Canned Craft Beer

Posted in Monday Night Brewing, New Releases

Batdorf & Bronson coffee makes an appearance in Monday Night Whirling Dervish

Monday Night Whirling Dervish is the newest seasonal release by the Atlanta, Georgia based brewery.

A dry Irish stout serves as the canvas for the Batdorf & Bronson coffee roasted especially for this release. Monday Night’s creative brewer Josh Johnson had cold winter nights in mind with designing this recipe. “We packed a lot of roasty and toasty flavor into this beer. It’s an everyday drinker on cold winter nights – or anytime you need a little coffee kick,” he says.

Ren Doughty with Batdorf & Bronson roasted the coffee beans darker in order to bring out notes of chocolate, molasses, toasted almond and orange zest. The resulting stout that will help you forget the almost single digit temperatures so many people are drinking through this winter.

This isn’t the first time the brewery has worked with Batdorf & Bronson. Bed Head (a coffee IPA), as well as award-winning milk stout Tears of My Enemies, make use of the talents of the local roaster.

Monday Night Whirling Dervish will be available in 12-ounce cans and draft starting January 20th.

Style: Irish Stout (w/ Coffee.)
Availability: 12oz Cans, Draft. Seasonal Release.
Debut: 1/20/18

4.9% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Scofflaw Brewing Co., Don't Miss This

Scofflaw Double Jeopardy IPA is getting an artistic upgrade in 2018

Scofflaw Double Jeopardy IPA is part of a series of artwork upgrades for the brewery in 2018.

Atlanta’s Scofflaw Brewing had one hell of a year. Between brewery expansions, the “middle finger scandal”, ordering a new brewhouse, and partnering with Scottish brewer Brewdog, it’s a wonder anyone on the team has time to sleep. Somewhere in the mix, someone there had time to work on upgrading their canned artwork.

The brewery’s Basement IPA is still #1 in demand. According to Jonathan Ingram at Scofflaw, Hooligan and Double Jeopardy are tied for second. Those that are hop-addicted are a home in the Simcoe heavy Double Jeopardy. Artist Josh Jameson is the talent behind beautiful updates.

Double Jeopardy has a malty bite up front from caramel and pale malts followed by a resinous hoppy middle, then finishes with a lingering, bittersweet boozy tingle. This big and bold unfiltered IPA taunts you: Can you walk away without having another?

Scofflaw Double Jeopardy IPA is available year-round in 12-ounce cans and draft.

Style:Imperial IPA
Hops: Simcoe (& more)

Availability: 12oz Cans, Draft. Year-round

10% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Second Self Brewing Company, Don't Miss This

Zelda inspired Second Self Triforce IPA debuts in January

Second Self Triforce IPA debuts in January 2018. 

The geekdom runs deep in this new India pale ale. Just like everyone at Beer Street Journal, Second Self co-founder Jason Santamaria is a big Legend of  Zelda fan. “I’ve always wanted to do something in honor of a game that I have spent countless hours playing,” he tells us. Enter the Triforce.

Much like any release of the game, the making of Second Self Triforce IPA has taken a while. “We know hazy hop-bombs are hot right now, and I wanted something like it – just a bit cleaner,” Santamaria adds.

Six test batches and one full-scale batch later, Santamaria and co-founder Chris Doyle team turned their focus on water chemistry and an aggressive triple dry-hop. This month, Jason drops us a text – “I think I’ve got it!” The quest back to the brewery began.

Santamaria didn’t disappoint. The finished beer drinks like a hoppy session beer, but is far from it at 6.1% ABV. The result is slightly hazy and very aromatic, thanks to the Ganon-sized hops in it – Mosaic, Amarillo, and Cascade. This hoppy compliment to hours and hours of future gameplay is big on tropical fruit flavors, including mango, papaya and a hint of pineapple that finishes soft, thanks to oats and wheat.

Second Self Triforce IPA will hit shelves in 12-ounce cans as well as draft starting in January 2018.

It’s dangerous to go alone, drink this.

Style: IPA
Hops: Mosaic, Cascade, Amarillo

Availability: 12oz Cans, Draft.
Debut: January 2018

6.1% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Bell's Brewing, Seasonal Return

Check your shelves. Bell’s Roundhouse IRA ships (again)

Bell’s Roundhouse IRA is back in the brewery’s canned lineup for the second time.

The India Red Ale debuted on draft in Kalamazoo in 2009 and quickly became a fan favorite. So much so, that Bell’s Roundhouse IRA was released as a 12-ounce can offering for the first time in 2016. The beer features Michigan honey and copious amounts of late addition kettle hops and dry hopping.

Substantial amounts of late-kettle hop additions and dry hopping yield a wonderful blend aromas – everything from pineapple to peach and citrus. Hop intensity is kept in check with a balanced and judicious amount of toasted and caramel specialty malts.

Bell’s Roundhouse IRA is back in all of Bell’s markets for a limited time in November 2017.

Style: India Pale Ale (w/ Honey)
Availability: 12oz Cans, Draft
Debut (Cans): September 2016

Latest Return: November 2017

7.7% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in NoDa Brewing, Seasonal Return

Drink your Christmas tree in NoDa Hoppy Holidays

NoDa Hoppy Holidays returns for a fourth time on Black Friday 2017.

A hoppy can of Christmas is how NoDa Hoppy Holidays is described by both the brewery and they’re loyal fans. This beer is not only brewed with six different hop varieties but is also loaded with spruce tips.

…Loaded with six scrumptious hop varieties complimented by citrus notes and brisk piney aroma, it’s the perfect beer for the most wonderful time of the year.

16-ounce cans of Hoppy Holidays will be available again in the top room on November 24th.

Style: IPA (w/ Spruce Tips)
Availability: 16oz cans. Limited release.
Return: Early December 2015

6.5% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Bellwoods Brewery, Don't Miss This

Canada is coming in hot. Meet Bellwoods Roman Candle

All the hazy, hoppy goodness isn’t just found stateside. Canada’s craft breweries are getting into the style as well. We just stumbled across Bellwoods Roman Candle, brewed in Toronto, Ontario.

This is the first Bellwoods Brewery beer we’ve tried at Beer Street Journal. They’ve hit our radar hard over the past few months here stateside. Mike Clark and Luke Pestl opened the doors to Bellwood in 2012, and in their own words “working towards the rather ambitious goal not to run out of beer”.

In 2013, Bellwoods opened their full-time bottle shop, finally opening a second facility in August of 2016.

Apparently, the poor work/life balance continues as 2018 looms. Judging by Roman Candle, the hard work is truly paying off.

The New England IPA/hazy/unfiltered style is on fire across the United States, and there are truly some fantastic ones out there (Looking at you Trillium, The Veil, Monday Night, Off Shoot). We really weren’t expecting to one from Ontario anytime soon, much less one that blew us away.

Roman Candle is absolutely flush with flavors of tangerine, orange and pineapple hop flavors. Forget juicy fruit. All the juice is in this can. This IPA finishes slightly bitter and clean. Roman Candle is truly haze-tastic and sadly, many many miles away.

Besides Candle, The Bellwoods lineup looks pretty robust. The brewery has collaborations with Evil Twin, Virginia’s Penn Druid Brewing, plus a few sour and wild ales and barrel-aged offerings. Keep this brewery on your radar.

We hope to drink more Bellwoods soon.

Style: IPA
Availability: 16oz Cans, Draft.
Distribution: N/A

6.8% ABV

PIC: Beer Street Journal

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Oskar Blues Brewing, Seasonal Return

Oskar Blues Java Ten Fidy returns again for one day only

Barrel-Aged Ten Fidy is hitting shelves nationally again this month. An even rarer edition of the imperial stout will also return – Oskar Blues Java Ten Fidy.

By now you should be familiar with Oskar Blues Ten Fidy, one of the most well-known imperial stouts in the business. The barrel-aged edition has proven to be an instant hit, and not easy to find. This month a Java Ten Fidy will return to both of the brewery’s taprooms for one day only.

Ten Fidy has been aged in a blend of bourbon barrels for nearly a year before a finishing flourish of Hotbox Roasters coffee being added. That’s the same coffee found in the brewery’s Hotbox Porter, and Hotbox IPA.

There is a downside, however. Unlike the national availability of BA Fidy, Java Ten Fidy will only be available at Oskar Blues in Brevard on November 11th, 2017. Numbered wristbands will be handed out starting at 9:30 am, with sales commencing at 10 am.

No distribution.

Style: Imperial Stout (w/ Coffee. Barrel-Aged. Bourbon.)
Availability: 19.2oz Cans. Tap Room Release.
Debut: 11/4/16
Latest Return: 11/11/17

?? ABV

by Reid Ramsay