Celis Brewery’s Pale Bock Now Available in Cans

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

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

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

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

Vital Information for Celis Pale Bock from Celis Brewery

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

 

New Belgium Brewing Set to Release Voodoo Ranger Liquid Paradise IPA

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NBVoodooLPIPANew Belgium Brewing (Fort Collins, Colorado) has officially announced that it will launch Voodoo Ranger Liquid Paradise IPA as a Special Release offering in July 2018.

Developed to be New Belgium’s “tropical twist on the typical IPA”, Voodoo Ranger Liquid Paradise IPA is a summer-themed brew that boasts “a mélange of tropical notes.”  Mosaic hops and “a small amount” of Nugget hops combine to give this offering a juicy character that supplies “bursts of guava, mango, grapefruit and white grape.”  Medium-bodied with a mild sweetness, Voodoo Ranger Liquid Paradise IPA (8% ABV) ultimately comes together as “a delicately bitter and extremely aromatic IPA.”

“The Voodoo Ranger Special Release series gives our brewers a hoppy playground, if you will, a place to play with ingredients, aromas and flavors,” said Ross Koenigs, Research and Development Brewer at New Belgium. “Liquid Paradise offers great flavors and is packed full of wonderful aromas, and we’re just getting started showing off our capabilities as a brewer of hoppy beer.”

Voodoo Ranger Liquid Paradise IPA will officially release during the first week of July 2018 and will hang around for a limited time.  You can expect to find this Special Release available in 4-packs of 16 oz. cans and on draft in select markets found within New Belgium’s distribution area.  Prost!

Vital Information for Voodoo Ranger Liquid Paradise IPA from New Belgium Brewing

Release – Limited/Special, launching July 2018
Style – American India Pale Ale
ABV – 8%
IBUs – 44
Malts – Pale, Oats & Munich
Hops – Mosaic & Nugget
Availability – 4-packs of 16 oz. cans & draft
Beer Finder – https://www.newbelgium.com/beer/finder/

Straight to Ale Launches Boldly Gose as New Summer Seasonal

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

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

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

Vital Information for Boldly Gose from Straight to Ale

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Samuel Smith’s Brewery Adds Cans to its U.S. Portfolio

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SamuelSmithCans2Samuel Smith’s Brewery (Tadcaster, England) has officially announced that it will offer two of its flagship beers – Nut Brown Ale and Pure Brewed Organic Lager – in cans this summer in the U.S.

The legendary and highly-respected Samuel Smith’s Brewery may have been established back in 1758, but that does not mean that it turns a blind eye to current trends taking place in the beer scene.  After witnessing the beer community’s preference shift toward cans, the folks at Samuel Smith’s have decided to accommodate consumer and retailer demand by offering the following two offerings in cans this summer (descriptions sourced from the brewery’s website):

  • Nut Brown Ale – Brewed with well water (the original well at the Old Brewery, sunk in 1758, is still in use, with the hard well water being drawn from 85 feet underground); best barley malt, yeast and aromatic hops; fermented in ‘stone Yorkshire squares’ to create a relatively dry ale with rich nutty colour and palate of beech nuts, almonds and walnuts.  ABV – 5%  IBUs – 31
  • Pure Brewed Organic Lager – Brewed with great care using only organic malted barley, organic hops, medium-soft water and a bottom-fermenting yeast; matured at low temperatures to bring out its delicate flavour and soft hop-character finish.
    The cold maturation period allows the bottom-fermenting yeasts to secondary ferment and improve this lager’s flavour, purity and condition.  ABV – 5%  IBUs – 25

Cans of Nut Brown Ale and Pure Brewed Organic Lager will begin rolling out in the U.S. during the first half of July 2018.  You can expect to find these classic brews available in 4-packs of 14.9 oz. (440ml) cans at fine beer retailers located in Alabama, Florida and all other areas of the U.S. serviced by Merchant du Vin.  Prost!

 

Catawba Brewing’s Soulshine Kölsch Debuts as New Limited Release

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CVB-Beer-Blocks_SShineCatawba Brewing Co. (Asheville, North Carolina) has officially announced that Soulshine Kölsch, a special collaboration with Mountain Khakis of Jackson Hole, Wyoming, will see a Limited Release beginning on Friday, June 29.

Soulshine Kölsch was developed by Catawba Brewing Co. and Mountain Khakis –  a brand “nationally renowned for its premium outdoor clothing and gear, ‘built for the mountain lifestyle'” – as a means of pursuing their “shared mission to protect lands and waterways, making connections between people and nature.”  A portion of the proceeds raised from the sale of this beer will go to benefit Catawba Lands Conservancy, “a nonprofit, community-based conservation organization that permanently conserves and manages land for public benefit in the Southern Piedmont of North Carolina.”

As far as the beer itself, Soulshine Kölsch is a “light, crisp, refreshing German-style summer ale” that employs “traditional fermentation methods unique to the Kölsch style.”  With floral and earthy Noble hops – Magnum and Hallertau Mittelfrüh – balancing the pale malts, this approach ultimately yields a classic take on the Kölsch that “drinks like a fine German lager with hints of ale-type fruitiness.”

Soulshine Kölsch will officially release on June 29 and enter distribution shortly thereafter.  You can expect to find this Limited Release available in 6-packs of 12 oz. cans and on draft at select craft beer-friendly establishments located in Alabama, North Carolina and throughout the rest of Catawba Brewing Co.’s five state distribution footprint. Prost!

Vital Information for Soulshine Kölsch from Catawba Brewing Co.

Release – Limited; arriving June 29, 2018
Style – Kölsch
ABV – 4.8% 
IBUs – 27
Malts – 2-Row Pale & White Wheat
Hops – Magnum & Hallertau Mittelfrüh
The Cause – A portion of all proceeds raised from the sale of Soulshine Kölsch will go to benefit Catawba Lands Conservancy
Availability – 6-packs of 12 oz. cans & draft
Beer Finder – https://catawbabrewing.com/beer-finder

Lonerider Brewing Introduces For a Few Hops More as New Seasonal

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LoneriderFAFHM2Lonerider Brewing Company (Raleigh, North Carolina) has officially announced that it will release For a Few Hops More Dry-Hopped American Wheat Ale in late June as the newest addition to its Desperado Series.

Created as Lonerider Brewing’s take on an American-style Wheat Beer, For a Few Hops More is “a refreshing dry-hopped wheat ale . . . brewed with 4 hop varieties lending aromas of fresh cut grass and lemony citrus, as well as subtle tropical notes.”  Weighing in at an easy-drinking 5.5% ABV, For a Few Hops More promises to be “fresh, clean, and light on the palate with a touch of spiciness from the wheat.”

For a Few Hops More will officially debut in late June and will hang around through the month of August.  You can expect to find this new Seasonal offering available in 16 oz. cans and on draft at select craft beer establishments located across North and South Carolina.  Prost!

Vital Information for For a Few Hops More from Lonerider Brewing Company

Release – Seasonal/Desperado Series; late June – August 2018
Style – American Wheat Ale
ABV – 5.5%
IBUs – 38
Featured Hops – Centennial, Citra, Mosaic & Lemon Drop
Availability – 16 oz. cans & draft
Distribution – Limited to North Carolina & South Carolina only

Jester King Brewery Releases Latest Batch of Commerical Suicide

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JKCommercialJester King Brewery (Austin, Texas) has officially announced that it will release Batch 12 of Commercial Suicide Farmhouse Mild Ale on Friday, June 22.

Brewed to represent and respect “the English tradition of low-alcohol, supremely drinkable ales with moderate bitterness, toasty/biscuity malt flavors, and interesting yeast character”, Commercial Suicide has officially returned and the folks at Jester King feel that Batch 12 just might be the closest they have come to nailing their take on the Mild Ale style.  They pulled this off by raising the bitterness level over 20 – 35 IBUS, which in turn keeps the tart and funky notes at bay for the time being (the wild yeast characteristics will present themselves if the beer is not consumed fresh).  These subtle changes yield a 3.3% ABV Commercial Suicide that “[presents] fresher and more in line with traditional English Mild.”

Batch 12 of Commercial Suicide will officially release in Jester King’s Tasting Room on June 22 and the brewery does “anticipate limited distribution of this beer” to follow shortly thereafter.  If this Limited Release finds its way into full distribution, you can expect to find it available in 750ml bottles at select craft beer retailers and bars located in Florida, Texas and throughout the rest of Jester King’s distribution network. Prost!

Vital Information for Commercial Suicide Farmhouse Mild from Jester King Brewery

Release – Limited, late June 2018
Style – English Mild Ale
ABV – 3.3%
IBUs – “20 – 35 IBUs”
Availability – 750ml bottles

Mexican Standoff Porter Earns Due South Brewing a Silver Medal at Can Can Awards

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DueSouthMexDue South Brewing Co. (Boynton Beach, Florida) announced this week that Mexican Standoff, a Limited Release mole-inspired Porter, was awarded a Silver Medal in the Herb and Spice Beer Category at the 2018 Can Can Awards.

Established in 2017, the Can Can Awards is an annual beer competition that focuses solely on canned craft beers.  With judging taking place over two days near the Atlanta, Georgia area, the 2018 Can Can Awards saw 350 beers entered by breweries – both big and small – from across the globe.  This event is sanctioned by the BJCP, and judging is executed in a blind tasting format by a judging panel comprised of beer industry professionals.  To keep things as fair as possible, “judges were not allowed to judge beers in which they had an affiliation.”

“The blind tasting nature of this competition is what drives us to enter,” said Doug Fairall, the brewery’s Brand Marketing Manager. “We’re thrilled to see Mexican Standoff win a medal. It’s always a good feeling when our brewer’s hard work is recognized.”

Mexican Standoff is Due South’s annually released, mole-inspired strong Porter (8.2% ABV) that offers “rich chocolate and roasty flavors . . . complemented with the addition of chocolate, vanilla, cinnamon, and habanero peppers.”  These bold flavors obviously stood out among the crowd at this year’s Can Can Awards and earned Mexican Standoff a much-deserved Silver Medal in the Herb and Spice Beer Category.

This is the second year that Due South Brewing Co. has participated in this competition.  The folks at Due South walked away from the 2017 Can Can Awards with a Bronze Medal in the American-Style Pale Ale Category for Citrafied Pale Ale and a Silver Medal in the Imperial India Pale Ale Category for Category 5 IPA.

For just two years at one competition, consistent hauls such as these deserve to be recognized and celebrated.  If you are in the area, be sure to swing by the brewery to congratulate the Due South crew on this most recent win.  Prost!