New Launches
Mad River Launch Line Up
Mad River Brewing from Blue Lake California has hit stores. A little bit leaked into the stores on Friday, with full shipments this week. Here is the official launch lineup. Be sure to read up on the brewery if you haven’t done so already. Link below!!
Read More about Mad River…
Steelhead Extra Pale — Pale Ale, 5.6% ABV. Spicy & floral. Light bitter.
Steelhead Double IPA — DIPA, 8.6% ABV. Citrus hop flavor. Dry hopped with Amarillo.
Steelhead Extra Stout — 6.5% ABV. Lots of roasted malts. light American hop character.
John Barleycorn Barleywine — 9.5% ABV. Nutty caramel malts. Hints of plum, black currant, and maple.
Double Dread Imperial Red — Red Ale, 8.6% ABV. Big malt foundation on the clear red ale. Alcohol subtle for an imperial.
Jamaica Red Ale — 6.5% ABV. Malty red bitter ale. Spicy, and aromatic with a full-bodied caramel richness.
Check out Tower, Greens, Hop City, and Decatur Wine & Spirits this week for these beers…
Do you carry these and other craft beers??? Let me know – Beer (AT) AtlantaBeerMaster (Dot) com
NEW RELEASE: Harpoon Pott’s Landbier
Harpoon’s 100 Barrel series is what the brewery calls a return to their roots. The 100 Barrel series is exactly as it sounds. Small batch, one of a kind, 100 barrels. Throughout the year, a different Harpoon brewer will create a recipe from start to finish. As a finishing touch, the brewer signs the label. It’s completely their creation. Like a piece of artwork. To date, there have been 31 releases from the 100 Barrel Series. Make way for #32.
Edition #32 is Pott’s Landbier. A little name backstory for you – Landbier is German for “country beer” or a simple, everyday session beer. It’s 4.8% ABV so it definitely qualifies. I’m not going to try to summarize this beer’s bio as Harpoon has done so well already –
“The origins of this beer go back to 2003 when a group of German brewers, including Rainer and Joerg Pott of Pott’s Brauerei, took a tour of American breweries that included Harpoon. A few years later in 2007 Joerg joined the Harpoon staff for the summer months to learn more about American craft beer.
During Joerg’s 3-month tenure at Harpoon, the idea of brewing a beer together was mentioned often, but the timing never quite seemed to work out— until now.
Pott’s Landbier, or “country beer,” is a traditional session lager with a decidedly malty backbone made up of a blend of German and North American malts. The smooth malt character is tempered by the German bittering hop Magnum, which lends a clean, crisp balance. This beer is finished with more German hops for a spicy herbal palate and aroma. Fermented with Pott’s proprietary lager yeast — and imbued with over 240 years of German brewing tradition — this is just the beer to quench your summer thirst.”
Pott’s is classified as a Vienna lager. Vienna lager was developed in Vienna in 1841 by Anton Dreher. Vienna lager is described as a reddish brown or copper colored beer with medium body, and slight malt sweetness. (There’s more to that, but you get some of the idea.)
Known Ingredients –
Hops – Magnum
Yeast – German Lager
Availability – 22oz Bombers. Draft. One time, small batch, 100 Barrel brew. On shelves now until sold.
Taste Expectations – Hot summer days make for great session beer drinking. It’s a strongly carbonated amber lager, with bready caramel malts and a noble hop flavor. It’s light and crisp.
4.8 ABV
NEW RELEASE: Medocino Barleywine
Mendocino Brewing Company hails from Mendocino County, California. Medocino is one of the older craft brewers in the U.S. as they has been brewing since the early 1980’s. New for 2010, the brewery is adding an “Imperial Series” to their lineup. The Imperial Series will include 3 titles to start : an IPA, a stout, and this release – “Imperial Barleywine.”
American barleywines are probably first and foremost described as alcoholic. I don’t know one under 9% to start. American barleywines differ from their English couterpart, and are almost always complex. Barleywine’s can have everything from a hoppy aroma and flavor, to a palate full of alcohol, fruits and sweet malts. Mendocino has made another barleywine recently called Talon Barleywine. Similarities in these 2 brews I’m sure exist and would be worth doing a taste investigation.
Mendocino’s Imperial Barleywine Description –
“This Imperial Barley Wine Style Ale has a rich amber color with a full, robust body. This Barley Wine style Ale has a traditional warming malt flavor with a delightful hop finish. While exceptionally drinkable now, it will continue to improve with age — taking on subtle flavors of dark fruit, sherry and anise. Hop flavors and aromas will become more rounded and luscious caramel malt notes will become more intense. Brewed with an astonishing starting gravity of 24 Plato and finishing at 11% ABV, this Imperial Barley Wine Ale is not for the faint of heart, though it will reward the adventurous drinker with an unparalleled taste experience.”
Taste Expectations – Toffee, & dark fruits. Some fruit & sweet caramel/dark malts mixed with some alcohol.
Availability – 12oz/4 pks. Seasonally brewed in Mendocino’s “Imperial Series.”
11% ABV
NEW LAUNCH: Mad River Brewing!
It seems like California brewers are taking Georgia by storm. 21st Amendment just arrived from San Francisco, and now Mad River Brewing from Blue Lake, California.
Mad River Brewing started the same way that a lot of craft breweries begin – with a dream. Granted you hear that a good bit these days but it takes someone actually making that dream a reality that brings us new beers. Brew master Bob Smith took that dream and ran with it. It was 1977 when Bob joined the “Humbrewers Guild” a home brewing group in California. Trips to a home brew shop in Chico, California found Bob Smith crossing paths with owner Ken Grossman who later founded Sierra Nevada Brewing Company. After seeing Ken’s success, Bob was determined to follow suit.
Knowing Ken Grossman proved to be most important in founding Mad River. By 1989, Sierra Nevada had outgrown it’s current facility and equipment. Construction had already commenced on Sierra’s new location, so Ken Grossman sold equipment to Bob Smith. Mad River was born. By December 1990 the first kegs of Steelhead Pale ale were shipping.
A quick rundown of the offerings by Mad River:
Steelhead Extra Pale – Pale Ale, 5.6% ABV. Spicy & floral. Light bitter.
Steelhead Double IPA – DIPA, 8.6% ABV. Citrus hop flavor. Dry hopped with Amarillo.
Steelhead Porter – 6.5% ABV. Complex malt flavor with smoky malt in finish. Light dryness.
Steelhead Extra Stout – 6.5% ABV. Lots of roasted malts. light American hop character.
John Barleycorn Barleywine – 9.5% ABV. Nutty caramel malts. Hints of plum, black currant, and maple.
Double Dread Imperial Red – Red Ale, 8.6% ABV. Big malt foundation on the clear red ale. Alcohol subtle for an imperial.
Serious Madness Black Ale – 8.6% ABV. Black brew with silky smooth body & mouthfeel. Complex malt character.
Mad Belgian Golden Ale – Belgian Pale, 6.5% ABV. Crisp, dry & effervescent. Belgian yeast blends well with honey favor.
Estimated Arrival Date: July 8, 2010. Launch titles to be finalized during launch week. Mad River is distributed by Savannah Distribution.
WELCOME TO GEORGIA MAD RIVER BREWING!
Sweetwater’s Magnum IP Arrives!
UPDATE: Due to warehouse issues- Magnum will be arriving July 1st & 2nd.
Arriving late yesterday and early today it’s the latest from Sweetwater’s Dank Tank – Magnum IP. As you’ve probably guess by now, this edition is nod to the popular 80’s tv show Magnum PI. This Magnum however, is an imperial pilsner.
Sweetwater Describes: At 100 IBU’s and 9% ABV this hairy chested imperial pilsner is guaranteed to rev up the Ferrari and take you on a mustache ride. Medium bodied like Rick and crisp like TC, this IP’s shorts on the sea shore sfit shnug on teh 2 lbs per barrel of Cascade & Sterling hops shimmied shupon shis shucker – Sheez!
Hops – Sterling & Cascade
Malts – Pilsner, Munich, & Vienna
Yeast – Pilsner
9% ABV
100 IBU’s
OFFICIAL RELEASE PARTY!! Today, 6/30 – 5:30-7:30 pm!
Sweetwater Brewery
195 Ottley Drive NE
Atlanta, GA 30324
21st Amendment Launch Day!
Everyone seems pretty excited that San Francisco brewer 21st Amendment is launching Georgia. There have been some sightings of the cans (21st Amendment comes only in cans!!!) but today marks the full fledged launch. Your favorite craft beer stores and bars will be receiving kegs today.
The 2 launch titles are –
Brew Free or Die IPA — IPA, 7% ABV. West coast IPA brewed with Warrior hops, and finished with Columbus and Cascade. Dry hopped with Amarillo, Ahtanum, Simcoe. Malts include 2 Row Pale, and Imported Munich. 70 IBU’s. Best selling beer in the 21st Amendment Pub.
Hell or High Watermelon — Wheat beer, 4.9% ABV. Wheat beer, with secondary fermentation with fresh watermelon. Uses Magnum hops, and 2 Row Pale and American Wheat malts. The watermelon flavor is solely pureed watermelon. No extracts or syrups. Yeast is a top fermenting ale yeast. 17 IBU’s
To celebrate this long awaited launch, (rumors of this release go back at least 6 months..) the brewers of 21st Amendment Nico Freccia and Shaun O’Sullivan will host a few launch parties around Atlanta.
Here’s your guide –
June 26th
Young Augustine’s
327 MEMORIAL DR SE
ATLANTA, GA 30312-2244
June 26th 7pm Meet and Greet with Cheese and food pairings
June 27th
The Porter Beer Bar
1156 EUCLID AVE NE
ATLANTA, GA 30307
June 27th 7pm Meet and Greet with Cheese and food pairings
June 28th
Taco Mac Metropolis
933 PEACHTREE ST NE
ATLANTA, GA 30309
June 28 Meet and greet 7pm
June 29th
Cypress Street Pint & Plate
817 WEST PEACHTREE ST NW STE E125
ATLANTA, GA 30308-1150
Come meet these brewers and celebrate their launch in Georgia!!! Updates on who receives the beers coming ASAP! Follow @ATLBeerMaster on Twitter!
Southern Tier Brewing Arrives
4/27 – Southern Tier has officially arrived in Atlanta. Southern Tier hails from Lakewood, New York. and been in business since 2002. 13 titles arrive with the launch. Hop City just received 85 cases!! Biggest launch Kraig Torres has seen. See below for the 13 Launch titles.
Southern Tier was founded by Phineas De Mink and Allen “Skip” Yahn with a vision of small batch brewing. They purchased equipment from Old Saddleback Brewing Co in Pittsfield, Massachusetts when they unfortunately folded, and set up shop in Lakewood, New York. By February 2003, Southern Tier was being distributed locally. By 2005, all of New York state and eastern Pennsylvania. Southern Tier admits their first few “flagship” beers were a failure. Namely a pilsner, and a British mild. The star of the show was the IPA.
The brewery has seen much success in recent years — now producing about 18,000 barrels of beer a year. This success allowed Southern Tier to add a building to increase production in 2009.
The full time lineup looks like this —
IPA – 6.9% ABV. Essentially the beer that made the brewery. It’s an American IPA. AKA — The iso-alpha acid experience
Phin & Matts Extraordinary Ale — American Pale, 5.4% ABV. Lots of whole flower hops, malted barley, crystal filtered water. Nice hoppy pale.
Porter — American Porter, 5.6% ABV. Darkest offering by ST. Complex, with chocolate and espresso tones. Subtle hop flavors- especially in finish.
Raspberry Wheat — American Pale Wheat, 4.6% ABV. A good fruity summer session wheat beer. Malted barley & wheat. Lightly hopped with American hops, with raspberries added.
422 Pale Wheat Ale — American Pale Wheat Ale, 5.8% ABV. Unfiltered. Hints of orange and sweet malts. Tribute to responsible earth practices. Packaged w/ recycled materials etc. Wheat, barley, hops play big roles in 422.
UnEarthly IPA – Imperial IPA, 9.8% ABV. Imperial IPA with huge hop bill. Southern Tier describes it as aggressive.
Big Red – Imperial Red Ale, 9.5% ABV. Single hopped w/ Hallertau. Spicy. Malty with sweet undertones.
Hoppe Imperial Extra Pale Ale – 8.3% ABV. Brewed simply with water, barley, wheat, yeast, and hops. Minimalist approach to a complex taste.
Iniquity Imperial Black Ale – 8.9% ABV. Called the “Antithesis of Unearthly,” this is a hoppy black ale, much like a black IPA.
Jah*va Imperial Coffee Stout – 10.4%. Brewed with Arabica beans from the mountains of Jamaica. lots of coffee in this stout. Heavy hitter.
Gemini Imperial Blended Ale – 9% ABV. A blend of unearthly IPA and unfiltered Hoppe Named for the constellation Gemini – The Twins. Reference implied.
Oaked Aged Unearthly – Oaked Imperial IPA, 9.5% ABV. Oaked Aged version of their Imperial IPA. Enough said. Drink this beer.
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
Fall:
Pumking Imperial Pumpkin Ale — Pumpkin Ale, 7.9% ABV. Regarded and one of the best pumpkin ales. Contains pureed pumpkin, lots of caramel malts. Spicy, flavorful, and delicious.
Fun Fact: Southern Tier is not only sold in the US. It has made its way to Japan, Philippines, Singapore, Denmark, Australia, and Canada.
