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

Posted on by mashingin

SWNEIPAPour_editedThings 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

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GreatDivideWWBSSGreat 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

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BrewBusHScanBrew 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

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unnamed (15)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

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unnamed (14)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

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ConcordGrapeGose_12oz_Bottle_-crop-207x768Southern 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

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unnamed (87)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!

Map 40 Stout Makes Limited Return for Allagash Brewing

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map40pourAllagash Brewing Company (Portland, Maine) recently announced that it has once again teamed up with Speckled Ax Wood Roasted Coffee for the Limited Release of Map 40.

Although it is a rich and creamy Belgian-style Stout at its soul, Map 40 does not truly become itself until it is blended with cold-brewed Map 40 Mokha Java coffee from Speckled Ax.  This marriage supplies an experience that boasts an “aroma . . . strong in coffee and light in roasted grain” while a “light nuttiness accompanies flavors of chocolate, raisin, and a resounding coffee note that weaves its way throughout.”  Weighing in at 7.5% ABV, Map 40 comes together as a “a rich, creamy stout with a clean finish.”

“It’s fun working with Matt [of Speckled Ax] because we’re big fans of his coffee,” said Jason Perkins, Brewmaster at Allagash. “And we’re lucky that he’s also a fan of our beer. It was nice to be able to tell Matt how we wanted the beer to taste, and have him come back with the coffee that would work best.”

Map 40 is officially available now and will hang around as long as supplies last.  You can expect to find this Limited Release available in 12 oz. bottles and on draft at select craft beer establishments located in Georgia and throughout the rest of Allagash Brewing’s distribution network.  Prost!

Vital Information for Map 40 from Allagash Brewing Company

Release – Limited, late January 2018
Style – Stout (Belgian-style)
ABV – 7.5%
Malts – Dark Chocolate, Roasted Barley, Chocolate & Brown 
Hops – Chinook & Northern Brewer
Yeast – Trappist-Style
Added Ingredients – Cold-brewed coffee from Speckled Ax Wood Roasted Coffee
Availability – 12 oz. bottles & draft
Beer Finder – https://www.allagash.com/locator/
Fun Fact – “The name of the beer is a nod to the name of the coffee—Map 40 Mokha Java—which is itself a nod to one of the roaster’s favorite parts of Maine: the Forks in Somerset county.”

AllagashMap40

Founders Brewing Plans to Add Dankwood to Barrel-Aged Series

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dankwood_750ml_bottle_web-002Founders Brewing Co. (Grand Rapids, Michigan) has officially announced that Dankwood will arrive in April as the third release in the 2018 Barrel-Aged Series.

What some may recognize as the taproom exclusive, barrel-aged version of the recently retired reDANKulous, Dankwood is a “big, bold” Imperial Red India Pale Ale that has been aged in oak Bourbon barrels.  The time spent in the barrels pulls out the “rich caramel notes . . . from the depths of the IPA, highlighting strong malt character while the bourbon barrel-aging develops the complexity.”  The finished Dankwood (12.2% ABV, 65 IBUs) emerges as a “dank, sticky and slightly sweet sipper” that is meant to be “the perfect alchemy of wood and hops.”

Preceded by KBS (March) and Backwoods Bastard (Year-Round beginning in April), Dankwood will arrive as the third installment in the brewery’s 2018 Barrel-Aged Series.  Three yet-to-be-named Barrel-Aged Series offerings will follow Dankwood, and they will be announced later in the year.

Dankwood will make its official debut on April 2 and enter full distribution later that month.  This Barrel-Aged Series offering will be available through June 2018 (or as long as supplies last) in 4-packs of 12 oz. bottles (suggested retail price of $14.99), 750ml bottles (suggested retail price of $11.99) and on draft at select craft beer establishments located in Alabama, Florida, Michigan and throughout the rest of Founders Brewing Co.’s distribution footprint.

The folks at Founders Brewing promise that more information on Dankwood will be made available soon, and we will be sure to update this post with that info just as soon as we have it.  Stay tuned. Prost!

Vital Information for Dankwood from Founders Brewing Co.

Release – Limited/Barrel-Aged Series, launching April 2018
Style – Imperial Red India Pale Ale
ABV –  12.2%
IBUs – 65
Availability – 4-packs of 12 oz. bottles, 750ml bottles & draft
Beer Finder – https://foundersbrewing.com/beer/find-our-beer/

Straight to Ale’s Velvet Evil Makes Limited Return

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STAVEcanStraight to Ale (Huntsville, Alabama) has officially announced that Velvet Evil Old Ale will return to shelves and taps for a limited time beginning on January 29.

Starting with the same base beer used for their Unobtanium Old Ale, the brewers at Straight to Ale summon the smooth-talking, hip-shaking Velvet Evil with the addition of chocolate, coffee and raspberries.  Clocking in at a smooth as hell 10.1% ABV, this Old Ale comes together as “a totally different devil” that makes for the perfect dessert beer.

Velvet Evil officially releases on January 29 and will hang around as long as supplies last through February.  You can expect to find this Limited Release offering available in 4-packs of 12 oz. cans and on draft at select craft beer establishments located in Alabama and throughout the rest of Straight to Ale’s seven state distribution footprint.  Prost!

Vital Information for Velvet Evil from Straight to Ale

Release – Limited; January 29, 2018
Style – Old Ale
ABV – 10.1%
IBUs – 22
Added Ingredients – Chocolate, coffee & raspberries
Suggested Food Pairings – “Roast Beef or a rich, moderately aged cheese. From Ale’s Kitchen: BBQ Wings”
Recommended Glassware – Snifter
Availability – 4-packs of 12 oz. cans & draft
Distribution – Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina & Tennessee