Seasonal Return

Highland Thunderstruck Coffee Porter 2016 release

Highland Thunderstruck Coffee Porter releases again this year, appearing on draft and in their tasting room on October 14th, 2016. Named for the Southern Appalachian landscape, Highland Thunderstruck Coffee Porter features fair trade/organic coffee from Dynamite Roasting Company.

This year’s version will feature both Continue Reading →

Fresh Citra hops: Upland Harvest Ale

Upland Harvest Ale, the brewery’s fresh hop ale, returns this week.

The Bloomington, Indiana based brewery adds fresh Citra hops picked just 24 hours prior, to a pale ale. The result is a beer with a unique, bright and citrusy hop Continue Reading →

Boulevard Funky Pumpkin, gone after 2016

Boulevard Funky Pumpkin makes a seasonal return this week. The Kansas City, Missouri’s unique take on the pumpkin seasonal.

In a sea of pumpkin spiced ales, Boulevard Funky Pumpkin is definitely one one of the more unique. In the spirit of Continue Reading →

Jester King Aurelian Lure 2016 release: Limited

Jester King Aurelian Lure, the Austin, Texas brewery’s oak barrel sour ale, will make its 2016 appearance on Friday, September 16th.

Jester King Aurelian Lure is a sour/wild beer brewed with apricots. For the 2014 release the brewery minimized the contact time with the apricots to reduce Continue Reading →

Posted in The Lost Abbey, Don't Miss This, Seasonal Return

Lost Abbey My Black Parade returns nationally

Lost Abbey My Black Parade, a Mexican chocolate laden strong ale, is back in the brewery’s lineup.

Lost Abbey My Black Parade is a strong ale, brewed with cocoa nibs, vanilla beans, cinnamon, cardamon, smoked chilies and of course bourbon oak. The label tells the story of unrequited love remembers on Dia De Los Muertos, where people make a pilgrimage to an unmarked grave. Hoping their true love shows up.

Pouring darker than a moonless night, My Black Parade begins with a deep bouquet of rich chocolate and layered hints of cinnamon and oak. Huge flavors of cocoa on the palate with notes of vanilla, bourbon, and tobacco, finishing with crisp bite from the smoked chili’s and cardamom.

Lost Abbey My Black Parade is a 375 milliliter bottel release in 2016. Distribution starts in mid-October, 2016.

Style: American Strong Ale (w/ Cocoa Nibs, Vanilla Beans, Chilies, Cardamom, Cinnamon. Barrel Aged. Bourbon.)
Availability: 375ml Bottles

Latest Return: Mid-October, 2016

12.5% ABV

Image: Beer Street Journal

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

One of the best variants: New Holland Dragon’s Milk Reserve Vanilla Chai returns

New Holland Dragon’s Milk Reserve Vanilla Chai returns to shelves once again in October, 2016. Part of the Dragon’s Milk Reserve Series.

The Michigan based brewery started releasing variants of their wildly popular year-round imperial stout in 2015. Editions include Raspberries, Chocolate & Coffee, & Toasted Chilies. One of the best they’ve ever done?  New Holland Dragon’s Milk Reserve Vanilla Chai.

Chai is the imperial stout aged in bourbon barrels for three months, with vanilla chai spice. We throw the term “boozy dessert” around frequently here. You will find it in this variant of Dragon’s Milk. The beer is layered in creamy chocolate, with vanilla from both the bourbon and vanilla chai. Clay Cooper, the brewery’s national sales director, mentions mixing with New Holland Ichabod Pumpkin Ale, saying: “It’s pretty damn delish.”

New Holland Dragon’s Milk Reserve Vanilla Chai can be found again in 12 ounce bottles starting in October, 2016.

Style: Imperial Stout (w/ Vanilla Chai Spice. Barrel Aged. Bourbon.)
Hops: Glacier, Nugget
Malts: 2 Row, Munich, Caramel, Crystal, Black, Chocolate, Flaked Barley

Availability: 12oz Bottles, Draft. Seasonal release
Latest Return: October 2016

11% ABV, 31 IBUs

Image: Beer Street Journal 

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Seasonal Return, Beer News, Coming Soon, Highland Brewing

Highland Thunderstruck Coffee Porter 2016 release

Highland Thunderstruck Coffee Porter releases again this year, appearing on draft and in their tasting room on October 14th, 2016. Named for the Southern Appalachian landscape, Highland Thunderstruck Coffee Porter features fair trade/organic coffee from Dynamite Roasting Company.

This year’s version will feature both a Mexican dark roast blend and a lighter Honduran blend.

Early in the brewing process, referred to as the hot-side, Highland adds Mexican coffee at the end of the boil, which extracts the flavors much like the way coffee is made at home. Later, on the cold-side part of brewing, Honduran coffee and a portion of the base beer are blended, allowing the coffee to concentrate, after which the hi-test liquid is injected and circulated into each tank.

Highland Brewing Company along with Dynamite Roasting Company, show their dedication to the freshness of this offering by freshly grinding the beans the morning of each brew day.

Shortly after its release in the tasting room, Thunderstruck Coffee Porter will release across Highland’s distribution areas.

Additionally, Highland aims to protect the region that inspired this beer. So for every glass purchased on October 14th, they will donate $1 to Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy.

Style: Porter (w/ Coffee)
Hops: Chinook, Hallertau, German Select
Malts: Briess Pale Malt, Briess Caramel 60, Briess Chocolate, Briess Midnight Wheat.
1.5 lbs of coffee per barrel

Availability: 12 oz bottles, Draft. Fall Seasonal.
Latest Return: Mid-October, 2016

5.8% ABV, 26 IBUs

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Upland Beer, Seasonal Return

Fresh Citra hops: Upland Harvest Ale

Upland Harvest Ale, the brewery’s fresh hop ale, returns this week.

The Bloomington, Indiana based brewery adds fresh Citra hops picked just 24 hours prior, to a pale ale. The result is a beer with a unique, bright and citrusy hop flavor.

“We take extra steps and effort to use wet hops in our hopback because it allows the citrus and tropical fruit character of the Citra to really shine,” – Pete Batule, VP of Brewing Operations.

Upland Harvest Ale is available for a limited time in 12 ounce bottles and draft.

Style: Pale Ale (Wet Hopped)
Hops: Citra

Availability: 12oz Bottles, Draft.
Latest Return: Late September, 2016

5.5% ABV, 62 IBUs

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Boulevard Brewing, Seasonal Return

Boulevard Funky Pumpkin, gone after 2016

Boulevard Funky Pumpkin makes a seasonal return this week. The Kansas City, Missouri’s unique take on the pumpkin seasonal.

In a sea of pumpkin spiced ales, Boulevard Funky Pumpkin is definitely one one of the more unique. In the spirit of Berliner Weisse, Funky Pumpkin is kettle soured with the lactic acid producing bacteria, Lactobacillus.

Our entry in the very popular pumpkin ale market is an eccentric one, with pumpkin flavor scarcely present, upstaged by cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and ginger. Brewhouse souring lends a subtle, pleasant tartness putting the “unk” in “funky.”

Boulevard Funky Pumpkin is available in 12 ounce bottles and draft. 2016 season will be the last time you’ll find Funky Pumpkin (at least for a while), as the brewery will not release it in 2017.

Style: Pumpkin Beer (w/ Cinnamon, Allspice, Nutmeg, Ginger.)
Availability: 12oz Bottles, Draft. Seasonal Release.
Latest Return: Early August, 2016

5.8% ABV, 28 IBUs

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Jester King Brewery, Seasonal Return

Jester King Aurelian Lure 2016 release: Limited

Jester King Aurelian Lure, the Austin, Texas brewery’s oak barrel sour ale, will make its 2016 appearance on Friday, September 16th.

Jester King Aurelian Lure is a sour/wild beer brewed with apricots. For the 2014 release the brewery minimized the contact time with the apricots to reduce the amount of citric acid in the beer. In addition, the sour base beer is a blend of mature beer from oak, low in lactic acid.

Due to limitations in fermentation space, and the limited amount of mature, barrel-aged sour beer the brewery has for blending, (thanks to high demand for fruited sours) this year’s release is limited to just 900 bottles. 2015 saw a batch of 5000.

Jester King Aurelian Lure is available in the brewery’s tap room in 500 ml bottles starting September 16th.

Style: American Wild Ale (w/ Apricots. Oak Aged)
Availability: 500ml bottles. 900 bottles available.
Latest Return: 9/16/16

6% ABV 

Image via Jester King

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Oskar Blues Brewing, Seasonal Return

Oskar Blues Hotbox Coffee Porter is back for another round

Oskar Blues Hotbox Coffee Porter, a collaboration with Hotbox Roasters, is returning to shelves for a second time. The beer first debuted in December, 2015.

Hotbox Coffee Porter features cold-extracted coffee from Burundian and Ethiopian beans, to give the base porter flavors and aromas of dark plums, chocolate and hints of blueberry.

“Hotbox Porter shows that beer and coffee were meant to be together.  Digging in with Hotbox Roasters allowed us to develop a malt blend and a coffee blend that gel beautifully.” -Tim Mathews, Head of Oskar Blues brewing operations

As you’ll recall, earlier this year the brewery also partnered Hotbox Roasters to offer coffee beans in cans.

Oskar Blues Hotbox Coffee Porter is available nationally in 12 ounce cans and draft through November, 2016.

Style: Porter (w/ Coffee)
Availability: 12oz Cans, Draft. Sept-Nov.
Latest Return: September, 2016

6.4% ABV, 30 IBUs

by Reid Ramsay