Oak Aged

New Belgium Ann-Francoise, a collab with Orval

New Belgium Ann-Francoise will officially round out the brewery’s Belgian collaboration series.

This final edition of a year-long Belgian-American collaborative series with Trappist brewery Orval. Specifically, Orval’s first female brewmaster Anne-Francoise Pypaert. The result – a Belgian strong dark ale, brewed Continue Reading →

Jester King Aurelian Lure 2016 release: Limited

Jester King Aurelian Lure, the Austin, Texas brewery’s oak barrel sour ale, will make its 2016 appearance on Friday, September 16th.

Jester King Aurelian Lure is a sour/wild beer brewed with apricots. For the 2014 release the brewery minimized the contact time with the apricots to reduce Continue Reading →

Jester King Nocturn Chrysalis returns

Jester King Nocturn Chrysalis returns this September, marking a 2016 return.

In this re-release the brewery added Kiowi blackberries to oak barrels that contained a mature sour red ale.  The ale spent the summer re-fermenting from wild yeast unique to Texas Hill Country Continue Reading →

Posted in New Belgium, Orval Brewery

New Belgium Ann-Francoise, a collab with Orval

New Belgium Ann-Francoise will officially round out the brewery’s Belgian collaboration series.

This final edition of a year-long Belgian-American collaborative series with Trappist brewery Orval. Specifically, Orval’s first female brewmaster Anne-Francoise Pypaert. The result – a Belgian strong dark ale, brewed with a few spices and specialty malt.

Spruce tips and Grains of Paradise highlight the base beer, that has been dry-hopped with French Sprisselspalt hops. The finishing flourish is a two week engagement with American toasted oak spirals.

New Belgium Ann-Francoise Spiced Dark Strong Ale is available in 12 ounce bottles and draft for a limited time.

Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale (w/ Grains of Paradise, Spruce Tips. Oak Aged.)
Availabilty: 12oz Bottles, Draft.
Debut: November, 2016

9.5% ABV

 

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Terrapin Beer Company, New Releases

Terrapin Smoke on the Porter is Side Project #28

Terrapin Smoke on the Porter is now the brewery’s Side Project #28.

The base beer is a Baltic porter brewed with beechwood smoked malt, that the brewery will be been aging on French oak until this fall release. In case you have a song rolling around your head, the beer is a nod to Deep Purple’s classic Smoke on the Water, released in 1972.

RELATED: Terrapin Hi-10 (Mango Habanero Double IPA)

Like music to your ears, “Smoke on the Porter” is that song you just can’t seem to get out of your head. Brewed with beechwood smoked malt and aged on French Oak, this old world lager will keep you humming that familiar tune.

What to expect? Smoke might turn some people off. To get that out the way now, there is just a hint off the beechwood smoked malt. There is a good bit of chocolate. So…smokey chocolate with a hint of fresh oak in the finish. A candidate for rich desserts, vanilla ice creams, or cheesecakes. Hell, even hot wings. Get weird.

Terrapin Smoke on the Porter is headed to shelves in 12 ounce cans – a very limited release.

Style: Baltic Porter (French Oak Aged)
Availability: 12oz Cans, Draft.
Debut: November, 2016

8.5% ABV

Pic: Beer Street Journal

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Allagash Brewing, Seasonal Return

Allagash Ghoulschip (a cellared edition) on sale October 29th

Allagash Ghoulschip, a spontaneously fermented pumpkin beer, will be on sale again this weekend at the brewery in Portland, Maine.

Interesting thing to note about these bottles – they are from the 2015 batch. The 2016 edition just isn’t ready yet. Such is the downside of the fermentation and perfection of wild beer.

Allagash Ghoulschip is probably one of the most fun spontaneous beers the brewery has set out to create. The brew team gets to put fresh pumpkins in a woodchipper in order to check the chunks needed for the beer. Face it, Halloween demands pumpkins. The hot wort is sent to chill in the coolship over night, on Halloween night, where the spontaneous fermentation begins as the dead walk the earth again.

All in all, Allagash Ghoulschip is a blend of 1,2, and 3 year beer, brewed with pumpkin, toasted pumpkin seeds, and a touch of molasses. The cellared edition will be available in the taproom in 12.7 ounce bottles.

Style: American Wild Ale (w/ Pumpkin, Toasted Pumpkin Seeds, Molasses. Oak Aged.)
Availability: 12.7oz Bottles
Latest Return: 10/29/16

6.9% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Jester King Brewery, Seasonal Return

Jester King Aurelian Lure 2016 release: Limited

Jester King Aurelian Lure, the Austin, Texas brewery’s oak barrel sour ale, will make its 2016 appearance on Friday, September 16th.

Jester King Aurelian Lure is a sour/wild beer brewed with apricots. For the 2014 release the brewery minimized the contact time with the apricots to reduce the amount of citric acid in the beer. In addition, the sour base beer is a blend of mature beer from oak, low in lactic acid.

Due to limitations in fermentation space, and the limited amount of mature, barrel-aged sour beer the brewery has for blending, (thanks to high demand for fruited sours) this year’s release is limited to just 900 bottles. 2015 saw a batch of 5000.

Jester King Aurelian Lure is available in the brewery’s tap room in 500 ml bottles starting September 16th.

Style: American Wild Ale (w/ Apricots. Oak Aged)
Availability: 500ml bottles. 900 bottles available.
Latest Return: 9/16/16

6% ABV 

Image via Jester King

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Jester King Brewery, Seasonal Return

Jester King Nocturn Chrysalis returns

Jester King Nocturn Chrysalis returns this September, marking a 2016 return.

In this re-release the brewery added Kiowi blackberries to oak barrels that contained a mature sour red ale.  The ale spent the summer re-fermenting from wild yeast unique to Texas Hill Country surrounding the brewery.

Interesting fact about blackberries during re-fermentation. Just as in wine, the blackberries rise to the top of the barrel to form a “cap.” This means the brewers had to punch them back down into the brew a few times a day. This is important to get all the flavor and color from the blackberries.

After fruit fermentation, Jester King Nocturn Chrysalis was transferred to more oak barrels to continue re-ferment. Then allowed to bottle condition. Each step refines the beer more and more.

The first release of this beer was in October of 2013. 3,500 bottles will be available at the brewery on September 2nd.

Style: American Wild Ale (w/ Blackberries, Oak Aged)
Availability: 500 ml bottles.
Arrival: September 2, 2016

7.1% ABV

 

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Wicked Weed Brewing Co, Seasonal Return

Wicked Weed Montmaretto returns as a flagship offering

Wicked Weed Montmaretto takes leave of the brewery’s Canvas Series and returns as one of the brewery’s flagship beers this month.

In case the name was not suggestive enough, Wicked Weed Montmaretto boasts a favor reminiscent of amaretto – the Italian liqueur. The name is actually Italian for “a little bitter,” making a sour ale with almonds and cherries even more genius.

Montmaretto is aged in neutral wine barrels (barrels that have been used to the point where they are basically just oak vessels that don’t impart an flavor), when a secondary fermentation takes place on cherries. The beer is blended with beer aged on almonds, where a balance is struck for the final beer.

Wicked Weed Montmaretto is a 16.9 ounce bottle offering. The beer dons amazing new artwork, seen above.

Style: American Wild Ale (w/ Almonds, Cherries. Oak Aged.)
Availability: 16.9oz Bottles
Latest Release: August, 2016

6.9% ABV

Wicked Weed Montmaretto

Wicked Weed Montmaretto seen in 2015, part of the Canvas Series. Pic: Beer Street Journal

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Wicked Weed Brewing Co, Seasonal Return

Wicked Weed Brettaberry returns with hot new artwork

Wicked Weed Brettaberry is returning to shelves once again. This year it is sporting some sexy new artwork.

A ton of fruit (literally and figuratively) goes into making Wicked Weed Brettaberry. The Brettanomyces heavy beer has around one half pound per gallon of strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and honey, taking fruit to the next level.

A half pound per gallon of strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries are packed into this effervescent Brettanomyces ale. These berries combine with honey to create the bursting fruit flavor of a freshly baked berry pie. Blended with a light portion of our golden sour and aged in French oak foeders, Brettaberry then bottle conditions until ripe for the picking.

Wicked Weed Brettaberry is a 500 milliliter bottle offering, seasonally.

Style: American Wild Ale (w/ Blackberries, Blueberries, Strawberries, Honey. Oak Aged.)
Availability: 500ml Bottles
Latest Return: August, 2016

5.5% ABV

Wicked Weed Brettaberry bottle

Last year bottle artwork. Pic: Beer Street Journal

by Reid Ramsay