American Strong Ales

Duclaw Oak Aged Beers Hit Stores

Straight from Duclaw…

22oz bomber bottles of, oak barrel aged Black Jack Russian Imperial Stout, Retribution Single Barrel Bourbon Aged Imperial Stout, and oak barrel aged Double Black Lightning are on liquor store shelves now in Harford, Carroll, Howard, and Baltimore counties and Baltimore City!

Oak Continue Reading →

Double Bastard 2011 Released

Stone’s paragon of Liquid Arrogance – Double Bastard starting shipping today.   Double Bastard in an American strong ale, chock full of hops.

Warning: Double Bastard Ale is not to be wasted on the tentative or weak. Only the Continue Reading →

Sexy Peek At Quingenti El Camino

Quick peek at another release in Stone Brewing’s Quingenti Millilitre Series – El Camino (un) Real Black Ale.  A 3 way collaboration between 21st Amendment, Firestone Walker & Stone released in March, 2010.  El Camino is an American Continue Reading →

Abita Celebrates 25 Years With Vanilla Doubledog

After a short delay (due to bottle producer) Abita Brewing’s 25 Anniversary beer Vanilla Double Dog is upon us.  Per the press release:

Introducing 25th Anniversary Vanilla Doubledog

To mark this wonderful milestone, Abita Brewing Company has created a special commemorative brew, Continue Reading →

Posted in Duclaw Brewing

Duclaw Oak Aged Beers Hit Stores

Duclaw Oak Beers

Straight from Duclaw…

22oz bomber bottles of, oak barrel aged Black Jack Russian Imperial Stout, Retribution Single Barrel Bourbon Aged Imperial Stout, and oak barrel aged Double Black Lightning are on liquor store shelves now in Harford, Carroll, Howard, and Baltimore counties and Baltimore City!

Oak Aged Black Jack Russian Imperial Stout
A smoky, sophisticated Russian Imperial Stout boasting warm aromas of smoky malt and charred oak, and a big, bold swirl of dark chocolate, coffee, smoky malt flavors, with accents of charred oak, vanilla and caramelized sugar.

Retribution
A full-bodied, Single Barrel Bourbon-aged Imperial Stout with rich aromas of espresso and dark chocolate, and smooth roasted malt flavor, aged for 6 months inside charred Kentucky white oak bourbon barrels to add the natural vanilla and caramelized sugar flavors of the bourbon soaked wood to the beer. Each bottle run is drawn from a single barrel, making each batch a unique drinking experience.

Oak Aged Double Black Lightning
Double Black Lightning is twice the roasted malt flavor and northwestern hop bitterness of our Black Lightning American Black Ale, backed by a strong 7.7% abv for double the intensity. Hold on tight; you’re about to experience the perfect storm of flavor.

All three of these barrel aged brews are now available at liquor stores in Harford, Carroll, Howard, and Baltimore counties and Baltimore City, so get them while you can!

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Firestone Walker Brewing

Firestone Walker XV Release Day. The Blend Components

Firestone Walker Brewing’s 15th Anniversary beer goes on sale today.  Each release is a carefully chosen blend of other beers and barrel aged beers in Firestone’s portfolio.  Winemakers were even part of the process this time around. XV is a blend of 197 oak barrels and 8 different beers.  The blend recipe is as follows:

Helldorado — (11.7% abv) Aged in Bourbon Barrels and Brandy Barrels.  (18% of Blend) Barleywine

Sticky Monkey — (12.5% abv) Aged in Bourbon and Brandy Barrels.  (17% of Blend) English Barleywine

Bravo – (13.5% abv) Aged in Bourbon and Brandy Barrels.  (17% of Blend) Brown Ale

Double Double Barrel Ale (11.5% abv) Aged 100% in retired Firestone Union Barrels. (13% of Blend) English Pale Ale

Good Foot (14.3% abv) Aged in Bourbon Barrels.    (11% of Blend)  American Barley Wine

Velvet Merkin (8.6% abv) Aged in Bourbon Barrels.    (10% of Blend) Oatmeal Stout

Parabola (13% abv) — Aged in Bourbon Barrels.    (9% of Blend) Russian Imperial Oatmeal Stout

Double Jack (9.5% abv) — 100% Fresh-n-Hoppy 100% Stainless Steel.    (5% of Blend) – IPA

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Evolution Brewing, Seasonal Return

Evolution Bringing Back Bourbon Strong Ale This Winter

Evolution Brewing’s (Del Mar, DE) Barrel Aged Series is called the “Migration Series” released once a season.  Each “Migration” is a different style with different aging.

Winter 2011 Migration looks to echo last season’s release – a dark ale aged  8 months in bourbon barrels.

Previous Migrations: Winter ’10 Bourbon Barrel Dark Ale, Spring ’11 Golden Ale in Rum, and Fall ’11 a Belgian ale in chardonnay barrels

Availability: 750ml bottles. Limited release
Arrival: Released – Week of 12/12/11

10.5% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Coming Soon, Duclaw Brewing

Duclaw Divine Retribution Limited To 156 Bottles

Duclaw Divine RetributionDuclaw Brewing is on the cusp of releasing Divine Retribution, an imperial stout aged in Heaven Hill bourbon barrels.  It’s limited.   And when I say limited, I mean – like only 156 bottles.

Divine Retribution is a blend – of Retribution, a bourbon barrel aged imperial stout (60%) and the remaining 40% – Colossus – an American Strong Ale weighing in at a whopping 21% ABV.

What happens when a  60/40 blend of RETRIBUTION imperial stout and COLOSSUS high gravity hybrid ale ages for 6 months inside a charred Kentucky white oak bourbon barrel? Divinity.  This full bodied blended stout trancends  all expectations with rich aromas of espresso and dark chocolate, and smooth roasted malt flavor with notes of dark fruit and apples, to create a beer so unique that it had to be…. Inspired by a higher power.  

Availability: 22oz bombers

15.5% ABV

 

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

Double Bastard 2011 Released

Stone’s paragon of Liquid Arrogance – Double Bastard starting shipping today.   Double Bastard in an American strong ale, chock full of hops.

Warning: Double Bastard Ale is not to be wasted on the tentative or weak. Only the Worthy are invited, and then only at your own risk. If you have even a modicum of hesitation, DO NOT buy this bottle. Instead, leave it for a Worthy soul who has already matriculated to the sublime ecstasy of what those in the know refer to as “Liquid Arrogance.”

This is one lacerative muther of an ale. It is unequivocally certain that your feeble palate is grossly inadequate and thus undeserving of this liquid glory…and those around you would have little desire to listen to your resultant whimpering. Instead, you slackjawed gaping gobemouche, slink away to that pedestrian product that lures agog the great unwashed with the shiny happy imagery of its silly broadcast propaganda. You know, the one that offers no challenge, yet works very, very hard to imbue the foolhardy with the absurd notion that they are exercising ‘independent’ thought, or attempts to convey the perception it is in some way ‘authentic’ or ‘original.’ It’s that one that makes you feel safe and delectates you into basking in the warm, fuzzy, and befuddled glow of your own nescience. Why so many allow themselves to be led by the nose lacks plausible explanation. Perhaps you have been so lulled by the siren song of ignorance that you don’t even notice your white-knuckle grip on it. You feel bold and unique, but alas are nothing but sheep, willingly being herded to and fro. If you think you are being piqued in this text, it is nothing when compared to the insults we are all asked to swallow streaming forth from our televisions and computers. Truth be told, you are being coddled into believing you are special or unique by ethically challenged “pay no attention to the man behind the curtain” marketers who layer (upon layer) imagined attributes specifically engineered to lead you by the nose. Should you decide to abdicate your ability to make decisions for yourself, then you are perhaps deserving of the pabulum they serve. Double Bastard Ale calls out the garrulous caitiffs who perpetrate the aforementioned atrocities and demands retribution for their outrageously conniving, intentionally misleading, blatantly masturbatory and fallacious ad campaigns. We demand the unmitigated, transparent truth. We demand forthright honesty. We want justice! Call ‘em out and line ‘em up against the wall… NOW.

Style: American Strong Ale
Taste Expectations: HUGE beer.  Full of hops (pine, citrus, floral, hell – everything) finishing with caramel malt sweetness & boozy finish.

Availability: 22oz bombers, 3 Liter BIG bottles, Draft. Seasonal release.

10.5% ABV

 

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in 21st Amendment Brewing, Firestone Walker Brewing, Stone Brewing Co.

Sexy Peek At Quingenti El Camino

Quick peek at another release in Stone Brewing’s Quingenti Millilitre Series – El Camino (un) Real Black Ale.  A 3 way collaboration between 21st Amendment, Firestone Walker & Stone released in March, 2010.  El Camino is an American Strong Ale brewed with fennel, chia, pink peppercorns, and figs. This Quingenti release finds Camino aged in Virgin American Oak.

500 ml bottles

6.8% ABV

[TheDieLine]

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Abita Brewing, Beer News, New Releases

Abita Celebrates 25 Years With Vanilla Doubledog

After a short delay (due to bottle producer) Abita Brewing’s 25 Anniversary beer Vanilla Double Dog is upon us.  Per the press release:

Introducing 25th Anniversary Vanilla Doubledog

To mark this wonderful milestone, Abita Brewing Company has created a special commemorative brew, 25th Anniversary Vanilla Doubledog. The robust dark ale has flavors of chocolate, toffee and vanilla. It’s brewed with generous amounts of pale, caramel and chocolate malts and Willamette hops. Whole natural vanilla beans are added during the aging process. 25th Anniversary Vanilla Doubledog is packaged in a commemorative, 22-ounce bottle illustrated with a design inspired by classic New Orleans wrought iron. This Doubledog brew is a tribute to Abita’s Turbodog, which was originally created as an anniversary beer in 1989. Today, Turbodog is an Abita Flagship brew and sold year-round.

This year will be a big year for Abita.  The brewery is on track to ship more than 130,000 barrels (just over 4 million gallons)

From a humble beginning of just 1,500 barrels of beer in 1986, brewing for Abita should exceed 130,000 barrels in 2011. Abita Golden and Amber were the original beers produced by Louisiana’s first craft brewery. Now the Abita Brewing Company produces seven year-round flagship brews, five seasonal beers, three Harvest brews, four Big Beers, a draft-only series of Select beers and a root beer all from a state-of-the-art brewing complex.

[Abita25th]

by Reid Ramsay