Topic Archives: American Strong Ales
New Holland Dragon’s Milk series gains a foeder beer
A new Dragon’s Milk is joining the New Holland Brewing family this month – Dragon’s Milk Solera. Unlike the year-round barrel-aged imperial stout, this release is a completely different beer, from grain to glass.
“Dragon’s Milk (the 11%’er) has really given us the ability to experiment and grow the Dragon’s Milk family,” says New Holland’s brand manager Dominic Berquist. “This is really one of the most unique brewing approaches to the series yet,” he adds.
Dragon’s Milk Solera’s base beer is best described as an American strong ale before it’s racked to American oak foeders. New Holland is going to fractionally blend each batch, known as the “solera” method. The oak foeders will house different generations of the base beer, each contributing to what you will taste in the bottle, starting with the master batch, down the line to the youngest batch. The maximum age of a thread of Solera will increase with each blend until reaching an age equilibrium. At release, that’s 7.5 months. At equilibrium, the age will increase to just over 11 months.
Each blend in the process will be numbered, so fans can follow along with blending journey.
…Dragon’s Milk Solera presents a gorgeous mahogany hue. An oaky and subtly sweet nose draws the drinker in for a sip where beguiling flavors of caramel, toffee and fig coalesce into a beer best savored amongst good company.
New Holland Dragon’s Milk Solera year-round starting in mid-July, with draft available in select states in August.
Style: American Strong Ale (Foeder Aged)
Availability: 12oz Bottles, Draft.
Debut: 7/19/20
10% ABV
Stone Brewing’s collaborates with Jägermeister; ships to select markets
Arrogant Bastard Jägermeister Ale is headed out to select markets now, a Germany brewed special release for the U.S.
A staple in nearly every bar in America – Jägermeister. The herbal liquor is made with 56 different herbs and takes more than a year to produce. Jäger’s headquarters is in Wolfenbuttel, Germany, nearby Stone’s Berlin brewery that they sold this year. The last collaboration from Stone Berlin is debuting this month- Arrogant Bastard Jagermeister Ale.
The base beer is Arrogant Bastard Ale, an American strong ale that is the flagship beer of Stone’s Arrogant Consortia, the cocky brewing subset of Stone Brewing. According to Lizzie Younkin, public relations manager for the brewery, the beer was brewed after the sale by Stone’s brewers that were hired by Brewdog as they took over the Bern facility. A few senior brewers from Stone’s Escondido brewery also traveled to Berlin to oversee the final pieces of this collaboration.
Jagermeister Arrogant Bastard Ale is brewed with similar spices as the digestif counterpart according to Stone. While the brewery hasn’t disclosed which spices, some of the most notable in Jager are anise, poppy seeds, citrus peels, juniper berries, licorice, and ginseng.
Neither beverage has now, or ever contained deer blood. Sorry internet theorists.
Jagermeister Arrogant Bastard Ale is headed to select markets across the U.S. in October, including California, Colorado, D.C., Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nevada, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennesee, and Washington.
Style: American Strong Ale (w/ Various spices.)
Availability: 750ml Bottles, Corked & Caged. Limited Release.
Debut: October 2019
8.5% ABV
Creature Comforts Five Year Anniversary Ale debuts during April party
Creature Comforts Five Year Anniversary Ale will debut during the brewery’s anniversary party in April.
This strong ale is blended from various ales aged in whiskey barrels from the brewery’s cellar. Creature Comforts notes the average age of the blend is 23 months.
Creature Comforts Five Year Anniversary Ale can only be found in 750-milliliter bottles at the brewery on April 13th.
Style: American Strong Ale (Barrel Aged. Whiskey.)
Availability: 750ml Bottles. Brewery only release.
Debut: 4/13/19
12.8% ABV
PIC: Creature Comforts
New Belgium teams up with Knob Creek Bourbon
New Belgium Brewing’s latest collaboration is not with a brewery, but with a bourbon distillery. New Belgium Oakspire Bourbon Barrel Ale is hitting shelves.
The Fort Collins, Colorado brewery touts this beer as an entirely different kind of bourbon-inspired ale. instead of resting this release in barrels on regular barrel staves, Knob Creek soaked and oak spirals signature bourbon, which New Belgium aged on a rye-heavy ale.
“Our Brewhouse team likes to say that we didn’t just develop a custom extraction technology, but rather, a beer-flavoring ‘missile,’ and we’re thrilled to present our newest, innovative venture with the launch of Oakspire Bourbon Barrel Ale,” says Ross Koenigs, Research and Development Brewer.
He’s not joking about the “missile” innovation. The brewery’s engineers created a missile-shaped vessel where Knob Creek Bourbon-soaked oak spirals and char from used Knob Creek barrels “mingle” with the high rye ale. This extraction includes harvesting the barrel char, plus a blend of toasted oak spirals at varying degrees to bring all the oak and spice into the liquid.
New Belgium Oakspire Bourbon Barrel Ale is available in 12-ounce bottles and draft now, while supplies last.
Style: American Strong Ale (Oak Aged. Bourbon.)
Hops: Nugget, HBC 472
Malts: Pale, Munich, Caramel 80m, Rye, Roasted Barley
Availability: 12oz Bottles, Draft.
Debut: Late September 2018
9% ABV, 20 IBUs
Mango, payapa, & guava heavy Hi-Wire Tropical Fruit Golden Ale debuts this month
Hi-Wire Tropical Fruit Golden Ale heads to full distribution this month.
This 11.3% alcohol by volume strong ale is brewed with Citra hops and a hefty amount of Guava, papaya, and mango during secondary fermentation.
This high octane beer is deceptively drinkable, allowing big fruit flavors to mask the heat of this dank & sticky beer that does not taste anywhere near 11.3%
Hi-Wire Tropical Fruit Golden Ale is available in 12-ounce bottles, and draft across the brewery’s entire distribution footprint.
Style: American Strong Ale (Guava. Papaya. Mango.
Availability: 12oz Bottles, Draft.
Debut: April 2018
11.3% ABV
Big frog. 17.4% Hoppin Frog Barrel Aged Gavel Slammer debuts on Black Friday
Hoppin Frog Barrel Aged Gavel Slammer will be available on Black Friday.
Huge. Best descriptor for this big beer. On Black Friday, Hoppin Frog Barrel Aged Gavel Slammer. The 17.2% alcohol by volume dark has been aged in brewery selected whiskey barrels.
Barrel-aged over-the-top ale like no other, with a truly magnificent character from aging in select whiskey barrels. Rich, aromatic, lively and dark, with layer after layer of roasted, toasted, and caramelized malts, beautifully balanced from the oak barrel. We’ve done our part, slamming the hammer down for freedom from alcohol limits.
Hoppin Frog Barrel Aged Gavel Slammer will be available in 12-ounce bottles at 10 am on November 24th.
Style: American Strong Ale (Barrel Aged. Whiskey.)
Availability: 12oz Bottles. Brewery only release.
Debut: 11/24/17
17.4%, 65 IBUs
A whopping 20% ABV & aged in rum, New Holland 20th Anniversary debuts soon
New Holland 20th Anniversary Ale debuts on Black Friday.
2017 marks the Holland, Michigan based brewery’s 20-year mark. Two decades begs for a big beer and the brewery delivered.
New Holland 20th Anniversary is a strong ale that weighs in at a full 20% alcohol by volume, that has been aged in rum barrels for almost a year.
“We aged this ale in rum barrels for almost a year, and the results are phenomenal. The rum character really shines through and complements the beer.” Jason Salas, Brewery Production Manager
New Holland 20th Anniversary will be available at the brewery’s Michigan locations in 22-ounce wax-dipped bottles on November 24th.
Style: American Strong Ale (Barrel Aged. Rum.)
Availability: 22oz Bottles, Draft. Limited Release
Distribution: No
Debut: 11/24/17
20% ABV
Image: New Holland
