American Wild Ales

Boulevard Funkier Pumpkin debuts

In 2015, Boulevard Brewing released a slightly tart pumpkin beer, Funky Pumpkin. (Imagine a slightly tart pumpkin beer with spices, and you’re close). Certainly building off of the success of that release is a new Smokestack Series offering, Boulevard Funkier Pumpkin.

Boulevard Funkier Pumpkin Continue Reading →

Orpheus Coffee Minotaur, aged in whiskey debuts

Orpheus Coffee Minotaur releases on August 3rd. A new sour ale by the Atlanta based brewery.

Since day one, Orpheus has been expanding their barrel program. Finally, there is enough barrel room to release Orpheus Coffee Minotaur, an whiskey oak-aged sour ale.

Brewery Continue Reading →

Posted in Orpheus Brewing, Coming Soon

Orpheus Even the Furies Wept is two beers, lots of barrels

Orpheus Even the Furies Wept, a new American wild ale, debuts on August 10th.

This new wild ale is actually a blend of two different beers. Per Jason Pellet, Orpheus brewer and president, the first five barrels that were filled at the brewery are called “Tribute Barrels”. Each Cabernet barrel was individually inoculated with the yeast dregs from five select breweries. A Belgian-style pale ale was added to each of them.

RELATED: Orpheus Coffee Minotaur

In the case of Orpheus Even the Furies Wept, Pellet chose three barrels, with yeast from breweries Fantome, Drie Fonteinen, and Russian River. T

he second beer is a Brettanomyces heavy saison, aged in Sauternes barrels.  Total aging time for the beer in barrels is 18 months.

The story of Orpheus is a story of rebirth, first in his journey into and out of Hades, and finally in the transmigration of his soul not into the body of a swan. We pay tribute to this rebirth with every beer we put into barrels, to be transformed by its time in the wood and reborn as something new.

Orpheus Even the Furies Wept will be available starting August 10th at the brewery, with limited distribution to follow shortly after. This is the brewery’s first cork & caged offering.

Style: American Wild Ale (Wine Barrel Aged)
Availability: 750ml Bottles, Corked & Caged. Draft.
Debut: 8/10/16

7% ABV

Image: Orpheus Brewing

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Boulevard Brewing, Don't Miss This

Boulevard Funkier Pumpkin debuts

In 2015, Boulevard Brewing released a slightly tart pumpkin beer, Funky Pumpkin. (Imagine a slightly tart pumpkin beer with spices, and you’re close). Certainly building off of the success of that release is a new Smokestack Series offering, Boulevard Funkier Pumpkin.

Boulevard Funkier Pumpkin is funkier indeed – the brewery has allowed the wild yeast Brettanomyces more time to develop the flavor of the beer.

RELATED: Boulevard Rye-on-Rye “Sazerac”

Never content with brewing “to style,” our brewers’ approach to Boulevard Funkier Pumpkin is far from your standard take on pumpkin spice beers (much like its sibling, Funky Pumpkin). Here they’ve given bretranomyces additional the to develop, adding further complexity and character. Subtle pumpkin flavor is accented by traditional spicing in a beer that showcases the hallmark earthy notes of our house wild yeast strain.

Boulevard Funkier Pumpkin debuts the week of August 8th in Kansas City, Missouri. Other markets will follow.

Funky Pumpkin is shipping alongside this new release starting this week.

Style: American Wild Ale (w/ Pumpkin, Nutmeg, Cinnamon, Ginger, Allspice.)
Availability: 750ml Bottles, Draft. Limited.
Debut: August, 2016

8.5% ABV

Recently released in the brewery’s Smokestack Series:  Boulevard Rye-on-Rye “Sazerac” 

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Destihl Brewery

Destihl Synchopathic

Destihl Synchopathic

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Jolly-Pumpkin, Don't Miss This, Jester King Brewery

Jester King Space Waves, a dream collab with Jolly Pumpkin

Jester King Space Waves, a new collaboration with Dexter, Michigan’s Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales, debuts this week.

Getting immediately down to business – the beer. Back in April, Jolly Pumpkin brewed a farmhouse ale brewed with Texas wheat and lime salt, that was ultimately blended with Jester King Montmorency vs. Balafon which was brewed with cherries.

The farmhouse ale features a large addition of hops in the boil in order to keep the bacteria and house mixed culture scaled back pending the 12 to 1 blend of Montmorency. The final blend was bottled on May 31st, and allowed to naturally re-ferment in bottles.

Jester King really dotes on this collaboration, as Jolly Pumpkin has been a strong influence on the Austin, Texas brewery since their inception.

Even appearing in the same sentence as Jolly Pumpkin, let alone collaborating with them, is a surreal experience for which we are extremely grateful. I’m not shy at all to say that Jolly Pumpkin is Jester King’s greatest influence. – Jeffery Stuffings, Founder

Jester King Space Waves is a 750ml bottle release on August 5th. Limited to 3,000 bottles with no distribution.

Style: American Wild Ale (w/ Lime Salt, Cherries. Partially Oak Aged.)
Availability: 750m Bottles.
Debut: 8/5/16

5.6% ABV, 41 IBUs

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Orpheus Brewing, Coming Soon

Orpheus Coffee Minotaur, aged in whiskey debuts

Orpheus Coffee Minotaur releases on August 3rd. A new sour ale by the Atlanta based brewery.

Since day one, Orpheus has been expanding their barrel program. Finally, there is enough barrel room to release Orpheus Coffee Minotaur, an whiskey oak-aged sour ale.

Brewery founder Jason Pellet tells Beer Street Journal that the base beer is sort of a sour amber, brewed with Golden Promise malt and Munich malt. The coffee is from Java Lords, found on Euclid Avenue in Atlanta. In total, the beer spent a total of 5 months in Heaven Hill & Jack Daniels Single barrels.

The story of Orpheus is a story of rebirth, first in his journey into and out of Hades, and finally in the transmigration of his soul into the body of a swan. We pay tribute to this rebirth with ever beer we put into barrels, to be transformed by its time in the wood as something new. Orpheus Coffee Minotaur

Orpheus Coffee Minotaur is a 22 ounce bottle release, available as a souvenir on the tour on August 3rd.

Style: American Wild/Sour Ale (w/ Coffee. Barrel Aged. Whiskey)
Availability: 22oz Bottles, Draft. Limited Release.
Debut: August, 2016

8% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Odell Brewing, Coming Soon

Odell Pina Agria Sour Pineapple returns as August begins

Odell Pina Agria Sour Pineapple returned to  Colorado based brewery’s lineup as of July 29th. The beer got its start on the brewery’s 5 barrel pilot system before becoming a full Cellar Series Release.

Explore the bright tropical aromas of fruit and melon, and transport your taste buds to a sour wonderland. A subtle sweet malt and pineapple backdrop bursts with an exotic sparkling tart finish, that is refreshing and invigorating. A paradise for your palate awaits.

Odell Pina Agria Sour Pineapple is the brainchild of Maintenance Manager Matt Bailey. Available 750ml bottles throughout Odell’s distribution footprint.

Style: American Sour/Wild Ale (w/ Pineapple)
Availability: 750ml bottles
Latest Return: Late July, 2016

6.5% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Odell Brewing, Headlines

Odell Crossover Sour Blonde looks to debut in September

Odell Crossover Sour Blonde looks to join the brewery’s sour and wild lineup in the near future.

In our personal experience, if you want to get a wine person to like beer, let them try a wine barrel aged beer, or a sour ale. Odell Crossover Sour Blonde is both. A sour ale aged in a white wine barrel. The base blonde beer has been aged in both chardonnay and sauvignon blanc barrels.

We’re in a relentless search for new ways to influence the character of our beer. Crossover is our tribute to the complex partnership between two of the most prolific and ancient fermented beverages – beer and wine. We brewed a sour blonde ale and aged it in chardonnay and sauvignon blanc barrels to introduce notes of tropical fruit, elderflower, and subtle oak finish. The result of the unique combination is a dry, effervescent beer balanced with hints of pear, tart sourness, and light funk.

Odell Crossover Sour Blonde Ale is a 750 milliliter bottle potential, tentatively scheduled for September.

Style: American Wild/Sour Ale (Wine Barrel Aged)
Availability: 750ml Bottles
Debut: September, 2016

?? ABV

by Reid Ramsay