New Belgium

NEW RELEASE: New Belgium Dunkelweiss

New from New Belgium Brewing is Dunkelweiss , part of NB’s Lips of Faith collection.  This beer has been previously released as a draft only offering.  Dunkelweiss translates to “dark wheat”.  It wouldn’t be a New Belgium offering they didn’t Continue Reading →

NEW RELEASE: New Belgium/Allagash Vreinden

The recent collaboration between Allagash Brewing & New Belgium.  The brewers took turns at each others breweries to come up with this off the wall recipe.  This release was brewed on site at New Belgium in Ft Collins, Colorado.  “Vreinden” Continue Reading →

New Belgium Tap Takeover!

On December 2, New Belgium Brewing takes over all the taps at The Porter Beer Bar.  It will feature the largest sampling of New Belgium’s “Lips of Faith” collection in one place in the southeast.

The lineup:
Fat Tire, Mothership Wit,  1554 Continue Reading →

New Belgium Frambozen

This beer should be on your Thanksgiving beer pairing radar.  New Belgium Brewing’s (Ft Collins, CO) Frambozen has made a seasonal return. It is a brown ale infused with fresh pick raspberries from the pacific northwest.  The berries are turned Continue Reading →

New Belgium Sahti Arrives

The latest in New Belgium’s “Lips of Faith” series has arrived. “Sahti” uses a variety of common beer grains ( rye, oat, barley — malted and unmalted, and wheat.) In traditional brewings, Sahti is flavored with juniper berries. Unlike Continue Reading →

SEASONAL RETURN: New Belgium 2° Below

Finally getting the feeling like it’s fall? Halloween is a week away, but the beers of winter are arriving daily.  New Belgium Brewing (Fort Collins, CO) brings back a beer meant for the cold.   The brewing process 2° undergoes Continue Reading →

Posted in New Belgium, New Releases

NEW RELEASE: New Belgium Dunkelweiss

New from New Belgium Brewing is Dunkelweiss , part of NB’s Lips of Faith collection.  This beer has been previously released as a draft only offering.  Dunkelweiss translates to “dark wheat”.  It wouldn’t be a New Belgium offering they didn’t spice things up a bit.  Expect favor.

Commercial Description:
Deep amber brown with a dense off-white head, Dunkelweiss 30° rediscovers Hefeweiss beers through a Belgian brewer’s lens. Envisioned by our own Matty “Smooth” Gilliland, this beer opens with sweet clove and banana notes that give way to a chocolaty warm finish with a peppery tingle across the palate. “I thought it would be fun to make a German wheat beer; we’ve explored the Belgian wheats pretty thoroughly,” said Gilliland. “Since this is Lips of Faith — and part of what makes that program fun is to make beers that are really unique and different — making a big, strong, dark Weiss beer sounded pretty folly-licious. It’ll still showcase all of the flavors that a Hefeweiss beer would have, but add in the burly body and extra punch. Think of it as a Grand Cru dunkelweiss.”

Style: Dunkelweizen

Taste Expectations: Clove & banana.  Coriander & spices. Big on the malts with a small wheat palate.

Availability: 22oz bombers. Draft.

9% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Allagash Brewing, New Belgium, New Releases

NEW RELEASE: New Belgium/Allagash Vreinden

The recent collaboration between Allagash Brewing & New Belgium.  The brewers took turns at each others breweries to come up with this off the wall recipe.  This release was brewed on site at New Belgium in Ft Collins, Colorado.  “Vreinden” means friends in Flemish, and joins the brewery’s Lips Of Faith series.

Commercial Description:
Get a Belgian Brewmaster and a master of Belgian brewing together and theres sure to be spontaneous imagination that leads to micro-organisms mingling in fermentation.  Allagash and New Belgium are pleased to offer you our collabeeration brewed with the slightly fruity hibiscus flower, the aromatic Brettanomyces, and the flavor-boosting Lactobacillus.  We recommend pairing it with creamy, soft cheeses and charming Vrienden – thats friends in Flemish.

Style: American Wild Ale

Brewed with Hibiscus & Endive. Spontaneously fermented.

Taste Expectations: Sweet fruity malts.  Wild yeast.  Herbal, musty, funky & tart.

Availability: 22oz bombers. Draft. One time collaboration.

8.5% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Allagash Brewing, New Belgium, Now Tapping, Tap Takeovers

New Belgium/Allagash Vreinden Debuts

Looking for a good beer way to start off your weekend?  Go here.  Tonight New Belgium Brewing takes over all the taps at The Porter Beer Bar.  It will be the most “Lips of Faith” beers that have been in one place on tap in the southeast.   Even more interesting, is that New Belgium’s most recent collaboration with Allagash Brewing is making its debut.  It’s called “Vreinden” and is a very unique beer.  The name Vreinden means “friends” in Flemish.  New Belgium brewed at Allagash in Portland, ME and vice versa.  Vreinden also boasts an interesting set of ingredients (which may differ with each brew): Elderberries and Dandelion Greens, Hibiscus flower.

The final tap lineup is as follows:

Fat Tire, Ranger IPA, Mothership Wit, 1554 and 2 Below from the mainstays.

Lips of Faith include: La Folie, Fall Wild ’09, Eric’s Ale, Sahti, Belgian Blonde & Vreinden!

The Porter Beer Bar
1156 Euclid Avenue
Atlanta, GA 30307
(404) 223-0393

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in New Belgium, Tap Takeovers

New Belgium Tap Takeover!

On December 2, New Belgium Brewing takes over all the taps at The Porter Beer Bar.  It will feature the largest sampling of New Belgium’s “Lips of Faith” collection in one place in the southeast.

The lineup:
Fat Tire, Mothership Wit,  1554 Dark, Ranger IPA, one more to be named
Lips of Faith Offerings:
La Folie, Belgian Blonde, Fall Wild ’09, Sahti, Eric’s Ale

All starts this Friday, 12/3!

The Porter Beer Bar
1156 Euclid Avenue
Atlanta, GA 30307
(404) 223-0393

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in New Belgium, Seasonal Return

New Belgium Frambozen

This beer should be on your Thanksgiving beer pairing radar.  New Belgium Brewing’s (Ft Collins, CO) Frambozen has made a seasonal return. It is a brown ale infused with fresh pick raspberries from the pacific northwest.  The berries are turned into a pure juice on site, and then loaded into an oxygen free CO2 truck for the trip back to the brewery.  There the juice is delicately handled, and added to the fermentation process.

Commercial Description:
Frambozen begins with the aroma of fresh red raspberries, followed by the ripe seductiveness of a fruity brown ale with depth and delicate malt notes. It is deep ruby in color, with flavors just as rich. Every year, New Belgium sends a delegate to the Pacific Northwest to oversee the process of turning freshly picked berries into a pure juice to be added in fermentation. The coming of Thanksgiving at New Belgium is ushered in with the first sighting of our cellar operators scuttling about, covered head to tow in a festive crimson berry wash.

Beer Rundown:
Style: Fruit/Vegetable Beer
Hops: Target
Malts: Pale

Pure raspberry juice

Taste Expectations: Sweet raspberry with a touch of chocolate.  Caramel malts.  Flavor resembles a truffle.

Food Pairings: Duck/Goose. White chocolate cheesecake. Goat cheese. Sweet desserts.

Availability: 12/6pks.  Draft.  November-January. Winter Seasonal.

6.5% ABV

15 IBU’s

Fun Fact: Frambozen is derived from the Flemish word for raspberries

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in New Belgium, New Releases

New Belgium Sahti Arrives

The latest in New Belgium’s “Lips of Faith” series has arrived. “Sahti” uses a variety of common beer grains ( rye, oat, barley — malted and unmalted, and wheat.) In traditional brewings, Sahti is flavored with juniper berries. Unlike many American ales, Sahti has fewer hops, in some instances none — focusing on the berry flavor.

Commercial Description:
Inspired by Finnish Sahti, a traditional rye ale brewed with juniper, our sahti Ale is a hazy amber ale with a sturdy mouthfeel and a crisp and lively “finnish”. Brewed with Pale, Crystal, rye malts and whole oats, our version bittered with Cascade and finished with Cascade and Amarillo hops. Juniper boughs are added to the mash and juniper berries, orange and lemon peel are pitched in the whirlpool creating a festive olfactory of citrus and juniper notes.

Style: Sahti (based on style evolved in Finland)

Taste Expectations: Juniper berries in nose & flavor.  Some honey.   The hops are lightly spice.  Overall the beer is unique, vegetal, with a twinge of tart.  Malts are light & caramel.

Availability: 22oz bombers.  Limited draft. One time brew. (Currently)

7.2% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in New Belgium, Seasonal Return

SEASONAL RETURN: New Belgium 2° Below

Finally getting the feeling like it’s fall? Halloween is a week away, but the beers of winter are arriving daily.  New Belgium Brewing (Fort Collins, CO) brings back a beer meant for the cold.   The brewing process 2° undergoes is interesting.  It’s dry hopped of course, but also is pushed to nearly freezing to give the beer a beautiful clarity.

Commercial Description:
Pull on your wool socks and crack open a 2° Below Ale. This tasty winter warmer started life as a small batch beer brewed for the Al Johnson Uphill Downhill a telemark ski race in Crested Butte, Colorado. The Uphill Downhill celebrates the exploits of Al Johnson, letter carrier extraordinaire, who delivered mail by ski in the late 1800 s. Dry hopping during fermentation creates a floral nose with a hint of pepper and spicy, subtle undertones. 2° Below provides a bright, hoppy palate and a cheery warm afterglow.

Beer Rundown:
Style: ESB
Hops: Target, Sterling, Liberty
Malts: Pale, Munich, Caramel, C-80, Carapils, Victory

Taste Expectations: Touch of citrus in the hops.  Orange. Floral also.  Malts are biscuity & caramel.  Clean finish.

Availability: 12/6 pks. Draft.  Late Oct-Jan. Seasonal.

6.6% ABV

by Reid Ramsay