IPA

NEW BREWER: Napa Smith Brewing

Now available in Atlanta are beers from Napa Smith Brewery in Napa, California.  The launch brings 3 beers in tow, one of them a hoppy certified organic IPA.  Read on for the brewery’s history, and launch beers!

NEW BREWER: Tuatara Brewing

Tuatara stands for 2 things in New Zealand. A reptile resembling a lizard, and craft beer. We get so focused American craft brewing (it’s awesome, tasty, and gives me a reason to get up in the morning, lol) that we can forget to look beyond our own brewing efforts. Lately we have seen more beer hit stateside that doesn’t come from England or Belgium, but more exotic places like Asia and New Zealand. This new brewer to the American market brings 2 initial offerings – a pilsner and an IPA.

Terrapin SP#13 “So Fresh & So Green Green”

Here’s your Terrapin Side Project status update.  Recent releases – #10 – Cap’t Krunkles Black IPA.  #11 -Boom Shakalager Bavarian Imperial Pilsner. Release #12 is about to arrive – Hopzilla Imperial IPA.  September brings another hoppy offering from the Athens, GA Continue Reading →

NEW RELEASE: Full Sail Spotless IPA

The first of the “Brewmaster Reserve” series of beers from Full Sail (Hood River, OR) have arrived.  In relation, the Brewmaster Reserve line is like a side project – much like Terrapin’s Side Projects, or Sweetwater’s Dank Tank series.  Full Continue Reading →

COMING SOON: Great Divide Rumble

Today I received and email inviting me to a release party at the tap room at Great Divide Brewing in Denver, Colorado.  Obviously I can’ t just hop on a plane and go even though I’d like to.  On August 6th, Great Continue Reading →

FREE BEER: Dundee Ales & Lagers

Tonight’s free tasting at Octane Coffee features beers from Dundee Ales & Lagers.  Dundee is based out of Rochester, NY.   Come explore this brewery absolutely free.   Here’s the lineup –

IPA – 6.3% ABV.  Columbus, Chinook, Willamette hops.  Caramel Continue Reading →

21st Amendment Launch Day!

Everyone seems pretty excited that San Francisco brewer 21st Amendment is launching Georgia.  There have been some sightings of the cans (21st Amendment comes only in cans!!!) but today marks the full fledged launch.  Your favorite craft beer stores and Continue Reading →

Posted in Napa Smith Brewing, New Launches

NEW BREWER: Napa Smith Brewing

Now available in Atlanta are beers from Napa Smith Brewery in Napa, California.  The launch brings 3 beers in tow, one of them a hoppy certified organic IPA.

History:

Life is meant to be experienced to the fullest, and that means the constant search for new and better things: whether it is the perfect wave, a newly discovered forest, a secret trout stream, a Montana sunset, or whatever you want it to be.  It is about having great meals with good friends, and having a party.  It is about having fun.

The Smith family loves life.  We decided that what the world really needed was a great beer that makes food taste better.  A beer that you can be proud to serve at dinner with friends and family.

We set out to make a beer that paired well with all food types.  We asked ourselves the age old question, “What wine do you serve with shrimp?”, and came up with the answer.  “You don’t serve wine with shrimp; you serve BEER with shrimp, because it tastes great with them.”  So we got to thinking that we should make beers that not only taste great all by themselves, but go with a variety of foods as well. We also believe in cooking with beer, just like wines offer flavors and textures to sauces, beer can do the same thing.

We wanted to make a family of beers that you can enjoy on a fishing trip with your friends, your next football party, or can serve on a linen table cloth at a black tie affair.  After much experimentation (and a lot of tasting), we have come up with beers that meet these challenges.

We are dedicated to producing the highest quality beer  in the craft brewing industry, and are insistent on using only the finest ingredients to assure this.

We were aware of the challenge that we were taking on when we used the word “Napa” in the name of the brewery.  The Napa Valley has developed a well deserved reputation for producing fine wine; and a lot of hard work, artistry and craftsmanship has gone into the development of that reputation.  We are committed to producing a beer that is worthy of the Napa reputation for fine food and beverages.

The Napa Smith Brewery was able to woo Don Barkley, a Master Brewer with over 30 years experience in the craft brewing industry, to join us in our undertaking.  Don joined us because he too believed in the concept,that beer should pair well with food, and shared in the dream of turning the concept into a reality.

Napa Smith is owned and operated by family and friends, only.   Our sons and daughters work daily to bring you this fine line of beers.  You can talk to any one of us, at any time, and, should you decide to visit us at the Brewery, we will gladly drop what we are doing and show you around

We hope that you will try our beers and enjoy them as we do.  Please remember, always drink responsibly, and let moderation be your guide.

Launch Beers:

Amber Ale – 5.75% ABV.  Lots of caramel malt in this amber.  It’s definitely malt forward.  Bready, some grassy hops.

Lost Dog – Red Ale, 7.2% ABV.  Some fruity sweetness.  Flavors of caramel & vanilla appear, followed by some light citrus hops.

Organic IPA – 7.1% ABV.   Hops are piney.  Also perhaps some light citrus.  Malts – caramel, even some toffeee. A balanced American IPA.

Availability: 12 oz bottles.  Future draft offerings..

Posted in New Launches

NEW BREWER: Tuatara Brewing

Tuatara Brewing hails from New Zealand and just hit the Atlanta market with 2 offerings – a pilsner and an IPA.  Here’s the brewer rundown.

History:

Whether talking about his early days home brewing, the set up Carl and Simone Vasta have now at Tuatara, or the possible need for further expansion, it’s clear that they’re dedicated to continuing to supply the best quality beer to New Zealanders who’re thirsty for it.

A Microbrewery Brewing Wonder

Carl’s passion for brewing started after a trip to London in the 1980’s where he discovered beer didn’t have to be flat or tasteless or come in a flagon.  When he had to return home to this dismal imitation of the real thing he knew he hadn’t just found a gap in the market but a hollow void that would seriously affect his quality of life if he did nothing to remedy it.  “You come back and there’s one beer on tap, a lager in the fridge, and an imported one a year old and the price of a keg.”   So while he worked on as an electrician (his first trade), Carl started home brewing, learning from books, importing yeasts and hops to match and quietly learning his craft.  Sometime later the head brewer at the Parrot and Jigger, a brewpub in Petone was leaving his job and offered it to Carl. After two years there he was ready to set up his own brewery, Polar Brewing, having been approached by a couple of publicans and the Workingmans Club to brew beers for their bars.  He made good cheap beer, that’s what the publicans wanted, and also developed a speciality beer range, which began winning awards almost straight away. But the market for beer in the lower end price bracket had begun to get fiercely competitive, with the larger breweries ‘buying taps’ to try and push out the smaller brewers and Carl sold up.  So, while Polar Brewing — the whole thing — was being shipped to its new owners in Perth, he took over a bar in Raumati, running it with his wife Simone whilst commuting to Australia as a highly sought after brewery consultant and trainer.  Finally, in 2002 he got together with Sean Murrie, publican of the Malthouse and Fraser McInnes of the Bar Bodega, who’d both sold Polar Beer in the past.  With two popular, established bars to use as outlets, customers on hand to give them feedback, and a farm in Reikorangi to build the brewery on, not to mention a somewhat reticent brewing genius, it was favourable beginnings.

“Yep – engineering is a bit of a hobby.”

Carl built the first brewery by hand from modified dairy tanks, and some equipment he had lying around.  He set it up as a small lifestyle brewery with a 1200 litre volume per brew capacity and began brewing Tuatara beer.  With customer feedback coming in they were able to refine and perfect the beer range, which never failed to win awards, and soon enough began bottling for Regional Wines in Wellington.

Don’t give him a lot, never more than a spot

In 2007, on the back of the bottled beer sales a German designed brew-house and new fermenters were added, giving Tuatara a capacity of over 35,000 litres.   Now, that upgrade is almost at capacity and they’re considering if they can still stay boutique.  Whatever the next step, whether they limit growth and remain a boutique microbrewery or expand further, they’re adamant the beer will remain the same. You can’t doubt their integrity, to Carl and Simone, it wouldn’t be worth doing if they had to compromise on quality.

The Beers:

Bohemian Pilsner – 5% ABV.  Brewed with German Malt, Saaz hops, Czech yeast.  Light, crisp, easy drinking.

India Pale Ale – English IPA, 5% ABV.  English malts. English hops.  light bitter finish.

More offerings on the way.  Theses beers are fresh off the boat and available in 12 oz singles.  No word on any draft offerings yet.

Looking for these? Both beers on the shelf at Hop City – 8/17

Posted in Coming Soon

Terrapin SP#13 “So Fresh & So Green Green”

Here’s your Terrapin Side Project status update.  Recent releases – #10 – Cap’t Krunkles Black IPA.  #11 -Boom Shakalager Bavarian Imperial Pilsner. Release #12 is about to arrive – Hopzilla Imperial IPA.  September brings another hoppy offering from the Athens, GA brewer.  Side Project #13 is dubbed “So Fresh & So Green Green.”  For some that title may sound familiar.  Think about.  Think… Outkast.  It’s a play on the lyric – “So fresh and so clean, clean” from the Atlanta based duo’s 2001 album “Stankonia.”

So Fresh & So Green Green is a wet hopped ale.  Wet hopping is the act of taking whole leave, fresh picked hops right off the vine and adding them to the brew.  It’s similar to Sweetwater’s Wet Dream.  Wet hops impart a very unique flavor profile to beer.  Not all the details have been released by Terrapin yet. The label tells us this –

“Terrapin’s “So Fresh and so Green, Green” is a beer that celebrates the hop! Made with freshly picked, whole leaf “wet” hops, these off-the-vine beauties will encourage you to drink fresh, drink local and drink now. 6.6% ABV.”

Style: American IPA

Arrival: SP #13 debuts at Terrapin’s Hop Harvest on September 25th, 2010 from 4:30 – 7:30 pm

Posted in Full Sail Brewing, New Releases

NEW RELEASE: Full Sail Spotless IPA

The first of the “Brewmaster Reserve” series of beers from Full Sail (Hood River, OR) have arrived.  In relation, the Brewmaster Reserve line is like a side project – much like Terrapin’s Side Projects, or Sweetwater’s Dank Tank series.  Full Sail describes their Reserve series like so –

“Brewers are kinda like mad scientists. We’re always tinkering away with some new recipe in our lab (insert maniacal laugh here). We’ve let our own mad scientist brewers unleash their brewing chops on the public. The result: our rotating selection of Brewmaster Reserve beers releasing roughly every 10 weeks. From barleywines to super-hopped bitters to crispy light lagers, it’s all about the love of good beer.”

This new release “Spotless” is an IPA.  Again from Full Sail –

“The warm west winds signal the start of the summer season as kiteboarders and windsurfers light up the river in a swirl of color. You can watch the sight from the vantage point of Full Sail’s Tasting Room and Pub and savor the newest release in their Brewmaster Reserve series, Spotless IPA. This release continues Full Sail’s summer “sun” series. Named to honor our sun that has been spotless for over a year, Spotless is a true Northwest style IPA – richly hopped with Willamette and Zeus hops. A deep golden color, bright bitterness and a definite fruity finish meld into a beer that is all set to toast the summer months. It will be available in specialty beer stores and pubs throughout the Pacific Northwest from June to August.”

Hops: Willamette, Zeus

Availability: 22oz Bombers, Draft. 1 time Brewmaster’s Reserve brew

6.5% ABV

70 IBU’s

If you check out their website (www.fullsailbrewing.com)  you’ll see some of the past beer from this series.

Posted in Coming Soon, Great Divide

COMING SOON: Great Divide Rumble

Today I received and email inviting me to a release party at the tap room at Great Divide Brewing in Denver, Colorado.  Obviously I can’ t just hop on a plane and go even though I’d like to.  On August 6th, Great Divide is celebrating the release of 2 new beers to their line up.  I’ll posted what each are separately to highlight these new additions.

First up – “Rumble.”   According to the description – Rumble is an oak aged IPA.  Right now, Great Divide’s 16th Anniversary Oak Aged DIPA on on the shelves.  I don’t think this is a clone of this release.  I got in touch with a Great Divide rep, and the only info he had to offer is that it was going to be different than 16th Ann’y.   So, that’s all I know for now.

From the label –

“Rumble IPA is an American IPA with subtle nuance. Brewed with heavy-handed additions of Pacific Northwest hops, this beer is gently aged on French and American oak resulting in a wonderful balance of bitterness, caramel sweetness, vanilla, and undertones of pine and citrus.”

Availability: The brewery release party is August 6th.  It will also be shipping about that time.  Arriving in Atlanta late August in 12oz/6 pks & Draft.

7.1% ABV

Updates to follow…

Posted in Dundee Brewing, Tastings

FREE BEER: Dundee Ales & Lagers

Tonight’s free tasting at Octane Coffee features beers from Dundee Ales & Lagers.  Dundee is based out of Rochester, NY.   Come explore this brewery absolutely free.   Here’s the lineup –

IPA – 6.3% ABV.  Columbus, Chinook, Willamette hops.  Caramel 60 & Crystal 70 malts.  Spicy & hoppy.

Kolsch – 5.6% ABV.  Not a lot of American brewed Kolsch on the market.  This brew has Mt Hood,Galena  and Hallertau hops with wheat malts.

Stout – 5.8% ABV.  Rich beer with chocolate and coffee flavors.  Galena hops, with big malt bill: Chocolate, Coffee, Caramel 60 & Roast Barley.

Pale Bock – 6.5% ABV.  Yeah, the name is confusing.  It’s a German Maibock.  (Spring bock.) A light version of your bock beer. Simple ingredients – Magnum, Czech Saaz hops.  Lager yeast.  Crisp and malty sweet.

I will be running this tasting starting at 5:30 pm!  See you at Octane! It’s free. Seriously. Don’t be stupid. As always, this tasting is brought to you by Hop City Craft Beer & Wine!

Octane Coffee
1009-b Marietta Street Northwest
Atlanta, GA

Posted in Meet the Brewer, New Launches

21st Amendment Launch Day!

Everyone seems pretty excited that San Francisco brewer 21st Amendment is launching Georgia.  There have been some sightings of the cans (21st Amendment comes only in cans!!!) but today marks the full fledged launch.  Your favorite craft beer stores and bars will be receiving kegs today.

The 2 launch titles are –

Brew Free or Die IPA — IPA, 7% ABV.  West coast IPA brewed with Warrior hops, and finished with Columbus and Cascade.   Dry hopped with Amarillo, Ahtanum, Simcoe.  Malts include 2 Row Pale, and Imported Munich.  70 IBU’s.  Best selling beer in the 21st Amendment Pub.

Hell or High Watermelon — Wheat beer, 4.9% ABV.  Wheat beer, with secondary fermentation with fresh watermelon.  Uses Magnum hops, and 2 Row Pale and American Wheat malts.  The watermelon flavor is solely pureed watermelon. No extracts or syrups.  Yeast is a top fermenting ale yeast.  17 IBU’s

To celebrate this long awaited launch, (rumors of this release go back at least 6 months..)  the brewers of 21st Amendment Nico Freccia and Shaun O’Sullivan will host a few launch parties around Atlanta.

Here’s your guide –

June 26th

Young Augustine’s
327 MEMORIAL DR SE
ATLANTA, GA 30312-2244
June 26th 7pm Meet and Greet with Cheese and food pairings

June 27th

The Porter Beer Bar
1156 EUCLID AVE NE
ATLANTA, GA 30307
June 27th 7pm Meet and Greet with Cheese and food pairings

June 28th

Taco Mac Metropolis
933 PEACHTREE ST NE
ATLANTA, GA 30309
June 28 Meet and greet 7pm

June 29th

Cypress Street Pint & Plate
817 WEST PEACHTREE ST NW STE E125
ATLANTA, GA 30308-1150

Come meet these brewers and celebrate their launch in Georgia!!!   Updates on who receives the beers coming ASAP! Follow @ATLBeerMaster on Twitter!