Imperial Stout

Posted in Stone Brewing Co., Ardent Craft Ales, Don't Miss This, Hardywood Park Craft Brewery

Stone Give Me Stout or Give Me Death, a Virginia collaboration

Stone Give Me Stout or Give Me Death, a Virginia based collaboration, debuts this week.

The Escondido, California based Stone Brewing has a second American home now in Richmond, Virginia. To commemorate their new digs, the brewery (no stranger to collaboration) has partnered with Hardywood Park Craft Brewery, Ardent Craft Ales and the governor of Virginia. Starting this week, their collaboration debuts.

RELATED: Stone Collaboration Series

The patriotically inspired Stone Give Me Stout or Give Me Death, echoes the words of Patrick Henry, who spoke the famous words “Give me liberty, or give me death!” is Richmond in 1775. The base beer is an imperial stout, brewed with Virginia grown blackberries and raspberries.

“Stone Brewing has built an incredible operation here that is already benefiting the City of Richmond’s economy and its quality of life.  Now with its first collaboration with local mainstays, Ardent Craft Ales and Hardywood Park Craft Brewery, Stone has created an excellent platform for future partnerships with the Virginia craft beer industry.  It was a great honor to contribute to the production of this stout that touts both the history of our Commonwealth and its rich agricultural offerings, and an even greater honor to drink it!” – Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe. 

Stone Give Me Stout or Give Me Death is available in 22 ounce bottles and draft starting the week of December 12th, in limited distribution.

Style: Imperial Stout (w/ Blackberries, Raspberries)
Hops: Belma, Nugget

Availability: 22oz Bottles, Draft.
Distribution: AR, AL, DC, DE, GA, IN, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, NH, NY, PA, RI, VA and at CA Stone Brewing locations only
Debut: 12/12/16

9.5% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Terrapin Beer Company, Coming Soon, Don't Miss This

Terrapin Rise-n-Shine, second in “Wood” series this month

Terrapin Rise-n-Shine will be the second release in the brewery’s Ales from the Wood Series this month.

This brand new series started with a collaboration with Richland Rum, out of Richland, Georgia. Brewery co-founder and brewmaster “Spike” aged their imperial India pale ale Hopzilla in the distillery’s rum barrels. Next up – Terrapin Rise-n-Shine.

If you haven’t already noticed, the name sounds a bit like another beer, W-n-B (aka Wake n’ Bake) for a good reason. That beer is aged in Tennessee whiskey oak barrels.

Deep inside a Tennessee whiskey barrel our award winning W-n-B Coffee Oatmeal Imperial Stout  has been patiently aging for over one year. Please enjoy “Rise-n-Shine,” the second offering in our “Ales from the Wood” series of beers.

Terrapin Rise-n-Shine has been aging in oak for over a year.  22 ounce bottles and draft debut at a special release on December 11th. Distribution to follow shortly after.r

Style: Imperial Stout (w/ Coffee. Barrel Aged. Whiskey.)
Hops: Nuggest
Malts: 2-Row Pale, Crystal 85, Flaked Barley, Flaked Oats, Chocolate, Black, Roasted Barley

Availability: 22oz Bottles. R
Debut: 12/11/16

?? ABV

Terrapin Rise n Shine Barrels

Stacks of Heaven Hill barrels full of Terrapin Wake-n-Bake. Pic: Beer Street Journal

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in New Holland Brewing, Headlines, New Releases

You want this. New Holland Dragon’s Milk Reserve Coconut Rum Barrel

New Holland Dragon’s Milk Reserve Coconut Rum Barrel is the newest variant on the brewery’s popular Dragon’s Milk Imperial Stout.

Backstory for those that aren’t familiar – New Holland has created an interesting in-house cycle for for this year-round barrel-aged stout. New Holland also creates their own whiskey in house. The whiskey leaves the barrel, Dragon’s Milk goes in, ages, and is blended. In some instances, bourbon is aged in the barrels that had the imperial stout, creating New Holland Beer Barrel Bourbon.

Throw some of that idea out. New Holland Dragon’s Milk Reserve Coconut Rum Barrel is coming in October.

This edition finds the imperial stout aged in rum barrels, with coconut. Think of it like the “Dragon” took a tropical vacation.

Taste. 

There is no other way to put this. Holy sh!t this beer is good. Coconut, rum and chocolate are the key players here. But really though, it’s all about the coconut. There are so many “whales” running around out there that have coconut that beer nerds will fight over. This coconut rum spin on Dragon’s Milk is hitting your shelves now. Don’t pass it up because it’s not rare enough. We’re talking rum barrel aged coconut imperial stout here. Drink this beer. You’ll be glad you did.

New Holland Dragon’s Milk Reserve Coconut Rum Barrel is hitting shelves now, in 12 ounce bottles and draft.

Style: Imperial Stout (w/ Coconut. Barrel Aged. Rum.)
Availability: 12oz Bottles, Draft.
Debut: November, 2016

11% ABV

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

Bourbon & blueberry dessert: Founders Lizard of Koz

Founders Lizard of Koz. Read the name, it’s a about to get decadent from here.

Joining the Backstage Series in December, “Lizard” looks to send out 2016 with a bang. The base beer for Founders Lizard of Koz is an imperial stout, brewed with blueberries, chocolate and vanilla. The finishing touch is the bourbon barrel aging.

The name celebrates the birthday of Founders brewmaster Jeremy Kosmicki’s little sister Liz. Blueberries, chocolate and vanilla are among her favorite ingredients.

RELATED: Founders Azacca slated for cans

What you’ll taste.

If ever there was a dessert beer, you’ve found it Lizard of Koz. It’s not easy to push the bourbon barrel-aged flavors of a beer to the backseat in a beer, but the chocolate, vanilla, and blueberries have done it. Those three dominate the flavor up front with a lingering vanilla-bourbon boozy flavor lingering in the finish.

Founders Lizard of Koz is a 750 milliliter bottle offering, across the brewery’s 39 states in limited quantities in November, 2016.

Style: Imperial Stout (w/ Blueberries, Chocolate, Vanilla Beans. Barrel Aged. Bourbon)
Availability: 750ml Bottles, Draft.
Debut: November,  2016

10.5% ABV

PIC: Beer Street Journal

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Great Divide, New Releases

Now you can buy your Great Divide Yeti Clan in 3-packs

The Great Divide Yeti Imperial Stout series is now available in a mixed 3-pack.

Great Divide launched the Pack of Yetis during the brewery’s National Yeti Awareness Week earlier this month, now hitting shelves nationally. The Yeti 3-pack will contain three different Yeti varieties which will rotate constantly, as well as a Yeti Carabiner Mug.

This Yeti 3-pack will include 3 of these five options; Yeti Imperial Stout, Oak Aged Yeti, Espresso Oak Aged Yeti, Chocolate Oak Aged Yeti, and Oatmeal Yeti. The Great Divide Pack of Yetis retails around $24.99.

Style: Imperial Stout
Availability: 3-pack mixed 22oz bottles
Debut: November 2016

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Westbrook Brewing Co, Coming Soon, Headlines

Dessert beer: Westbrook 6th Anniversary Hazelnut Chocolate Imperial Stout

Westbrook 6th Anniversary Hazelnut Chocolate Imperial Stout is on the way. Another for the dessert beer category.

This release is pretty straight forward. The Mount Pleasant, South Carolina based brewery created an imperial stout brewed with hazelnuts, cocoa nibs, vanilla beans, and candi sugar. (We are assuming the candi sugar is just to boost the alcohol by volume.) Your dessert beer is served.

Birthdays beer is how famed Mexican Cake got its start. Brewed to celebrate a big milestone, only to become an annual release. (Now with barrel-aged variants.) Last year’s edition, 5th Anniversary Chocolate Raspberry Imperial Stout is a 10.5% alcohol by volume imperial stout featured raspberries, vanilla beans and cocoa nibs.

Our 6th Anniversary beer is a rich and chocolatey imperial stout matured on cocoa nibs, roasted hazelnuts and vanilla beans.

Westbrook 6th Anniversary Hazelnut Chocolate Imperial Stout will be a 22 ounce bottle release.

Style: Imperial Stout (w/ Vanilla Beans, Hazelnuts, Cocoa Nibs, Candi Syrup.)
Availability: 22oz Bottles
Debut: TBA

10% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Headlines

Black Friday means Goose Island Bourbon County 2016

It’s officially Black Friday. That means Goose Island Bourbon County 2016 (and its variants) are hitting shelves. The release has become a bit of a Black Friday drunken tradition.

Honestly, Bourbon County has a bit of a storied history. For years now, it has been one of the most sought after barrel aged imperial stouts in America. Then one day over five years ago now, the beer drinking public woke up to the news of Anheuser-Busch purchasing the brewery.

Honestly, we can recall videos of Goose Island fans pouring Bourbon County Brand Stout down the drain after the news. Still weird even today, considering all those drainpours were BCBS that were brewed pre-buyout, and have a suggested cellar life of up to 5 years. Hey, you deal with your emotions how you want to.

Fast-forward to the Black Friday release the following year. The lines were long. Social media was full of delighted drinkers. See – life DOES go on.

In October, Beer Street Journal got to try this year’s release. Let’s cut to the chase. It’s fantastic. A chewy, chocolatey, bottle of bourbon and molasses that will get you tipsy faster than a Dave Matthews jam solo. A year in bourbon barrels does some magical things to this beer.

Something else I’ve noticed when the above picture was posted to Instagram a few weeks ago. Commenters were trying to convince us this beer is infected. Sorry to break the hearts of those wanting Goose Island to be swallowed into the pits of hell. It’s not. From what we can tell, none of the variants are either. (Yes, four of the six editions had some issues last year.)

For 2016, the brewery has tried out a new “flash” pasteurization process that kills of the microbes (and the yeast) that could hurt your coveted bottle of beer. The term “flash” is key. It’s just heated long enough to kill anything bad, and not damage the flavor.

Here is what we aren’t going to do. We aren’t going to sit here and tell you this beer is terrible when it isn’t. We’ve met some brilliant, hardworking brewers at Goose Island. We report the news, and drink the beers. As many as we can get our hands on. You decide what you like or hate, or will drink or won’t, based on ownership, ideals, brewer’s politics, philosophy, artwork, favorite color, tv show, etc.

There you have it. Today people are shooting one another over parking spaces, toilet paper deals, and tvs. Others got in line early for some bourbon barrel imperial stout. There is a night of drinking ahead of those folks, and hangover tomorrow.

That’s perfect fine with us. Keep drinking.

Style: Imperial Stout (Barrel Aged. Bourbon.)
Availability: 22oz Bottles, Draft. Limited Release.
Debut: 11/25/16

14% ABV

by Reid Ramsay