Imperial IPA

Wicked Weed Freak of Nature Now in Bottles

Wicked Weed Freak of Nature, the brewery’s popular imperial IPA, has finally been packaged.

Rumors that Wicked Weed Freak of Nature would be bottled immediately started circulating when the Asheville, North Carolina brewery announced a production facility during a media preview Continue Reading →

Bell’s Uranus Ready To Ship

Bell’s Uranus, the sixth release in the brewery’ Planetary Series is ready to go.

Starting last year, Bell’s kicked off a new series based on composer Gustav Holst’s “The Planets” orchestral suite. The beer series, like the suite contains seven movements Continue Reading →

Odell Barrel Thief, All Markets in June

Odell Barrel Thief is now officially in bottles for the first time. The oak aged imperial IPA got its start on Odell’s pilot system, and has been available on draft in the past.

Odell Barrel Thief uses whole flower American hops, especially Equinox hops Continue Reading →

Posted in Don't Miss This, Wicked Weed Brewing Co

Wicked Weed Freak of Nature Now in Bottles

Wicked Weed Freak of Nature, the brewery’s popular imperial IPA, has finally been packaged.

Rumors that Wicked Weed Freak of Nature would be bottled immediately started circulating when the Asheville, North Carolina brewery announced a production facility during a media preview of now open Funkatorium.

Wicked Weed’s Walt Dickinson mentioned in a few tweets at the end of May that the brewery was would be bottling this hoppy beast of a beer. This week, the beer was finally bottled.

The Freak of Nature is our San Francisco inspired hoppy monster. At 8% abv and who knows how many ibu’s, this beer is our shrine to the Hop. Absurd amounts of the big West Coast hops gives this beer its citrusy, weedy nose and big, dank flavor. We dry hop with 48lbs per batch, which is over 3lbs of hops per barrel. In keeping with the classic style of the West Coast double, sugar plays a large part in creating this dry and minimally bitter double IPA. The Freak is particularly pintable for the style, so if you dare to enter, we welcome you to the Freak Show.

Wicked Weed Freak of Nature first bottle bound brew day was July 21st. Headed to market now, sold as single, 16.9oz bottles.

Style: Imperial IPA
Availability: 16.9oz Bottles, Draft.
Bottle Release: 8/15/15, Distribution shortly after.

8.5% ABV

Update 7/21, the first brew day is today. With the conclusion of Funk Asheville and the release of White Angel, Wicked Weed if focusing on Freak of Nature release, and other bottles. From Walt Dickinson: 

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

Fulton & Wood Bottle: Goose Island Shred the Gnar

Goose Island Shred the Gnar debuted in the brewery’s Fulton & Wood Series late last year. The was was a collaboration with Surfrider Chicago Foundation. At the time, Goose Island Shred The Gnar was a draft only offering limited to Chicago.

Now, Gnar looks at bottles. An imperial India pale ale brewed with Michigan cherry juice, and lemongrass.

Shred the Gnar is brewed to celebrate those passionate few who brave the waves of Lake Michigan in the dead of winter. While our passion lies in brewing, we know what it means to do what you love to the extreme. We brewed this beer to be big and hoppy with the West Coast surf culture in mind while adding a Midwest twist with tart Cherry juice from Michigan. To make this beer just a bit more gnarly we threw in some fresh lemongrass to create a bright aroma that keeps you coming back for more. We hope this beer will help warm up all those who get out and Shred the Gnar in whatever ways they love this winter.

Goose island Shred the Gnar will be a 12 ounce bottle offering. The brewery has not yet announced this offering.

Style: Imperial IPA (w/ Cherry Juice, Lemongrass)
Availability: 12oz Bottles, Draft
Release: TBA

8.3% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Headlines, Stone Brewing Co.

Stone 19th Anniversary Thunderstruck: All Australian

Stone 19th Anniversary Thunderstruck celebrates the brewery’s 19th year of operation. If you know anything about Stone, they love hops, live hops, and drink hops better than most breweries in the world. Of course, Stone 19th Anniversary Thunderstruck celebrates two things: brewing, and Humulus lupus. (Hops.)

Stone 19th Anniversary Thunderstruck will feature all Australian hops, including Ella, Galaxy, Topaz, and Vic-Secret. That last one is a hop, not sexy underwear producer. Stone even flew in Fairview malt from Australia.

Ella, Galaxy, Topaz, Vic Secret-no, these aren’t the  names of the performers at your local “gentleman club” (at least as far as we know). Rather, these exotic, and admittedly rather sexy, Australian hop varietals that have been dancing on the minds and pallets of the craft brewing intelligentsia around the world of late. We’ve been openly flirting with them via test batches, and they become popular around or brewhouse thanks to their sensual flavors and aromas. So in developing our celebratory anniversary beer, we decided it was time to seal the deal and take these down under wonder beauties to the main stage at Stone. And what better way than allowing them to strut their stuff in the spotlight as the sole focus for the luscious tropical, peachy, citrus like flavors and slightly residence, aromatically dank earthiness of the special, all Aussie consummation! Also invited to the stage as a special guest performer is Fairview malt which we had shipped in from Australia especially for this brew.

As you’ll discover, this beer brings the boom, delivering it to the pallet in a volume is thunderclap back by the power of our 19 years of brewinf and passion and intensity. All told, a great kick off to the veritable beer storm that will be our 20th year of brewing. We have many special beers plan for release to celebrate, so let this serve as the first course to what will be in undoubtably epic feast for craft beer enthusiasts, with particular thanks to those who’ve been with us from the long haul and helped us obtain such longevity. Consider this the first of many thank you’s for years to come!

Stone 19th Anniversary Thunderstruck will be available during the brewery’s two day anniversary celebration in August, and nationally across Stone’s markets shortly after.

Style: Imperial IPA
Hops: Ella, Galaxy, Topaz, and Vic-Secret
Availability: 22oz Bottles, Draft.
Release: August, 2015

9% ABV

Image via Stone Brewing Co. Turn the volume up and crank the video below. 

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Green Man Brewing, Seasonal Return

Green Man Rainmaker Double IPA Returns July 24th

Green Man Rainmaker Double IPA returns to the brewery’s lineup on July 24th. The imperial IPA is one of the Asheville, North Carolina brewery’s most sought after offerings.

Green Man Rainmaker is dry-hopped three times with Citra, Simcoe, and Columbus hops. Drink this fresh.

It is well known that there is nothing better than a fresh Rainmaker bursting with a resinous pine and citrus nose, and demand has been off the hook since its last release. It is dry-hopped not one, not two, but three times with Citra, Simcoe and Columbus hops, which boasts unprecedented flavor and aroma.

Green Man Rainmaker Double IPA is averrable in 750ml bottles in the tap room on July 24th, and limited distribution shortly after.

Style: Imperial IPA
Hops: Citra, SImcoe, Columbus

Availability: 750ml Bottles, Draft.
Return: 7/24/15

Image: Green Man Brewery

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Coming Soon, Headlines, Terrapin Beer Company

Terrapin Richland Reserve: New Beer, New Barrel Aged Series

Terrapin Richland Reserve is the launch of not only a new beer, but a new series. The Athens, Georgia based brewery recently partnered with Georgia’s Richland Rum.

Terrapin Richland Reserve starts as 2015 Hopzilla (the beer is now retired) and aged it in Richland Rum barrels for the past year.

A pair of Georgia’s liquid artisans come together by combining two art forms, craft brewing, and craft distilling. Richland Reserve, the first in our “Ales from the Wood” series, is made from vintage 2014 HopZilla “Double IPA” and has been masterfully aged in Richland Rum barrels for over one year.

Terrapin Richland Reserve is a late July, 2015 release in 22oz bottles. No draft available for this release.

Style: Imperial IPA (Barrel Aged. Rum)
Hops: Bravo, Chinook, Centennial, Citra (Dry Hop)
Malts: Marris Otter

Availability: 22oz Bottles.
Release: Late July, 2015

?? ABV

Terrapin Barrel Room

The barrel room at Terrapin Beer Company. Athens, Georgia.

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Bell's Brewing, Don't Miss This, New Releases

Bell’s Uranus Ready To Ship

Bell’s Uranus, the sixth release in the brewery’ Planetary Series is ready to go.

Starting last year, Bell’s kicked off a new series based on composer Gustav Holst’s “The Planets” orchestral suite. The beer series, like the suite contains seven movements (beers). Bell’s Mars, The Bringer of War arrived in late summer, 2014.

Bell’s Uranus, The Magician, is an black imperial IPA, in an attempted to capture the essence of the dark planet that is almost 1.6 billion miles from Earth when it is closest.

The hop profile is enormous and complex with help from Citra, Galaxy, Polaris and other hard to find hops. The use of de-bittered or de-husked black malt lends color without the overly astringent or roasty flavors normally associated with stouts and porters.

Bell’s Uranus is available in June in 12oz bottles for a limited time.

Style: Imperial IPA
Hops: Citra, Galaxy, Polaris
Availability: 12oz Bottles. One-time Release

Arrival: June, 2015

9.5% ABV

Image via Bell’s Brewery

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in New Releases, Odell Brewing

Odell Barrel Thief, All Markets in June

Odell Barrel Thief is now officially in bottles for the first time. The oak aged imperial IPA got its start on Odell’s pilot system, and has been available on draft in the past.

Odell Barrel Thief uses whole flower American hops, especially Equinox hops and experimental HBC 472 hops. “Huge oak flavors pair well with all the tropical fruits that can be attributed to the massive amount of hops used,” said pilot brew and barrel aging manager Brent Cordle.

The hop has met its match! Barrel Thief is an Imperial IPA that was stolen from the brewhouse and stashed away in medium toast, new American oak barrels. The brew features a notorious tropical fruit hop character that tangles with things of vanilla, dried fruit, and toasted almond from its time served in the barrel.

Odell Barrel Thief is now be available in 750ml bottles, in the tap room starting May 29th.

Style: Imperial IPA (Oak Aged)
Availability: 750ml Bottles. Full Odell Distribution in June, 2015.
Release: 5/29/15

10.3% ABV

by Reid Ramsay