Barrel Aged

Almanac Farmer’s Reserve Grand Cru available in California

Almanac Farmer’s Reserve Grand Cru, a special imperial version of the brewery’s Farmer’s Reserve Sour, is now available.

Almanac Farmer’s Reserve Grand Cru is the brewery’s ode to the their favorite white wines. This creation is made with California-grown Muscat Blanc grapes, blended with an imperial edition Continue Reading →

Avery Pump[KY]n, Batch 2, returns November 8th

Avery Pump[KY}n, Batch 2, returns to the brewery’s lineup on November 8, 2015.

Avery’s Barrel Aged Series is damn near legendary, featuring sours alongside bourbon imperial stouts. Avery PumKYn, a compliment to the the slightly boozier Avery Rumpkin, is a Kentucky bourbon Continue Reading →

Posted in Coming Soon, Don't Miss This, Heavy Seas

Heavy Seas 20 Year Storm celebrates the double decade mark

Heavy Seas 20 Year Storm will mark the two decade mark for the Baltimore brewery.

The story of Heavy Seas is one of building a brewery that we personally love. Brewery founder Hugh Sisson wanted to build a brewpub so badly, he lobbied the Maryland legislature in 1987. That success allowed him to build Sisson’s Tavern. In 1994, he left there to form Clipper City Brewing. For years you saw beers released under the Clipper City brand, the first beer using the Heavy Seas name was Winter Storm. A few years ago, Heavy Seas became the unified brewery name.

As for Heavy Seas 20 Year Storm, the base beer is an imperial extra special bitter, aged in bourbon barrels for 75 days.

“When I started brewing at Sisson’s in 1989, I had no idea the industry would ever get so big,” says Hugh Sisson. “Back then, we just wanted to produce beers with flavor – and recreate the concept of small scale, artisanal beer.  I am grateful for the opportunities we have had to nurture the growth of our industry in Maryland, and hope that this 20th anniversary for Heavy Seas is seen for what it really is – a milestone for Maryland beer as a whole.”

Heavy Seas 20 Year Storm debuts on December 7th, 2015. (Their birthday is December 8th).

Style: Imperial ESB (w/ Brown Sugar. Barrel Aged. Bourbon.)
Availability: 
Release: 12/8/15

10%  ABV

Posted in Headlines, New Releases, Sierra Nevada, Stone Brewing Co.

Stone Brewing Co. & Sierra Nevada team up with a hoppy result

Stone Brewing Co. and Sierra Nevada have teamed up, and the result will be in glass and bottles very soon. This is NXS IPA.

What it is.

Stone/Sierra Nevada NXS IPA is a blend of fresh hop IPAs, aged in used spirits barrels. Sierra Nevada founder Ken Grossman, and Stone brewmaster Mitch Steel split the collaboration right down this middle. 50% of the beer was aged in rye whiskey barrels, while 50% was aged in gin barrels. Finally, the resulting beer was blended with fresh IPA, resulting in something truly hoppy… and special.

This special-edition beer conveys the true character of collaboration with touches of inventiveness and creativity. Two batches of an IPA were brewed and expertly blended to craft this multilayered beer. The first batch was split down the middle, with 50% being aged in gin-infused bourbon barrels and the remaining half aged in rye whiskey barrels.

Sierra Nevada Stone NXS is available in 22 ounce bottles as of December 1st, 2015.

Style: Imperial IPA (Barrel Aged. Rye Whiskey. Gin.)
Hops: Magnum,Amarillo, Chinook, Cascade, Centennial & Mosaic
Availability: 22oz Bottles
Debut: 12/1/15

8.2% ABV

 

Posted in Almanac Beer Co., New Releases

Almanac Farmer’s Reserve Grand Cru available in California

Almanac Farmer’s Reserve Grand Cru, a special imperial version of the brewery’s Farmer’s Reserve Sour, is now available.

Almanac Farmer’s Reserve Grand Cru is the brewery’s ode to the their favorite white wines. This creation is made with California-grown Muscat Blanc grapes, blended with an imperial edition of Almanac Farmer’s Reserve Sour Blonde, aged for a year in French oak barrels.

The result is a deeply fragrant hybrid that captures the Northern California terroir and seamlessly melds the complex tartness of a Belgian-inspired sour ale with the sun-ripened boldness of white wine grapes. Serve this very limited release alongside fresh, raw oysters and pair with celebratory toasts.

Almanac Farmer’s Reserve Grand Cru is a 750 milliliter bottle offerings, available exclusively in California. Also new to the Grand Cru Series – Almanac Dogpatch Grand Cru.

Style: American Wild Ale (w/ Grapes. Wine Barrel Aged.)
Availability: 750ml Bottles
Release: November, 2015

10.2% ABV

Posted in Deschutes Brewing, Headlines

Deschutes Cognac Barrel Aged The Abyss, a December hopeful

Deschutes Cognac Barrel Aged The Abyss is looking like a December, 2015 release.

This year marks the 10th bottling of Deschutes The Abyss. To celebrate this milestone, the brewers have created three editions of the popular imperial stout – the regular edition, one 100% aged in rye whiskey barrels, and the above, aged 100% in cognac barrels.

Deschutes Cognac Barrel Aged The Abyss (note: assuming this is the final nomenclature) starts as an imperial stout, brewed with licorice, black strap molasses, and vanilla. Then it is 100% barrel aged in cognac barrels.

Imperial stout brewed with black strap molasses, licorice, cherry bark with vanilla added. Aged 12 months in cognac barrels.

Deschutes Cognac Barrel Aged The Abyss carries the subtitle of “Remarkably limited release”. The brewery tells Beer Street Journal that while the beer is ready when it’s ready, they are hoping for a December release.

Obviously, the brewery has not yet announced this offering.

Style: Imperial Stout (w/ MolassesVanillaLicoriceCherry BarkBarrel Aged. Cognac. )
Availability: 22oz Bottles. Limited Release.
Arrival: December (Estimated)

11% ABV

Posted in Deschutes Brewing, Headlines

Deschutes Barrel Aged The Abyss, a release potential

Deschutes Barrel Aged The Abyss is looking like a very serious threat to your wallet and liver.

The annual release of Deschutes The Abyss is a well attended and popular one. Actually, if you want some strong beer nerd street cred, you show up rocking an Abyss. Now it looks like just having one of those bottles won’t be enough to gain that awesome rep you’ve built up.

Deschutes Barrel Aged The Abyss (note: assuming this is the final nomenclature) features the unique imperial stout, brewed with licorice, black strap molasses, and vanilla. Instead of partial barrel aging, this one seems to be 100% barrel aged in rye, of course.

Imperial stout brewed with black strap molasses, licorice, cherry bark with vanilla added. Aged 12 months in rye whiskey barrels.

Deschutes Barrel Aged The Abyss carries the subtitle of “Remarkably limited release”. So there maybe be just 5 bottles. Or 500. Soon, we will find out. Radar this, and geek out at the thought in the meantime.

Obviously, the brewery has not yet announced this offering.

Style: Imperial Stout (w/ MolassesVanillaLicoriceCherry BarkBarrel Aged. Rye Whiskey. )
Availability: 22oz Bottles. Limited Release.
Arrival: TBA

11% ABV

Posted in Sierra Nevada, Headlines

Sierra Nevada 35th Anniversary Our Brewer’s Reserve

35 years of craft brewing is reason to celebrate. Meet Sierra Nevada 35th Anniversary Our Brewer’s Reserve.

The story is one I’m sure you’ve heard before, Ken Grossman, a young home brewer, took that passion and opened a beer supply store. By 1979 he had started work on brewery using recycled dairy equipment. In 1980, Sierra Nevada opened.

Sierra Nevada 35th Anniversary Our Brewer’s Reserve celebrates decades of craft brewing, with a strong ale partially aged in bourbon barrels. Available in 25.4 ounce bottles.

Style: American Strong Ale (Partially Barrel Aged. Bourbon.)
Availability: 25.4 oz Bottles
Release: Brewery only

8% ABV

Posted in Avery Brewing, Don't Miss This

Avery Pump[KY]n, Batch 2, returns November 8th

Avery Pump[KY}n, Batch 2, returns to the brewery’s lineup on November 8, 2015.

Avery’s Barrel Aged Series is damn near legendary, featuring sours alongside bourbon imperial stouts. Avery PumKYn, a compliment to the the slightly boozier Avery Rumpkin, is a Kentucky bourbon barrel aged porter with a smattering of fall spices. The 2015 edition’s alcohol by volume is 15%.

What’s in a name? Sometimes the simplest can be the most descriptive, and in this case, derisive and divisive! After much internal debate (ad nauseum! Bourb[KY]n, anyone?), we decided a single letter change was the best way to embody the bourbon barrel-aging that adds layers of complexity to an already exquisitely spiced pumpkin porter.

Avery PumKYn will be available in 12oz bottles and draft at the brewery on the 8th, limited distribution found below.

Style: Porter (w/ Nutmeg, Cinnamon, Allspice, Clove, Pumpkin. Barrel Aged. Bourbon.)
Availability: 12oz Bottles
Arrival: 11/7/15
Distribution: CO, CA, IL, KY, MN, MO, NJ, NY, OK, PA, SC, TX, VA, WI

15% ABV