Seasonal Return

Deschutes Jubelale 2016: 29 years strong

Deschutes Jubelale is now in it’s 29th year of bottling, placing this beer among the longest running seasonals in America.

Each year is a little different from the last. Brewmaster Veronica Vega mentions that fact along makes Deschutes Jubelale one of Continue Reading →

Three Taverns Feest Noel returns November 3rd

Three Taverns Feest Noel, the Decatur, Georgia based brewery’s Christmas offering, returns this week.

Brewery founder Brian Purcell always had a vision for this beer – family. Something that echoed the flavor of this (coming) time of the year, meant to be Continue Reading →

Stone Xocoveza Mocha Stout returns

Stone Xocoveza Mocha Stout started as a collaboration with AHA Homebrewer Competition Winner, Chris Banker, and Mexican craft brewery Cerveceria Insurgente. Now the instant hit from the Escondido, California based brewery’s collaboration series returns.

Stone Xocoveza Mocha Stout is built from a milk stout recipe, brewed with chocolate Continue Reading →

Posted in Deschutes Brewing, Seasonal Return

Deschutes Jubelale 2016: 29 years strong

Deschutes Jubelale is now in it’s 29th year of bottling, placing this beer among the longest running seasonals in America.

Each year is a little different from the last. Brewmaster Veronica Vega mentions that fact along makes Deschutes Jubelale one of the most talked about seasonals. This winter warmer uses EKG hops, which lend the beer spicy and herbal notes.

This year’s artwork was created by Bend, Oregon based artist Karen Ruane. The piece is titled “First Snow”, created from a process called marbeling. The by floating paint into water or some other viscous liquid, you mimic the designs found in stone and marble.

 “With this piece I wanted to capture the change in the air, the smells, the excitement and festive atmosphere around the anticipation of playing in the first snow of the season. I absolutely love the packaging, and am so honored to have my artwork featured on it. I think the designers did a wonderful job showcasing the art of marbling and I hope that this rather rare art form is able to get a little attention from this year’s Jubelale.” – Karen Ruane, Artist.

Deschutes Jubelale began its return to shelves in late-October, 2016. Available in 12 ounce bottles and draft, seasonally.

Style: Winter Warmer
Hops: EKG

Availability: 12oz Bottles, Draft. Seasonal Release.
Latest Return: October/November, 2016

6.7% ABV, 65 IBUs

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Seasonal Return, Three Taverns Brewery

Three Taverns Feest Noel returns November 3rd

Three Taverns Feest Noel, the Decatur, Georgia based brewery’s Christmas offering, returns this week.

Brewery founder Brian Purcell always had a vision for this beer – family. Something that echoed the flavor of this (coming) time of the year, meant to be drank with family and friends. After a few dozen bottles of this big seasonal, we think Purcell and his team have done it.

This Belgian-style quadrupel uses dark roasted malts, imported Belgian dark candy sugar, and spiced accents of cardamom, allspice and cloves. Make this rich ale a part of your holiday celebration.

Three Taverns Feest Noel is available in 750 milliliter bottles, and draft.

Style: Quadrupel (w/ Cardamom, Allspice, Clove)
Availability: 750ml Bottles, Draft. Seasonal Release.
Latest Return: November, 2016

10% ABV, 30 IBUs

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Funky Buddha, Don't Miss This, Seasonal Return

Funky Buddha Undefeated Saison for NFL’s only undefeated team

Funky Buddha Undefeated Saison returns for a third year starting today, November 1st.

This beer is a tribute to the 1972 Miami Dolphins, who won their fourteen regular season games, three postseason games, Super Bowl VII, finishing 17-0. The Dolphins are still the only NFL team to accomplish this feat. (Every team has a loss in the 2016-2017 season as well.)

Funky Buddha Undefeated Saison is a bit like a biere de brut. The saison is brewed with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grape must, and bottle-conditioned with champagne yeast. Inspired not only by the team’s record, but an urban legend that the members of the 1972 team raise a glass of champagne raise a glass in unison after the last undefeated team falls each season.

The result is a bubbly brew fit for celebration — as in toasting the still unmatched reign of our 1972 champs.

Funky Buddha Undefeated Saison is available in 750 milliliter, foil top bottles. $14/retail.

Style: Saison (w/ Grape Must.)
Availability: 750ml Bottles. 3,000 bottle release.
Latest Return: 11/1/16

?? ABV

Fun Fact: It wasn’t until 2013 that the 1972 Dolphins got their trip to the White House.

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in SweetWater Brewing, Don't Miss This, Seasonal Return

SweetWater LowRYEder IPA back from retirement for the winter

SweetWater LowRYEder is out of retirement. At least for now.

This beer got its start as a hoppy rye offering known as Crank Tank, a charitable beer brewed to benefit Camp Twin Lakes. That release was so well received, the brewery upgraded it to LowRYEder IPA.

Not long after, LowRYEder won a gold medal at The Great American Beer Festival. In true SweetWater fashion, the beer was retired shortly after. That’s what happens when a recipe wins a medal SweetWater. Retired. Don’t try to understand it.

The fans voted this summer, and the clear winner is the spicy rye beer you came to know and love a few years ago. Available only in the Winter Variety Pack in 12 ounce bottles and on tap at the brewery.

Style: IPA (/ Rye)
Availability: 12oz bottles, Draft. Seasonal release, Winter 2016. 

6.2% ABV, 45 IBUs 

Pic: SweetWater’s head brewer Nick Nock holds the “infamous” GABF gold metal, aka the kiss of death. 

SweetWater LowRYEder BSJ

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Allagash Brewing, Seasonal Return

Allagash Ghoulschip (a cellared edition) on sale October 29th

Allagash Ghoulschip, a spontaneously fermented pumpkin beer, will be on sale again this weekend at the brewery in Portland, Maine.

Interesting thing to note about these bottles – they are from the 2015 batch. The 2016 edition just isn’t ready yet. Such is the downside of the fermentation and perfection of wild beer.

Allagash Ghoulschip is probably one of the most fun spontaneous beers the brewery has set out to create. The brew team gets to put fresh pumpkins in a woodchipper in order to check the chunks needed for the beer. Face it, Halloween demands pumpkins. The hot wort is sent to chill in the coolship over night, on Halloween night, where the spontaneous fermentation begins as the dead walk the earth again.

All in all, Allagash Ghoulschip is a blend of 1,2, and 3 year beer, brewed with pumpkin, toasted pumpkin seeds, and a touch of molasses. The cellared edition will be available in the taproom in 12.7 ounce bottles.

Style: American Wild Ale (w/ Pumpkin, Toasted Pumpkin Seeds, Molasses. Oak Aged.)
Availability: 12.7oz Bottles
Latest Return: 10/29/16

6.9% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Don't Miss This, Lagunitas, Seasonal Return

Lagunitas Born Yesterday back for a 3rd year

Lagunitas Born Yesterday, the brewery’s fresh hop pale ale, is returning once again in 2016.

The Yakima Valley hops are flown in fresh for the brew day, in typical fresh-hop fashion, in the kettle in less than 24 hours. Last year, the beer was only brewed in Petaluma, California. Very few bottles got very far from the Golden State. starting in  2015, the beer was  brewed in Chicago as well, making the beer more widely available.

Lagunitas Born Yesterday features whole cone, un-kilned Mosaic, Equinox, Citra, Simcoe and Amarillo hops. The beer bottles and ships the same day.

The brewery announced today that Lagunitas Born Yesterday has been bottled, and already showing up on shelves.

Style: Pale Ale (Fresh Hopped)
Availability: 12oz Bottles. Limited Release
Latest Return: Mid-October, 2016

7.5% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Stone Brewing Co., Seasonal Return

Stone Xocoveza Mocha Stout returns

Stone Xocoveza Mocha Stout started as a collaboration with AHA Homebrewer Competition Winner, Chris Banker, and Mexican craft brewery Cerveceria Insurgente. Now the instant hit from the Escondido, California based brewery’s collaboration series returns.

Stone Xocoveza Mocha Stout is built from a milk stout recipe, brewed with chocolate (from ChocoVivo), cinnamon, nutmeg, coffee (from Mostra Coffee) and chilies.

Harmoniously layered with cocoa, Mostra coffee, pasilla peppers, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and milk sugar, this beer is an insanely delicious take on Mexican hot chocolate. Thanks entirely to you and fan demand, it has gone from being a one-time offering to a yearly tradition too special to skip.

The brewery is now bringing it back as a limited winter seasonal release, with a slightly different moniker – Stone Xocoveza for the Holidays & the New Year. Officially shipping in 12 ounce bottles, and draft.

Style: Milk Stout (w/ Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Coffee, Chocolate, Chilies, Lactose)
Hops: English Challenger, English East Kent Golding

National Distribution: AK, AL, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MT, NC, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OR, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, VT, WA and Puerto Rico
International Distribution: Australia; Alberta and British Columbia, Canada; Hong Kong; Japan; Singapore; Korea; Sweden; and United Kingdom

Availability: 12oz Bottles, Draft
Latest Return: October, 2016

6% ABV

by Reid Ramsay