The following comes from Founders Brewing company’s Facebook page:
Today we are bottling Blushing Monk. Look for it beginning March 2!
Blushing Monk is part of the Founders Backstage Series and is a Belgian style ale fermented with raspberries. From beeradvocate: Essentially an “Imperial Rübæus,” this ale contains four times the amount of raspberries as Rübæus and is fermented with a Belgian yeast strain.
Scores from ratebeer at 100/100 and from beeradvocate at 95/100.
The following comes from Surly’s Facebook page and it looks like they are ready to enter the market full-time with a bang! Here’s their post:
As we mentioned yesterday, the Surly invasion of Iowa begins Tuesday, March 3 in Des Moines with a very special concert by our friends Doomtree at Wooly’s. And, we are loading up a fancy bus in Minneapolis and are making the trip down for the show and we want you on it. Wanna get on so we can get up? If you think you should be on the bus, hanging out with Doomtree and the Surly crew, convince us. Tell us your sob/stalker/fan story and why you should be on the bus in the comments below. By 2/12, we’ll pick and announce some winners. We will depart from Minneapolis around 1pm on Tuesday, March 3 and we’d hit up a couple of spots for some beers en-route to the show. Then when Doomtree leaves the stage that night, we get back on the bus to head to Minneapolis. We will arrive back at the brewery at 3am or so. It’s rock and roll errr… hip hop! And, it’s not a road trip for the delicate. Tell us your story in the comment section below.
Sours seem to be the new big thing in the beer world. In Eastern Iowa we’ve seen a handful of this style. Big Grove in Solon is making some terrific sours, Destihl has cans and draft show up sporadically and now Evil Twin has given us Nomader Weisse.Thanks to sLim for taking the time out for a review. If you’re in Des Moines you might find him slinging some suds at El Bait Shop! Always good to have sLim keep us posted with Central Iowa happenings in the beer world.
A new beer from a new central Iowa brewery is Firetrucker’s Under Lager: Search and Rescue IPL. Once again, Firetrucker takes on a style that is hard to find on shelves and in drinking establishments. They’ve previously brewed a California Common, a smoked sour porter (collab with C.I.B), and a hard ginger beer. The hops that were used during the boil were magnum and cascade. It was dry hopped with cascade and northern brewer.The india pale lager is a style that is best described as a hybrid type of brew.TIt was dry hopped with cascade and northern brewer. Per Greg Kitsock from Washington Post, It’s brewed at colder temperatures like any lager would be; but then is hopped much past the point that a typical lager would be. One has to be careful during that process as a lager cannot withstand too aggressive of hopping.
Here’s more on this beer from the brewery: “Our India Pale Lager has a complex flavor profile with sweet grapefruit and citrus up front that leads into a lingering minty bitterness”
My personal opinion…I get more of the citrus flavor than anything else. It’s a balanced, hoppy front but the back end is where this beer shines. It has a lasting, floral taste that creates a merge between a fine pilsner and a flavorful, sessionable ale. I applaud Firetrucker’s efforts to think outside the box and release a beer that no other local breweries have tried their hand at. This beer is a hit and I look forward to seeing them try their hand at various other styles…sour, imperial stout perhaps? We can only hope but the word on the street is the next seasonal to be released is a double-mango IPA; which I’m extremely excited for. Des Moines already had some breweries come out with great double IPA’s like Confluence’s Rock Dodger and 515’s Hopititus C. It’ll be interesting to see how Firetrucker’s take on this highly popular style goes over.
STYLE: India Pale Lager (IPL)
ABV: 4.9%
PURCHASED AT: Firetrucker Brewery, 716 Southwest 3rd Street in Ankeny
POUR: Dark gold with a thin, white head.
AROMA: hoppy with a touch of grapefruit.
TASTE: definitely hoppy up front but with a thicker, malty finish that more resembles a lager than an ale
Untappd rating: 3.4/5
My rating: 3.75/4
My recommendation: I enjoy this unique style. At 4.9% ABV it’s sessionable and delivers plenty of hoppy, ale flavor.
The ever popular Enjoy By Series from Stone still has the 2.14.15 out and around and then they will release their 3.14.15 to celebrate PI day, after that March release it sounds like they will start releasing the Enjoy By series in 12 oz starting with their 4.20.15 release. No word on what markets will be receiving that shipment or if the 12 oz will be in 4 packs or 6 packs. Stay tuned for more. (www.mybeerbuzz.blogspot.com).
Onto some Iowa brewery news. Iowa’s oldest brewery is looking to get back into the Double iPA game. Millstream will be releasing beers under their Double Plus Hop Series starting with Our Bitter End Double IPA. Here’s more from the brewery’s release:
It seems like our brewmaster, Chris, has finally said enough is enough. He’s on the path to make some pretty hoppy brews this year and they’ll be part of our Millstream Double Plus Hop Series. For all you insane hop heads here it is: Our Bitter End Double IPA will be released May 1st. 90+IBU’s, mouth puckering, hazy with green, more floral than botanicddal gardens in June beer! Hoppy Hour Double White IPA will come out in July and the Dogs on Skis Double Black IPA will be released in October.
Here’s a peak at the Bitter End Double IPA brewing today! 8.5 pounds of bitter hops to this decadent brew.
Just received the following info from Cedar Rapids Oakland Road Hy-Vee and by the sounds of it, they aren’t expecting Hopslam to last to long. Here it is:
It’s that time of year again, we are gearing up for our annual Bell’s Hopslam release this coming Tuesday, February 3rd. Starting at 4:30 we will hand out tickets good for one 6 pack of Hopslam, once the tickets are gone so is the beer for this year. We are also going to offer an extra incentive with this as well, if you buy 3 six packs of Bells Two Hearted and 1 six pack of Bells Hopslam, you will receive a 10 % discount on the case purchase. See you then and good luck.
1 ticket per person!!
Quite a bit a news this week, some great and some rather disappointing. Good news or bad news first? Let’s get the bad news out of the way.
According NewSchoolbeer.com Stone will be discontinuing two beers from seasonal lineup and they happen to be 2 very tasty beers. Their Sublimely Self-Righteous Black IPA and Levitation Amber Ale will no longer be produced. Very disheartening for me as I thought both beers were full flavored and delicious and Sublimely was one of my favorite Black IPAs on the market. With so many great beers to choose from, the market just became a bit thinner, but these two beers are still better than half of what is on our shelves. Either way, say goodbye.
Onto some good news. A few beers will be making their way to Eastern Iowa shelves in the next few weeks. We all know Hopslam is coming and Oskar Blues has hit Central and Eastern but just in time for Valentine’s Day will be Boulevard’s Chocolate Ale. The following comes from www.beerstreetjournal.com:
Chocolate Ale is full of surprises, beginning with a glowing amber hue. The aroma is given over to earthy, fruity cocoa, with just a hint of hops. Smooth layers of dark chocolate intertwine with threads of caramel, vanilla, and nutty malt as the flavor warms and rounds to a bittersweet finish.
Boulevard Chocolate Ale was first released in 2011. The demand has been so high since then, the brewery has increased the amount brewed and packaged every year. In both 2014, and again in 2015, Boulevard has brewed the maximum amount possible for the production schedule.
Style: American Strong Ale (w/ Chocolate)
Availability: 750ml Bottles, Corked & Caged
Arrival: Early February, 2014 (Seasonal Release)9.1% ABV
**Hopefully coming in March is the latest release from Stone’s “Odd Beers for Odd Years” lineup. This year it looks like it is going to be a Chai-Spiced Russian Imperial Stout. The ingredients list of this brew look stellar. Here’s more from http://www.beerstreetjournal.com:
As it stands, the classic version of Stone Imperial Russian Stout is deep, dark, rich, roasty and perhaps even a bit sinful. The ‘Odd Beers for Odd Years’ part of the journey means the coming of each odd-numbered year provides the opportunity to take this traditional beer to new and mysterious places, embarking on an exploratory odyssey enabled by strikingly flavorful elements applied to a lovely onyx canvas. This beer, the latest ‘Odd’ transubstantiation, takes inspiration straight from the spice aisle, incorporating array of ingredients assembled to emulate the flavors of authentic chai tea. Cinnamon, cardamom, clove, ginger, a dash of black pepper and a dose of black tea combine with Stone Imperial Russian Stout’s incumbent flavors to take it deep into exotic, previously unfathomed tenitory. Expect a touch of earthiness in combination with a warm, tantalizing aridness. Asa one-time brew with enduring character, Stone CHAI-SPICED Imperial Russian Stout is crafted to be contemplated fresh or cellared under proper conditions for many years so that it may live on not only in one’s memory, but on his or her taste buds as well.
Stone Chai-Spiced Imperial Russian Stout will be available in 22oz bottles, and draft. Typically arriving in March.
Style: Imperial Stout (w/ Clove, Ginger, Black Pepper, Cardamom, Black Tea, Cinnamon)
Availability: 22oz Bottles, Draft
Release: TBA
**Hitting the KC area first on February 10th and then to it’s distribution areas will be Boulevard Brewing’s Imperial Stout “X” Coffee. This will be part of the Smokestack Series and is the first of many new releases that we will be seeing from Boulevard. Seems Boulevard has really upped their game as their release schedule looks very promising in 2015. Here’s more on this beer courtesy of Boulevard’s Press release:
As a special treat for lovers of big, complex stouts, Boulevard Brewing Company offers the 2015 Imperial Stout “X” Series. The “X” factor stands for a key ingredient brewed into each of several limited releases plan throughout the year. This edition was infused with Ethiopian Sidamo Coffee from our Kansas City neighbor, The Roasterie, lending this robust Stout at subtle wine–like smoothness.
Boulevard Imperial Stout “X” Coffee will be available in 750ml bottles February 10th in Kansas City, other cities shortly after.
Style: Imperial Stout (w/ Coffee)
Availability: 750ml bottles, Draft. Limited release.
Arrival: February 10th, 2015. (KC first)11% ABV
**And the last bit of news comes from our friends up north, Summit Brewing company. A new year round can release called Hopvale Organic Ale is a session beer with lemon peel. According to mybeerbuzz.blogspot.com this beer will come in at 4.7% ABV and will be available in 16 oz cans.
Another successful Coralville Brrr Fest is in the books and it’s amazing how much better the beers and breweries are now then when this started 4? years ago. So many excellent breweries bringing their best beers and adding the Mellow Mushrooms pizza was a nice touch as well. Pizza and beer, tough to beat. I tried many outstanding beers on Saturday but here are the ones that stuck out for me: **515 Brewing – OJ IPA and Mediocre Pale Ale – I’ve had OJ a few times and enjoy it every time. Dave from 515 mentioned something about this batch being messed up but I thought it tasted excellent as always. The mediocre was an excellent surprise. Mosaic hop was showcased making this an awesome pale ale. **Big Grove Brewing – Progeny and Mellow Drama – I’ve had progeny before but for some reason it was tasting extra good on Saturday. I was getting ton of peach flavor and had to go back for seconds. The Mellow Drama is a collab beer with other Iowa breweries. Very smooth and delicious. **Exile Brewing – Beaknik Sour – tons of cherry in this beer and with Exile bottles hitting Eastern Iowa I would love to see a bomber of this brew show up on our shelves. Excellent stuff. **Galena Brewing – Brett Michels Saison – despite the name I really enjoyed this saison. Tons of spice on this saison making it wonderfully refreshing and flavorful. Would love to see this in bottles! **Lion Bridge Brewing – GAZPROM! and Maple Disaster – GAZPROM! is a barrel aged russian imperial stout with maple syrup added. A very smooth RIS and the syrup adds just the perfect amount of sweetness. Would love more of this! The maple disaster is a barrel aged brown porter with maple syrup. This beer was so good I had to the brewery the day after just to get some more. Great things happening at this brewery! **Madhouse Brewing – VIP – although it wasn’t on tap I still need a pour of this brew. My favorite Madhouse offering and thankfully I have a few bottles in the cellar yet. **Third Base Brewing – Another Passe IPA- glad to see this on the tap lines as I had it at the brewery a few weeks ago and really enjoyed it. Third Base flies under the radar a bit but I find myself taking the whole family for some good food and tasty brews. **West O Brewing – Coco Stout – the gold medal winner lived up to that honor pouring a wonderful thick stout that was full of flavor. An excellent stout. **Overall, another terrific experience. The breweries were all very friendly and engaging. This event keeps getting bigger and better so make sure you secure a ticket next year, because if this year is any indication, there will more and more excellent brews to try.
Boulevard Brewing’s twitter handle @boulevard_beer just announced that some of their beers will start hitting the canning line in 2015. Those pictured are Pop-Up Session IPA, Radler, Heavy Lifting IPA, and their Wheat Beer. Here’s the post from their website:
Boulevard Beer in Cans
It’s often said that brewers brew the beers they’d like to drink and hope that beer drinkers embrace them. We take that approach at Boulevard Brewing Company, but we also depend heavily on the feedback we receive from you, our loyal fans. Lately, the message, “We want Boulevard cans!” has been heard loud and clear. To this end, we’re excited to share with you that we’re currently in the planning stages of bringing canned Boulevard beer to reality in 2015.
Brewery leadership is finalizing details right now, but it’s our goal to release the following beers in six packs of 12 ounce cans:
You’re likely familiar with Unfiltered Wheat Beer, Pop-Up IPA, and Ginger Lemon Radlerand we hope you’re very excited to be able to enjoy these beers in places normally not accessible to glass bottles.New to the lineup is Heavy Lifting IPA. Based on the wildly successful Tasting Room beer, Mid-Coast IPA, Heavy Lifting joins the family as a year-round offering available in both cans and on draft. Think of Heavy Lifting as a close cousin to Mid-Coast IPA. Coming in at 6.2% ABV and 80+ IBUs, Heavy Lifting features massive late and dry-hopping with Centennial, Amarillo, Topaz and Citra hops that leap from a minimal malt base composed of our base pale malt and a touch of Munich malt.
While some details are in the process of being finalized, we were just too excited to keep this news to ourselves any longer. Stay tuned in the coming weeks as we hope to share more specifics with you.
– Jeremy Danner, Ambassador Brewer
Beer Street Journal just posted a release stating the Brewery Ommegang will be releasing a coffee ale in May of this year. Joemmegang will be released shortly after their next Game of Thrones brew. Here’s more from www.beerstreetjournal.com:
Cold-aged with a custom mixture of cocoa nibs, 1/3 espresso blend, 1/3 sumatra and 1/3 Papua New Guinea beans. Mahogany hue with red hightlights and creamy tan head. Aroma dominated by cold-brewed coffee, milk chocolate and caramel – rounded out with aromatic hints of fruit and figs. Taste is of sweet malts and smooth, rich coffee and chocolate. Pleasantly fruity notes from both the yeast and coffee beans.
Ommegang Joemmegang is on the brewery’s release calendar for May, 2015. To be available in 750ml bottles.
Style: American Strong Ale (w/ Coffee, Cocoa Nibs)
Availability: 750ml bottles, Corked & Caged
Release: May, 2015 (Estimated)7.5% ABV
