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Posted in Sierra Nevada, Don't Miss This, Karl Strauss Brewing, New Releases

Sierra Nevada & Karl Strauss “NXS” Red IPA debuts, California only

Late in 2015 the brewing world saw Sierra Nevada and Stone Brewing team up in a hoppy collaboration known as NXS.  The all California creation was split down the middle, with 50% of the IPA batch aged in gin barrels, and 50% in rye whiskey barrels. NXS rises once again this week, this time, with another California based brewery, Karl Strauss.

RELATED: Beer Collaborations

One thing is certain, hops definitely unite brewers. Which ones chosen, and how you brew with them is just one of the things setting you apart. Sierra Nevada and Karl Strauss collective have 65 years of craft brewing under their belt. It is the experience that will bring you what the duo calls “unabashedly hoppy”, an IPA with tropical fruit and citrus hop flavors. Sierra Nevada touts this beer as a “red IPA” and by the looks of it, the moniker fits.

Craft beer was born in California and it was here that brewers created the “west coast” style of hop forward brewing. California is a big state, and NorCal and SoCal often have different approaches to beer – yet remain united through hops.

Sierra Nevada Karl Strauss NXS will be available in 22 ounce bottles, limited to California.

Style: IPA
Availability: 22oz Bottles
Debut: Mid-March, 2017

6.5% ABV

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

SweetWater Wookie Down emerges from the Dank Tank this week

SweetWater Wookie Down joins the brewery’s Dank Tank Series starting this week.

Recently the Atlanta-based brewery re-brewed Pulled Porter from the Dank series. This was the first time the brewery canned a Dank Tank release. Now apart of the same series is SweetWater Wookie Down, an imperial red ale.

RELATED: SweetWater Dank Tank Series

This forthcoming release is brewed in celebration of the brewery’s annual 420 Fest,  held every April in downtown Atlanta. You might recall 420 Fest Double IPA from 2015.

This edition is an imperial red ale, big on tropical citrus flavors and a sweet malt body.

Dressed to get pressed at the fest, El Dank took one whiff of his stash of Simcoe, Mosaic and Waimea hops and dove straight in. Feeling no pain with lots to gain, El D saddled up next to a big bodied mahogany/red beauty of an ale looking to mingle a blast of his stash of tropical citrus aromas with her big bodacious sweet maltified booty. Overindulging as always, Danko peaked at 7.6% ABV, causing him to spin with the spinners ’til he spun out and was left face up in the field. Eyes open but case closed.

The 2017 fest lineup includes Widespread Panic, Ween, and Slightly Stoopid.

SweetWater Wookie Down is a draft and 16 ounce can release, starting in mid-March.

Style: Imperial Red Ale
Availability: 16oz cans, Draft.
Debut: Mid-March, 2017

7.6% ABV, 82 IBUs

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Spoetzl Brewery, Don't Miss This, New Releases

Mosaic hops, clean water, & new Shiner Golden Ale

The latest from Spoetzl Brewery – Shiner Golden Ale.

This is another great example of what the brewery does best. Easy drinking, approachable beers. Well water from underneath the brewery and Mosaic hops highlight Shiner Golden Ale. The beer is crisp, clean and refreshing.

RELATED: Shiner Cold Brew

That description may sound a bit derived, but let’s put it in the context of Spoetzl. Premium, Homespun Cream Ale, Black Lager – all lighter styles the brewery does quite well. Golden Ale in all it’s Mosaic goodness is a great right along side them all. Perfect for rocking chair on a porch on a hot day.

Look for Shiner Golden Ale year-round starting this month in 12 ounce bottles, and draft.

Style: Blonde Ale
Hops: Mosaic
Availability: 12oz Bottles, Draft.
Debut: March, 2017

4.6% ABV, 22 IBUs

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Terrapin Beer Company, Don't Miss This, New Releases

Negan approved. Terrapin Lucille, a second Walking Dead collaboration is cracking heads

Athens, Georgia based Terrapin Beer Company made waves a while back with their zombie themed Walking Dead Bood Orange IPA. In February, it returned once again in cans for the first time. The brewery now has two zombie apocalypse inspired beers on shelves. The newest?  Terrapin Lucille.

If you follow the show, Terrapin Lucille is named for the evil fella wreaking havok on our beloved Rick Grimes and crew – Negan and his weapon of choice, Lucille. The barbed wire should be a dead give away. If you haven’t been watching, the show gets pretty brutal. (And bloody.)

This beer drinks like dessert, but doesn’t drink like the 9.4% alcohol by volume beer it actually is. Perhaps this “Lucille” will do a little damage to your head as well. The imperial stout is brewed with both molasses and vanilla, and aged on hickory, maple, and white ash. All the wood that makes baseball bats.

Molasses dominates this beer, but isn’t overpowering, heavy or syrupy. Expect hints of brown sugar, dark chocolate oak and a touch of smoke.

Terrapin Lucille is available now in 500 milliliter bottles for a limited time.

Style: Imperial Stout (w/ Blackstrap Molasses, Vanilla Beans. Oak Aged.)
Availability: 500ml Bottles
Debut: March, 2017

9.4% ABV

PIC: Beer Street Journal

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

Let’s get weird. Meet Ballast Point Red Velvet

Ballast Point Red Velvet, seen on draft in the past, is now apart of a new “Nitro” bottle program.

Nitrogen infused bottles, once used exclusively by world renowned Guinness, have been adopted by various U.S. based breweries over the past few years. Left Hand Brewing was notably first with Nitro Milk Stout bottles debuting at the Great American Beer Festival in 2011.  Samuel Adams and Oskar Blues have followed up with their own nitro releases. Now Ballast Point has their own nitrogen infused bottles to kick off 2017.

Ballast Point Red Velvet, a unique twist on an oatmeal stout, is a future Nitro Series release already available on nitro taps. The California based brewery created a chocolatey stout that resembles the cake for which it was named. So much so that pours red, thanks the to a hefty helping of beet juice. The foamy head on the beer truly is the icing on the cake.

You want a beer that gets weird? You’ve found it. It’s a stout that pours blood red, and tastes a bit like chocolate frosting, and creamy too. A beer that really makes you feel all the feels because your eyes are telling you one thing and your tastebuds are telling you another. Don’t worry about the beats either. You’ll only find them in the color. A tasty mindfu$k indeed.

Nitrogen bottles are a first for Ballast Point, which recently expanded their can lineup to include releases like Grapefruit Sculpin, Mango Even Keel, and Watermelon Dorado (just to name a few). 

Ballast Point Red Velvet is a 12 ounce bottle release, shipping nationally starting in January, 2017.

Style: Oatmeal Porter (Chocolate, Beets, Nitrogen.)
Availability: Draft (Current), 12oz Bottles

Debut: January, 2017

5.5% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Avery Brewing, Coming Soon, Don't Miss This

Avery Tequilana is Barrel Aged Series #43

Avery Tequilana will be the 43rd release in the brewery’s Barrel Aged Series. If you are a tequila fan, you’re in for a treat.

Expect a light sour beer with a blast of tequila flavor, especially on the nose. The brewery has a close relationship with El Atlo, Mexico based Suerte Tequila. The brewery has been purchasing their barrels for years and now have nearly 200 on site.

READ MORE: Avery Barrel Aged Series

Avery Tequilana is a blend of both resposado and anejo tequila barrels, aged for seven months. Suerte barrels really give the final beer a very pronounced flavor, which is why the love affair has lasted so long.

“Tequilana,” said Rupp, “has a very pure and huge tequila character. Since this beer was aged in reposado and añejo tequila barrels for seven months, it’s really exciting to smell and taste oak character in the beer such as butterscotch, vanilla, and agave notes since they come simply from the barrels themselves.” – Travis Rupp, Avery’s R&D Manager

Agave tequilana, more commonly known as blue agave, is the naming inspiration for Avery Tequilana. Find it on draft at the brewery starting March 13th, and nationally in 12 ounce bottles.

Style: American Wild/Sour Ale (Barrel Aged. Tequila.)
Availability: 12oz Bottles, Draft. Limited Release.
Debut: 3/13/17

7.35% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Hi Wire Brewing, Don't Miss This, New Releases

Drink this every 3,000 miles. Hi-Wire 10W-40 Imperial Stout

Expect this one to pour like motor oil. Meet Hi-Wire 10W-40 Imperial Stout.

This decadent imperial stout is brewed with fresh vanilla beans, dark chocolate from Asheville local French Broad Chocolates, and Organic Dynamite Roasting Company coffee beans. The sum of the parts means one big decadent way to drink your dessert.

The beer truly delivers on flavor. Coffee, chocolate and vanilla in a big stout is heaven to us, but what we can’t get over is the branding. Sure it would be easy to find some creature from Greek mythology, or an obscure Shakespearian phrase, combine with some comic book art, and launch the beer. Absolutely nothing wrong with that. In this case, when we say this beer pours like motor oil, we have a can that follows suit. This release is just the start of something new for Hi-Wire Brewing.

…coffee accentuates the cocoa and adds slight roast to balance out the vanilla in this dessert beer.

Hi-Wire 10W-40 Imperial Stout became available in 16 ounce cans starting January 6th.

Style: Imperial Stout (w/ Cocoa Nibs, Vanilla Beans, Coffee)
Availability: 16oz Cans, Draft.
Debut: 1/6/16

8% ABV

by Reid Ramsay