Toppling Goliath Signs with Johnson Brothers

July 17, 2015July 17, 20151 Comment

Statewide distribution throughout Iowa will start happening as Toppling Goliath Brewery out of Decorah, IA has signed a distribution deal with Johnson Brothers. Including statewide distro for Iowa TG will begin entering the Minnesota market as well.

Johnson Brothers continues to make a splash by getting TG to sign. They’ve gotten Surly, and Great Divide, and many more beers into the Iowa market with more rumored to be on the way.

So, if you area in Iowa hasn’t been able to get TG, that shouldn’t be a problem any more. King Sue and Naughty 90 up for grabs today, hope you get a chance to land a few bottles!

Stone’s 19th Anniversary Beer Set: Thunderstruck IPA to be released in August

July 16, 2015July 16, 20151 Comment

mybeerbuzz.blogspot.com and thethefullpint.com are reporting that Stone’s 19th Anniversary beer coming in August will be called Thunderstruck IPA and will be using all things Austrailian. Hops and malt will be strictly Australian, hops will be galaxy, topaz, ella, and vic secret. Malt will be fairview. August 10th looks to be the rumored release date and it will be available in 22 oz bombers and come in at 9%.

Coming to Shelves: Black Butte XXVII, NB Farmhouse, Next Stone Enjoy By Date, Bells 30th Ann. Imp. Stout

July 14, 20151 Comment

Quite a few tidbits so far this week and some big hitting beers that we will be seeing coming between now and the fall months. A new BBQ joint opening up in the old Old Capital Brew Works site called Mosleys. It’s coming from the owners of Reds/Big Grove/30hop/Pullman so you know it’s going to be legit. Hope to have more info soon after I talk to one of the owners. Onto the news for the week:

*Deschutes Black Butte XXVII – a beer I look forward to every year since their arrival in Iowa has been Deschutes’ Black Butte Porter. A different spin on this imperial porter has it being brewed with rose water, cocoa nibs, pomegranate molasses. Here’s more from Deschutes:

Our 27th Anniversary Imperial Porter was brewed with Theo’s cocoa nibs, pomegranate molasses and select spices, blended with apricot puree, and then aged in bourbon barrels. The result is a truly exquisite ale with bold chocolate character, inspired flavors of fruit, and just a pinch of spice. The perfect way for us to celebrate our golden birthday with you!

Malt: Pale, Wheat, Midnight Wheat, Chocolate, Crystal
Hops: Millennium, Cascade, US Tettnang
Other: Theo Chocolate Cocoa Nibs, Apricot Puree, Pomegranate Molasses
Barrel-Aging: 6 Months in Bourbon (50%)

*New Belgium Long Table Farmhouse Ale – a new beer to the breweries 12 oz releases is a Saison that checks in at 6.2% ABV and will be a seasonal release. More from the brewery:

An ode to the communal Saison, LONG TABLE Farmhouse Ale brings together the juicy flavors of Belgian yeast and Nelson Sauvin hops with the spicy and toasty notes of Munch and Rye grains. Grab a seat!

*Stone Enjoy By 10.31.15 – the latest release on this wonderfully popular beer will start brewing, as of this post in 72 days, 10 hours, and 1 minute. It will be hitting Iowa in both 12 oz and bombers. Here’s more from Stone:

This exquisite liquid patchwork of more than a dozen hops is a devastatingly fresh double IPA. Freshness is a key component of many beers – especially big, hoppy IPAs – but we’ve taken it further, a lot further, with this one. We brewed this IPA specifically NOT to last. We’ve gone to extensive lengths to ensure you get your hands on this beer within an extraordinarily short window, and we’ve sent a very clear message in the name of the beer itself that there is no better time than right NOW to enjoy this IPA!

*Bells 30th Anniversary Ale – 30 years for beers and what better way to celebrate than to pay homage to their Expedition Stout. The 30th Anniversary will be dark fruit filled, roast, and chocolate. A great beer to age due to the dark malt. It will check in at 11% and be available in 6 packs, not sure if sold as singles or not.

Funkwerks Beer Tasting Today (7/14) at Oakland Rd Hy-Vee 4-5:30

July 14, 20151 Comment

Received the following info from Oakland Road Hy-Vee. Sounds like a great opportunity to sample some great Funkwerks beers AND meet the brewery owner! Sorry for the short notice, check it out!

Hello Everybody,

We have a last minute beer tasting to tell you about, stop in tomorrow from 4:00 – 5:30 and sample Funkwerks Beer and visit with the owner of the Brewery. We will offer a 10 % discount on the beer while the sampling is going, as an extra bonus the owner is going to Parlor City after he is done here and if you take your receipt from here down there, they will take half off your first pint of Funkwerks.

Cheers!

Surly “Nein” marks Breweries 9 Year Anniversary

July 8, 20151 Comment

Surly will be celebrating their 9 year anniversary by releasing “Nein”, a beer that was inspired by a visit to Germany that is brewed with oak-smoked wheat malt and fermented with German Hefeweizen yeast and then smoked on charred oak. This beer will be available in 750 mL bottles, the release date and ABV are still unknown and whether Iowa will see any of this at all is still a question. Stay tuned for more on this unique brew. Here’s more on it from Surly:

Who would have thought, when we sold our first keg in 2006, that we would raise our 9th Anniversary glasses in a new brewery, restaurant, and beer hall? So much has changed in such a short time, both at Surly and across Minnesota. The state’s beer scene is exploding and we are proud to have been part of the boom. Two things, however, haven’t changed a bit – Todd’s distinctive take on beer styles and our local artists’ amazing talent. Erica Williams’ meticulous design for NEIN is the perfect match for Todd’s approach to his craft.

New to Shelves: Barrel-aged Buffalo Sweat, Eric’s Ale, Ovila Dubbel, Pecan Pie Porter!

July 6, 2015Leave a comment

Quite a few tidbits to get the week started. So much great stuff going on in the area. Many new restaurants out and open. I’m hoping to hit up the Sausage Foundry in NewBo sometime this week. Steve does great stuff! If you’ve ever had any of the sausage from Lion Bridge, Steve is responsible for those, so get out and support him! Everytime I’m at Lion Bridge I make sure to check what the week’s sausage is and when they had that mushroom sausage available, holy shit, one of the best things I’ve eaten in some time. This week they had Zivawurst, he’s making blueberry sausages using Oregon blueberries, last week he had lamb, polish, cheddarwurst, and I believe chorizo. I can’t wait to get there and buy 2 of everything.

And courtesy of Steve, I recently read about Sauce Bar and Bistro which is located at 1507 C St in CR. It looks like that will be my next date lunch with my wife as their hours are currently only 11-2 but I believe that will change soon. And we have a new double IPA coming from Big Grove this Friday! If you haven’t had Fear get out and try it! A delicious black double IPA, very reminiscent to Blakkr for me. Lion Bridge has their Untitled Saison back on tap and it is tasting mighty wonderful. Quinton has hit a home run with this brew! On with the tidbits!

**Tallgrass Bourbon Barrel Buffalo Sweat**– I think this one will make many people happy. Tallgrass taking their beloved Buffalo Sweat stout and aging it in bourbon barrels. This beer will be available in 12 oz cans and will be available this fall.

**New Belgium Brewing Eric’s Ale** – the sour peach ale returns to shelves (and probably already has) this month! Eric’s Ale comes in at 7% and is a member of New Belgium’s Lips of Faith Series. More from the brewery:

Eric’s Ale, named for long time New Belgium brewer Eric Salazar, combines a dry, sour beer aged up to three years in oak foeders with a semi sweet, higher alcohol base beer. The resulting blend is re-fermented with peach juice, creating a smooth ale with subtle peach tones and a warm, spicy finish. The aroma has pleasant hints of vanilla and tropical fruit, the wood characteristics are present but nicely muted.

**Clown Shoes Coffee Pecan Pie Porter – this beer will hit distro this fall and come in 22 oz bottles coming in at 8% ABV. I’ve really been digging Clown Shoes offerings lately and am looking forward to this one.

**Sierra Nevada Barrel-Aged Ovila Dubbel – the last time Sierra Nevada released this beer it was only available in California. With the expanding footprint and another brewery it looks like this might make a larger distro. Fingers crossed we get to see this in Iowa as this falls’ version will be aged in red wine and bourbon barrels. This brew will check in at 7.5% and will be available in 750ml bottles.

Founders Next Backstage Series Beer Set: reDANKulous coming in August

June 24, 2015Leave a comment

I just saw the following Tweet from Founders Brewing Company. reDankulous will be released this August in 750 mL bottles around the $9.99 price point. Here’s more from Founders on this brew:

We plan to release reDANKulous Imperial Red IPA in August 2015 to mark the thirteenth installment in our popular Backstage Series. Like all Backstage Series beers, reDANKulous will be sold in 750mL bottles, and it will have a suggested retail price of $9.99 per bottle.

reDANKulous Imperial Red IPA is a no frills, bold 9.5% ABV India Pale Ale. It pours a pleasing burnt amber with some sweetness due to the Caramalt and roasted barley used in the malt bill. But hops are the true headliner in this elaborate sensory experience. The spicy, piney, tropical complexities of Chinook, Mosaic and Simcoe hops hit you right away with their dank aroma—and they stick around. Take a sip to have your palate simultaneously walloped and caressed in all the right places. Combined, the hops take the beer to 90 IBUs. It’s not just ridiculous. It’s reDANKulous.

“We love hops,” said Co-Founder and President Dave Engbers. “Simple as that. Our brewers love to experiment with new varieties, new combinations and new techniques. This dank beer is a fun, intense showcase of hops. We hope all of you hop heads out there enjoy it.”

reDANKulous will be released in limited quantities across our distribution footprint beginning on Monday, August 31, and will be available in our taproom beginning on Friday, August 28. This will be the second Backstage Series release from Founders in 2015; beer enthusiasts should expect one more release from Founders later in the year.

A Trip North to Minny

June 24, 20155 Comments

A weekend guys trip that has happened in a few years was back on as a group of friends and myself decided to check out Target Field and its surroundings. We try to hit a new stadium when we go but little did I know that selecting Minneapolis and Target Field would open up the what wondrous wonderland of beer this state has!

Getting up there early Friday let us hit up Fulton Brewing Company (www.fultonbeer.com) which is only a few blocks from the stadium. A very cool atmosphere with indoor/outdoor seating and tonight an excellent food truck with some great tacos. For brews, I started with the Sweet Child of Vine, an IPA with a good sized malt backbone. A tasty brew and a good way to start the trip. Following that I went with The Expat, a spicy saison that is brewed with a bunch of rye. A tasty and refreshing brew. Fulton was a great start and a very cool place that I recommend hitting up if you’re in the area.

Target Field at last! What a beautiful stadium folks. Even though I’m a Dodger fan it sure is fun hitting different stadiums and Target Field would be right up there with one of the nicest I’ve been to. The pick for beer here was pretty easy, a lot of Surly around so why not do what the locals do and grab a Furious or 3. Pairs well with the Walleye or foot long hot dog. I didn’t venture out too much to look for other brews but I did see a couple Fulton Brewing taps as well. Beautiful place, will visit again!

Bar hopping after turned a bit fuzzy so I’ll skip the rest of Friday night so we will head right into the Saturday festivities. Woke up a bit groggy but Surly was looming on the horizon. A cup of coffee, a few tylenol, a greasy breakfast, and I was good to go. Using Uber is recommended as well, save you a dime or two.

Upon entering the Surly (www.surlybrewing.com) compound I was blown away by its appearance. It looks like a glorious German Beer Hall on the inside and the outside looks like the greatest tailgating party with people drinking some of the greatest beer! Seriously, for beer fans, this is a must visit. A bit of a wait but well worth it to get a table. I got my Todd the Axeman so I didn’t care where I sat but our table was ready and I was ready to pig out. The menu was terrific. When I see charcuterie on the menu, I sold. House made sausages and pates, and low and behold, a childhood favorite, BRAUNSCHWEIGER! The Axeman was the perfect cure for a little hangover so I decided to order another along with the schweiger but I also saw Hog Frites. Pig + Fries + cheese = heaven. Why the hell not? Order that too, buddy got some lamb sausages and we are good to go. Surly beer is loved as well as it should, but having a restaurant of this size to go along with your brewery YOU MUST HAVE TERRIFIC FOOD! And they come through. Some of the best I’ve ever had. The hog frites stole my heart and those alone are worth the trip up north, Fries topped with pulled pork, giardiniera, cilantro, garlic, and a pepper jack cheese sauce! YES! Home run meal! We took the beer tour and spoke to a few employees which got us another free drink, another Axeman. Got to taste fresh Overrated, Coffee Bender, Hell, which were all terrific, and then chilled on the lawn watching people play bags. An ideal afternoon was had, one of my favorite beer experiences of all time.

After that we had to hit a few more breweries. We started with Dangerous Man brewing. (www.dangerousmanbrewing.com) Dangerous Man is located in NE Minny, and you can only get their beers at their taproom. I was recommend this place by many Twitter friends and from the fine folks at Benz. The recommended beer was their Peanut Butter porter. Luckily they had it on regular draft and nitro. I was thinking this beer was going to be too sweet but it ended up being one of the best beers of the trip. More nutty than sweet to go with the chocolate, smoky porter base. I loved it! I loved it so much I had another glass. Dangerous Man is in a very unique/old style neighborhood and with a food truck parked outside to don’t have to go too far. I also had a few tasters of their IPA which was outstanding. Highly recommend!!

Our last brewery stop of the day was Indeed Brewing Company (www.indeedbrewing.com). This was another brewery that came highly recommended. Every brewery we visited was heavily populated so you know these guys are doing things right. The best part of Indeed aside from the beer was…..wait for it….. A SHUFFLEBOARD TABLE! YES! GAME ON! Note to future breweries/pubs/restaurants: GET A SHUFFLEBOARD TABLE! Since it was the end of the night I decided to keep it lighter with the brews and went with their Shenanigans Summer Ale. I noticed they had a Mojito shenanigans as part of their “Derailed Series” and tried that as well. A bit too mouthwashy for me but the regular summer was terrific. A few games of shuffleboard (won by yours truly and sLim) and a couple of brews and it was time to call it. Actually we ended up going for a late bite to eat but again, things got a bit fuzzy.

Overall, an A+ trip. Really recommend the trek north. The amount of breweries is stunning. I love that different neighborhoods have breweries somewhere on one of their streets and THEY ARE BOOMING with business. The recipe seems simple enough I guess: good beer + good food + good environment = JACKPOT!

Todd the Axeman coming to cans in July, Guinness Nitro IPA, New Belgium Hop Tart

June 22, 20151 Comment

A few news tidbits to start the week. I spent the weekend in Minneapolis and had my first visit up to Surly Brewing. Let me say that this place blew me away. The food, the staff, and of course… the beer were top notch and I’ll post more on this visit and all other other breweries I visited while in Minny. I talked to a number of staff members and was told that Todd the Axeman will be canned in July, but they couldn’t tell me whether we would see it in Iowa or if it was just a Minnesota release. Stay tuned for more info on this but if we can get Todd in cans in Iowa, this will be one happy beer drinker.

The 2nd bit of news is that Guinness will be releasing a canned Nitro IPA for U.S. consumers. I still really enjoy a pint or 2 of Guinnesss but it might take some persuading for me to purchase this brew. I’m not a nitro pale/IPA fan but who knows, maybe I’ll enjoy it.

And last but not least New Belgium Hop Tart is the latest offering from the Hop Kitchen series. This beer uses pale malt with the addition of Nelson Sauvin, Galaxy, and an experimental hop to give it that fruit flavor. It checks in at 5% ABV, here’s more from the folks at New Belgium:

There’s quite a lot of cool stuff to pull out of Hop Tart, but you’re pretty busy, so I’ll distill it down to three simple points:

Like Snapshot, Hop Tart undergoes lactic fermentation in a stainless steel tank, using a single lactobacillus strain we pulled from our malt and propagated in our lab.

The beer’s malt bill includes one of our new favorite varieties: Colorado Belgian-style Pale Malt, made locally by the Colorado Malting Co.—it’s super juicy and sweet.

We’re really excited to combine the lemony lacto flavors with über-fruity hop varieties: Hop Tart’s brewed with the likes of Cascade and Mandarina Bavaria, and dry-hopped with Galaxy, Nelson Sauvin and Experimental Hop 522. The result is a tropical bomb with a clean, tart bite in the back.

While Hop Tart stems from a collaboration we did with Bluejacket before our D.C. Tour de Fat in 2014, we’ve toyed with hoppy sours for a while now. Our popular dry-hoppedLips of Faith Le Terroir is a favorite both in and out of the brewery (that one’s 100-percent barrel aged in our foeders), while our brewers have experimented with dry-hopped Berliners and the like on very small scales. We thought it was time to bring our newest iteration of the hoppy sour to draft accounts throughout our distribution because, well, is there anything more magnetic right now than the idea of a sour ale dry-hopped with some of the coolest, trendiest hops around? (hint: no)

So, check out the video above, which features our one of the Hop Kitchen brewers Matty Gilliland diving into the beer, and then stay tuned as we gear up for the official launch of this awesome beer June 15.

Have beer news? Send it my way!

Beer Review #121: Funkwerks Tropic King

June 18, 2015June 18, 2015Leave a comment

In Iowa we’ve gotten a lot of new breweries hitting our market and one that got me particularly excited was hearing Funkwerks was coming to our shelves. I’m a big fan of Saison style beers and Funkwerks is known for their Saisons. Saisons are a complex beer style because of the wide range of ingredients that are usually used in the brewing process. Usually pilsner malt is used and more hops are added compared to other German style beers to go along with many adjuncts, i.e. spices, honey, fruits, etc.

Tropic King is an Imperial Saison brewed with New Zealand Rakau hops, that give it the mango/citrus flavor, hence the name, and a house yeast strain that give it that peppery flavor. This beer should be served in a tulip glass to get the full aroma of the beer.

Here’s more on this brew:

Bursting with aromas of passion fruit, mango, and peach, our Imperial Saison is brewed using New Zealand Rakau hops. Combined with notes of pepper and ginger produced by our house yeast strain, Tropic King has a unique flavor that has gained it a loyal following.

I’m kind of in love with this beer. Between Saison Dupont, Tank 7 from Boulevard, and now Tropic King from Funkwerks, I have a fridge full of terrific saisons. I really enjoy them in the summer but with the high ABV of Tank 7 and Tropic King these brews should be good to age for a few months, maybe up to a year.

FOOD PAIRING
Saisons are also known as Farmhouse style beers so serving a saison should be easy to pair with any old school style dish. For example, I had mine with a beer butt roasted chicken and potatoes. The next night I served it with a wedge of Fromager d’Affinois double crème brie. (available at most Hy-Vees). It’s listed as a double crème but it’s creamier than most double and triple crèmes I’ve had. Addicted to this cheese. It was all terrific. Spicy foods should be a perfect companion as well.

STYLE: Saison/Farmhouse

ABV: 8%

PURCHASED AT: Mt. Vernon Road Hy-Vee

POUR: Golden orange color with a huge white head.

AROMA: Spicy, peppery from the yeast and tropical fruits.

TASTE: I get a lot of the spice up front and the tropical fruit at the end. Delicious and thirst quenching stuff.

Ratebeer.com rating: 95/100

Beeradvocate rating: 88/100

Overall: A

My recommendation: Buy it. This beer will be a staple and it goes with any kind of temperature we get in Iowa. Great for grilling and will great on a snowy day. This is the type of beer I would recommend to wine drinkers who haven’t found a beer they like because of it’s complexity. Drink away!