Topic Archives: Licorice
Innis & Gunn Smoke and Mirrors sent to Trump and Hillary
Innis & Gunn Smoke and Mirrors, a beer for American politics, encourages a straight-talking honesty by adding ingredients that act as a truth serum. The brewery sent both Hillary and Trump bottles of this new truth serum beer to “remind them of the importance of truthful campaigning as they battle it out to become the country’s next President.”
Scotland is no stranger to political uncertainty and relates to those times where honesty becomes a blurry concept. Therefore, Smoke and Mirrors is a beer brewed specifically for the American people during the election of 2016. Founder and Master Brewer, Dougal Gunn Sharp commented,
“Scotland is a straight-talking nation and we’re looking forward to bringing a little part of our Scottish candidness over to the States, along with our most innovative brew to date, Smoke & Mirrors. Our latest beer has been brewed especially for the American people and demonstrates how beer can be so much more than just a drink. Through Smoke & Mirrors, we have the power to open up a more real, more honest world.”
Innis & Gunn Smoke and Mirrors, uses the Innis & Gunn strong ale base we all know and love, plus the brewery’s “truth serum”. The serum adds licorice root, mullein (a natural herb), and vine essence (yet another herb).
This offering is a limited release, as in probably just Hillary and Trump.
Style: English Strong Ale (w/Licorice Root, Mullein, Vine Essence.)
Availability: 11.2oz bottles, Limited release
7.4% ABV
Brooklyn Tripel Burner, a future big bottle
Brooklyn Tripel Burner, a future big bottle from the New York based brewery.
This is no regular tripel. Brooklyn Tripel Burner features licorice, a bevy of spices, and bourbon barrel oak aging.
According to ancient Chinese beliefs,the “Triple Burner” was responsible for the flow of energy throughout the body. Triple Burner tonics often included licorice root to encourage “natural sweetness & a light, joyful presence.” Bourbon oak barrels, a licorice spice blend from the wizard lior Lev Sercarz, & a robust tripel base create Tripe! Burner, a heady, aromatic ale to be paired with a state of serenity.
Brooklyn Tripel Burner will be a 750 milliliter bottle release.
Style: Tripel (w/ Spices, Licorice, Barrel Aged. Bourbon.)
Availability: 750ml Bottles
Debut: TBA
10.7% ABV
It’s Negroni Week. Meet New Belgium Negroni Beer
In case you aren’t hardcore into cocktails, it’s officially Negroni Week. June 6-12 are dedicated to the Negroni cocktail, made of just three ingredients – Campari, Gin, and Vermouth. (Despite celebrating booze, the week has great charitable intentions around the U.S.) New Belgium Negroni Beer, a new beer designed to taste like the cocktail, is making appearances this week as well.
Making a beer taste like a Negroni takes a little finesse. Gin is very herbal, Vermouth is a fortified wine infused with botanicals, campari follows suit. A beer to match that profile took a little more than hops and malts.
The base of New Belgium Negroni Beer starts simple, with pale malt and Nugget hops. From there, it’s gets weird/good. A host of ingredients are added, including Seville orange peel, mandarin orange juice, licorice, Indian coriander. That’s the end of list of things you might have heard of.
Next there’s horehound, an herb used in natural cough drops, Birchwood bark, which gives drinks like Birch Beer it’s herbal flavor, quassia root apparently tastes a bit like licorice and used for bitters, and cochineal. Cochineal is an insect. Yes, a bug. A creepy crawly.
Cochineal has historically been used to dye fabrics. The bug gives this beer a reddish tint. (Also, it’s basically harmless, alive, dead or drunk off it’s legs in your beer. ) All those ingredients help recreate gin and campari flavors.
From there, the beer is blended with New Belgium Blackberry Barleywine, and infused with toasted oak spirals in order to recreate the vermouth flavor.
New Belgium Negroni Beer is a draft only offering this week in select cities. Best best on finding this concoction? Check with your favorite cocktail spot.
Style: Herb/Spice Beer (w/ Orange Peel, Licorice, Coriander, Quassa Root, Cochineal, Birchwood Bark, Oak Aged.)
Hops: Nugget
Malt: Pale
Availability: Draft only. Select cities
Release: Week of June 6th, 2016
6% ABV, 7 IBUs
Deschutes Cognac Barrel Aged The Abyss, a December hopeful
Deschutes Cognac Barrel Aged The Abyss is looking like a December, 2015 release.
This year marks the 10th bottling of Deschutes The Abyss. To celebrate this milestone, the brewers have created three editions of the popular imperial stout – the regular edition, one 100% aged in rye whiskey barrels, and the above, aged 100% in cognac barrels.
Deschutes Cognac Barrel Aged The Abyss (note: assuming this is the final nomenclature) starts as an imperial stout, brewed with licorice, black strap molasses, and vanilla. Then it is 100% barrel aged in cognac barrels.
Imperial stout brewed with black strap molasses, licorice, cherry bark with vanilla added. Aged 12 months in cognac barrels.
Deschutes Cognac Barrel Aged The Abyss carries the subtitle of “Remarkably limited release”. The brewery tells Beer Street Journal that while the beer is ready when it’s ready, they are hoping for a December release.
Obviously, the brewery has not yet announced this offering.
Style: Imperial Stout (w/ Molasses, Vanilla, Licorice, Cherry Bark. Barrel Aged. Cognac. )
Availability: 22oz Bottles. Limited Release.
Arrival: December (Estimated)
11% ABV
Deschutes Barrel Aged The Abyss, a release potential
Deschutes Barrel Aged The Abyss is looking like a very serious threat to your wallet and liver.
The annual release of Deschutes The Abyss is a well attended and popular one. Actually, if you want some strong beer nerd street cred, you show up rocking an Abyss. Now it looks like just having one of those bottles won’t be enough to gain that awesome rep you’ve built up.
Deschutes Barrel Aged The Abyss (note: assuming this is the final nomenclature) features the unique imperial stout, brewed with licorice, black strap molasses, and vanilla. Instead of partial barrel aging, this one seems to be 100% barrel aged in rye, of course.
Imperial stout brewed with black strap molasses, licorice, cherry bark with vanilla added. Aged 12 months in rye whiskey barrels.
Deschutes Barrel Aged The Abyss carries the subtitle of “Remarkably limited release”. So there maybe be just 5 bottles. Or 500. Soon, we will find out. Radar this, and geek out at the thought in the meantime.
Obviously, the brewery has not yet announced this offering.
Style: Imperial Stout (w/ Molasses, Vanilla, Licorice, Cherry Bark. Barrel Aged. Rye Whiskey. )
Availability: 22oz Bottles. Limited Release.
Arrival: TBA
11% ABV
Forbidden Root Shady Character
Forbidden Root Shady Character
Deschutes The Abyss 2014 Returns 11/13
The first time you will be able to buy Deschutes Brewing’s The Abyss will be on November 13th, 2014. 22oz bottles and draft will go on sale at Deschutes Pub.
Deep, dark Imperial Stout, The Abyss has almost immeasurable depth and complexity. Hints of molasses, licorice and other alluring flavors make it something not just to quaff, but contemplate.
The Abyss is an imperial stout is brewed with brewers’ licorice, cherry bark, vanilla, and black strap molasses and is then “dry hopped” with vanilla beans and cherry bark. It is finished in bourbon, Oregon oak and pinot noir barrels
Style: Imperial Stout (w/ Molasses, Vanilla, Licorice, Cherry Bark. Barrel Aged. Bourbon. Wine Aged. )
Availability: 22oz bombers, Draft. Limited.
Arrival: November 14, 2013
11% ABV
