New Launches

Posted in Coming Soon, Lost Abbey, New Launches, Port Brewing Company

Port Brewing/Lost Abbey Georgia Launch Lineup!

UPDATE 1/11: A couple more rare beers looking to make launch – Barrel aged Inferno (Belgian strong pale ale in bourbon barrels) & Cuvee de Tomme ( Description – “The Mother of all Beers” quadruple. It is then aged in oak barrels with lots of cherries. The cherries and the natural bacteria in the barrels from previous batches give the beer a tart sourness.)  Both will be making rare appearances in Georgia durning the launch

Here it is – the official launch lineup for Port Brewing/ Lost Abbey in Georgia.  Here’s the list –

Port Brewing

Wipeout – American IPA, 7% ABV.  Welcome to the waters of Wipeout IPA, a massively hopped India Pale Ale with enough substance and body to overcome even the worst and most tragic of on the water spills.

Hop 15 – Imperial IPA, 9.7% ABV.First brewed in 2002 to celebrate the 15th Anniversary of the Pizza Port in Solana Beach, Hop 15 was imagined and designed by Tomme Arthur and Jeff Bagby as a celebration of 15 years of “Good Beer Brings Good Cheer.”  15 hops varieties go into this DIPA.

Shark Attack – Imperial Red Ale, 9.5% ABV. The taste is a smooth, malty one with a balanced hoppy finish that includes hints of sweet caramel.

Old Viscosity – Barrel aged Imperial Stout, 10% ABV.  Code named by our brewers-”The Big Black Nasty,” this is monstrous dark ale is brewed to no particular style. Thick and sludgy like oil from the crankcase of a wheat threshing combine, Old Viscosity blurs the boundaries of Porter, Stout, Old Ale and Barleywines.

Mongo – Imperial IPA, 8.5% ABV. Like most double IPA-style beers, the taste of hops that linger for days is at work in this beer. We like the way hops weave in and out of what little malt you can taste. Certainly, we brewed this as a hop-forward beer and think that after one sip you’ll agree with us

Midnight Expression – Schwarzbier, 5% ABV.  We suggest a roasty black lager for contemplating empty lineups and waves that go on for days. Most likely you’ll long for epic summer swells under moon lit sessions, opening the doors to isolation and empty secret spots on an age trying to pass us by…

Lost Abbey

Avant Garde – Bière de Garde, 7% ABV.  Some might want to label this as a beer brewed in the Biere de Garde tradition of Northern France. We would prefer to say it was brewed in the Avant Garde style of beers that will reward all those who seek the not so ordinary.

Red Barn – Saison/Farmhouse Ale, 6.7% ABV.  Lightly spiced with Organic Ginger, Orange Peels, Black Pepper and Grains of Paradise, this brew promises to quench your thirst on the hottest Southern California days or wherever your travels may take you.

Devotion – Belgian Pale Ale, 6.25% ABV.  Brewed as an homage to monks and the solitary life.  Nicely hopped Belgian ale.

Lost and Found – Dubbel, 8% ABV.  Malts, raisins and a fantastic yeast strain working in harmony produce a beer of amazing complexity and depth.

Inferno – Belgian Strong Pale, 8.5% ABV.  Did you seriously think you were living a virtuous life? At least Satan serves beer in Hell. He brews it himself right there in that flame stoked cauldron. Rumor has it the beer is straw yellow, bone dry and simply labeled Inferno.

Judgement Day – Quadrupel, 10.5% ABV.  A massive beer in every sense of the word. A stronger and more contemplative version of our Lost and Found Ale. Judgment Day is the base beer for our Cuvee de Tomme.

Serpent’s Stout – Imperial Stout, 11% ABV.  The mouthfeel is full, smooth and round on the tongue. The taste is rich with deep roasted malts, cocoa, coffee and a touch of vanilla balanced perfectly against the alcohol to create an excellent winter warmer.

Gift of the Magi – Bière de Garde, 11% ABV.  Gold in color and bittered with the bark of Frankincense, we have even used the smallest amount of Myrrh which is an herb that has roots in ancient winemaking as well.

Angel’s Share – American Strong Ale, 12% ABV.  This striking Strong Ale is brewed with copious amounts of Caramel malt to emphasize the vanilla and oak flavors found in freshly emptied bourbon or brandy barrels. The beer spends a year in oak before it is packaged for release.

Posted in New Launches, Terrapin Beer Company

Terrapin’s Georgia Theatre Series #4 Hoptaneous Combustion Arrives

The 4th and final release in Terrapin Brewing’s Georgia Theatre Series has arrived.  Just under the wire in 2010!  Just a couple of weeks ago, “Sound Czech” hit shelves weeks after it was expected. (Boxing these beers by hand takes time!)   This release essentially remembers a tragic point in the Athens, Georgia landmark’s long history – the fire that nearly completely destroyed it.  Love hops & smoke? Drink this. Soon.

Commerical Description:
A nod to the the tragic fire and a look into the future.

Style: Imperial IPA
Hops: Warrior, Nugget, Centennial, Simcoe
Malts: 2 Row, Weyermann Smoke, Best Munich, Pale Crystal

Taste Expectations: Fresh hops -pine & citrus.  By fresh, I mean fresh.  The smoke is subtle but adds complexity.  Caramel malt rounds this beer out.

Availability: 22oz bombers.  Boxed, hand numbered. One time release

9.3% ABV

Posted in Beer News, Cigar City Brewing, New Launches

Cigar City Update

Big news a few months ago was Cigar City Brewing’s news that they were expanding distribution into Georgia.  January 2011 has been suspected.  My most recent info puts CC in the state around March 2011.

There will obviously be some launch party events in Atlanta, but one interesting to note will be at Aromas in Athens, Georgia.  Rumor has it that Cigar City is going to be bringing their A game.  A big tap lineup, bottles, and possibly a few casks.  A event worth swinging up for.

More info on Cigar City’s launch soon…

Posted in New Launches, Sam Adams, Weihenstephaner

Sam Adams/Weihenstephan Infinium

This beer has gotten a lot of beer geek buzz over the past few months.  The chance to finally try this beer for yourself has arrived.  Infinium is a very unique collaborative effort, and definitely one of the most elegant packages for a brew I’ve seen in a while.  Read up on the story before you pop the cork.  Pinky fingers up everyone.

Backstory:
Our brewers worked for two years with the world’s oldest brewery, Germany’s Weihenstephan, to create this unique new beer style. A groundbreaking brew, made with only the four traditional ingredients: malted barley, hops, water and yeast, Infiniumâ„¢ is a crisp champagne-like beer with fine bubbles and a fruity, spicy aroma. The crisp clean malt character and delicate fruit notes in this beer are complemented by a slight citrus flavor from dry hopping with Bavarian Noble hops. Bottle conditioning adds another layer of complexity and light spice notes.

The challenge was to create a new one-of-a-kind, champagne-style beer, while operating within the confines of Reinheitsgebot; the German Beer Purity Law dating back to 1560 which allows the use of only water, malt, hops & yeast. Using these four classic ingredients and the traditional brewing process to reach their end goal would require the brewers ofSamuel Adams and Weihenstephan to innovate like never before. Combining their 1,000 years of brewing expertise and creativity, the two brewers created a groundbreaking brew that’s crisp and champagne-like. It’s light and dry yet complex, with a sparkling effervescence.

Our brewers rearranged the brewing process to create this ground-breaking beer, reintroducing the mash process into the brew kettle and the fermenter. The process used to brew Infinium is patent pending, and allowed our brewers to create a beer unlike any ever brewed under the Reinheitsgebot. Infinium is dry-hopped with Bavarian Noble hops for a light citrus flavor. Its then bottle-conditioned with a traditional Belgian yeast and fermented in the champagne-method to add another layer of flavor complexity, a bright clarity, and a fine carbonation to the beer.

Style: Biere de Champagne/ Biere Brut
Hops: Hallertau Mittlefrueh, Spalt Spalter, Tettnang Tettnanger and Hersbrucker Noble Hops
Malts: Custom blend of two-row malted barley, malted spring white wheat, and malted oats
Yeast: Samuel Adams ale yeast, Belgian yeast

Taste Expectations: Effervescent, slightly hoppy with a touch of earth.  Bready, bit of sweet malt. Very dry.

Availability: 750 ML, Corked/Caged. One time collaboration.

Cellar? Suggested to drink by June 2011

10.3% ABV

Posted in Flying Fish Brewing, New Launches

Flying Fish Brewing Lands in Georgia

Well the rumors are true.  Flying Fish Brewing has expanded distribution further than 100 miles of their Cherry Hill, NJ home.  The first of the bottle offerings are arriving in Georgia as we speak.  There will be 6 launch beers – all launched at Total Wine for now.  The ESB Ale is already on shelves in 12/6pks.  The remaining offerings arrive on Saturday.  (Full launch titles to posted upon arrival.)

History:
When Gene Muller founded Flying Fish Brewing Co. in 1995, he did so first on the World Wide Web – making it the world’s first virtual microbrewery. That early Web site helped generate positive press coverage and helped attract the investors needed to make the virtual brewery a real one. Muller said the idea was to make the Web site “This Old House meets the World Wide Web”–letting people go behind the taps and see the thousands of details needed to put a microbrewery together.

He also wanted to give beer lovers a chance, via their computers, to roll up their cyber-sleeves and help build the brewery. The site let beer lovers help select and name beers, design t-shirts and labels, volunteer to be a taste-tester and even apply for a job as a brewer. Visitors to the Web site can sign up for FlyingFishMail a monthly e-mail newsletter which now boasts more than 12,000 subscribers.

Muller, who got into the brewing field to become a brewer, trained at Chicago’s Siebel Institute of Technology, America’s oldest brewing school. He quickly realized someone was going to have to run the day-to-day business of the brewery and now serves as President and Head Janitor (though not necessarily in that order).

Flying Fish Brewing Company is located in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, approximately seven miles east of Philadelphia. In a state that once boasted 50 breweries, it is the first microbrewery in Southern New Jersey and the first new brewery built in that part of the state in more than half a century. From its opening in late 1996, Flying Fish has tripled its capacity and become the largest of the approximately 20 craft breweries in the state.

Head brewer Casey Hughes now produces four full-time styles, as well as a variety of seasonal beers.

The key word to describe all Flying Fish beers is “balance.” The beers are full-flavored, yet highly drinkable. Flavors harmonize, not fight for individual attention. Hopping is generous, but to style. Seeing beer as equal to, if not superior to, wine, Flying Fish beers are designed to complement food. Because of this effort, one can walk into any fine restaurant in the Philadelphia region and be pretty sure of finding a Flying Fish beer available.

Flying Fish beers were the first in the region to be featured at the Great British Beer Festival, Oregon Brewers Festival and Canada’s Biere de Mondial Festival. They have also won several medals at the Real Ale Festival in Chicago, the World Beer Championships and is the only New Jersey brewery featured in the 2000 book Best American Beers.

Availability: Total Wine (Perimeter, Kennesaw)  Others soon?

More to follow on this…

Posted in Coming Soon, Lost Abbey, New Launches, Port Brewing Company

Lost Abbey Brewing Headed for Georgia?

Not 100% confirmed.   However, it looks promising enough to say The Lost Abbey is headed for Georgia.  A friend visiting the brewery over the weekend was informed they have plans to start shipping to Georgia.  Savannah seems to be the distributor.  Lost Abbey produces Belgian inspired beers,  founded in 2006 by Tomme Arthur.

5 beers are year round from Lost Abbey – Avant Garde, Lost and Found, Red Barn, Devotion and Judgment Day.  The special releases and seasonals by the brewery are easily some most exciting beers in the U.S.  They include barrel aged offerings – some aged 18 months in French Oak, brandy and bourbon barrels.  These beers include Angel’s Share, Cuvee de Tomme, and Duck Duck Gooze.  These beers are just a tip of the iceberg.

What about Port Brewing?  For those of you that don’t know – Lost Abbey a label under Port Brewing Company.  Will Port Brewing be offered in Georgia?  That isn’t certain currently.  Lost Abbey yes.

Arrival? Uncertain.  Looks like Lost Abbey beers will start hitting the state in the beginning of 2011.

Posted in New Launches, SweetWater Brewing

SweetWater’s Border Hopper Arrives!

The most recent creation in SweetWater Brewing’s “Dank Tank” is popping up.  “Border Hopper” is an imperial IPA brewed using citra hops that have recently become popular. SweetWater hopped this beer with fresh hops from the heart of hop territory in the U.S. – Yakima, Washington.

Commercial Description:
Border Hopper, with a little help from their friend, Señor Dank, who left his wife, Lupa, and their eight screaming babies in search of the freshest hop harvest in the land and the promise fields of Buford Highway.  His censored journey began in the hop fields of Yakima where he scored some of the stickiest, freshest green hops, found a farmer’s daughter, and ended up in Atlanta where he deals his stash to us boys at SweetWater to create this highly aggressive, censored, and muy fresh double India pale ale.

This brew is pushing the envelope as our newest addition to the series of rarely released, experimental beers. The double IPA, brewed with fresh Citra hops, is 8.6 percent ABV, comes in 22 ounce bottles and on draft and is best served fresh.  But act fast because this stash won’t last forever.  Just like that rash you got in Tijuana, the Border Hopper will be gone just as soon as the next brewing itch needs to be scratched.

Beer Rundown:
Style: Imperial IPA
Hops: Fresh citra

Taste Expectations: Hops give the beer a pineapple, & citrus.  Almost tropical fruit flavor. Light malts sweeten the deal a bit, making this a very aggressive, hoppy, delicious IPA.

Availability: 22oz bombers.  Draft.  One time limited Dank Tank release.

8.6% ABV

Looking for this? Just hit shelves @ Tower in Buckhead.  Total Wine, Perimeter.  Green’s Beer, Hop City (Thurs).  Tapping on the brewery tours this week !

Thx Tower for the pic.