Stone Enjoy 2-14-15 Coming to Iowa Shelves

January 8, 20151 Comment

I just read the following information regarding Stone releasing their next Enjoy By IPA and it looks like it will be a nationwide release. Here’s more from beerstreetjournal.com:

Stone Enjoy By IPA 02.14.15 is being bottled on 1/9/15 and hits the markets below as soon as possible. The IPA is brewed year round, but markets vary each release.

Style: Imperial IPA
Hops: Calypso, Super Galena, Simcoe, Delta, Target, Amarillo, Motueka, Citra, Cascade, New Zealand Nelson Sauvin, and Australian Galaxy

Availability: 22oz Bottles and Draft.
Markets: AL, AK, AZ, CA, CO, DE, FL, GA, ID, IA, IN, KA, KY, PA, RI, OH, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MT, NH, NE, NJ, NM, NY, OR, NV, TN, SC, VT, WA

9.4% ABV, IBUs 88

Coming Soon to Shelves: Hopslam, Central Waters, Rogue, New Belgium, Oskar Blues

January 7, 2015January 9, 20155 Comments

Some new beers should be making their way to Eastern Iowa shelves very soon. The yearly anticipated release of Bells Hopslam, Central Waters Bourbon Barrel aged stout and possible cherry variant, Rogue releasing a spring pumpkin beer and New Belgium coming out with a porter for spring. Here we go:

**Bells Hopslam** – the annual release should be hitting our shelves in the next week or two. It will be interesting to see how the sales go as l saw last years $19.99 six packs sitting for a while in a few stores.

**Central Waters Bourbon Barrel-Aged Stout**- a highly anticipated release from Central Waters is now available while supplies last. I saw Johncey’s in North Liberty post that they had it but it would be gone relatively quick. If you are lucky enough to find some, snag it up, it ages well and this is an underrated brew. Going off of that, rumor has it some Iowa accounts might see the bourbon barrel-aged cherry variant of this brew. I cannot confirm this but have heard rumblings. This would be a most welcome beer, as I’ve longed to try it!

**Rogue Pumpkin Savior Ale** – Rogue will be releasing this witbier that uses pumpkins that had been frozen from their fall harvest for the spring of 2015. More on this beer from http://www.beerstreetjournal.com:

Created with pumpkins grown at rogue farms in

Independence, Oregon. This year we had an abundant harvest that left us with extra pumpkins after we brewer pumpkin patch ale. So rather than let our precious pumpkins rot in the field we decided to save them by freezing them whole and brewing a spring pumpkin wit.

Rogue Pumpkin Savior Ale will be available of 750ml bottles in Spring, 2015.

Style: WItbier (w/ Pumpkin, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Vanilla, Ginger, Cloves)
Availability: 750ml bottles
Arrival: Spring, 2015

**New Belgium Portage Porter** – this beer will be hitting the shelves soon and will be available through March. Here’s more from http://www.thefullpint.com:

With New Belgium Brewing so close to the Cache la Poudre river, there’s a lot of us at the brewery that love to kayak and paddle,” said New Belgium’s Collaboration Business Analyst, Tye Eyden. “This time of year is great because the snowmelt begins and the rivers start to rise. But, often times, that will bring precarious conditions and rapids that we might have to portage around. Portage Porter pays tribute to that awesome experience – the obstacles are part of the fun!”

**Oskar Blues PINNER Throwback IPA** – this beer will be available this month, but with the rollout of Oskar Blues in Iowa so fresh, I’m not sure when we will see it. Dry hopped with many different hops including a new variety, this “session” IPA comes in at 4.9%. Hopefully we see it soon!

**If you see any of these beers available please drop me a line and let me know where! Cheers!**

Restaurant Review: QDogs BBQ Company; Marion, IA

January 7, 20151 Comment

A BBQ restaurant 15 minutes from my door? YES PLEASE! I crave BBQ very often, and yes, I dabble in it at home and most of the time I can kick out some pretty decent food. But when you get a place like Q Dogs (http://qdogsbbqcompany.com/) who put in the time to make consistent and fantastic BBQ, my choice to cook or go out is made much simpler. When you walk into a BBQ joint for the first time you aren’t sure if you are going to get the paper plate/picnic table style or like Q Dogs, a spotless, clean, a spacious restaurant.

You are greeted right away by a hostess who helped guide me through the menu. For my first trip I went with the basic pulled pork sandwich, brisket sandwich, and the kids got a pulled pork slider. The sides were fries dusted with their BBQ dry rub, smoked cheesy potatoes, and coleslaw. The brisket was thick and juicy with tons of flavor. The pork had just the right amount of smoke, not to overwhelming, just the perfect amount, and it was extra tasty with a bit of their homemade spicy BBQ sauce. A first trip that lead to a second:

For the second go ’round I came home with half rack of ribs, pulled pork with coleslaw (called the Q Dog), and some BBQ nachos for the kids. The ribs were meaty, smoked perfectly, and the dry rub and with just a tad bit of sauce made me craving these the next day as well. The Q Dog sandwich was terrific. Tons of pork piled on a bun with sauce and apple cider slaw. The BBQ nachos are piled with pulled pork, nacho cheese, BBQ sauce, and sliced pickled jalapeños. Another successful trip that will lead to a third soon.

Talking with the staff the meats are smoked for at least 20 hours at a low temp. Beer on tap had your basic swill but also some Lagunitas IPA, Great River Milk Stout, and Sam Adams line, and also Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’ in bottles. Not bad , and it seems like they are open to having more craft as well.

Overall, a must try for BBQ fans looking to scratch that savory, smoky, itch. Check out their website for their menu here: http://qdogsbbqcompany.com/menu.html

Top 15 Iowa Beers of 2014: Part 3

January 4, 20154 Comments

The final installment has finally arrived. Looks like it’s going to be a rough week weather-wise in Eastern Iowa so I hope everyone has a fridge stocked full of their favorite brews. This was such a hard list to come up with and I think my 2015 version will be even more challenging as the breweries keep making terrific beer. We are a few weeks away from Coralville Brrr Fest so if you haven’t gotten your ticket yet head over to http://www.coralville.org/index.aspx?nid=604 and do so! I hope to see many of you there! Onto part 3:

**Lion Bridge Brewing Whirligig** a griesette (sp?) style beer that has the aroma and flavor of bazooka bubble gum, grass, and pepper. If this beer was canned or bottled it would be a perfect tailgating beer for Iowa football Saturdays. This beer goes to show that not everything has to be imperial or barrel-aged to have great flavor. Very similar to Saison style beers with the difference being the low ABV and a more distinct hope profile? Not 100% on that stat, either way a terrific brew.

**Toppling Goliath David** – I was lucky enough to get a bottle of this from fellow craft beer lover @storminspank. This double IPA was brewed in collaboration with Treehouse Brewing out of Massachusetts. Citra and mosaic hops shine in this beer making it very refreshing and drinkable. Another example of TG’s dominance in the IPA category.

**Big Grove Arms Race Pale Ale** – a staple for me with continuous growler fills. The good news is a bar in my town of Mt. Vernon actually has it on tap, so thanks to Bill and Nick at Chameleon’s Pub and Grub for having this as a choice. Big Grove just turned 1 and already made a mark, the sky’s the limit for the folks in Solon; both beer and food.

**Lion Bridge Untitled Saison** I’m a sucker for great saisons and Quinton at Lion Bridge nailed it with this brew. So quenching and refreshing, I long for them to have this on tap again. I almost put their Pink Peppercorn Saison on here but it was pretty limited, but damn, that was an awesome brew as well.

**Toppling Goliath King Sue** – there isn’t much left to be said about the year TG has had. High demand nationwide, full flavored, refreshing beers, and King Sue might be close to being the best of the best. I hope to see this beer produced again sooner than later.

Some great beers on my list. What does your Top 15 look like? If the year 2014 gives us any indication at the direction of Iowa Craft Breweries, in 2015 we will be in for a real treat. Cheers!