Now Tapping

NOW TAPPING: Brooklyn Buzz Bomb

It actually tapped on Wednesday, but you will still find this beer flowing from the tap at Octane Coffee now.  This is a rare keg, one of 3 shipped to the state total.

Buzz Bomb Ale is a draft only offering Continue Reading →

Sweetwater Sch’Wheat! Hits Taps!

Sweetwater Brewing’s (Atlanta, GA) newest year round offering – Sch’Wheat American Wheat Ale has officially been launched and has now expanded to tap handles in Atlanta.  Sch’Wheat replaces Summer Hummer.

American wheat ales have a moderate wheat character and are brewed Continue Reading →

NOW TAPPING: Southern Tier Brewing

From what I see, the first of Southern Tier Brewing tappings are occurring in Atlanta.  If someone else is tapping today too – let me know….   Taco Mac’s in the Atlanta area – particularly Metropolis are adding Southern Tier Continue Reading →

Now Tapping: Brooklyn Dark Matter

Brewmaster Garrett Olliver is a genius when it comes to barrel aging beers.  Ever had a Black Ops?  You won’t forget it if you did.  Extremely good.  Another barrel aged offering by Brooklyn is popping  up on draft in Atlanta Continue Reading →

Bell’s Hopslam Tapping!

Looking for Bell’s Hopslam?  Keep missing the rare kegs that are popping up around Atlanta?  Heres another chance!  Today at Taco Mac Metropolis – the infamous Hopslam.   Taps 6 pm.

Quick Recap –

Bell’s Hopslam is a double IPA or Imperial Continue Reading →

Posted in Brooklyn Brewing, Now Tapping, Rare Opportunity

NOW TAPPING: Brooklyn Buzz Bomb

It actually tapped on Wednesday, but you will still find this beer flowing from the tap at Octane Coffee now.  This is a rare keg, one of 3 shipped to the state total.

Buzz Bomb Ale is a draft only offering from Brooklyn’s Brewmaster’s Reserve series.  Buzz bomb is a braggot, a very old drink dating back to the 1300’s.  You will even find mention of it in Chaucer’s “Canterbury Tales.”  From Brooklyn Brewing’s description of Buzz Bomb –

“In medieval Europe, ale graced the tables of everyone from paupers to kings, but honey wine, called mead, was largely reserved for the rich. In the days before table sugar came from the tropical parts of the world, honey was the only intensely sweet thing that many people had access to. Honey was expensive — after all, a man can only keep so many bees. Meads were also expensive, but people often brought ale and mead together in a popular drink called “braggott”. Sometimes these braggotts were simply blends, but the best of them had the grain and honey extracts fermented together, bringing both sets of flavors into a unified whole. To tell the truth, our brewmaster hadn’t spent much time thinking about braggott until last summer, when he ran into Nathaniel and Thatcher Martin at the New Amsterdam Market in New York City. The Martin brothers were pouring small samples of their mead, called Brooklyn Buzz. It was pretty delicious, and they all got talking about honey. It turned out that the Martins source their raw wildflower honey from the same place that Brooklyn Brewery does — Tremblay Farms in upstate New York.

And now, as summer smiles upon us once more, we bring you the result of last summer’s stroll through the market — Brooklyn Buzz Bomb Ale. We’ve used Alan Tremblay’s wildflower honey in a few of our beers, most notably Brooklyn Local 2. In Brooklyn Buzz Bomb, the honey takes center stage, making up a full 25% of the fermentable sugar. We added the honey to the kettle along with a gentle hopping and a lilt of orange peel. Is the beer sweet? Actually, not at all — honey is quite fermentable and our Belgian ale yeast is very hungry. Brooklyn Buzz Bomb has a bright gold color and a spicy floral aroma showing distinctive honey notes. The palate is light, crisp, and very dry, showing a zing of acidity and a quick burst of fruit. Complex floral, honey and spice flavors linger in the bone-dry finish. Brooklyn Buzz Bomb is a perfect match for summer foods — salads, barbecue, shrimp dishes, hummus, grilled salmon, brunch dishes and fresh goat cheese. It’s also very pleasant all by itself, as you smell the flowers, feel the sun dapple through the trees, listen to the birds sing and wonder what it was you really liked about snow anyway.”

8% ABV

Tapping now at Octane Coffee
1009-b Marietta Street NW
Atlanta, GA
(404) 815-9886

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Now Tapping, SweetWater Brewing

Sweetwater Sch’Wheat! Hits Taps!

Sweetwater Brewing’s (Atlanta, GA) newest year round offering – Sch’Wheat American Wheat Ale has officially been launched and has now expanded to tap handles in Atlanta.  Sch’Wheat replaces Summer Hummer.

American wheat ales have a moderate wheat character and are brewed with American yeast strains.  Citrus and spice are noticeable in American wheat ales, less banana and clove like many German hefeweizens you might have had.  Hops are definitely more prevalent in American wheat ales.  Sch’Wheat! Is intended to be kind of a gateway beer by Sweetwater.  There is still a huge part of the beer drinking population that has never even tasted a craft beer, much less an unfiltered beer full of wheat.  Not every craft beer is one that you would want to hand to a friend to try hoping to get them hooked on craft beers (some are so bold in flavor, it could be a turn off.)  This offering of Sch’Wheat! aspires to be a transition into the world of craft beer with a light, subtle, easy drinking session beer.

Available year round in 12 oz/6 pks and draft.

Sch’Wheat is Taco Mac’s beer of a month.  Have a glass of Sch’Wheat on Thursdays starting at 5pm and keep the glass.  (While supplies last)

Sweetwater supports Upper Chattahoochee River Keepers.  Be sure purchase a fish at Taco Mac restaurants this month to help keep the Chattahoochee River clean.  Visit the River Keepers site HERE

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Atlanta Beer Week, Now Tapping, Rare Opportunity

Founder’s Kentucky Breakfast Taps @MidwayPub 5pm!

This beer sold out last night at Cypress Street in 41 minutes!!!  Missed it?  Here is another chance- Today in honor of Atlanta Beer Week Midway Pub is tapping a keg of Founder’s Kentucky Breakfast Stout at 5pm today!

Beer info –

KBS is an Imperial Stout brewed with coffee and vanilla and aged in oak bourbon barrels for a full year.  Chocolate is also added.

Taste? Imagine chocolate, coffee (espresso?), vanilla, bourbon, oak, and wood.  It’s balanced, full, smooth, complex, delicious.

11% ABV

Midway Pub – 5/19, 5pm
552 Flat Shoals Avenue Southeast
Atlanta, GA 30316
(404) 584-0335

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Atlanta Beer Week, Now Tapping, Rare Opportunity

Quinte55ence & Keg from the Cellar @ 5 North!

Another interesting Atlanta Beer Week entry… This just in –

The newest beer for 5 Seasons North was just released.   It’s called “The Question.”  It’s Quinte55sence aged in a Kunde Estate Cabernet barrel for over 7 months.  In a zen like twist – “The Answer” which is an earlier beer release by the brewpub, (which is the Quinte55ence aged in a whiskey barrel) came before the question!  Crawford Moran – brewer of this enigmatic beer classifies this as a “quintuple” – keeping with the #5 tradition that surrounds 5 seasons brewpubs.  It’s not a dubbel, or a tripel. It’s a quint!  5 hops, 5 malts, 55 IBU’s… you get the point.

Also – as secret keg was just tapped at 5 North from the cellar.  It will REMAIN a secret until you get there… I will only say this… It’s got a lot of age on it.  Truly a cellared beer.

Both are rare brews here for Atlanta Beer Week 2010!

5 Seasons North, Tapping NOW!
3655 Old Milton Parkway
Alpharetta, GA

Image: Grover Sterling

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Now Tapping, Southern Tier Brewing

NOW TAPPING: Southern Tier Brewing

From what I see, the first of Southern Tier Brewing tappings are occurring in Atlanta.  If someone else is tapping today too – let me know….   Taco Mac’s in the Atlanta area – particularly Metropolis are adding Southern Tier additions.   Brickstore Pub also.

Today at Taco Mac Metro –

Hop Sun — American Pale Wheat, 4.9% ABV.  Sessionable summer wheat ale.  Dry hopped pale ale with flavors of wheat, barley, and hops.  Lemon zest and sweet malts also find their way in. Refreshing

Iniquity Imperial Black Ale — 8.9% ABV.  Called the “Antithesis of Unearthly,” this is a hoppy black ale, much like a black IPA.

Brickstore Pub –

Big Red — Imperial Red Ale, 9.5% ABV.  Single hopped w/ Hallertau. Spicy. Malty with sweet undertones.

UnEarthly IPA — Imperial IPA, 9.8% ABV.  Imperial IPA with huge hop bill.  Southern Tier describes it as aggressive.

 

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Brooklyn Brewing, Now Tapping, Rare Opportunity

Now Tapping: Brooklyn Dark Matter

Brewmaster Garrett Olliver is a genius when it comes to barrel aging beers.  Ever had a Black Ops?  You won’t forget it if you did.  Extremely good.  Another barrel aged offering by Brooklyn is popping  up on draft in Atlanta – Dark Matter.  Dark Matter is the follows Cookie Jar Porter as a part of the Brewmaster’s Reserve Series.

Dark Matter is a barrel aged American Brown Ale.  It is prudent to mention Black Ops, because Dark Matter and Black Ops have some relation.  As Garrett Oliver describes –

“In the beginning, there was Black Ops. Or perhaps not. Beer does have its mysteries. Anyhow, they say that back in 2007, a small amount of Dark Matter was created alongside Black Ops, but very few people had an opportunity to taste it. The Brooklyn Brewing Team decided that this shortage was unfortunate — plenty of Dark Matter for themselves, but not enough to share with all their friends. So last autumn they decided to recreate Dark Matter and open up the Brooklyn Barrel Room to a wider world. Brooklyn Dark Matter is a robust brown ale aged for four months in bourbon and rye whiskey barrels. Some barrels previously held Black Ops, some hosted The Manhattan Project, others came straight from the distilleries as soon as the whiskey was decanted. We’ve blended these barrels to create a beer full of caramel and chocolate flavors heightened by vanilla-like oak notes and hints of the barrels’ previous tenants. The result is a smooth, rich beer that really loves food, from fried or roasted chicken to char-grilled steak, barbecue, pork chops and even monkfish. And on some chilly evening in late winter, or perhaps the first warm night of spring, we hope that you may be tempted to believe that Dark Matter really does bind the universe together.”

Tasting – Dark Matter presents with flavors of bourbon & vanilla.  Also oak, toffee and burnt sugars.  Look for some chocolate tones too.  These are just guidelines.  Gives you flavors to look for.  Let your taste buds lose and find discover your beer.

Availability – Rare draft offerings.  Dark Matter is very limited.

Currently tapping – Taco Mac Metropolis.  The Fred has a keg also, tapping date to follow.  More kegs shipped to Atlanta area. Sightings to follow.

7.5% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Bell's Brewing, Now Tapping

Bell’s Hopslam Tapping!

Looking for Bell’s Hopslam?  Keep missing the rare kegs that are popping up around Atlanta?  Heres another chance!  Today at Taco Mac Metropolis – the infamous Hopslam.   Taps 6 pm.

Quick Recap –

Bell’s Hopslam is a double IPA or Imperial IPA released seasonally, and is very limited.  Bell’s only produces this beer for a little over a month and half each year.   In many cities, it sells out fast, leaving many people without.  The name pretty much tells you what to expect — a Hopslam.   This beer has an absolutely fantastic hop aroma.  If you love the smell of hops, you are definitely in the right place.  Expect piney and grapefruit hop tones on your palette.  While it has a slight bitter finish, Hopslam really reminds you first and foremost that hops are a flower.  Honey is added to sweeten the finish.

See you at 6 PM!  Another DIPA – Dogfish Head – Burton Baton is tapping also.

by Reid Ramsay