Topic Archives: Bitter
Surly Doomtree Beer Headed to Cans
Surly Brewing recently teamed up with local hip-hop group Doomtree in honor of their farewell tour. The band just finished the eight day blowout yesterday.
Doomtree joined Surly in the brewhouse in order to make an unconventional, bastardized style. The style ended up being a well-kept secret until it was party time. The result is Surly Doomtree Beer, a dry-hopped, bitter beer. An unusual take on something traditional? Fits them both quite well.
Surly started with homebrewing in the garage. Doomtree making some noise a basement. Careful what you do in your spare time, man. That stuff just might end up taking over your whole life.
A decade later, Doomtree meets Surly. Instant crush. We’re both indie and strong-willed. We love Minnesota and we are allergic to focus groups. We don’t have a formal professional outfit between us.
We convene at the brewery to scheme. Working in extreme secrecy, we decide to make a beer. Team Surly suggests a “bastardized style” that will build on the classic, but buck convention. Doomtree cannot nod vigorously enough. We know this style. Guided by instinct, we came up with this dark, gold, toasty aromatic, subtly spicy, bitter enough, dry-hopped brew. Best enjoy it cold in a spare room with new friends – Dessa
Surly Doomtree kegs have made their debut, and 16 ounces cans are on the way.
Style: English-style Bitter
Availability: 16oz Cans
Arrival: Early 2015
5.7% ABV
Real Session Beer: Drake’s Alpha Session
May 4th (Star Wars Day) will see the return of Drake’s Brewing’s (San Leandro, CA) Alpha Session. The true session beer (<4% ABV) is their “Nor Cal Bitter,” a hoppy brew that clocks at jsut 3.8% ABV.
With a simple base of 2-row barley, Maris Otter, and C-45 malt, our California style shines through with a classic mix of West Coast hops, followed by a generous dry hop of Simcoe, Citra, and CTZ for a piney, citrusy beer that’s just about perfect as we head into the long, hot, beer soaked days of lawnmower and festival season.
Style: English-style Bitter
Availability: 12oz bottles, Draft
Arrival: 5/4/13
3.8% ABV
Terrapin’s “Spike” On New Thornbridge Collab [VIDEO]
Terrapin Beer Company’s “Spike” traveled to Thornbridge Brewery (England) to create a new transatlantic collaboration. The beer is an imperial strong bitter with rye (Shocking Spike. Shocking) and American hops. P.S. That tall goofy guy is Lee from @BrickStorePub.
Goose Island’s Honker’s Ale In Draftmark System
Anheuser-Busch plants around the United States will brew Honker’s Ale, 312, India Pale Ale & more as Goose Island launches in 50 states. Early in 2012, AB unveiled the Draftmark Refillable System for your refrigerator. The system features a 1 gallon pressurized bottle that keeps yoru beer fresh for 30 days. Offerings currently include Budweiser, Amber Bock & Shock Top & Goose Island 312 Urban Wheat Ale, India Pale Ale, and now Honker’s Ale is now slated for that system.
Style: English Style Bitter
4.3% ABV
Read more: Goose Island, Draftmark Refillable System
Surly Bitter Brewer Returns 4/8
Surly Brewing’s Bitter Brewer returns this Sunday, 4/8. The brewery is hosting a party for the occasion from 4-7 pm.
First one in, last one out, sweltering in the summer, freezing in the winter. Years of toiling and boiling have turned our brewer Todd into a cynical, surly, bitter brewer…You too can get bitter without all the fuss. Simply crack open a can and fill a glass with our latest – Bitter Brewer. Pale orange in color, this ale gets intense toast and marmalade character from British malt and American hops. Dry-hopping brings the floral citrus aromas. So go ahead, get bitter!
Style: Bitter
Hops: Columbus, Glacier
Malts: Pale Ale, Optic, Medium Crystal, Oats, Roasted Barley
Yeast: British Ale
Availability: 16 oz cans. May-August.
4.1% ABV, 37 IBUs
Batemans Brewing U.S. Launch
Another brewery has hit the shelves here in Atlanta, and this one’s done some travelling to get here. Bateman’s Brewing arrives from Wainfleet, Lincolnshire, England with 3 launch titles.
HISTORY: Bateman’s got it’s start in 1874 when George Bateman and his wife Suzanna sold their farm and rented a small brewery in Wainfleet. As the history goes – neither one really had much knowledge of brewing. Suzanna would actually brew on their stove. A man named Edwin Crowe sold the couple brewing equipment and passed on all his knowledge on the art of beer brewing to the Batemans. By 1880, the couple had enough money to expand into coach houses nearby. The brewery sold both beer and bread baked by Suzanna. In 1921 George’s son Harry took over the brewing business upon the passing of his father. In an attempt to keep his employees working during WWI, Harry added a bottling line across the street and starting shipping beer by horse and carriage.
In 1947 Bateman’s switched from river water to the city water due to river pollution. 1950 found Harry’s oldest son George (named for his grandfather) joining the brewery. By 1957 Bateman’s was operating more than 50 pubs. Interestingly by 1960 cask conditioned beer was on the decline and kegged beer was becoming popular. Beer engines were being removed from pubs and keg taps added in their place. This presented a problem for Bateman’s as they couldn’t afford the equipment for brewery conditioned beer. Enter CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale.) CAMRA helped bring cask conditioned beer back in vogue again.
1998 Carlsberg Tetley purchased Bateman’s freetrade which has helped Bateman’s grow continually ever since.
Launch Titles:
Triple XB – Bitter, 4.8% ABV. Goldings, Challenger, Liberty hops. Maris Otter Malts. Classic English bitter.
Combined Harvest – 4.7% ABV. Combination of brewing worts. Malted oats, Rye, Barley. Big Grain flavor.
Mr. George’s Ruby Porter – 5% ABV. Classic English Porter. Known as Dark Lord in England. Sold as Mr. George’s in the US for trademark conflict. Multi award winning porter.
Availability: 16.9 Ounce bottles. Capped.
NEW RELEASE: Brouwerij De Molen
Brouwerij De Molen is a small craft brewery in the south Holland Provence of the Netherlands founding in 2004. The name De Molen translates to “brewery in the mill” as the brewery is actually in a windmill. This windmill – named “De Arkduif” is quite historic as it was built in 1697! Brewer Menno Olivier was a beer enthusiast/home brewer before hitting this big time. RateBeer.com has listed De Molen brews in the “Top 10 Dutch Beers” over the past couple of years. They finally hit stateside in 2008, and have made a quite a splash among connoisseurs. All the beers are brewed on converted dairy equipment, and hand bottled on site at the brewery in Holland. Even the labels are hand made on site.
3 new beers have made it to the U.S. They have received high ratings among the beer reviewers. They are bold, unique and very distinct.
Bommen & Granaten – Barleywine – 13% ABV. There’s plenty of fruit like orange, tangerine and sweet apples. It’s powerful and full bodied but still easy going. Although the name would suggest otherwise, it’s our favourite amongst the female clientele yet also highly appreciated by the other sex. Well hopped as always, but the obvious alcohol and the massive malt and fruit character restrict the hops to the background, only to reveal itself in the finish. Full bodied, notes of champagne. Champagne mousse after pouring in the glass. Grapes and a hint of mandarin curacao in the aroma, together with a hint of vin mousseux. Malty sweet flavor, immensely full bodied, with mandarine curacao and vinous notes. Thick mouthfeel, just a touch of yeast in the aftertaste. Huge beer.
Heaven & Hell – Imperial Stout, 10.2% ABV. Twice the amount of dark roasted malts used, massive Imperial stout. This is a mad one. Black brown colour with a thick and creamy tan head that can be added to as you wish if you give the bottle a swirl. Give this beer time to breathe and blossom into something truly stunning. Chocolate and alcohol are right there at the front but do not at all overpower the gorgeousness that is underneath. Full of leather, vanilla, amazing wooden notes, beautifully floral character from the hops, thick Belgian chocolate, much character. The flavour of crazy wooden tartness. An extremely bitter finish seems to come out of nowhere and is what really makes this quite unique. Superb width in the mouth and coats the whole palate beautifully.
Engels (Not pictured) – Bitter, 4.5% ABV. Our attempt at creating a real English cask ale. And we certainly succeeded. At the Great British Beer Festival our Engels was appreciated by all that tried. Cask ale from the continent? Yeah! Also available bottled by the way.
All the above are the commercial descriptions of these new brews.
Availability: By the 12oz bottle. Capped and waxed. Estimated retail – around $10.
Looking for these? Hop City has Bommen & Granaten & Heaven & Hell. Green’s Beer – All three.
