreux on February 2, and it will then enter limited distribution beginning the week of February 5. You can expect to find this new Year-Round available in 4-packs of 16 oz. cans and on draft at select craft beer establishments located in Southern California, Northern California, Washington, D.C., and Virginia. Prost!

Vital Information for Relax [it’s just a hazy IPA] from Offshoot Beer Co.

Release – Year-Round, launching February 2018
Style – American India Pale Ale (New England-style)
ABV – 6.8%
Hops – Citra, Centennial, Simcoe & Amarillo
Malts – 2-row & Oats
Yeast – London III
Fun Fact – A note on the brewery’s approach to freshness: Although offerings from The Bruery and Bruery Terreux are available in nearly 30 states, “Relax [it’s just a hazy IPA] will cover a much smaller footprint to ensure cans are shipped cold and arrive in peak condition at fine purveyors of craft beer in select markets.”
Availability – 4-packs of 16 oz. cans & draft
Beer Finder – http://www.thebruery.com/find/

Tasting Notes: Hatchery Series NE Style IPA from SweetWater Brewing Company

Posted on February 2, 2018February 2, 2018 by mashingin

Things get a little hazy as we close the week with some Tasting Notes on Hatchery Series Release #5 – NE Style India Pale Ale from SweetWater Brewing Company (Atlanta, Georgia).

Arriving as the fifth release from SweetWater’s pilot system (a.k.a. The Hatchery), NE Style India Pale Ale is the brewery’s experimental, small-batch take on the hazy IPAs that are currently running rampant throughout the country. With a hop bill comprised of Centennial, Amarillo, Azacca, Idaho 7 and El Dorado hops, this offering is meant to be an “extremely hoppy beer” that has the New England IPA’s signature “restrained bitterness and . . . soft mouthfeel.” Staying true to the Hatchery’s focus on experimentation, the brewers at SweetWater did take some liberties with the style by adding “flaked rye for a bit of a dirty southern twist.” Hatchery Series Release #5 – NE Style India Pale Ale (7.5% ABV and 50 IBUs) is available now for a limited time in Tackle Box Variety 12-packs of 12 oz. bottles and on draft at select craft beer establishments located in Alabama, Florida, Georgia and throughout the rest of SweetWater Brewing’s distribution area.

With those pertinent details now properly covered, I do believe it is time to work our way through this haze and put down some Tasting Notes!

Tasting Notes for Hatchery Series NE Style India Pale Ale from SweetWater Brewing Company

Appearance: SweetWater’s NE Style India Pale Ale fills the glass with a cloudy, deep golden yellow colored brew wearing just over a finger of bright white foam that is lightly stained with a streak of sediment. The beer is more than adequate in the haze department, and that sediment turns up again as a crazy amount of floaties are suspended throughout. Although it is a bit on the murky side, a steady carbonation can be seen coursing within. Head retention is good, eventually falling to a lasting half finger of creamy foam that leaves chunky bands of lace behind on the glass.

Aroma: Absolutely saturated with tropical fruits, the nose leads with a note of straight up orange juice that is followed by tones of tangerine, pineapple, apricot and grapefruit. That fruity sweetness mellows out just enough to allow the development of a piney and dank hop presence. The profile closes with a pleasant earthiness and a barely decipherable pale malt sweetness.

Taste: The brewery uses the term “fruit cocktail” to describe this beer, and they are spot on as juicy fruits dominate the flavor. Sweet mango and peach hit the tongue first and then it is awash with a variety of fruit juices: a mix of orange, pineapple and grapefruit juices spiked with a zing of lemon. As that lemon sharpness builds, the palate encounters a dank, hoppy bite of resinous pine and the experience finishes with a tinge of earthy, spicy rye.

Mouthfeel: Medium in both body and carbonation, this brew has a nice and soft texture to it. Although it is gentle and pillowy on the palate, it still retains a light hoppy bite that cleans up rather quickly. The ABV is well hidden and pretty non-existent for 7.5%. The aftertaste is minimal, but does leave behind a bit of pine, pineapple and grapefruit.

Final Thoughts: When all is said and done, Hatchery Series Release #5 – NE Style India Pale Ale comes together as a nice tribute to the OG New England-style IPAs that may not have been much to look at – think The Alchemist’s Heady Topper and its label directing you to “Drink From the Can” – but still have that trademark mouthfeel and reduced bitterness. Although it may be reduced, be warned that this brew does still retain some building bitterness that acts as a constant reminder that it is indeed an IPA. Also, the rye addition was a unique Southern touch that contributed to the haziness/cloudiness and added some earthy spice that mingled well with the beer’s overall dankness, but it could also act as a bit of surprise for those seeking a straight-up New England-style IPA. That said, it still has that lush, juicy experience that everyone is after and . . . it just works. If you keep the word “experimental” in mind while drinking this one, you are going to walk away from your pour a happy hop head. Be sure to check this one out before its limited run comes to end. Prost!

Great Divide Brewing Co. Kicks Off Wood Werks Series with Belgian-style Sour

Posted on February 2, 2018 by mashingin

Great Divide Brewing Co. (Denver, Colorado) has announced that it is officially launching its Wood Werks Barrel Series with the February release of Wood Werks No. 1 – Belgian-style Sour.

After completing an expansion that allowed an investment in “two temperature and humidity controlled barrel aging rooms”, Great Divide Brewing Co. is now set to expand its barrel-aging program with the launch of the Work Werks Barrel Series. With the capability and capacity to broaden their barrel selection well beyond just whiskey barrels, this new series will now allow the brewery to explore and experiment with a variety of styles including barrel-aged Sour Ales. Each year, the Wood Werks Barrel Series will feature “brand new recipes and styles, each unique and different from the last.”

The first release in this series will be Wood Werks No. 1 – Belgian-style Sour, a Belgian-style Tripel that was “artfully soured for 15 months in red wine barrels and aged on plums.” This lengthy treatment period resulted in a pink-hued, spiced Sour Ale that “has notes of luscious stone fruit with a tart, dry finish and hint of French oak.” This “labor of love and patience” comes in at 9.3% ABV.

The Wood Werks Barrel Series will continue to produce releases throughout 2018. Belgian-style Sour will be followed by a Flemish Sour Brown Ale in May, a Barrel Aged Brown Rye Ale in August, and Barrel Aged Yeti at the end of the year.

Wood Werks No. 1 – Belgian-style Sour will officially release in February and be available as long as supplies last through March. You can expect to find this Limited Release available in 12 oz. bottles and on draft at select craft beer establishments located in Alabama, Florida, Colorado and throughout the rest of Great Divide’s distribution network. Prost!

Vital Information for Wood Werks No. 1 – Belgian-style Sour from Great Divide Brewing Co.

Release – Limited/Wood Werks Barrel Series, February 2018
Style – Sour Ale
ABV – 9.3%
Treatment – Belgian-style Tripel soured for 15 months in red wine barrels and aged on plums
Suggested Food Pairings – “Braised short ribs with roasted potato, mushroom, & arugula salad with balsamic, point reyes blue cheese, plum sorbet”
Availability – 12 oz. bottles & draft
Beer Finder – https://greatdivide.com/beer-finder/

Brew Bus Brewing Set for Limited Release of Hazelnut Spread Porter

Posted on February 1, 2018 by mashingin

Brew Bus Brewing (Tampa, Florida) has announced that it will host a special release event for its Hazelnut Spread Imperial Milk Porter beginning at 4 p.m. on Monday, February 5.

With World Nutella Day just around the corner on February 5, that can only mean one thing for craft beer fans in Tampa: the annual release of Brew Bus Brewing’s Hazelnut Spread Imperial Milk Porter. Set for its 2018 return, Hazelnut Spread is back this time around as an imperialized version that has “more hazelnuts, more chocolate, more vanilla and is creamier and more decadent than ever before.” Although this year’s version weighs in at a heavier 9.3% ABV, you can still expect Hazelnut Spread Imperial Milk Porter to be “just as great for dessert as it is for breakfast.”

The release of Hazelnut Spread Imperial Milk Porter will officially launch at the Brew Bus Brewing Terminal & Brewery (4101 N. Florida Avenue, Tampa, Florida) at 4 p.m. on February 5. This Limited Release offering will be available for purchase on draft and in 4-packs of 12 oz. cans during the event. The Eatery at Brew Bus will also be getting in on the party by featuring Nutella Ice Cream Beer Floats – “two generous scoops of homemade Nutella ice cream along with Hazelnut Spread Imperial Milk Porter” – for $8 each (while supplies last). Decadence will be the word of the day on February 5, and you are not going to want to miss out on “all this hazelnuty goodness.” Make it happen. Prost!

Vital Information for Hazelnut Spread Imperial Milk Porter from Brew Bus Brewing

Release – Limited; February 5, 2018
Style – Imperial Porter
ABV – 9.3%
Added Ingredients – Cocao nibs, vanilla, hazelnuts & lactose
Availability – 4-packs of 12 oz. cans & draft

Ground Score IPA Emerges from SweetWater Brewing’s Dank Tank

Posted on February 1, 2018 by mashingin

SweetWater Brewing Company (Atlanta, Georgia) has officially announced that the next Dank Tank release will be Ground Score IPA, a collaboration with Relix and Kyle Hollingsworth of The String Cheese Incident.

When Kyle Hollingsworth and Relix editor Dean Budnick informed SweetWater Brewing Company of their brewing dream, the brewery decided to make it a reality by having Head Brewer Nick Nock meet them at Oregon’s Crosby Hop Farm for some applied “thinkin and drinkin” to develop the Dank Tank recipe for Ground Score IPA. It was here that they carefully selected the hop bill for the beer, a juicy mix of El Dorado, Citra, Amarillo, and Idaho 7 hops. Once they returned to the brewery, the collaboration team got to work on this hazy-ish India Pale Ale by putting those hops up against a malt base of “2 Row, flaked wheat and English Premium malts.” With a color described as “a sunset right before the big flash, . . . the flaked wheat gives Ground Score its blurred clarity and a nice frothy head, while the English Premium adds a slight sweetness of orange blossom honey.” This “big, bold, and drinkable” Ground Score IPA clocks in at 7.1% ABV and promises to “hit your tastebuds with a hell of a lot of flavor.”

Ground Score IPA will officially debut with a Launch Party at Brooklyn Bowl on February 7, and plans are in place to have the beer hit distribution by the second week of February. You can expect to find this limited Dank Tank release available in 4-packs of 16 oz. cans and on draft at select craft beer establishments located in Alabama, Florida, Georgia and throughout the rest of SweetWater Brewing’s distribution network. Supplies are limited, so be sure to get your hands on some Ground Score IPA while it lasts. Prost!

Vital Information for Ground Score IPA from SweetWater Brewing Company

Release – Limited/Dank Tank, February 2018
Style – American India Pale Ale
ABV – 7.1%
Hops – El Dorado, Citra, Amarillo & Idaho 7
Malts – 2 Row, Flaked Wheat & English Premium
Availability – 4-packs of 16 oz. cans & draft
Beer Finder – https://sweetwaterbrew.com/find-sweetwater/

Left Hand Brewing’s Chai Milk Stout Nitro Makes Seasonal Debut

Posted on January 31, 2018 by mashingin

Left Hand Brewing Co. (Longmont, Colorado) has announced that Chai Milk Stout Nitro is hitting shelves and taps now as the Quarter 1 release in the brewery’s Nitro Seasonal Can Series.

For the inaugural run of their Nitro Seasonal Can Series, the folks at Left Hand Brewing have decided to lead with a beer that proved to be a fan-favorite at their annual Nitro Fest this past November: Chai Milk Stout Nitro. This new offering starts with a base of Left Hand’s “infamous Milk Stout and nitrogen cascade” and laces it with “a custom blend of cloves, ginger and intensely flavored spices.” The base Stout’s sweetness acts as a balancing counterpoint to the spices, ultimately leaving its drinker with a pleasant and quaffable chai experience.

Fresh off the canning line, Chai Milk Stout Nitro will be hitting distribution any day now with plans to hang around through April. You can expect to find this new Seasonal at select craft beer establishments located in Alabama, Florida, Colorado and throughout the rest of Left Hand Brewing’s vast distribution area. Prost!

Vital Information for Chai Milk Stout Nitro from Left Hand Brewing Co.

Release – Seasonal/Nitro Can Series, January – April 2018
Style – Milk Stout
ABV – 5%
IBUs – 22
Added Ingredients – Chai spice mixture (A custom blend of cloves, ginger and intensely flavored spices)
Availability – 4 -packs of 13.65 oz. cans & draft
Beer Finder – http://lefthandbrewing.com/beer-finder/

Southern Tier Brewing Introduces Imperial Concord Grape Gose

Posted on January 31, 2018 by mashingin

Southern Tier Brewing Company (Lakewood, New York) has officially announced the Limited Release of Imperial Concord Grape Gose.

Realizing that the “most ideal Concord grape growing region in the world” is just a short drive from the brewery, the brewers at Southern Tier decided to put these grapes to use by creating Imperial Concord Grape Gose (8.3% ABV). Slightly cloudy and reddish purple in color, this Imperial Sour Ale greets its drinker with aromatics “defined by equal parts bright lactic acidity and grape aroma with a hint of coriander.” That lacto acidity carries over onto the palate and is “balanced by the natural sweetness of the Concord grapes.”

Imperial Concord Grape Gose is available now for a limited time in 4-packs of 12 oz. bottles and on draft. You can expect to find this new Limited Release at craft beer establishments located in Alabama, Florida, New York, Pennsylvania and throughout the rest of Southern Tier’s distribution area. Prost!

Vital Information for Imperial Concord Grape Gose from Southern Tier Brewing Company

Release – Limited, launching late January 2018
Style – American Sour Ale
ABV – 8.3%
Added Ingredients – Concord grapes & coriander
Suggested Food Pairings – “Soft cheeses, brunch fare”
Availability – 4-packs of 12 oz. bottles & draft
Beer Finder – http://www.stbcbeer.com/find-beer/

Voodoo Brewery Expands Distribution to Florida

Posted on January 30, 2018January 30, 2018 by mashingin

Voodoo Brewery (Meadville, Pennsylvania) has officially partnered with Cavalier Distributing and will launch distribution in Florida beginning the week of March 5.

Since starting their operation in 2005, the employee owners of Voodoo Brewery “have taken their brewing experiences and quirky personalities and wrapped them up into a line of beers oriented around what they feel are fun, flavorful, and thought-provoking.” This approach has allowed the brewery to steadily expand their reach, establish five locations in Pennsylvania, and now bring their tasty brews to the beer loving masses in Florida.

With Cavalier Distributing handling all distribution responsibilities, Voodoo Brewery will enter the Florida market beginning on March 5. The brewery plans to lead with the following offerings:

Hoodoo IPA – Forged in the bowels of the Meadville bayou, this IPA ushers your soul down a twisted journey on the 7C’s. This Voodoo brew will insight your dark side and open a portal to your hoppier senses. The 7C’s alchemic concoction of 7 different hop varieties starting with the letter “C” conjures your taste buds into a piney-citrus paradise fit for a Hoodoo doctor. ABV – 7.3%
Voodoo Love Child Belgian-Style Ale – Our Gran Met aged on passion fruit, cherries, and raspberries. This is traditionally unique to Lambics. So we feel, why should they get all the fun? This ale is inspired by fun, flavor, and a passion for brewing. We say, have a couple and your own Voodoo Love Child later. ABV – 9.5%
White Magick of the Sun White Ale – Our Voodoo-ized version of a white ale. This spiced wheat ale is perfect for that true craft beer individual that seeks out flavorful beers with integrity to the craft of beer. Spiced with coriander, bitter and sweet orange peel, juniper berries and 12 varieties of peppercorns. This ale is fantastic with foods of flavor, blackened catfish and the like. So step into the Magick of the Sun. ABV – 7.3%
Wynona’s Big Brown Ale – A robust dark brown ale brewed with generous amounts of brown malt and marris otter and hopped with Simcoe, Amarillo, and Northern Brewer to enhance the flavor and aroma for your enjoyment. ABV – 7.3%

In addition to the offerings above, the brewery also plans to offer Florida beer drinkers “Variety 12-packs, as well as seasonal and limited releases as they are available to Tampa and south Florida.”

“Voodoo Brewing Company is happy to announce our partnership for Florida distribution with our partners at Cavalier. Together, we will bring our quality products to a wider customer base for the first time ever in the Florida market. Cavalier’s attention to detail and care for our products, will ensure every customer receives the freshest product we have available.”

– Matteo (Matthew) Rachocki, Voodoo CEO

As a bit of a tease, the beers of Voodoo Brewery will be featured prior to launch at J. Wakefield Brewery’s Wakefest Invitational on February 17 in Miami and Jacksonville’s Riverside Craft Beer Fest on February 24. Official launch events will begin the week of March 5 (a.k.a. Tampa Bay Beer Week) and they are as follows:

Lake Park – Tuesday, March 6: The Brewhouse Gallery (720 Park Ave, Lake Park, Florida)
Tampa – Wednesday, March 7: Angry Chair Brewing (6401 N Florida Ave, Tampa, Florida) **This event will feature a special collaboration beer from Voodoo Brewery and Angry Chair Brewing**
Largo – Thursday, March 8: Willard’s Tap House (12500 Starkey Rd, Largo, Florida)
Tampa – Friday, March 9: The Mermaid Tavern (6719 N Nebraska Ave, Tampa, Florida)

**Launch events are subject to change. We will update this post with any changes or added details as they become available. Stay tuned.**

The addition of Voodoo Brewery is a huge score for the Florida craft beer community, so be sure to give them a proper welcome to the state by attending one of the events above or by simply picking up a sixer or two when they hit your local bottle shop. Prost!