Oak Aged

Upland Brewing Stoaked: March 1st

Upland Brewing Stoaked is preparing for March, 2015 release. The Bloomington, Indiana brewery has aged a quadrupel on fresh oak, resulting in a 10% flavorful beast of a beer.

Stoaked is a luscious Belgian style quadrupel that pours a deep amber hue Continue Reading →

Martin House Kafkaesque, An Ambitious Beer

Martin House Brewing Co. is releasing a new seasonal that they have dubbed the “most ambitious and confounding beer” they’ve ever produced. This is Martin House Kafkaesque.

To make sense of the beer, you need to understand Franz Kafka. Most well known for Continue Reading →

Wild Heaven Eschaton Finally Bottled

Wild Heaven Eschaton has finally arrived in bottles. The Belgian-style quadrupel as been a bottle hopeful since its debut in 2011.

Eschaton is a one-of-a-kind oaked all-malt Quadrupel (or “Belgian Strong Dark” if you prefer) that abounds with dark fruit and pit Continue Reading →

Posted in Coming Soon, Upland Beer

Upland Brewing Stoaked: March 1st

Upland Brewing Stoaked is preparing for March, 2015 release. The Bloomington, Indiana brewery has aged a quadrupel on fresh oak, resulting in a 10% flavorful beast of a beer.

Stoaked is a luscious Belgian style quadrupel that pours a deep amber hue with shades of copper and ruby. Alluring aromas of ripe fig, cherry and subtle spice and caramel pull you in. Maturing for months on oak, Stoaked reveals a profound vanilla character and malty sweetness, supported by a creamy mouthfeel. With a clean finish and a lingering sweetness, this beer is dangerously drinkable for a beverage of its strength.

There have been a couple of variants of Upland Stoaked out in the wild, including one with berries, all draft only. (Presumably tap room and festivals.) Look for Stoaked in 12oz bottles and draft.

Style: Belgian-Style Quadrupel (Oak Aged.)
Availability: 12oz Bottles (4 packs), Draft.
Release: 3/1/2015

10% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Don't Miss This, Monday Night Brewing

Monday Night “Master Splinter” to Join Black Tie Series

Monday Night Brewing (Atlanta, GA) readies a new Black Tie Series release, Master Splinter. The series is a formal, fancy, experimental series by the brewery.

Master Splinter will be an imperial red ale, aged on hard maple. (Yeah, I giggled too.)

Some of the greatest men on Earth did big things with wooden sticks in their hands. Theodore Roosevelt. Hank Aaron. Judge Judy. Gandolf. We made beer for the folks wielding sticks, risking sprinters every time they swing a bat. Or cast a spell. Or do ninja stuff.

This red ale has the the malt backbone and creamy mouthfeel you’d expect from a red, but with a little something extra. It’s dry-hopped with the floral East Kent Golding hop, and aged on hard maple. None of the sissy soft maple your mom uses.

Monday Night Master Splinter will be available in 22oz bottles and draft.

Style: Red Ale (Maple Aged)
Availability: 22oz Bottles, Draft.
Release: TBA

9% ABV

Read more: Monday Night Black Tie Series

Note: This is a “first look” preview. Details are subject to change at anytime by the brewery. 

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Don't Miss This, Jester King Brewery, New Releases, Prairie Artisanal Ales

Jester King & Prairie Create Natural Union [PICS]

Jester king Brewery and Prairie Artisan Ales have teamed up on a new collaboration dubbed Natural Union.

Chase Healey of Prairie joined Jester King’s head brewer Garrett Crowell in Austin, Texas back in August for this brew day. Natural Union is brewed using locally sourced ingredients from Texas and Prairie’s Oklahoma home. Healey brought rosemary from Oklahoma, and Crowell chose lemon bee-balm going in a nearby Texas pasture.

The boiled wort was fermented in oak for three months, using brewer’s yeast, and bacteria from the local air and wildflowers nearby.

Jester King/Prairie Artisan Ales Natural Union will be available in 750ml bottles and draft starting Friday, January 16th. Chase Healey will be on hand at the brewery for a special release celebration on January 17th.

Style: American Wild Ale (w/ Rosemary, Lemon Bee-Balm. Oak-aged.)
Hops: Nelson Sauvin

Availability: 750ml bottles, Draft. 900 bottles produced. $14
Release: 1/16/15

7.1% ABV, 42 IBUS

Images via Jester King

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Don't Miss This, Martin House Brewing Company, New Releases

Martin House Kafkaesque, An Ambitious Beer

Martin House Brewing Co. is releasing a new seasonal that they have dubbed the “most ambitious and confounding beer” they’ve ever produced. This is Martin House Kafkaesque.

To make sense of the beer, you need to understand Franz Kafka. Most well known for works like Metamorphosis, and The Trial, a lot of his works carry themes of alienation, and psychological brutality. The existential writer’s stories are chaotic, and sometimes takes a few readings to really understand his approach. Makes a bit of sense when you under Martin House’s new beer.

Kafkaesque is Imperial, Smoked, Black, Rye, Oaked, Raspberry IPA. Surreal, detached, confusing. Franz wouldn’t have had it any other way.

Martin House Kafkaesque will be available on January 15th, at The Pour House in Fort Worth, Texas. First tasters get the unique glass below.

Martin House Kafka Glasses

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in New Releases, Wild Heaven Craft Beers

Wild Heaven Eschaton Finally Bottled

Wild Heaven Eschaton has finally arrived in bottles. The Belgian-style quadrupel as been a bottle hopeful since its debut in 2011.

Eschaton is a one-of-a-kind oaked all-malt Quadrupel (or “Belgian Strong Dark” if you prefer) that abounds with dark fruit and pit fruit flavors as well as earthy spiciness. Vanilla oak and warm viniferous notes assert themselves as the beer warms to reveal additional layers of delicious complexity.

“Eschaton” is greek for the end of the world, or climax of history. Wild Heaven Eschaton is available in 12oz bottles, and draft while the world goes on. (Maybe a little bit after too.)

The brewery is also introducing cans in 2015.

Style Belgian-style Quadrupel (Aged on Pinot Noir Oak Chips)
Availability: 12oz bottles (New), Draft.  Year-round.

10.5% ABV

Image via Ale Yeah!

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Don't Miss This, Jester King Brewery, New Releases

Jester King Autumnal Dichotomous Arrives Friday [PICS]

Jester King Autumnal Dichotomous is ready for release. The seasonal driven saison is brewed during the mentioned series, and oak aged until the brewery feels it is ready.

Autumnal Dichotomous (fall saison) is brewed with butternut squash and acorn squash, long pepper, and sage. Head brewer Garrett Crowell smoked the squash and peppers over oak staves.

“I’m very inspired by nostalgia, and the smell of burning leaf piles is perhaps my most nostalgic memory of fall. The subtle smoke and spice character in the beer reminds me of those dim-lit autumn afternoons, running through the neighborhood and the smell in the air.”

Jester King Autumnal Dichotomous was brewed in October, 2014, oak aged with local wild biota, and re-fermented long term in bottles and kegs. The beer will be available in 750ml bottles, starting on January 9th. Other seasonal based offerings include Jester King Estival Dichotomous, and HIbernal Dichotomous.

Style: American Wild Ale (w/ Squash, Long Peppers, Sage. Oak Aged)
Availability: 750ml bottles. 3,500 produced. $12.
Release: 1/9/15

4.9% ABV, 19 IBUS

Images provided via Jester King

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Don't Miss This, Evil Twin Brewing, Jester King Brewery

Jester King World’s Worst Twin Releases January 16th

Evil Twin Brewery (Denmark) and Jester King Brewery (Austin, TX) have teamed up on a unique, barrel aged beer, World’s Worst Twin.

The beer is inspired by Evil Twin’s Jeppe Jarnit-Bjergso favorite coffee. Only, the brewers didn’t use coffee in World’s Worst Twin. Instead Jester King and Evil Twin used highly kilned malts were used in the mash. This imparted a roasty, chocolatey character, and Texas blueberries in the fermentation to provide some fruity notes and acidity. World’s Worst Twin was matured in oak barrels with native yeast and bacteria.

World’s worst twin is inspired by favorite coffee of our friend Jeppe Jarnit-Bjergso of Evil Twin Brewing. If we just added it to the beer, the subtle nuances of this delicate coffee would have been hopelessly lost. Rather, we sought to re-create it’s flavors and aromas in our own unique way through wild fermentation in oak barrels with blueberries and wort brewed with Rich toasty malts.

Jester King Evil Twin World’s Worst Twin will be available in 750ml bottles starting January 16th, at 4pm. Brewery release only. Those in Austin, Texas and catch Jeppe at Jester King for the release party.

Style: American Wild/Sour Ale (w/ Bluberries. Oak Aged.)
Availability: 750ml Bottles. 1,600 produced.
Arrival: 1/16/15

5.5% ABV

by Reid Ramsay