I consider myself an avid lover of all things beer, especially great IPAs. Dogfish Head brewery and Sierra Nevada brewery have collaborated on a glass design that is made to specifically enhance the taste of IPAs. The thin wall of the glass is made to keep the beer from getting warm too quickly and skinniness of the glass is made to bring out more of the hop aroma. I’m a firm believer in having the appropriate glassware for beer, sometimes it’s difficult to have all different vessels and the room to keep them but I think I’ll have room for one more. If you are interested in the glass check out the link for ordering info: http://www.dogfish.com/store/glassware/dogfish-ipa-glass.htm

So, what do you think? Is the proper glassware necessary? If you have tried the new IPA glass did you notice any differences in your drinking experience? Please drop a line letting us know!

I consider myself an avid lover of all things beer, especially great IPAs. Dogfish Head brewery and Sierra Nevada brewery have collaborated on a glass design that is made to specifically enhance the taste of IPAs. The thin wall of the glass is made to keep the beer from getting warm too quickly and skinniness of the glass is made to bring out more of the hop aroma. I’m a firm believer in having the appropriate glassware for beer, sometimes it’s difficult to have all different vessels and the room to keep them but I think I’ll have room for one more. If you are interested in the glass check out the link for ordering info: http://www.dogfish.com/store/glassware/dogfish-ipa-glass.htm

So, what do you think? Is the proper glassware necessary? If you have tried the new IPA glass did you notice any differences in your drinking experience? Please drop a line letting us know!

A couple new and great beers have hit the shelves this week in Eastern Iowa. Schlafly has release their American IPA and Green Flash has given us their highly anticipated Palate Wrecker.

Schlafly American IPA comes in at 7.2% ABV and is available in 12 oz. bottles. From the brewery:

Exploding with hop flavor and aroma, this citrus/piney/floral ale has enough of a malt backbone to stand up to the intense bitterness.

Green Flash Palate Wrecker comes in at 9.5% ABV. From the brewery:

Palate Wrecker was originally brewed for the Hamilton’s Tavern 2nd Anniversary celebration. It’s the most complicated West Coast–inspired IPA we have ever brewed—mashing and sparging with hopped wort, in addition to our hop layering regimen for IPA. We use almost 6 lbs/bbl of Columbus and Centennial hops to create this very bitter hop monster (tested at 149 IBU and no extracts in case you were wondering). By popular demand, it is now released for the world to enjoy (even though this beer isn’t for everyone, only the real hop heads!!!). Cheers! – Chuck Silva – Brewmaster – Green Flash Brewing

Stone and Founders are releasing some pretty tasty sounding beers in the next few weeks. Stone will be releasing Old Guardian Barleywine Ale, Old Guardian Smoked Barley Wine, espresso Stone Russian Imperial Stout, Stone/Two Brothers/Aleman Collab. of a Coffee IPA (not sure we will see this in Iowa, more info to come), Imeperial Russian Stout. Here’s more info on each of these brews courtesy of www.stonebrew.com  and http://www.beerpulse.com.

(Escondido, CA) – Stone Brewing Co. hasn’t filled out its 2013 schedule of special releases so let’s help fill in the gaps, at least for the first quarter.

Enjoy By IPA: let’s get it out-of-the-way that we have no info on the next release but, at the clip they are releasing these, one would think we’ll see another edition in the next few months.

Old Guardian Barley Wine and Stone Old Guardian Barley Wine Ale: February 25th (more info at these links)

Aleman / Two Brothers / Stone Dayman Coffee IPA: They actually brewed this beer on Thursday. Tentative street date is March 25th and this collaboration, unlike the others that came before it, will be released in 22 oz. bottles.

Stone Imperial Russian Stout: Tentatively April 15th

And the Odd Beers for Odd Years variation is…drumroll…keeping with the coffee theme…

Espresso Stone Imperial Russian Stout: April 15th

Quengenti Millilitre Series: No information on these at the moment.

Onto Founders. Coming in April is going to be an anticipated release of Doom, a bourbon barrel-aged IPA. It will be part of the Backstage Series and will be released 750 mL bottles. Founders takes their fantastic Double Trouble Imperial IPA and age it in bourbon barrels for four months. Should be stellar! From the brewery:

(Grand Rapids, MI) – Founders Brewing Co. will introduce Doom, a bourbon-barrel-aged Imperial IPA, this April to mark the sixth installment in the brewery’s popular Backstage Series. Like all Backstage Series beers, Doom will be sold in 750mL bottles. It has a suggested retail price of $12.99 per bottle.

Doom is unleashed when Founders’ award-winning specialty Imperial IPA, Double Trouble, is aged in bourbon barrels for four months to create a distinct flavor experience. So, while Double Trouble is brewed to turn your world upside down, Doom is brewed to tear it apart: pungent hops conspire with boozy bourbon notes to send your senses spinning.

Known as “Hand of Doom” when originally brewed for Founders’ taproom, this 10% ABV beer is a unique addition to Founders’ barrel-aged repertoire, which has mostly consisted of malt-forward beers such as Backwoods Bastard and Kentucky Breakfast Stout.

“Doom is one of those beers that we’ve talked about releasing ever since we started the Backstage Series,” says Co-Founder and Vice President of Brand & Education Dave Engbers. “It’s hop heavy. It’s barrel-aged. It’s unapologetic. It’s the definition of a Founders beer.”

Founders’ Backstage Series is made up of boundary-pushing, experimental beers that have previously been available only in the brewery’s taproom and at a handful of high-exposure events. The intent of the series is to take the diehard Founders fan experience to a wider audience—though all of the beers are still released in limited batches. Since its introduction in the summer of 2011, Founders’ Backstage Series beers have quickly become some of the most sought-after releases in the industry.

Doom will be released in limited quantities across Founders’ distribution footprint beginning on Monday, April 22, and will be available at the brewery’s taproom through a ticketed release during the week of April 14. The brewery expects to release two more Backstage Series beers in 2013.

Anyone know how I could create a calendar to post releases on here? Any help would be great.

This news comes courtesy of beerpulse.com and a New Belgium press release.

(Fort Collins, CO) – New Belgium Brewing, maker of Fat Tire Amber Ale, is rolling out 2013’s sour beer offerings in style with the simultaneous release of this year’s La Folie and a fresh version of Transatlantique Kriek. This is New Belgium’s third collaboration with world-renowned sour beer expert Frank Boon to create Transatlantique Kriek, a beer brewed on two continents. New Belgium recently tripled its wood beer capacity and will be exploring further distribution of its harder to get sour beer offerings.

Transatlantique Kriek is a slightly sour cherry beer that came to life in the oaken vessels of Boon’s brewery in Belgium’s Lembeek Valley. After two years of wood aging, Boon’s cherry kriek shipped across the Atlantic and landed with New Belgium’s Brewmaster, Peter Bouckaert. Peter then created a full golden ale to round out this light-bodied kriek. The cherry nose gives way to a sour flash across the palate and rolls into a slightly sweet finish. Transatlantique Kriek is part of the Lips of Faith portfolio and is 8 percent ABV.

The 2013 version of La Folie, the award-winning sour brown that launched New Belgium’s wood beer program in 1997, is also making its debut this week. La Folie is a wood-conditioned beer, resting in French Oak barrels between one and three years before being bottled. It offers sour apple notes, a dry effervescence and earthy undertones. The brewery does a single bottling of the beer each year, offering La Folie lovers the opportunity to collect the 22-ounce, uniquely designed bottles. ABV is 6 percent.

“Working with Frank Boon is the ultimate partnership as we literally cross oceans to connect our passions for sour beer,” said New Belgium Brewer Grady Hull. “Both Transatlantique Kriek and La Folie illustrate the way you can push boundaries with sour beers, consistently sparking new enthusiasts.”

To learn more about New Belgium beers, tune in to BeerStream, a live video feed that gives fans an opportunity to engage real-time with the brewery, featuring virtual beer tastings, details on new beers, events, culture and more. The next BeerStream event, which will unearth fun facts about Dig Pale Ale, is February 12 at 6:00 p.m. mountain time. To learn more, go to http://bit.ly/Wykqim.

To find New Belgium beers in your area, you can use the New Belgium Libation Location tool: http://www.newbelgium.com/beer.aspx. Pricing varies by location. You can also follow New Belgium on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/newbelgium and Twitter @NewBelgium.

About New Belgium Brewing Company
New Belgium Brewing, makers of Fat Tire Amber Ale and a host of Belgian-inspired beers, is recognized as one of Outside Magazine’s Best Places to Work and one of the Wall Street Journal’s Best Small Businesses. The 100% employee owned brewery is a Platinum-level Bicycle Friendly Business as designated by the League of American Bicyclists, and one of World Blu’s most democratic U.S. businesses. In addition to Fat Tire, New Belgium brews eight year round beers; Ranger IPA, Shift Pale Lager, Sunshine Wheat, 1554 Black Ale, Blue Paddle Pilsener, Belgo IPA, Abbey Belgian Ale and Trippel. Learn more at http://www.newbelgium.com.

One of the most exciting times of the year is when Bell’s Hopslam is released. I decided to start off with a couple six packs from John’s Grocery and as I sit here enjoying this wonderfully fresh double IPA, I’ve realized I might not have gotten enough. This is one of those beers that makes you wanna sing! and there is only one song that comes to mind and a handful of beers that I will play it for; cue the music!

One of the most exciting times of the year is when Bell’s Hopslam is released. I decided to start off with a couple six packs from John’s Grocery and as I sit here enjoying this wonderfully fresh double IPA, I’ve realized I might not have gotten enough. This is one of those beers that makes you wanna sing! and there is only one song that comes to mind and a handful of beers that I will play it for; cue the music!