Big Grove Brewery will be tapping another tasty sounding cask. This time it’s going to be their popular Arms Race Pale Ale brewed with Blood Oranges. This cask will be tapped Friday March 10, 2017.
Along with this cask the brewery will be releasing a 3 item appetizer trio. Check out the photo below for more info on this trio! Another fantastic sounding beer with a fantastic sounding dish!
I couldn’t do just 1 Drink This! edition this time around as the state of Iowa is sending out so much great beer I had to do three! As we approach the 2017 Coralville Brrr Fest and with the program released this past week anticipation is mounting for ticket holders to get a taste of Iowa’s finest breweries and beers. Within the last 5 days I’ve had the opportunity to try 3 amazing beers from 3 amazing Iowa breweries. So here are three beers the you have to DRINK NOW!
**Big Grove Brewery – Buster Triple IPA** – Buster released this past Tuesday and I knew for sure I had to hit Big Grove and try this baby fresh. Mosaic hops shine with flavors of juicy fruit gum, tropical fruits, and some grassiness. A wonderful dank ass triple IPA. There is one thing that can be bad about this brew…it’s scary drinkable. An 11.4% ABV triple IPA can definitely put you on your ass if you don’t pay attention! This might arguably be the best or one of the best double/triple IPAs in the state. Follow this link to see my post on where it will be available and they also just hit the Cellar Peanut Pub in Pella with a hell of a lineup! So good, can’t wait for another glass! Cheers Big Grove!
**Lion Bridge Brewery – GAZPROM 2017** – I’ve been waiting for this release since last year. Lion Bridge takes the shitty, dark, long ass month of January and makes pretty damn enjoyable with their Barrel-Aged January releases. A new release, every week, for the month of January and all barrel-aged beers. I’ve loved the Winter Warmer and the Royal Wee but the big dog for me is GAZPROM!. The sweetness from the syrup is the perfect balance to booziness from the barrels. I say this a lot but this is a top-tier beer for me….maybe top 10? Top 5? Either way, I can’t wait to have more of this and thank you Quinton and Alec and Lion Bridge for making January tolerable!
**Madhouse Brewery – VIP Barrel Aged Vanilla Porter** – was happy my Mt. Vernon Road Hy-Vee had a few bottles of this, wasn’t sure if we would see it all. I had been hearing good things coming from the fine beer folks in Des Moines and was hoping to land one of these. I’ve been hit and miss with vanilla added to my beers. Sometimes I dig it when it’s not over they type vanilla extract and with Madhouse VIP I’m really digging it. The slight sweetness from the vanilla pairs with the barrel and just a faint hint of cigar smoke on the aftertaste. Viscous, tasty, and warming. An excellent companion to a chilly January evening.
There you go Iowa. Three newer beers for you to try. Hopefully all 3 make it somewhere close to your area and you get a taste, and hopefully you enjoyed them as much as I did/do! Cheers!
Big Grove will be releasing their Buster Triple IPA at the brewery Tuesday and below if where you will be able to get it at other locations around Cedar Rapids/Iowa City starting on Friday this week. Make sure you get yourself a taste of this bad boy!
There she is..Buster Triple IPA checking in at 11.3%. It got kegged today and will be tapping this week on Friday. Here’s a list of who will have this bad boy on tap: Shorts Burger & Shine, Club 76, Reds, 30Hop, Vesta, Zeppelins, Need Pizza, Bricks, The Mill, Blackstone, Shakespeare’s, Central Standard and Mosley’s.
The fellas at Big Grove Brewery in Solon continue to be busy brewing up some tastiness for us beer drinking folks and next Tuesday they are bringing out the big guns as “Buster” makes its way back to their tap lines.
This triple IPA is brewed with caliente, mosaic, and wakatu hops and will check in around 11.3%. Don’t forget tonight (Jan.20th) they have a pin of Trident triple IPA with amarillo and simcoe added! Friday night pins at Big Grove are a can’t miss! Cheers!
Oh yes, another Top 10 list. Everyone loves to read a top 10 list; either to trash it, agree with it, discuss it, or do all of the above. My top 10 list of favorite “new” beers of the year has certain criteria to meet. The beer must:
1: Be a beer I had not tasted previously
2: Must be available for purchase at Eastern Iowa breweries, restaurants, or liquor stores.
That’s it.
This list could easily be 25-50 beers deep, but I finally got it down to 10. Last year my list was a tad excessive so I refocused, recollected, and thought long and hard. This is purely subjective and I know I probably left one off that made your list so feel free to respond with your top 10, top 5, or just your favorite of the year. So, without further ado, in no particular order, the Baron’s Top 10:
**Prairie Pirate Noir – I just had this beer this past weekend and was absolutely blown away. Part of 4 variants released recently in Eastern Iowa and this one was my favorite of the 4. All very good, but this one stood out. Rum barrels shine a bit more in this beer than in Pirate Bomb! A very viscous stout and perfect for a chilly Iowa day. I would love more of this!
**Reunion Tank Puncher – I hope folks were able to try this beer from Reunion and I hope they decide to make more of it as well. This was my entry into my family beer festival and eventual gold medal winner (back to back for me :). This is the perfect beer for the tropical hop crazed beer lover. Reunion was out the last time I checked, let’s hope they get this one up and rolling again!
**Lion Bridge Gobble Wobble – take a traditional style brown masterfully done by Lion Bridge and age it on Wild Turkey barrels…what do you get? An excellent cold weather brew! The taste from the barrel pairs well perfect with the nuttiness of the brown to give you the a great companion to warm you up this winter.
**Kickshaw Pipo– watermelon shines in this sour/blonde beer from Kickshaw. Stocking up on this one as I’m looking forward to a few glasses of this during the summer months but damn it sure is tasty along side a salad and even better with some fish tacos! Looking forward to more from Bill and Kickshaw!
**Summit Unchained: Dark Infusion – this beer made my Drink This! write up. You can view that here: https://iabeerbaron.com/2016/11/05/drink-this-summit-dark-infusion-coffee-milk-stout/. Summit gave us one of the best stouts of the year IMO and luckily I’m still able to grab four packs of this from the shelves. Almost chocolate covered caramel with some coffee splashed in. Stout lovers will rejoice for this brew. No need for barrels, this is perfect as is.
Odell Jolly Russian– I must have a thing for rum that was apparent until drinking this and Pirate Noir. So many great barrel aged beers available to us this year and I was happy to get a chance to try this one. The dark roast and coffee flavors blend nicely with the rum barrel. I would love a few more bottles of this!
**Big Grove Brewery Richard and Pralines – keep the barrel-aged year going with a brew from a local brewery. Big Grove has made their mark with some great pales/IPAs and their popular Richard the Whale and variants. This variant adds a bit of sweetness to Richard. If you can still get a pour of this, order yourself an Arms Race as this warms and then you’ll be in for a real treat. With the opening of the new brewery on the horizon it will be interesting to see what Big Grove has in store for us!
**Pulpit Rock Loopy Lynn – a relative newcomer to the Iowa beer scene and right across the street from TG, Pulpit Rock has become a big time player making some awesome brews! I had this double IPA at a Pulpit tap takeover at Blackstone Restaurant in Iowa City and was blown away. City shines though on this juicy double. I really want more of this!
**Pulpit Rock For the Joy of Almonds – liquid Almond Joy. Amazing beer on its own or for dessert. Pulpit takes their milk stout and ages it on toasted coconut, cocoa nibs, and almonds to give you silky, smooth, delicious stout. Pulpit brews are starting to pop up more in the Eastern Iowa area. Need Pizzeria in Cedar Rapids has had them on frequently and Reds Alehouse is starting to get some kegs as well. Great things coming out of Decorah.
**Toppling Goliath Double Dry Hopped Sue – How do you make an already impressive and sought after beer more impressive and sought after? Double Dry hop that bad boy and that’s what Toppling Goliath did with PseudoSue. More hops equals more hazy goodness from this beer. Hopefully this makes a return this summer as this would make a fine companion to some grilling in the Iowa heat.
Honorable Mentions:
Odell Elephunk, 3rd Base Friends Forever, Pulpit Rock Mighty Fine, New Holland Dragon’s Milk Coconut Rum Reserve, Lagunitas High Westified, Prairie Apple Brandy Noir, Big Grove Raspberry Que Sera.
There’s the list. There were some beers I wish I could’ve tried but missed out on, there were some that would make many lists and some that made mine but not even scratch the surface of yours. My New Year’s Resolution is keep trying to get to the Iowa breweries. I would love some more Alluvial and 515 in my life. I would love to see what beers made your list. Maybe it’s time for another Best of Iowa poll? Happy New Year!
Big Grove Brewery will be bringing out the heavy hitters this Friday, December 30th as they present “Stout with a Bang”. A tap takeover consisting of stouts only..and some great stouts at that. Tapping begins at 11 a.m. on Friday morning. Here’s the beer list for this event:
-Richard the Whale 2015
-Richard the Whale Coffee 2016 following the 2015 Richard
-Pralines & Richard
-2016 Calf-feinated Zadar! Nitro Milk Stout with JBC coffee
-Prairie Bomb!
-Jolly Pumpkin Madrugada Obscura
-Goose Island Bourbon County 2016
-Clown Shoes Hammer of the Beast
-Sierra Nevada Narwhal 2016
I’ll be there right around 11 so hopefully I see a few folks there! Also, don’t forget the Triad is on tap as well! Cheers!
Big Grove Brewery will be releasing their Citra Triad today at the brewery and will follow with more tappings of these three brews at other locations. If you’re in the CR/IC area you’ll want to get your hands on these! These three beers are Arms Race, 16 Minuteman, and Trident, get them while you can! Here’s the info:
Thursday, December 22nd11am-30Hop Crowler fill12pm-3pm-Johns Grocery Minuteman & Trident sampling and growler fill4pm-Zepplins Que Sera Lime & Honey pin tapping with Citra Triad5pm-Brick’s Bar & Grill6pm-Shorts Burger & Shine7:30pm-Mosley’s8pm-The MillFriday, December 23rd11am-1pm-HyVee North Dodge IC, Citra Triad sampling & growler fills2pm-Need Pizza3:30pm-Pullman4-6pm Film Scene Citra Triad & Third Base Brewery & Another Road collab “Friends Forever” samplingReds Alehouse will be tapping Citra triad Monday 26th
Big Grove is busy place this month as they prepare for their “Citra Triad” release which will consist of Arms Race, 16 Minuteman Double IPA, and Trident Triple IPA. These three brews will be available in the taproom starting December 21st and then hit some accounts on the days following. Stay tuned for more.
Big Grove has been doing some great pin releases on Friday evenings and this Friday will be no different. They will be tapping a cask of their Business Time double IPA with kiwi this Friday, December 16th. Make sure you check this out!
Big Grove Brewery will be releasing a new double IPA tomorrow, Nov. 30th, at 5:00 p.m. To go along with that, they will also be bringing back their Citra Triad and will be releasing those three beers December 21st at the brewery and then hitting the market the 22nd and 23rd. Stay tuned for more on the Triad release and here’s more information on Business Time Double IPA:
Business Time
Double IPA
7.8% ABVI know what you’re trying to say, you’re trying to say it’s time for business. It’s business time. Ooh!
Our all New Zealand hopped Double IPA is rich with guava and passionfruit aroma. It starts off with a light caramel sweetness, spicy hints of black pepper, finishing with an assertive bitterness.
You know how I know? Because it’s Wednesday.Dry Hop: Green Bullet & Wakatu
BGB uses a variety of local honey from around the area including Ron Puettmann & Tony Pagliai that have hives near Solon.
Business Time you say?
Quite a few things going down Thanksgiving weekend in the beer community in Eastern Iowa. Everyone knows that Goose Island Bourbon County Stout releases on Black Friday but there are a ton of other goings on happening with local bars and breweries too! Below you will find a list of many releases taking place, not just BCBS. Also, a big update on future Big Grove pins and an update on their new brewery too! I’ll hopefully be updating this as the list continues to grow. For more info on Lion Bridge’s release, make sure you clink the link to their Facebook page. If you have more news, shoot me a message and I’ll get it posted ASAP!
Another Road Brewing
Another Road will be having a free lunch with a beer purchase. They will have beef stew made with Dry Pump Stout, beer cheese soup made with our Honey Wheat, and Brownies made with our Vanilla Porter. We will be tapping the Vanilla Porter at noon, As well as setting out food. This is all taking place on Small Business Saturday. Another Road brewing is located in Marion, IA.
Benz Beverage Depot
Benz Beverage Depot will be handing out samples and releasing Goose Island Bourbon County Stout on December 10th from 10-Noon. Allocation information will be coming soon. On November 23rd they will be having a whiskey tasting. 10% off wine beer and spirits all day, and on November 25th it will 15% off wine beer and spirits.
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Big Grove Brewery
Here is the release schedule for future Big Grove pins. Make sure you mark these on your schedule. Also, some picture updates below on the new brewery coming to Iowa City next year!
11/18 Boomtown with ginger, Honey, Vanilla
11/25 Que Onda Roja with Dates and Figs
12/2 IPA with Juniper
12/9 Arms Race Pale Ale with Pineapple, WL Amarillo
12/23 Russian Imperial with Ginger, Clove, Allspice, 
Molasses
12/30 Que Onda Roja with Tart Cherries’
**30bbls serving vessels and a 60bbl fermenter.
Bootleggin’ Barzini’s
Barzini’s will be having a 6:00 p.m. release on Black Friday for regular Bourbon County Stout and the limit will be 2 per person. Any other Bourbon County offerings will be available via lotteries during December along with many sought after bourbons and whiskies…..Pappy something I hear. If in the Iowa City area check them out!
Brick Bar and Grill
Bricks is hosting Stout and Wars and although the event is sold out there may be some tap lines that still have some greatness in them. Here’s more from Bricks:
11 of the 12 beers should make it through the event to be available at around 5 pm on December 10th when it finishes. (Vanilla Rye will be the only bottle pour of this event). To recap the full lineup:
1. Founders Brewing Co. Kentucky Breakfast Stout
2. Goose Island 2015 Bourbon County Brand Stout
3. Stone Brewing w00tstout 3.0
4. Stone Brewing Xocoveza Charred
5. Oskar Blues Brewery Barrel-Aged Ten Fidy
6. Big Grove Brewery Richard the Whale Praline
7. Odell Brewing Co Jolly Russian
8. Goose Island Bourbon County Vanilla Rye 2014
9. Third Base Brewery TBD Stout
10. Founders Brewing Co. Lizard of Koz
11. Avery Brewing Company Vanilla Bean Stout
12. Evil Twin Brewing Imperial Biscotti Break
Confluence Brewing Company
We will have extended taproom hours and beer specials throughout the week of Thanksgiving! Make sure you stock up on beer for your holiday gatherings. Our hours and specials are listed below.Tuesday, November 22nd- noon-10pm. $2 off 64oz growlers, $1 off 32oz growlers (new and refills).
Wednesday, November 23rd- noon-10pm. $2 off 64oz growlers, $1 off 32oz growlers (new and refills).
Thursday, November 24th- Taproom CLOSED.
Friday, November 25th- Black Friday special! $1 off pints of “black” beers from noon-5pm.
Saturday, November 26th- noon-11pm. No beer specials.
Sunday, November 27th- noon-7pm. No beer specials.
Coralville Brrr Fest
Brrr Fest tickets go on sale on Black Friday. Brewmaster/VIP tickets sold out in less than a week last year. Date for this year’s Brrr Fest is January 28th. John’s Grocery and Coralville Hy-Vee will be selling general admission tickets as well.
Coralville Hy-Vee Wine and Spirits
The Coralville Hy-Vee Wine and Spirits will be having a Black Friday bourbon county release 11/25/16. Their release will start at 6:00 am and be 2 per person limit on Bourbon County Stout and 1 per person limit on barleywine.
Iowa Brewing Company
Iowa brewing company is having a Ready for Eddie party on the patio Thanksgiving morning from 7-12. They are offering $3.00 beers and an escape from parades and family. unless your family is cool, then you can bring them along. More details on our Facebook page.
Johns Grocery
John’s Grocery will be filling Richard the Whale, Richard with Coffee, and Richard with Praline starting on Black Friday @ 11:00 a.m. They are hoping to have Bourbon County in at the same time but it all depends on the truck drops. BCBS Barleywine will be released sometime in December.
Kickshaw Barrel Works
Kickshaw Barrel Works will be doing a Pipo preview at Lion Bridge Brewing Company in Cedar Rapids on November 26th. Here’s more on Pipo:
7% watermelon sour, fermented for 5 months with Kroul Farms watermelons.Lion Bridge Brewery
Lion Bridge Brewery
Lion Bridge will be having their Maple Disaster bottle release on Saturday, November 26th starting at noon. They will also be selling 2nd Anniversary Biere de Garde bottles and will have maple disaster, Coffee maple disaster, and Biere de Garde on tap that day as well. Click HERE to link to their Facebook event page, should be great!
Madhouse Brewing Company
Not technically Thanksgiving week but Madhouse will be hosting a Barrel-Room Open House and tasting party. According to their Facebook page, which you can visit HERE, this is the list of brews that will be available:
Join us for a beer release party and grand opening for our new Sour Barrel-Room events space.
NEW BEERS TO BE RELEASED:
-2016 Madhouse Wee-Heavy – Imperial Scotch Ale aged in Heaven Hill Bourbon barrels. Caramel and toffee aromas with sweet malt flavors. Available in 750ml bottles.
*Madhouse Fruit & Spice Series – A collection of sour beers, each showcasing a unique flavor combination of fruit and spice. Available in 750ml bottles.
-Strawberry Fields – Strawberry/Basil
-Mango Tango – Mango/Cardamom
-Velvet Fuzz – Peach/Lavender
-Maui Wowie – Pineapple/Coconut
Mt. Vernon Road Hy-Vee
We will be doing a first come first served basis on all bourbon county that we get, limit one or two depending on how much we receive. Delivery should be early in the morning but no set time. On Tuesday, November 22nd they will be releasing a barrel-aged Maple Disaster by Lion Bridge starting at 5:00. Limit 1 per person.
Oakland Rd Hy-Vee
Oakland Rd. Hy-Vee in Cedar Rapids will be releasing on the 28th at 4:00 pm and limit 3 person until it is gone.
Quarter Barrel Brewery and Arcade
Quarter Barrel Brewing will be releasing Ebenezer Old Ale on Black Friday. This is a recipe that the brewer and his wife have homebrewed and shared with friends and family for years before opening our brewery. Since they weren’t able to open in time to release a full scale version last year, it was brewed in February and set it off to age. A more limited availability whiskey barrel aged bottled version will be available closer to Christmas.
Red’s Alehouse
Reds Alehouse is planning a BOCO event on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, and are still hammering out the details. They won’t have the 2016 release since that doesn’t drop until Friday but they are hoping to have some vintages and other cellared Goose Island brews available. All the information will be out in the next day or two! They will also be opening their doors Thanksgiving morning from 8-9 a.m. to do growler fills!
Sanctuary Pub
The Sanctuary Pub in Iowa City will be tapping the Boulevard/Firestone Walker Collaboration on Black Friday. Here’s more on that brew:
Collaboration No. 6 will be composed of the following beers:
Boulevard Bourbon Barrel Quad – 45%
Based loosely on the Smokestack Series’ The Sixth Glass, this abbey-style quadrupel is separated into a number of oak bourbon barrels where it ages for varying lengths of time, some for up to three years. Cherries are added to make up for the “angel’s share” of beer lost during barrel aging. Selected barrels are then blended for optimum flavor. The resulting beer retains only very subtle cherry characteristics, with toffee and vanilla notes coming to the fore.
ABV – 11.8, IBU – 19Firestone Walker Stickee Monkee – 35%
Brewed with Belgian candi sugar and aged in a selection of fine bourbon barrels, Stickee Monkee trailblazes its own category as a “Central Coast Quad.” The name Stickee Monkee is a nod to the Central Coast’s native Sticky Monkey flower, as well as a shout‐out to the Belgian monks who pioneered the Quad style. The Belgian candi sugar imparts a signature molasses sweetness to the beer. Meanwhile, maturation in bourbon casks brings ample barrel expression with notes of toasted oak, coconut, leather and cigar tobacco.
ABV – 13, IBU – 45Imperial Stout X – Tart Cherry (Whiskey Barrel-aged) – 10%
Our special treat for lovers of big, complex stouts, the Imperial Stout “X” series offers a year-long roster of limited releases, each with a significant variation. This riff spotlights the addition of tart cherries to fermentation as well as a lactic souring on the brewhouse. The result is a perfect marriage of robust, smoky maltiness and bracing tartness. Unlike the release version of Imperial Stout X – Tart Cherry, this portion was briefly aged in previously used whiskey barrels.
ABV – 11, IBU – 64Firestone Walker Velvet Merkin – 10%
Velvet Merkin is the beer that almost wasn’t…Indeed, this vintage oatmeal stout’s comical (or is it scandalous?) name went off the grid for several years, but now it’s back due to popular demand. Velvet Merkin is aged for a full year in retired spirits barrels from Heaven Hill, Woodford Reserve and others, yet manages to offer mind-boggling balance and restraint. You will wig out when you taste Velvet Merkin’s rich milk chocolate, bourbon and espresso flavors, preceded by aromas of vanilla, coconut, toasted oak and mocha.
ABV – 8.5, IBU – 33Collaboration No. 6 – Barrel-Aged Blend will be released starting in the Greater Kansas City Area on November 7th (draft) and November 8th (750 mL bottles) and will be sold through Boulevard’s distribution network. Areas that normally see Smokestack Series limited release beers like Saison-Brett or Rye-on-Rye should expect to see Collaboration No. 6 in the coming weeks.
