Canned Craft Beer

Posted in Nebraska Brewing, New Releases

Nebraska Little Betty Imperial Stout debuts in cans

Nebraska Little Betty, the brewery’s Russian imperial stout, will debut in cans on Friday, November 11th.

The Papillion, Nebraska brewery is opting for aluminum for this seasonal. This robust imperial stout is the base beer for a line of Reserve Series variants like Black Betty (aged in bourbon).

Our take on a robust Americanized Russian-Style Imperial Stout. Moderately hopped to liven up a richly malted classic. This is the base beer for our insanely popular barrel aged Reserve Series variants.  You’ve worked hard.  You’ve earned this.

Nebraska Little Betty Imperial Stout will be available in 12 ounce cans starting Friday, November 11th.

Style: Imperial Stout
Hops: Chinook, Columbus, Cascade, Liberty
Malts: Pale, Chocolate, Caramel 60, Caramel 80, Black Malt

Availability: 12oz Cans, Draft. Seasonal release.
Debut (Cans): 11/11/16

9% ABV, 83 IBUs

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in New Releases, Flat 12 Bierwerks

Flat 12 Lacto-Matic Milk Stout canned (finally)

Flat 12 Lacto-Matic Milk Stout has finally found its way into cans.

The Indianapolis, Indiana based brewery releases a rich milk stout each winter. Fans have been asking for a while when they might see cans. Winter 2016 is that year.

Pouring dark brown with an off-white/tan head, this beer features hints of chocolate and a subtle coffee finish complemented by a milk-sugar sweetness that gives body and a full mouthfeel.

Flat 12 Lacto-Matic Milk Stout is available in 12 ounce can and draft, for a limited time.

Style: Milk Stout (w/ Lactose)
Availability: 12oz Cans, Draft. Winter Seasonal.
Debut (Cans): November, 2016

5% ABV, 29 IBUs

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Three Taverns Brewery, New Releases

Three Taverns Cranberry Sauced will kick off taproom can series

Three Taverns Sour Asylum 2 is back in action for the season, and for the first time – cans. This sour is basically Thanksgiving dinner in your mouth.

The Decatur, Georgia based brewery kicked off the Sour Asylum Series with Sour Asylum 1, a Lactobacillus kettle soured beer fermented with the brewery’s house lager yeast.

The second edition took that beer a step further with the addition of cranberry juice, cinnamon and clove. A perfect Thanksgiving sour beer. They call it “Cranberry Sauced” for a reason.

At this point, Three Taverns is at capacity. This is preventing them from putting another release into full production right now. With what little time they have to spare, the brewery is launching a taproom only series of can releases.

Cranberry Sauced is the second in our new series of lacto-fermented sour ales. Spiced with cranberry juice, cinnamon, and clove in the fermenter, and balanced by a pleasing acidity from the lactobacillus strain added to the kettle, this unique beer is your perfect companion to the Thanksgiving season.

Three Taverns Sour Asylum 2 is on tap the brewery starting today, September 1st. You’ll find it on tap in market in October.

Style: Berliner Weisse (w/ Cranberry Juice, Cinnamon, Clove)
Availability: Draft, 12oz Cans (Taproom)

Latest Return: November, 2016

5% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Firestone Walker Brewing

Firestone Walker Luponic Distortion 004 features South African hops

Firestone Walker Luponic Distortion 004 is the next revolution in the ongoing series from the Paso Robles, CA based brewery. Firestone Walker, releases a new beer in the Luponic Distortion series about every 90 days, each designed to highlight a new and complex experimental hop blend.

Luponic Distortion 004 features a unique origin of hops, South Africa. While it’s not the first place that comes to mind when you think “hop farm,” when brewmaster Matt Brynildson came across these varieties he couldn’t say no. Therefore, this next release in the series is a South African forward hop profile boasting strong tropical notes.

“South Africa is a bit outside the ideal growing belt, yet these hops presented these super explosive tropical qualities—every bit as interesting as what we’ve going on here. I was saying to myself, ‘Who’s the genius down there, I’ve got to find out.'” – Matt Brynildson

Within the 7 hop blend that makes Luponic Distortion 004, 4 distinct hops from South Africa take the lead. Boasting more tropical fruit notes are two experimental hops, which also bring a bit of floral and white grape properties. The third and fourth hops bring a passion fruit note and more classically noble profile respectively.

Firestone Walker Luponic Distortion 004 will be available throughout the next 3 months nationally in cans and on draft.

Style: American IPA
Availability: 12oz Cans, Draft.
Release: November, 2016

5.9% ABV

 

 

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Rogue Brewing, New Releases

Rogue Yellow Snow marks the brewery’s first cans [PICS]

Rogue Yellow Snow, the brewery’s seasonal India pale ale, has been canned for the first time.

So many breweries across the industry are switching to cans. Rogue Brewing’s President Brett Joyce tells Beer Street Journal in a recent visit that basically, the expansion to cans was no-brainer. You’ve heard all the justifications for cans. Cans go everywhere. Rogue Yellow Snow is the first of a few releases you’ll see from Rogue.

RELATED: Rogue Rolling Thunder, aged in Dead Guy Whiskey

Joyce and his team opted to to use a mobile canner to start the canning process. They are actively seeking the right permanent equipment. The first 16 ounce cans of the tried and true IPA started shipping nationally just after Halloween.

The pale-golden-hued ale features a hoppy, tropical-fruit-forward aroma complemented by a medium body and hoppyness mid-palate.

Rogue Yellow Snow is brewed with hops and malts from their own farm. Available in new 16 ounce cans, 12 ounce bottles, 22 ounce bottles, 64 ounce growlers throughout the winter season.

Below are a few Beer Street Journal pics from the first canning day.

Style: IPA
Availability: 16oz Cans, 12oz/22oz Bottles, 64oz Growlers, Draft. Winter Seasonal.
Debut: Early November, 2016

6.2% ABV

 

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Dogfish Head, Headlines

Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA is officially the brewery’s first can

Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA is officially the first can released by the Delaware based brewery.

There is no doubt that can beer is all the rage these days. Recently, Stone Brewing added cans, and Lagunitas tacks on their first can starting in July. Looking at the top small/craft breweries by production in the United States, Sierra Nevada, New Belgium, Bell’s Brewery, Sam Adams, and Yuengling all can at least some of their core and seasonal releases.

As for Dogfish Head, the brewery unveiled revamped artwork across their portfolio at a special event during the Craft Brewer’s Conference in Philadelphia earlier this year.  Tucked ever so discreetly was a teaser of the brewery’s aluminum plans.

“Early on in the craft brewing renascence I was underwhelmed with the canning technology for craft beer…But times have changed, equipment has evolved, and we’ve designed a beautiful, state-of-the-art Krones can line that delivers the quality and consistency our consumers have come to expect from our beer.” – Sam Calagione, Dogfish Head founder and President

The brewery’s flagship 60 Minute IPA (seen above) will officially be the first release, launching in the mid-atlantic states by the middle of November. Expect to see 60 Minute across the brewery’s entire distribution network in 2017.

Flesh & Blood IPA is also a potential 12 ounce can release. Flesh started shipping for the first time on June 27th.

Style: IPA
Availability: 12oz Bottles, 12oz Cans, Draft.
Release: Mid-November, 2016

Image: Dogfish Head

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

Aeronaut Brewing & indie band release a “beer can album”

Somerville, Massachusetts based Aeronaut Brewing has teamed up with indie band The Lights Out, on a different kind of collaboration.

The music-meets-light combo band has opted to not just collaborate on a beer with a brewery, but release a full studio album “on” the can. Let’s start with the beer and work backwards.

Aeronaut T.R.I.P. is the name of the beer – an imperial session India pale ale. Paradoxical? Yes. That’s exactly how the team wanted it. The Lights Out is really into the multiverse theory of the universe. It may sound a bit insane, but scientists postulate that shortly after the Big Bang formed the universe, space-time expanded at variable rates in different places. That gave rise to “bubble universes” that may/could function with their own separate laws of physics. The band’s philosophy is built off this idea.

The album explores the idea that our observable universe is one of many — a multiverse — where everything possible exists somewhere. It was inspired by the theory that each of us has infinite reflections of ourselves, living alternate lives. Each song on the album was written as a report back from another reality visited by The Lights Out.

Aeronaut T.R.I.P. is not session a session beer at all, but a 7.5% alcohol by volume IPA brewed with a hop perfect for this kind of collaboration – Galaxy.

As cool and trippy as all this sounds, the only way to get the album is to buy the beer. Apparently there are instructions printed on the can telling you how to obtain it. (We are assuming it’s not an iTunes link.) Aeronaut Brewing’s lineup is available around the Boston area.

Style: IPA
Hops: Galaxy

Availability: 16oz Cans
Debut: November, 2016

7.5% ABV

The Lights Out its all about light shows. Check their performance below.

by Reid Ramsay