IPA

Samuel Adams Rebel Juiced IPA debuts

Samuel Adams Rebel Juiced debuts today, Halloween 2016.

Bold tropical hops are the focus of this latest addition to the Boston brewery’s lineup. If Mosaic, Mandarina, and Zeus hops don’t do the trick, the brewery adds a touch of mango puree Continue Reading →

Posted in Seasonal Return, Beer News, Saint Arnold Brewing

Saint Arnold Sailing Santa returns November 14th

Saint Arnold Sailing Santa returns for the 2016 season on November 14th.

Sailing Santa is a blend of the brewery’s Christmas Ale and Elissa IPA, with spices added to the brew. Saint Arnold brews Christmas Ale, then Elissa IPA and blend together in the fermenter. They then add spices at the end. Additionally, last year’s edition added Snap hops for an additional spice.

…The result is a pleasantly hoppy strong dark ale with spices. The genesis of this beer came from our customers on tours asking to blend the two beers with somebody coming up with the name Sailing Santa.

Last year we added Snap hops, which is actually a blend of hops, spices and botanicals. We can tell you that the new hop, added at the end of fermentation, adds a ginger snap aroma and a complexity that makes Sailing Santa taste like the holidays.

Saint Arnold was able to acquire Snap hops again this year, making an edition similar to last year’s beer. Saint Arnold Sailing Santa is available in 22oz bottles and draft starting November 14th for a limited time.

Style: IPA (w/ Spices)
Availability: 22oz Bottles, Draft
Latest Return: 11/14/16

5.7% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Sierra Nevada

Sierra Nevada Peach IPA coming to the lineup next year

Sierra Nevada Peach IPA is slated for a future Variety Pack in 2017.

The California/North Carolina based brewery has released a peach IPA recipe in the past, part of the Beer Camp Across America lineup. Next year, a new iteration of Sierra Nevada Peach IPA will rise again. As you can imagine, an American India pale ale with fresh peaches.

Who’s afraid of a little fruit in their beer? Our brewers jumped headfirst to add peach to an intensely hoppy IPA for a brew that crushes fruit beer stereotypes. That’s our Peach IPA — a real beer, crafted for the aspiring beer geek. You’re welcome.

Sierra Nevada Peach IPA will be a 12 ounce bottle release. The brewery has not yet announced this beer

Style: IPA (w/ Peaches.)
Availability: 12oz Bottles.

Debut: 2017

5.8% 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
Posted in Beer News, Headlines, New Releases, Sam Adams

Samuel Adams Rebel Juiced IPA debuts

Samuel Adams Rebel Juiced debuts today, Halloween 2016.

Bold tropical hops are the focus of this latest addition to the Boston brewery’s lineup. If Mosaic, Mandarina, and Zeus hops don’t do the trick, the brewery adds a touch of mango puree for an extra burst of juice.

At 55 IBUs, the hop varieties below were selected for the tropical aromas and juicy flavors they impart rather than for their bitterness. Zeus hops were used in the kettle and the Mosaic & Mandarina hops were used to dry hop.

Samuel Adams Rebel Juiced debuts on October 31st on draft nationally starting today. 12 ounce bottles will follow in January, 2017.

Style: IPA (w/ Mango Puree)
Hops: Mosaic, Mandarina, Zeus
Malts: In-house 2-Row Pale Blend

Availability: Draft until January, 2017. 12oz Bottles. Year-round
Debut: Halloween, 2016

6.2% ABV, 55 IBUs

by Reid Ramsay