Seasonal Return

Orpheus Wandering Blues Blueberry Sour is back

Orpheus Wandering Blues, a blueberry sour ale was the Atlanta based brewery’s first bottle release. Bottles are available again starting today.

Orpheus Wandering Blues uses Mosaic hops, fermented with saison yeast, and soured with the brewery’s house Lactobacillus. The blueberries were juiced Continue Reading →

Jester King Nocturn Chrysalis returns

Jester King Nocturn Chrysalis returns this September, marking a 2016 return.

In this re-release the brewery added Kiowi blackberries to oak barrels that contained a mature sour red ale.  The ale spent the summer re-fermenting from wild yeast unique to Texas Hill Country Continue Reading →

Posted in Hardywood Park Craft Brewery, Seasonal Return

Hardywood Farmhouse Pumpkin Ale kicks off fall in Richmond

Hardywood Farmhouse Pumpkin Ale debuts today at the brewery in Richmond, Virginia.

Easing into the fall season, Hardywood Farmhouse Pumpkin combines a base flavor of a Belgian-style farmhouse ale, with Virginia flame-roasted sugar pumpkins plus a little brown sugar.

Tack on fresh ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove, ginger, and allspice for that touch of fall flavor. The end result is another fantastic Hardywood offering.

A great accompaniment to butternut squash soup or oven baked yams, Farmhouse Pumpkin is also right at home with spiced pies, especially bourbon pecan pie, apple pie and, of course, pumpkin pie with fresh whipped cream.

Hardywood Farmhouse Pumpkin Ale is available in 750 milliliter bottles and draft, seasonally.

Style: Farmhouse Ale (w/ Pumpkin, Brown Sugar, Cinnamon, Cloves, Nutmeg, Ginger, Allspice.)
Availability: 750ml Bottles, Draft. Seasonal release.
Latest Return: September, 2016

8.5% ABV, 21 IBUs

Image: Hardywood

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in 21st Amendment Brewing, Seasonal Return

21st Amendment Marooned On Hog Island is back in the can lineup

21st Amendment Marooned on Hog Island, the brewery’s oyster stout, is back in the lineup once again.

The California based brewery creates a stout brewed with rolled oats and chocolate malt, plus 200 pounds of Sweetwater oyster shells from Hog Island Oyster Company.

““More than just a fun tale of a like-minded collaboration, this oyster stout is also deep rooted as a traditional style produced in England, where oysters are plentiful and there is not shortage of stout on that island nation. Marooned on Hog Island is our new world interpretation, created with our neighbors at Hog Island Oyster Company just north of the Golden Gate Bridge in Tomales Bay, and it is nothing short of spectacular,” – Nico Freccia, co-founder

Hog Island Oyster Company was started by two passionate guys John Finger and Terry Sawyer, much like 21st Amendment was. The salinity in the brine and the calcium of the shells give this beer a slightly salty touch to this stout

The new San Leandro brewery expansion allowed 21st Amendment Marooned on Hog Island to be re-brewed for the first time since 2012.

Style: Stout (w/ Oysters)
Hops: Magnum, Willamette
Malts: Crystal, Carafa, Chocolate, Rolled Oats

Availability: 12 oz Cans, Draft. Seasonal.
Distribution: CA, OR, WA, AK, ID, MN, OH, ME, NH, VT, RI, MA, NY, NJ, DC, CT, DE, MD, PA, VA, GA, FL, NV, NC, SC or IL.

Latest Return: September, 2016

7.9% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Orpheus Brewing, Seasonal Return

Orpheus Wandering Blues Blueberry Sour is back

Orpheus Wandering Blues, a blueberry sour ale was the Atlanta based brewery’s first bottle release. Bottles are available again starting today.

Orpheus Wandering Blues uses Mosaic hops, fermented with saison yeast, and soured with the brewery’s house Lactobacillus. The blueberries were juiced by Arden’s Garden.

RELATED: Orpheus Coffee Minotaur coming in August

After the fateful serpent bite which killed his wife, Eurydice, Orpheus spent years wandering the earth in mourning. His sad songs eventually moved a stone and opened the entrance to the underworld, where he journeyed down to Hades in search of her. In his wandering, visions of Eurydice danced around in his head, both his curse and his solace.

Orpheus Wandering Blues is back on tap as of July 28th. 22 ounce bottles will be available at both the brewery, and limited distribution starting August 31st, 2016.

Style: American Wild/Sour Ale (w/ Blueberries)
Hops: Mosaic
Malts: Two row barley, white wheat, flaked wheat
Yeast: French Saison, House Lactobacillus

Availability: 22oz Bottles, Draft
Latest Return: 7/28/16 (Draft) Bottles, 8/31/16

7% ABV

Image via Orpheus Brewing

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Jester King Brewery, Seasonal Return

Jester King Nocturn Chrysalis returns

Jester King Nocturn Chrysalis returns this September, marking a 2016 return.

In this re-release the brewery added Kiowi blackberries to oak barrels that contained a mature sour red ale.  The ale spent the summer re-fermenting from wild yeast unique to Texas Hill Country surrounding the brewery.

Interesting fact about blackberries during re-fermentation. Just as in wine, the blackberries rise to the top of the barrel to form a “cap.” This means the brewers had to punch them back down into the brew a few times a day. This is important to get all the flavor and color from the blackberries.

After fruit fermentation, Jester King Nocturn Chrysalis was transferred to more oak barrels to continue re-ferment. Then allowed to bottle condition. Each step refines the beer more and more.

The first release of this beer was in October of 2013. 3,500 bottles will be available at the brewery on September 2nd.

Style: American Wild Ale (w/ Blackberries, Oak Aged)
Availability: 500 ml bottles.
Arrival: September 2, 2016

7.1% ABV

 

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Highland Brewing, Seasonal Return

Highland King Macalpin Double IPA back for a second round

Highland King Macalpin Double IPA kicked off the brewery’s new “Warrior” series last summer. The Warrior Series is described by Highland as game-changer, going above and beyond anything the brewery has done before.

Highland King Macalpin Double IPA is what then brewery calls a “hop bomb” clocking in at a robust 10% alcohol by volume.

It is packed with 5.5 pounds of hops per barrel. Aromas and flavors offer layered fruits finishing with piney bitterness and a citrus punch at 10% ABV

Highland King Macalpin Double IPA is back once again for a limited time in 12 ounce bottles and draft.

Style: Imperial IPA
Hops: Centennial, Amarillo, Chinook, Simcoe

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

10% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Wicked Weed Brewing Co, Seasonal Return

Wicked Weed Serenity, the brewery’s 1st bottle, gets new life

Wicked Weed Serenity, the brewery’s first ever bottle, is returning with a new look. 

First released in March of 2014, Wicked Weed Serenity is a 100% Brettanomyces fermented farmhouse/wild ale. The beer was an instant hit, seeing limited release appearances since its inception.

The August 2016 release is only a 30 barrel batch, and won’t be hitting distribution.

This being a Brettanomyces Farmhouse Ale, we felt it more appropriate to give it a similar look to the rest of our Farmhouse series. With that in mind, we wanted to pay tribute to the original label by giving some insight as to what was happening in that mysterious and ominous castle in the mist. The central female character reaches for the sun in the hopes that she may help this organic structure continue to grow. – Wicked Weed Brewing

Wicked Weed Serenity is a 500 milliliter bottle offering, available at both Wicked Weed locations in downtown Asheville, North Carolina.

Style: American Wild Ale
Availability: 500ml Bottles
Latest Return: August, 2016

 Note: This article will continue to be updated with future appearances of this beer. 

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Wicked Weed Brewing Co, Seasonal Return

Wicked Weed Montmaretto returns as a flagship offering

Wicked Weed Montmaretto takes leave of the brewery’s Canvas Series and returns as one of the brewery’s flagship beers this month.

In case the name was not suggestive enough, Wicked Weed Montmaretto boasts a favor reminiscent of amaretto – the Italian liqueur. The name is actually Italian for “a little bitter,” making a sour ale with almonds and cherries even more genius.

Montmaretto is aged in neutral wine barrels (barrels that have been used to the point where they are basically just oak vessels that don’t impart an flavor), when a secondary fermentation takes place on cherries. The beer is blended with beer aged on almonds, where a balance is struck for the final beer.

Wicked Weed Montmaretto is a 16.9 ounce bottle offering. The beer dons amazing new artwork, seen above.

Style: American Wild Ale (w/ Almonds, Cherries. Oak Aged.)
Availability: 16.9oz Bottles
Latest Release: August, 2016

6.9% ABV

Wicked Weed Montmaretto

Wicked Weed Montmaretto seen in 2015, part of the Canvas Series. Pic: Beer Street Journal

by Reid Ramsay