Tag: iabeerbaron

Dubuque Beer Festival Review

Leave a comment

brewfestAnother beer festival in the books and another successful one as well. The city of Dubuque hosted their beer festival this past Saturday at the Ice Arena and were greeted with a huge turnout, terrific breweries, excellent meat and cheese booths, and an entertaining band. With the V.I.P. ticket I was able to go in an hour early and not have to wait in line to try the brews. Able to talk with the guys from Big Grove, Toppling Goliath, and others.

Toppling Goliath had a smaller booth than I thought they would have and had Dorothy’s Lager and Golden Nugget on tap but were also pouring Zeelander and XHOPS bottles. When Golden Nugget went try they tapped into pseudoSue. One of my favorite moments was while waiting in line for some Sue an older gentlemen had his first taste sue, and after drinking it, said “WOW!” and then proceeded to tell his buddy how amazing it was.

There were a lot of good beers to try as some of my favorites were Big Grove breweries Red Headed Stranger, Exile’s Mamie (Schwarzbier), Bent River’s Raspberry wheat mixed with their uncommon stout, Potosi’s barleywine, and of course TG’s brews. It’s always great to catch up with Joe Hotek who works for Tallgrass Brewing and try their beers as well.

One of the more memorable events of the evening was meeting Lance Rice, a beer historian with autism who is currently having a documentary of him touring breweries across the country. Being able to ask him questions about the history of beer in Iowa was definitely a high point. To learn more about Lance’s Brewery Tour visit his Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/lancesbrewerytour

Deschutes Upcoming Releases Update

1 Comment

Fresh SqeezedI just read the following news from beerpulse.com. More Deschutes brews on their way to shelves with 3 special releases coming as well. Here’s the latest from Deschutes:

Fresh Squeezed IPA 
6.4% ABV | 60 IBUs
Perfectly named, Fresh Squeezed IPA tastes like freshly juiced hops with a hint of malt to provide the perfect balance of flavors and aromas. Citra and Mosaic hops give the beer its tangerine and citrus-like flavors and are a perfect combination to create a “fresh hop” flavor without actually using fresh hops. Enjoy a pint of this magnificent IPA on your back porch, with friends, or with your favorite home cooked meal and be sure to squeeze every last drop from your bottle…
Bond Street Series
Available year-round in 6-packs and on draft where Deschutes beer is sold beginning March 3rd

Mirror Mirror
~11% ABV | ~30 IBUs
Once again we bring you this complex barley wine with layers of flavors that will coat your tongue and please your taste buds. Mirror Mirror was born as a double batch of Mirror Pond Pale Ale aged in wine barrels and had only been released twice before in 2005 and 2009. We are very excited to bring this beer to our fans once again so everyone can enjoy this latest version with every sip. Be sure to grab a bottle for now and one to age as flavors will evolve and mature over time.
Reserve Series
Limited availability in 22 ounce bottles and on draft beginning March 6th

WE’RE PUTTING THESE THREE FAVORITES IN 22 OZ BOTTLES FOR YOU THIS YEAR BEGINNING IN MARCH…

Armory XPA
Craft beer fans have spoken and we listened. We are finally putting this experimental pale ale (first beer brewed at our Portland Pub) into a bottle for you to take home and share with all of your friends. Armory XPA gets its bitter twist from Nugget and Northern Brewer hops, then delivers a pronounced citrus kick from Cascade, Centennial and Citra hops. Consider this your next hop obsession.
Mainline
5.9% ABV | 58 IBUs

Cinder Cone Red 
Fans of Cinder Cone Red UNITE! We’re bringing this malty, rich, and beautifully colored beer back in bottles for you to enjoy once again. Savor the caramel and toffee flavors balanced against Amarillo and Tettnang hops to give you a subtle bite that will have you wanting another.
Mainline
5.3% ABV | 55 IBUs

Pine Mountain Pilsner
Looking for a true German-style Pilsner with a smooth malt taste and a crisp hop finish? Then look no further. In Pine Mountain Pilsner we’ve used the finest Pilsner malts, Hallertau Mittelfrüh hops and German lager yeast to bring you this tasty beverage that is as crisp as a cool, clear night on Pine Mountain.
Mainline
5.2% ABV | 40 IBUs

Central Waters Brewing Coming to Iowa!

Leave a comment

indexA few correspondences this morning and a nice confirmation by @JasonBGP along with a beer releasing at Reds have confirmed that Central Waters Brewing is coming to Iowa. Here’s the info I received:

rolling out last week of this month via Johnson Brothers

From Reds Alehouse: Central Waters Brewing Company is coming! Be here on Feb. 26th to drink it in!

More about the brewery:

History

In 1996, two friends, Mike McElwain and Jerome Ebel, bought an old brick building on Highway 10 in Junction City, Wisconsin. The building, built around 1920, was originally a Model-A Ford dealership. Subsequently, the building housed a barbershop, followed by a liquidator of second-hand goods, before being vacated in 1988. Mike and Jerome purchased the building in 1996, and spent the next two years thoroughly cleaning and restoring it. When the facility was ready for its first beer production, the friends put together the funds to purchase some used dairy equipment. This equipment was retrofitted to ultimately become the brewery’s first brew house. Months later, Central Waters Brewery came to be…

Barrel Aged Old Rasputin XVI coming soon!

Leave a comment

old raspyJust received the following update from http://www.beerpulse.com on the release of North Coast brewing’s Old Rasputin XVI. Here’s the news:

After nine months of aging in oak bourbon barrels, North Coast Brewing’s award-winning Barrel Aged Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout was released on February 1. Old Rasputin is known as the gold standard for Russian Imperial Stouts. The barrel aging process imbues this rich, intense brew with an even more complex flavor profile.

Barrel Aged Old Rasputin XVI will be arriving at fine retail establishments, restaurants and bars throughout the month of February.

1st Round of Brews Available at Dubuque Beer Festival

Leave a comment

brewfestThe first round of beers that are going to be poured at the Dubuque Beer Festival Saturday, February 15th has been released. There should be more information on what else is being brought as the week goes on but so far here’s the list:

Grumpy Troll – Spetsnaz Stout, Fox and Badger Ale, Troll’s Gold Lager

 Potosi Brewing –  Potosi Tangerine IPA, Eclipse Black IPA, Potosi Barrel Aged Brandy Wine, Steamboat Shandy, Gandy Dancer Porter..

 BLUE CAT

Blue cat brew pub will be sampling their  abbey…..something and blue bastard Baltic porter

 @CapBrew lineup for #DbqBrewfest – Jobu Rum Barrel Aged Brown Ale, Wisconsin Amber, Mutiny IPA, Maibock, and Dark Voyage IPA

Backpocket Brewing from Coralville, IA
Slingshot Dunkel, Penny Whistle Bavarian Wheat, Wooden Nickel Scottish Lager, Gold Coin Helles!

Boulevard Brewing Company ‘s lineup: Boulevard Tank Series (Saison), Irish Ale (Spring Seasonal), Boulevard Unfiltered Wheat Beer, and Boulevard’s Single Wide IPA. #DbqBrewfest

Bent River Brewing Company
UnCommon Stout
Jalapeño Pepper Ale

Boston Beer Company :
Sam Adams Rebel IPA
Sam Adams Lager
Sam Adams Cold Snap
Angry Orchard Crisp Apple
Angry Orchard Cinnful Apple

Breckenridge Brewery of Colorado
Breckenridge Ophelia
Breckenridge 471 IPA Small Batch

Exile Brewing Co.
Ruthie (Gold Lager)
Hannah (South German Style Hefeweizen)
Gigi (Dark Lager)
Seasonal

Front Street Brewery
Simcoe IPA
Davenport Gold
Raging River Ale
Winter Warmer Ale

Galena Brewing Company
Grigori’s Russian Imperial Stout
Hoppy Wheat American Wheat Ale
MacDougals 90/- Scotch Ale
Wassailers Belgian Witbier

Green Flash Brewing Co.
West Coast IPA
Double Stout Black IPA
Saison Diego Farmhouse Ale
Palate Wrecker

Founders KBS release date announced!

Leave a comment

kbsFounders has announced the official release date for their highly anticipated Kentucky Breakfast stout beer. This comes Founders’ Facebook page:

KBS will be released starting April 1 across our distribution footprint this year. We’re doing something special for KBS here in Grand Rapids in March, but we aren’t quite ready to announce the details yet. Please stay tuned.

Stone Go To IPA, Founders Centennial Cans coming soon!

Leave a comment

Stone will be the latest brewery coming out with a sessionable IPA as their Go To IPA is slated to hit markets in March this year. The advertisement below gives you an idea of what to expect from the this brew. Also coming in the next few months will be another can option coming from Founders. This time it’s their Centennial IPA hitting the canning line.

Got news? Drop me an email!

stone

Hot 25 of ’13 Part 4!

Leave a comment

25Shout out to the folks at Coralville Brrr Fest this past weekend. Had another really good time and finally got to meet a few beer folks I’ve tweeted with frequently in the past. A lot of excitement for Eastern Iowa beer lovers again this week with the releases of Toppling Goliath XHOPS Orange and Zeelander. I have a couple of each in my fridge and will dig into them during the Iowa game tonight. Onto the list!

 

 

boulevard**Boulevard Saison-Brett**
If I remember correctly I enjoyed this for the 1st time during the warm month of August. I had just finished doing some random yardwork around the house and poured this brew. It was almost a goose bump moment when I took a nice long drink, I then immediately drove to a few Hy-Vees around the area and bought a bunch more bottles. Boulevard says it’s okay to cellar this beer if you want more of the “brett” to show through, and that’s what I’ve been doing but the temptation to bust out a few more is always there. More from the brewery:

Saison-Brett, based on our very popular Tank 7, is assertively dry hopped, then bottle conditioned with various yeasts, including Brettanomyces, a wild strain that imparts a distinctive earthy quality. Though this farmhouse ale was given three months of bottle age prior to release, further cellaring will continue to enhance the “Brett” character, if that’s what you’re after.

RATEBEER: 100/100
BEERADVOCATE: 96/100

schlafly**Schlafly American IPA**
Schlafly had been a hit and miss brewery with me until I tried their Tasmanian IPA and then their American IPA; both fantastic brews. American IPA barely beat out the Taz as I thought the Taz got a tad to sweet the longer it sit. Both are great, but Taz is nearing the end of its market time for the year and now we get to enjoy the American IPA. One great brew to another. 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.

RATEBEER: 98/100
BEERADVOCATE: 92/100

All Day**Founders All Day IPA**
Session IPAs are getting more and more pub as more and more breweries start to make them. However, no one has hit the nail on the head as Founders did with their All Day IPA. Cans and bottles, this IPA comes in at 4.7% and you consume quite a few of these without the normal result that an IPA brings such as puking all over a nice white carpet, waking up on a cold basement floor, pissing your pants (Mr. Haywood) …. you get where I’m going. This has become so popular we can expect the first (I believe) 15 pack of beer available coming this spring/summer. My go-to tailgate for Iowa Hawkeye football games. From the brewery:

The beer you’ve been waiting for. Keeps your taste satisfied while keeping your senses sharp. An all-day IPA naturally brewed with a complex array of malts, grains and hops. Balanced for optimal aromatic and a clean finish. The perfect reward for an honest day’s work and the ultimate companion to celebrate life’s simple pleasures.

RATEBEER: 96/100
BEERADVOCATE: 86/100

Kentucky Brunch**Toppling Goliath Kentucky Brunch**
I’m not sure there will be any sense of normalcy when it comes to crowds when Toppling Goliath does a special release, but at the 2013 Kentucky Brunch release times were still relatively normal. A huge crowd, yes, busy bar, but for the most part, containable. And even though I didn’t get to try it on tap (ticket #117), I was able secure 2 bottles. Saved for my wedding anniversary and shared with my wife (who loved it more than I was hoping), this brew met all the hype and I can’t wait to go to Decorah the next TG does a release. (Can I put up a tent in the parking lot?) From the brewery:

Beer Aged in Whiskey Barrels with Coffee. 

RATEBEER: 100/100
BEERADVOCATE: 100/100

breakfast stout**Founders Breakfast Stout**
A silky, creamy, stroke of genius. The “big” stout that got me to appreciate what a higher ABV stout can bring. Chocolate, coffee, roasted malts and the fact that Founders pretty much says I can enjoy this for breakfast, = great beer. Founders might be one of the best things to happen to Eastern Iowa beer shelves because of the amount of great stuff they supply. More from the brewery:

You’ve got to love coffee to truly appreciate this phenomenal brew. Brewed with an abundance of flaked oats, bitter and sweetened imported chocolates, Sumatra and Kona coffee. We’re actually not sure if this is some type of coffee cake or a beer. Either way you can drink this ale with a fork. Breakfast Stout has an intense fresh roasted coffee nose toped with a cinnamon colored frothy head that seems to never fade and makes you wish breakfast could last forever.

RATEBEER: 100/100
BEERADVOCATE: 100/100

One more list of 5 to go! Do my first 20 come anywhere close to yours? What have I missed or did I come pretty close to yours? Would love to hear your thoughts.

Founders All Day IPA 15 Packs hitting the market

Leave a comment

That’s right, 15 packs. Here’s more from the brewery:

We’re excited to announce 15-pack cans of All Day IPA will begin shipping to our distributor partners in March, replacing All Day IPA 12-pack cans without raising the suggested retail price.

AllDay_15pk

This is the first time a major craft brewery has put out a 15-pack.

“We are able to offer 15-pack cans due to production efficiencies from packaging cost savings,” said Co-Founder Mike Stevens. “We’re excited to pass the savings on to our customers as a way of saying thank you for their reception of All Day IPA.”

Developing the All Day IPA recipe was no easy task. “We recognized the need for a full-flavored IPA with a lower ABV,” said Co-Founder Dave Engbers. “The challenge was creating a beer that had intense hop aromatics balanced with the malts without packing a big ABV punch.”

Following a limited release in 2012 due to hop shortages, we were able to send All Day IPA to all of our markets in February 2013, and it quickly became our leading seller. We moved the beer from our seasonal to our year-round lineup in July of last year. All Day IPA was the first Founders product to be released in cans; 12-pack cans of the beer hit the market in August 2013.

All Day IPA is a 4.7% ABV session ale, brewed with Simcoe and Amarillo hops and measuring out at 42 IBUs. We set our minds to brewing this beer because we wanted an American IPA that worked with an active lifestyle. It has won numerous awards, including a silver medal in the session beer category at the GABF in 2010 under a working name and, most recently, a 2014 Good Food Award.

We’re calling this new All Day IPA 15-pack a “Brewer’s Dozen”.

Centennial IPA, the newest addition to our canned offerings, will remain in 12-packs. All Day IPA will still be available in the traditional six-pack bottles in addition to 15-pack cans. Other beers from our portfolio may be canned, as well, but those brands have yet to be determined.