Barrel Aged

New Artwork: Midnight Sun Berserker

New Artwork: Midnight Sun Berserker. The imperial stout that satisfies. 2012 release date has not been announced yet.

Vicious and viscous, this menacing brewpours opaque black with a creamy maduro-colored head. Its aroma offers seductive whiskey, chewy red wine, dark fruit Continue Reading →

Odell’s Woodcut No 06

It’s getting about that time for another addition to  Odell Brewing Co’s Woodcut series.  The above is the tentative Woodcut No. 06, Oak Aged American Ale.  Official announcement to come from the brewery.

The 6th offering in the renowned Woodcut Series Continue Reading →

Posted in The Bruery

Bruery To Release Grey Monday (Limited Black Tuesday Variant)

A special release to The Bruery’s Reserve Society members will be a Black Tuesday variant dubbed “Grey Monday.”  The beer is essentially Black Tuesday aged on hazelnuts.  Believe me, this beer will be a rare one too. There will only be enough bottles to cover sales to the 2012 Reserve Society members. No one else.  The Reserve Society email reads like this:

Your Reserve Society membership was said to come with 2 pieces of exclusive merchandise and there has been much speculation as to what that 2nd item would be.

To be honest, our original ideafor the 2nd item didn’t work out. Timing, pricing and overall quality of the item just didn’t hold up to our standards. We really wanted to find something special for our Society members and felt that putting our name on something generic wouldn’t do the trick, so we came up with a new plan that we think you will all appreciate.

Every member of the 2012 Reserve Society will receive a bottle of Grey Monday.

Grey Monday is a special version of our Black Tuesday imperial stout that has been aged on hazelnuts. Up until now, only a single, 5 gallon cask of Grey Monday has ever existed, but it was one of our favorite beers to date and it resonated similarly with those lucky few who got to try it.

We are going to do an extremely limited bottling of this beer, just for you. Each member will get a single bottle. There will be no extra beer for sale. Not to you and not to anyone else. We want this one to be extra special.

Of course, we won’t have this beer ready to pick up until October, around the time that Black Tuesday is released, but we were too excited to keep this information to ourselves.

We hope this information wets your palate and gets you excited for some of the beers coming your way during the 2nd half of the year.

Style: Imperial Stout (Hazelnuts, Barrel Aged)
Availability: 750 ml bottles. Reserve Society only
Arrival: October, 2012

Note: That’s not the official artwork. Hopefully I didn’t have to tell you that… 

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Midnight Sun Brewing

New Artwork: Midnight Sun Berserker

New Artwork: Midnight Sun Berserker. The imperial stout that satisfies. 2012 release date has not been announced yet.

Vicious and viscous, this menacing brewpours opaque black with a creamy maduro-colored head. Its aroma offers seductive whiskey, chewy red wine, dark fruit and lavish tobacco. Berserker Imperial Stout invades your taste buds with in-your-face flavor. , Berserker is completely out-of-control. Give it a good fight.

Style: Imperial Stout (w/ Maple Syrup, Molasses, Barrel Aged)
Availability: 22oz bombers
Arrival: TBA

12.7% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Bell's Brewing, Coming Soon

Bell’s Eccentric Cafe Release: Bourbon Barrel Batch 9,000

Bell's Bourbon Barrel Batch 9,000

More bottles for Bell’s Brewery’s Eccentric Cafe.  The fabeled Batch 9,000 has been spending time in bourbon barrels, waiting for some 750 ml love.  The orignial batch commemorated the brewery’s 9,000th batch of beer.  It was an imperial stout with brewer’s licorice and molasses.  Bell’s retired the series after Batch 10,000 was released.

These bottles will be extremely limited.

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Coming Soon, Odell Brewing

Odell’s The Meddler: 18 Months In The Making

Odell Brewing Co resurrects an old style from Belgium with The Meddler.  This meddler is an oud bruin aka “old brown” aka Flanders Brown ale. The style is so named due to the lengthy process it takes to create the beer.  Flanders brown ales can take up to a year to produce (this one took 18 months), thanks to a long fermentation process in the tanks and the bottle, allowing yeast and bacteria to develop the beer’s flavor. The final result can be tart, fruity, malty, and slightly complex. This style of beer can give your palate a little sweet and sour with each sip.

A resurrected style from the Flemish region of Belgium, The Meddler wad bruin is a crafty concoction, comprised of several generations of brown ales, barrel aged and blended. Wild yeast and Lactobacillus meddle with the brew for over 18 months, creating complexity and depth of flavor. Hints of malty sweet chocolate and vanilla toy with a hauntingly sour finish. Intricate yet balanced, The Meddler will leave you craving more of the mysterious brew.

Style: Flanders Oud Bruin (Barrel Aged)
Availability: 750ml bottles
Arrival: TBA

8.9% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Coming Soon, Innis & Gunn

Innis & Gunn’s First Oak Aged Porter: Winter Treacle 2012

Innis & Gunn looks to be switching it up a bit for their Winter Beer 2012. Last year’s edition featured the strong ale, aged in American bourbon oak.  Exclusively available in the three bottle gift pack.  2012 looks to bring you a porter aged in oak with molasses.  This is the first time the brewery has created a beer like this.

This is the first  time we have brewed and oak matured a Porter, which has been imparted with great depth of flavor thanks to the addition of some roasted wheat, crystal malt and molasses (rich, dark treacle.) These flavor packed ingredients, along with our long, slow signature approach to maturation, have created a sublime beer that is perfect for cold, dark winter nights. 

Style: Porter (w/ Molasses, Oak Aged)
Availability: 11.2 oz bottles
Arrival: Winter, 2012

8.1% ABV 

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Odell Brewing

Odell’s Woodcut No 06

It’s getting about that time for another addition to  Odell Brewing Co’s Woodcut series.  The above is the tentative Woodcut No. 06, Oak Aged American Ale.  Official announcement to come from the brewery.

The 6th offering in the renowned Woodcut Series features a bold, pioneering hop variety, Mosaic.  The distinct character of the Mosaic hop presents wafting aromas of tropical fruits like mango, papaya, and guava. The familar oak flavors of vanilla, almond, and dried fruit mingle with the zesty hop essence crafting a decadent drinking experience. Each Woodcut offering is truly limited edition beer with a unique flavor that comes from select hops, fine malted barley, and our brewer’s careful aging process. Enjoy. 

Style: American Strong Ale (Oak Aged)

Availability: 750 ml bottles, corked & caged.
Arrival: TBA

10% ABV 

Read more: Odell Brewing Co 

note: The above is tentative.  Subject to change at whim of the brewer, the beer, or the barrel.

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Coming Soon, Swamp Head Brewery

Swamp Head Fills Wine Barrels With Saison [Pic]

Swamp Head continues with the barrel aging news this week with this reveal. Today, the brewers filled wine barrels the previously held Grenache in Napa Valley, California.  Grenache grapes are among the most widely planted red wine grape varieties in the world.  Saison Noir is now in the barrels, where it will sit until deemed worthy.  Future Release

Style: Saison (Barrel Aged)

by Reid Ramsay