Don’t Miss This

Posted in Oskar Blues Brewing, Don't Miss This, New Releases

Oskar Blues launches 100 calorie One-y IPA nationwide

The craft beer industry continues to expand the lower-calorie offerings industry-wide. Dogfish Head, Southern Tier, and Harpoon are among a few notable breweries that added low-cal, low-ABV options earlier this summer. Bell’s Brewery is currently prepping a “light” version of Two Hearted Ale dubbed Light-Hearted Ale for early 2020. Now, nationally distributed Oskar Blues is launching One-y IPA.

Beginning in mid-September, Oskar Blues One-y IPA will join the light beer fray, described as “low-cal” and “high haze.” The brewery’s goal was to create an IPA that huge, hazy, and hoppy, without the calorie count of a regular IPA or Imperial IPA.

Juice Drapeau, the head brewer at Oskar Blues pilot brewery in Lyons, Colorado did so with a heavy hit of hops. One-y IPA is dry-hopped with El Dorado, Comet and Citra hops, with Mosaic and French Aramis added to the whirlpool.

“The aroma hits you first. There are notes of citrus, honeysuckle, peach, and mango. The beer is fruity with a hop haze and a nice biscuit flavor to the malt. The use of pale ale malt and wheat, along with the hefty dry hop load, creates a medium body. It’s easy to drink – pairs well with breakfast, lunch, or dinner.”

Oskar Blues One-y IPA is just 4% alcohol by volume, and 100 calories per 12-ounce serving. Available nationwide year-round this month.

Style: Hazy IPA
Hops: El Dorado, Comet, Citra, Mosaic, French Aramis

Availability: 12oz Cans, Draft. Year-Round.
Debut: Mid-September 2019

4% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Founders Brewing, Don't Miss This

Founders CBS returns again in November for the last time for a while

Founders CBS will return to the brewery’s Barrel-Aged lineup again on November`1st. This is last time you’ll see it for some time. 

One of the most demanded beers in Grand Rapids, Michigan based Founders Brewing’s lineup is CBS, aka Canadian Breakfast Stout.

The imperial stout is brewed with a blend of coffee and imported chocolates, then aged in spent bourbon barrels that have most recently been aging pure Michigan maple syrup. Folks go insane at the mere mention of this beer.

The first time the world saw bottles of this release was in October of 2011, as the second release in the brewery’s Backstage Series.

FOUNDERS UNDERGROUND MOUNTAIN BROWN JOINS BARREL AGED SERIES

Since then, the Backstage Series has grown eventually morphing into the Barrel-Aged Series. Fans begged, but CBS was still missing from the lineup until December of last year. Since then, CBS has made just two more times, with the latest release missing the iconic Canadian Mountie rider. Why? The Royal Canadian Mounted Police filed a legal cease & desist over the depiction of the Mountie seen in the Beer Street Journal pic below. We know it’s not a titillating story, but it solves the mystery behind the horse with no rider on the last bottle.

CBS will return November 1st as the 5th release in the brewery’s Barrel-Aged Series, in both 750-milliliter bottles and new 12-ounce bottles. According to Founders, this is the last time this beer will be released in the foreseeable future.

Style: Imperial Stout (w/ Coffee. Chocolate. Maple Syrup. Barrel Aged. Bourbon.)
Availability:750ml Bottles, 12oz Bottles, Draft. Limited Release.
Latest Return: 11/2/19

11+% ABV

Founders CBS 2017 Bottle

PIC: Beer Street Journal

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Don't Miss This

Four Loko teases a 14% hard seltzer. We are officially off the rails.

You’ve seen it in every gas station in America. You know it’s there. You might have been dared to drink it before. We’re talking about Four Loko – the company with a storied past.

The over the top flavored alcoholic beverages once contained caffeine, which ultimately got the product banned. The owners of Four Loko – Phusion Projects of Chicago, Illinois reintroduced Four Loko without caffeine agents in 2010.

Now the company’s flavor lineup of Sour Raz, Fruit Punch and Frost might be home to the most alcoholic hard seltzer out there, Four Loko Sour Seltzer (with a hit of Blue Razz).

Subtitled the “strongest seltzer in the universe” Four Loko could actually claim that title. Seltzer market leaders Truly and White Claw strengths hover around 5% alcohol by volume.

This week, Pabst Blue Ribbon unveiled a stronger 8% hard seltzer in four states. Four Loko would be the most over the top in hard seltzer market that is turning into a bit of a phenomenon.

Is Four Loko serious? It looks that way.

Emails to Phusion Projects were not returned.

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Dogfish Head, Don't Miss This, Seasonal Return, Sierra Nevada

For the 3rd time in a decade, Dogfish Head & Sierra Nevada release ‘Life & Limb’

Some of the newcomers to the craft beer scene probably don’t remember Life & Limb, the collaboration between Dogfish Head and Sierra Nevada. The first release of this collaboration occurred in 2009, followed by Life & Limb 2 in 2011. Now, the third release of this Life & Limb collaboration hits shelves, this time in 16-ounce cans.

This American strong ale is brewed with two different syrups – maple syrup from the Calagione farm in Massachusetts, as well as birch syrup. In the previous collaborations, the birch syrup was delivered to Chico, California fresh from Alaska.

Additionally, the breweries used estate barley from Sierra Nevada’s farm, plus a house yeast blend of both Dogfish Head and Sierra Nevada.

We are proud to share our third version of the life and limb with its thousands of other branches who collectively comprise the craft brewing family tree. Sip slowly with friends and loved ones, savor long-because one could do better than be a swigger of birches.

The “canned on” date is dated in May. From the looks of it, neither brewery has really mentioned this release on social media as it seems to have quietly hit shelves nationally. Neither Sierra Nevada nor Dogfish Head responded for comment.

For its third release in 10 years, this unique collaboration – Life & Limb 3 is available in 16-ounce cans (by Sierra), very suitable for future aging in the event of a Life & Limb 4 release.

Style: American Strong Ale (w/ Maple Syrup. Birch Syrup.)
Availability: 16oz Cans, Draft. Limited Release.
Debut: August 2019

10% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Stone Brewing Co., Coming Soon, Don't Miss This

Stone’s 23rd Anniversary release is coming this week. Hint, it’s hoppy

Stone 23rd Uncanny Anni Double IPA releases in the coming week, a celebration of 23 years of craft brewing. 

Over the years, Stone Brewing’s anniversary releases have covered a plethora of styles. The 5th Anniversary release was an IPA, followed by a porter on the 6th. 12th was Bitter Chocolate Oatmeal Stout, and 15th a Black IPA. Some years it was an IPA with all German hops and malts, others all Austrailian, there was even hazy IPA in there somewhere.

READ MORE: STONE ANNIVERSARY SERIES

The 23rd Anniversary release is simply what Stone does best. Hops, and lots of them. This “no-aluminum-yet-lotsa-hops Stone 23rd Anniversary Uncanny Anni Double IPA” is full of “hefty doses” of Mosaic, Citra, and Cascade. (Aka, the hops A-Listers.)

Stone 23rd Uncanny officially debuts on August 12th in 22-ounce bottles and draft.

Style: Imperial IPA
Hops: Mosaic, Citra, Cascade
Availability: 22oz Bottles, Draft. Limited Release.

Debut: 8/12/19

8.5% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Monday Night Brewing, American Spirit Works, Don't Miss This

Monday Night & American Spirit Works Whiskey collaboration returns

Atlanta, Georgia’s Monday Night Brewing has some whiskey bragging rights to go alongside their beer lineup. Namely, their own whiskey, thanks to their collaboration partner (and now neighbor on Atlanta’s West End), American Spirit Works.

This story starts more than 6 years ago with Monday Night co-founder Joel Iverson finding himself living next door to American Spirit co-founder Charlie Thompson. The brewery & distillery businesses were born literally next door to each other.

From a fermentation standpoint, brewing and distilling have a lot in common, so Monday Night’s brewing team and ASW’s distiller Justin Manglitz had a common starting point to begin this collaboration.

Monday Night Single Malt Whiskey lovingly referred to as “The Badger”, starts with a mash full of cherrywood smoked malt, the same used in their flagship Drafty Kilt Scotch Ale. The wort is then transferred 5 miles down the road using the highly scientific “renting a Penske truck” method, according to Iverson. ASW distilled the mash and transferred it to white oak quarter casks.

Fortunately, our patience has paid off. Like the mighty Scottish badger, this Scotch-style Whiskey has a pleasant bite and will burrow into your belly with a smooth, slightly sweet, and delightfully smoky finish.

Monday Night Single Malt Whiskey is 86 Proof, available once again in 750-milliliter bottles at ASW as of August 9th. Ounce tasters can be purchased at both of their Atlanta locations. Bottles will be available in Georgia package stores starting mid-August.

Image: Beer Street Journal

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Monday Night Brewing, Don't Miss This, New Releases

Monday Night Darker Subject Matter – a summer thriller

Monday Night Darker Subject Matter,  a bourbon-barrel-aged edition of the brewery’s Dark Subject Matter, debuts today.

Back in March of this year, in a sea of pastry stout releases all over the United States in the dead of winter, the Atlanta based brewery bucked the national trend a bit. A big, rich, completely adjunct-free imperial stout known as Dark Subject Matter emerged. It was absolutely perfect winter beer – chocolatey, fudgy, thick as hell and silky smooth.

Debuting today (and less perfect for the summer heat) is the barrel-aged version of this imperial stout – Darker Subject Matter. This 13.5% alcohol by volume imperial stout with a murdery vibe is every damn bit that big beer we fell in love with in the winter, now with an oaky, vanilla bourbon overtone. The side of the can says HEAVIER THICKER OAK. Monday Night means it.

Go ahead and slam this beast by the pool or at the beach and definitely on an empty stomach after running a few miles. It’s always good to remind yourself that your bad decisions aren’t always behind you.

Either way, Monday Night Darker Subject Matter is a real treat, hot weather or no hot weather. Available at the brewery starting at 4 pm today in 16-ounce cans and draft.

Style: Imperial Stout (Barrel-Aged. Bourbon.)
Availability: 16oz Cans, Draft. Limited Release.
Debut: 7/26/19

13.5% ABV

PIC: Beer Street Journal

by Reid Ramsay