Newest Beer Label Approvals from Beerpulse

June 17, 2013Leave a comment

I love Beerpulse (www.beerpulse.com). Not only do they have constant news from the beer world but one of my favorite things is when they show the newest label approvals for beers yet to be released. It gives us a great opportunity to take a look and plan out what is ahead. Now, not all of these beers will be available in Iowa, in fact, we might not see any of them. But I know there are readers that come to this blog that will travel to different states to get their hands on beers that we can’t get in Iowa. Below is a list of the newest label approvals, a brief description, and their link to beerpulse.com. Are any of these beers worthy of a drive to Chicago? Madison? Minny? Are any of these beers, whose brewer’s beers are usually on our shelves, absolutely a must to get into Iowa? I would love your thoughts! Here is a sampling:

Pipeworks Brewing Company (http://www.pipeworksbrewing.net/)

*Raspberry Truffle Abduction Imperial Stout – http://beerpulse.com/beer/pipeworks-raspberry-truffle-abduction-imperial-stout-2/
*Chipotle Smoked Porter – http://beerpulse.com/beer/pipeworks-chipotle-smoked-porter/

Bear Republic Brewing Company – http://bearrepublic.com/

*Cafe Racer 15 Imperial IPA –http://beerpulse.com/beer/bear-republic-cafe-racer-15-double-ipa-2/

Summit Brewing Company – http://www.summitbrewing.com/

*Another IPA – http://beerpulse.com/beer/summit-another-ipa-2/

Boulevard Brewing Company – http://www.boulevard.com/

*Mid Coast IPA – http://beerpulse.com/beer/boulevard-mid-coast-ipa/

*Westside Rye Ale – http://beerpulse.com/beer/boulevard-westside-rye-ale/

Magic Hat Brewing Company – http://www.magichat.net/

*DeVEILed Amber Ale – http://beerpulse.com/beer/magic-hat-deveiled-amber-ale/

*Seance Saison – http://beerpulse.com/beer/magic-hat-seance-saison/

Dogfish Head Brewing Company – www.dogfish.com

*Northfield Mount Hermon Ale – http://beerpulse.com/beer/dogfish-head-northfield-mount-hermon-ale/

Really excited for the Boulevard series they are coming out with. Also, I think I would head to Madison to get my hands on the Cafe Racer 15 from Bear Republic. To check out all the recent label approvals head over to http://beerpulse.com/beers/ with more from Lakefront, Alaskan, Anchor, Slyfox, Bells, Shipyard, and more!

Beer Release News: Green Flash, Widmer, Goose Island

June 17, 2013Leave a comment

Some news on some harder to come by beers has made its way to the Baron. Green Flash, Widmer Brothers, and Goose Island all have beers that should be making their way into our market in the next few months and a couple of these might be harder to come by than others. Here we go!

Green Flash Citra Session IPA – My sources tell me that is beer is only going to be available on draft at these locations (so far): Parlor Ciy, The Mill, Reds Alehouse, and Lot 1 (Dubuque). Should be seeing this brew this week! More on this beer:

ABV: 4.3%
BA Score: 81
RB Score: 87

From the brewery: A pale gold citrusy brew with notes of lemon and floral undertones, this is the perfect summer IPA.

Widmer Brothers Kill Devil – Kill Devil is a brown ale made with brown sugar and molasses and then aged in rum barrels. The date for this is not quite definite yet but hopefully in the next few weeks. More on this beer:

ABV: 9.5%
BA Score: 83
RB Score: 90

From the brewery: Aged in Puerto Rican rum barrels, and brewed with Sweet Barbados and Blackstrap molasses, palm sugar, and Calypso hops, Kill Devil’s flavor and name were inspired by the ingredients used by Caribbean distillers.”

Continue reading →

Iowa Beer Review #105: Peace Tree Sidekick Kolsch

June 12, 20131 Comment

Looking for that beer that you grab out of your fridge in the garage after doing some yard work? Or a brew to grab and then sit in your lawn chair and listen to a ball game on the radio? Or just a nice, crisp, refreshing Iowa brewed beer that hits the spot in any situation? Well, look no further than Peace Tree Brewing’s Sidekick Kolsch (www.peacetreebrewing.com). When drinking a Kolsch style brew you should be light fruit flavor, minimal hop presence, slight bitter and dry finish to the beer, and Sidekick does is a very strong representation of this style.

Old Chicago Restaurants Re-branding; more Iowa brews to be featured?

June 11, 20132 Comments

After reading through the article below I think this would be a great step for this franchise to make. I’m not a huge proponent of national chain restaurants but I’ve always thought of Old Chicago as being a decent fall-back choice when other options were not available. Now, if I can go to the Coralville location after an Iowa football game and enjoy a Toppling Goliath pseudoSue or a Millstream Back Road Stout, that would definitely put my butt in their seat. Here is the press release courtesy of www.beerpulse.com:

(Boulder, CO) – Old Chicago Pizza and TapRoom, founded in Boulder in 1976, is unveiling a national brand redesign that includes a new look and feel of the restaurant’s atmosphere and a revamped menu featuring 40 new offerings focused on fresh, made-from-scratch ingredients. To celebrate the redesign in the mile high city, Old Chicago created a pizza that is five feet in diameter with two toppings that weigh 80 ounces each. It will be Colorado’s largest pizza and available for tasting for the first 400 guests at the Old Chicago at 1280 S. Colorado Blvd. The pizza will be available from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, June 11(th) .

A leader in the traditional casual dining space, Old Chicago has been serving handcrafted cuisine and local craft beers in Colorado and across the nation for 37 years. The brand redesign is driven by Old Chicago’s commitment to quality creations and to showcasing Colorado-based brewers while providing great value in a welcoming atmosphere.

“We’re proud to offer our guests the same great quality they have come to love over the last three decades, with a new twist sure to excite old and new guests,” said Will Powers, senior director of Marketing for Old Chicago. “With the brand redesign, we’ll introduce the next generation of Old Chicago and continue our tradition of giving back to the communities in which we live and work.”

Over the past two years, Old Chicago has aligned with national brand partners and invested significant resources to test new concepts and launch the redesign with the number one goal of enhancing the overall customer experience. The redesigned interior and exterior of the restaurant includes re-engineered kitchen and bar technologies, a new guest-tested menu specializing in handcrafted pizzas, and a vast craft beer selection tapping into Colorado’s local brewers.

Offering a variety of quality beers has always been an important focus for Old Chicago, with the well-known World of Beer tour; however, with the brand redesign, the company is redefining its commitment to offering local craft beers. Each restaurant now offers 36 craft beers on tap, with a rotating schedule featuring local beers from microbreweries.

“Colorado is a leading area for craft brewers,” said Daniel Imdieke, manager of Beer Operations for Old Chicago. “People from all over the country come to Colorado to taste some of the best craft beers available, and we’re excited to feature those varieties on a regular basis at all of our locations.”

Additionally, Old Chicago has a long tradition of giving back to the communities in which they operate through the CraftWorks Foundation. The foundation is committed to combating and addressing the social issues of hunger. Over the next year, Old Chicago locations in Colorado and across the country will create opportunities to contribute to their local neighborhoods.

Founders releasing Backstage Series in August: Mango Magnifico con Calor

June 5, 2013June 5, 20132 Comments

This comes from Founders’ facebook page:

Announcing the next beer in our Backstage Series: Mango Magnifico con Calor, a never-before-released, high-gravity fruit beer brewed with mango and a touch of Michigan-grown habaneros. Available this August.

Sounds very interesting and I’m looking forward to trying it out!

Toppling Goliath Kentucky Brunch Release Review

June 5, 2013Leave a comment

Toppling Goliath is making me want to pack up and move to Decorah, IA! After another great event and fun-filled weekend in Decorah, it’s pretty safe to say that Toppling Goliath (www.tgbrews.com) is becoming a midwest power in craft beer. Along with being able to hit up the brewery a couple of times, my wife and I got to spend an evening in Decorah checking out local businesses and eating some really good food.

We rolled into Decorah around 5 p.m. and I was just itching for a TG brew, so we headed right to the brewery with the intention of only having 1 beer and then grabbing a bite to eat. Well, after a pseudoSue for me and a rover truck for my wife, I went back to the bar and was going to buy some bombers of Sue, when all of a sudden I saw!…… a beautiful tap handle that can make your mouth water and your legs quiver….that’s right, Mornin’ Delight was just getting tapped! Now, the intent was to have one a go, but when you see something this rare and delicious being tapped in front of you, you must stay and enjoy….. so we did. The deliciousness of this beer has not been overstated at all; breakfast in a bottle folks, all the elements.

When we finally left the taproom we checked into our hotel, Hotel Winneshiek. (www.hotelwinn.com) My wife had read something about the best cook in Decorah being at a restaurant called La Rana. We had a really great meal there and they also had Toppling Goliath on tap. Highly recommend checking this place out on your next visit to Decorah as the burger was phenomenal!

In the morning, we had breakfast at T-Bocks which really impressed me because of them using local eggs, cheese, and meat. Really enjoyable breakfast, and we actually went back for lunch. My one complaint, if I have any, is that they don’t make their own ranch dressing, it’s hidden valley, but oh well.

We were also able to check out the co-op downtown which was really impressive! Great food options and also not a bad beer selection either.

Anyway, we got to the brewery for the Kentucky Brunch release at 7:45 and the people! OH THE PEOPLE! I couldn’t believe the amount for an 8:00 a.m opening! It just goes to show when you have a class act for a business the people are going to flock to you. I got sticker #12o something, and was hoping to get a taste of the Kentucky Brunch, but they were calling out by numbers and only got to the 90s before the keg went dry. Damn! Lesson learned though, get their earlier! As we waited we enjoyed some great brews, talked with some great people, and just enjoyed the day. As we got in line to get our beer it was great to see Clark from Toppling Goliath personally greeting everyone as they left. People from St. Louis, Minneapolis, Indiana, etc. had made the trek for this beer and I am very grateful I was able to get my hands on one!

If you are a craft beer lover, you have to take some time this summer and get to Decorah, the craft beer capital of Iowa!

Sierra Nevada Hoptimum has Arrived…..Finally!!

June 4, 20131 Comment

It seem I’ve been waiting on this beer to hit our shelves for a while now, and according to John’s Grocery’s facebook page, Sierra Nevada Hoptimum is currently in stock on their shelves. Along with Founder’s Devil Dancer, these two have made it a nice week of hops for Eastern Iowa hopheads. Enjoy the brew!

Sierra Nevada Hoptimum:
Ratebeer.com: 100/100
Beeradvocate: 93/100

From the brewery:

A group of hop-heads and publicans challenged our Beer Camp (#19) brewers to push the extremes of whole-cone hop brewing. The result is this: a 100 IBU, whole-cone hurricane of flavor. Simply put- Hoptimum: the biggest whole-cone IPA we have ever produced. Aggressively hopped, dry-hopped and torpedoed with our exclusive new hop varieties for ultra-intense flavors and aromas.

Hops, hops and more hops are the stars of this big, whole-cone Imperial IPA. Resinous ‘new-school’ and exclusive hop varieties carry the bold and aromatic nose. The flavor follows the aroma with layers of aggressive hoppiness, featuring notes of grapefruit rind, rose, lilac, cedar and tropical fruit – all culminating in a dry and lasting finish.

Beer specs:
ABV: 10.4%
Original Gravity: 22.8 Plato
Final Gravity: 4.5 Plato
Bitterness Units: 100 IBU
Color: Orange Amber
Bittering Hops: German Magnum
Aroma Hops: Simcoe & New Proprietary Variety
Dry Hops: Simcoe & New Proprietary Variety
Torpedo Hops: Citra & Chinook
Malts: Two-row Pale, Golden Promise, Munich & Wheat
Yeast: Ale

Founders Devil Dancer Has Arrived!

June 3, 2013Leave a comment

New to Eastern Iowa shelves is Founders Devil Dancer. Just the lastest great beer from Founders (www.foundersbrewing.com) to hit our shelves. Grab a 4 pack and enjoy! Here’s more about the beer:

Ratebeer: 99/100

Beeradvocate: 89/100

From the brewery: Founders most complex, most innovative, most feared and yet most revered ale produced. Massive in complexity the huge malt character balances the insane amount of alpha’s used to create this monster. More IBU’s than any brewery has documented, more than you would believe and dry-hopped for twenty-six days straight with a combination of 10 hop varieties. Dangerously drinkable and deliciously evil. We dare you to dance with the Devil. 112 IBUs

Latest on Deschutes heading to Iowa

May 30, 2013May 30, 2013Leave a comment

Here is the latest update on Deschutes Brewery hitting the Eastern Iowa market. If you want to learn more on the beers that this brewery puts out, head on over to www.deschutesbrewery.com. The following comes from http://www.beerpulse.com. Here ya go:

IOWA! (July 20-25) We’re excited to begin selling our beer in your fine state at the end of July. We’re kicking things off at the Cityview Beer Fest with Deschutes beer officially for sale on Monday, July 22nd. Stay tuned for event details at: http://www.deschutesbrewery.com/events and look for our team in Des Moines, Iowa City and Cedar Rapids.

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FLAVORS OF THE SEASON

TWILIGHT SUMMER ALE
Break out those lawnmowers, BBQ’s and camping gear, because it’s ti me for the return of the summer beers. Twilight Summer Ale is a great compliment to those warm days and long nights where whole flower Amarillo, Northern Brewers, Cascade and Tettnang hops blend perfectly with sweet malts for a sensational seasonal ale. This clever, straw colored ale makes you think that you’re sippin’ on pure sunshine in a glass. Grab a 6-pack or two to share this summer ale with those you love most!

SEASONAL
5.0% ABV | 35 IBU’s
Availability: May-September in 6-packs, 12-packs and draft where Deschutes beer is sold

FRESH SQUEEZED IPA
Perfectly named, this beer tastes like freshly juiced hops with a hint of malt to provide the perfect balance of flavors and aromas. Citra and Mosiac hops give the beer its tangerine AND citrus-like flavors and are a perfect combination to create a “fresh hop” flavor without using fresh hops. Enjoy a pint of this magnificent IPA on your back porch, with friends or with your favorite home cooked meal and SQUEEZE every last drop from your bottle…

BOND STREET SERIES
6.4%ABV | 60 IBU’s
Availability: June-September in 22-oz bottles and on draft where Deschutes beer is sold

BLACK BUTTE XXV
Happy 25th Birthday to us! This luscious dark imperial porter has a dried fruit sweetness from figs and dates, chocolate notes from cocoa nibs, a slight tartness from added currants, and a hint of vanilla from Bourbon barrel aging. Grab a snifter at our pubs’ 25th Birthday Celebrations on June 27th or grab a bottle at a bottle shop near you. Since we are still aging this delicious brew, specs will soon be available on our website. Cheers to 25 years of craft beers!

RESERVE SERIES
ABV and IBU’s TBD
Availability: Limited availability in 22-oz bottles and on draft where Deschutes beer is sold beginning late June

iabeerbaron's 10 Beers for Summer

May 29, 20133 Comments

The weather is getting warmer, the grass has just been mowed, and there are various meats sizzling on the grill. You’re conflicted as you reach into your beer fridge and try to decide what beer to go with. Do you go with a lighter pils, a higher ABV IPA, or a dark, thick, stout? The answer? All three are perfect for summer weather! Now I know that most people like to have sessionable beers for summer, but don’t think that a stout doesn’t go down smooth and refreshing on a nice summer evening, or that a big IPA can’t be enjoyed on your deck as you watch your kids play. I could go the route of listing a bunch of sessionable beers but let’s make it fun throw everyone in the pool. All styles are fair game this time of year, and here is my breakdown of what to enjoy this summer. (All available in Eastern Iowa). Sidenote: I know that I most likely left out some beers unintentionally so feel free to add your favorites.

10. Madhouse Hopburst
Brewery: Madhouse Brewing
City: Newton, IA
Style: American IPA
ABV: 7.2%
Website: www.madhousebeer.com
A wonderful American IPA brewed right here, in the great state of Iowa. A great balance of malt and hops make this an easy pick for a very enjoyable summer beer. Enjoy this beer with a bratwurst loaded with sauerkraut, spicy mustard, and onions or a thick ribeye cooked medium rare. Perfect!

9. Millstream Big Honey Hefeweisen
Brewery: Millstream Brewing
City: Amana, IA
Style: Weizen Bock
ABV: 9.2%
Website: www.millstreambrewing.com

Another Iowa brewed beer making the list and this is a big boy! A huge aroma and flavor of bananas, rounded out by cloves and tons of honey make this a fantastic beer for a crisp fall day/evening, but also makes for the perfect ending to a warm summer day as well. Enjoy this beer with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream to end the evening.

8. Bells Oberon
Brewery: Bells Brewery
City: Kalamazoo, MI
Style: Wheat Ale
ABV: 5.8%
Website: www.bellsbeer.com
Moving onto a more “sessionable” and distinct beer for the summer. Bells Oberon ale is usually on everyones’ summer list when it’s time to talk summer beers, and rightfully so. Citrus and spice flavor make this a very refreshing summer beer pick. Pair this with some grilled fish and a tomato avocado salad and all will be well with your day.

7. Lost Coast Tangerine Wheat
Brewery: Lost Coast Brewery
City: Eureka, CA
Style: Fruit Beer
ABV: 5%
Website: www.lostcoast.com

Summer can’t be complete without a trip out west to California. A staple in my fridge throughout the summer months is Lost Coast’s Tangerine Wheat. Not only do I enjoy one or two of these but it is the perfect beer to have on hand for the BMC drinkers to enjoy as well. It seems that most BMC loyalists will always welcome a fruit beer, not sure why, but anyway, this brew has a low ABV and a refreshing tangerine presence. Tough to pair fruit beers but a light salad with a tangerine wheat vinaigrette would do nicely or some shrimp tacos with spicy salsa.

6. Saison Dupont Farmhouse Ale
Brewery: Brasserie Dupont
City: Tourpes-Leuze, Belgium
Style Farmhouse/Saison
ABV: 6.5%
Website: brasserie-dupont.com/
I have really taking a liking to saison styles in the last 6-7 months and it’s all thanks to this beer. Saison Dupont has everything you need in a saison: barnyard qualities, grassiness, banana, black pepper spice, and citrus. Amazing beer for a summer day. This beer would go perfect with a herb seasoned beer can chicken stuffed with lemons and onions!

5. Founders All Day IPA
Brewery: Founders Brewing
City: Grand Rapids, MI
Style: IPA
ABV: 4.7%
Website: www.foundersbrewing.com

Association sessionable to IPA isn’t usually ones’ first thought. But Founders Brewing has created a beer that will appease both hopheads and also people who want to sit around at a camp out and drink a six-pack or two of really good beer. Take it on a picnic with a bucket of fried chicken and coleslaw!

4. Summit Oatmeal Stout
Brewery: Summit Brewing
City: St. Paul, MN
Style: Sweet Stout
ABV: 4.7%
Website: www. summitbrewing.com

A popular summer destination for my family is supper at The General Store Pub in Stone City, IA. Why? Good bar food, a great locale, and Summit Brewing Oatmeal Stout on tap! A wonderfully, creamy stout, easy to drink and hard to put down your glass. Goes well with some fried foods or just on its own.

3. Boulevard Tank 7 Farmhouse Ale
Brewery: Boulevard Brewing
City: Kansas City, MO
Style: Farmhouse
ABV: 8.5%
Website: www.boulevard.com

A beer that is moving up my “favorites” list is Boulevard’s Tank 7 Farmhouse Ale. Boulevard hits an absolute home run with this brew, and coming in a 8.5%, a bomber of this, an all-beef hot dog with sauerkraut, jalapeños spicy, mustard, dill pickle relish, and an L.A. Dodger game will do just fine.

2. Green Flash Imperial IPA
Brewery: Green Flash Brewery
City: San Diego, CA
Style: Imperial IPA
ABV: 9.4%
Website: www.greenflashbrew.com

Man do I love this beer. The description of this beer says, “It’s all about the hops!” and there’s no doubt about it. An in-your-face Double IPA with amazing citrus flavor that is slightly balance by malts. My favorite Green Flash beer so far. Smokey, sticky, mouth-watering BBQ ribs and a bomber of this Imperial IPA make for quite an evening.

1. Toppling Goliath pseudoSue
Brewery: Toppling Goliath Brewery
City: Decorah, IA
Style: American Pale Ale
ABV: 5.8%
Website: www.tgbrews.com

Described as an American Pale Ale this beer has more hop presence than some IPAs on the market. If you are craft beer lover from Iowa I’m guessing you’ve had this beer, if not, you must try! All craft beer lovers for that matter! Toppling Goliath is starting to put their name on the craft beer map nationally and this is one of the beers responsible for that. Hard to come by in bottles for the time being but hopefully soon they will be cranking them out quick enough to meet or come close to the demand. Second to none and goes great with some spicy chicken wings, a medium cooked hamburger with grilled mushrooms and swish or just enjoy this work of art by itself.

**Once again, a fun list to come up with, a fun list to drink, but I know I left some beers out. Feel free to add comments and let me know what your favorite beers of summer are. Cheers! **