Madhouse brewing is releasing a couple new seasonals in up coming months. I’m not sure if these beers will be a part of their Venture Series or just a couple new beers added to their seasonal schedule. The following information comes from www.madhousebeer.com.
May 1st- Maple Nutbrown. This beer is made with Iowa maple syrup.
June 1st- Belgian Golden Ale. Made with Nelson Sauvin hops.
This comes from http://www.craftbeer.com and a tweet from @BeerBizdaily. Good news to say the least!
@BeerBizDailyHarry SchuhmacherDeschutes to enter Nebraska and Iowa this year, Ohio next year, per CBD. The march east continues.Unrelated, Asian carp enter G Lakes.
Like most people who have tried their beers, I have really taken a liking to Surly’s product (www.surlybrewing.com). Furious, Abrasive, Bender, and Coffee Bender are all fabulous beers that I’ve tried from them. Lately, a buddy and I have taken to ordering some beers from places like france44.com and halftimebeverage.com. France44 works out really well if you are in the mood for some Surly beers and with my buddy’s latest order he took a shot on a Surly beer neither one of us had tried yet.
I will be the first to admit that I haven’t had much experience with dortmunder or helles style beers but after trying Hell, it seems to me that Surly is doing this style justice. The name was kind of misleading to me at first; I was thinking of some sort of chipotle or pepper beer but instead, Hell is referring to the German word for light. This beer was definitely light in the pour with a golden hazy pour with a nice sized head. Very bready and yeasty in the aroma. Definitely get the pils malt with the first few drinks and the bread follows through with a hint a lemon citrus. Slight hops follow to round out this extremely drinkable offering from Surly. Maybe the perfect accompaniment to a summer BBQ? I think this would do nicely. Description from the brewery:
Finally, a Surly beer my German mother will drink. She says this one tastes like a bier from back home. Not unlike a Zwickel Bier from Germany, Hell is our filtered and fermented with lager yeast, American hops takes a back seat to the Pils malt sweetness and fresh bread aroma. The color is well… hell (Deutsch for light). It’s fiendishly drinkable, and you don’t have to sell your soul to get another.
The style of this beer isn’t one that is often talked about currently. IPAs, barrel-aged, sours, are dominating headlines with most craft beer drinkers but if you want to try different styles and try them when they are done right, I think Surly can be proud of this beer. This could also quite possibly be a great transition beer for those looking to get into the craft beer world. Rumblings of Surly wanting to expand a bit continues through the midwest and here’s hoping that they make it south to the lovely state of Iowa.
REVIEW
Style: Helles/Dortmunder
ABV:4.5%
Purchased at: France44.com
Pour: Golden straw color with a thick white head.
Aroma: Bread, yeast, light citrus.
Flavor: Lots of breadiness with lemon and bit of hops.
Ratebeer.com rating: 90/100
Beeradvocate.com rating: 88/100
Overall: B
My recommendation: A great beer for the style, extremely drinkable. Surly continues to do things and if you can get up north to Minnesota to get some, buy a bunch, or order from france44.com.
The following is a press release from Founders brewing courtesy of www.beerpulse.com. Great news for summer BBQ’s!
(Grand Rapids, MI) – Founders Brewing Co. announced today that they plan to release their craft beer in cans for the first time in their fifteen-year history. The brewery will put its warm weather seasonal, All Day IPA, in 12 oz. cans that will be available in 12-packs across their distribution footprint this summer.
“Especially in our recreational home state of Michigan, cans are a very functional package,” said Co-Founder & CEO Mike Stevens. “It means people will be able to enjoy our beer at golf courses, marinas and while hiking or camping. And we think All Day IPA works in a can particularly well.”
The brewery did extensive research to find a canning line that delivers a sealed container meeting the same quality standard as what comes off their bottling line every day.
“For this new canning line, we turned to the same manufacturer of our bottling line, world beverage industry leader, Krones. We are 100% confident in both this line and this package,” said Vice President of Operations Brad Stevenson.
All Day IPA will be the only Founders beer in cans to start. More Founders products may make their way into cans in the future.
For information on the states in which Founders is available, as well as details on their 2013 beer lineup and release calendar, visit http://www.foundersbrewing.com.
I haven’t been able to get a firm answer from other liquor stores but I can confirm that John’s Grocery will be having a release of Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout on Tuesday, April 2. The plan right now is for a 5:00 p.m. release with a limit of 1 four pack per customer. If you here of any other releases from Hy-Vee, etc. please drop me a line.
More from Founders: Eastern Iowa will be seeing both Devil Dancer and Doom. The time of arrival is still unknown at this point but I will keep you posted on that. Below is a description of each brew:
*Devil Dancer –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
*Doom – 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.
Also new to shelves this week is New Belgium’s Rampant Imperial IPA which is replacing their Belgo IPA.
Airways Brewing Company has made their beers available to Eastern Iowans through a different form of distribution…shipping directly to our doors. The brewery (www.airwaysbrewing.com) has made their beers available online. Thanks to beerpulse.com for the press release:
(Kent, WA) – Airways Brewing Company is excited to announce the availability of its delicious handcrafted brews online and available for shipping through AirwaysBrewing.com. Available to 37 states, craft beer enthusiasts can now order bottles of Airways’ popular line of 22-ounce bottles online – including the infamous Sky Hag IPA, Chocolate Stout and Third Anniversary Belgian Dark Strong – and have them shipped right to their front door.
“We receive requests all the time from people who have either had our beer before, loved it, then moved away, or are intrigued by the styles we offer and want to experience it for themselves,” said Airways Brewing Founder and Head Brewer Alex Dittmar. “Offering shipping to states all across the country is a great way for us to not only raise awareness for Airways, but for Pacific Northwest beer overall.”
Airways Brewing’s bottles are available for purchase through brewery’s online store. Current offerings include 22-ounce bottles of Sky Hag IPA ($5.50), Chocolate Stout ($5.50) and Airways’ Third Anniversary Belgian Dark Strong ($8). Shipping costs are dependent on the number of bottles purchased. Airways’ popular line of 16-ounce cans, while not currently available, will soon be added for online purchase.
Shipping through AirwaysBrewing.com is available to the following states: AK, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, HI, ID, IL, IN, IA, LA, MI, MN, MO, NE, NH, NV, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, RI, SC, SD, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY. All alcohol purchases require an ID check and signature of an adult over the age of 21 at the time of delivery.
For those visiting or who live in the area and prefer to pick up their bottles in person, visit one of Airways’ two Kent locations or any Seattle-Tacoma area specialty bottle shop to purchase. For more information about Airways Brewing and its selection of handcrafted brews, be sure to follow Airways Brewing Company on Facebook and Twitter, or visit http://www.airwaysbrewing.com.
About Airways Brewing Company
Founded in Spring 2010, Airways Brewing Company is a growing microbrewery located in Kent, Washington. Currently producing several year-round and seasonal offerings – including Sky Hag IPA®, Chocolate Stout, Pre-Flight Pilsner™ and Oatmeal PSA™ – Airways Brewing also features limited edition and cask beers throughout the year. Pints, tasters and growler fills are available at the brewery’s Kent taproom, open Wednesday-Friday from 3-8 pm and Saturdays from 3-7 pm (6644 S 196th Street, #T-100). Pints and delicious Northwest-style food can be found at the Airways Beer & Bistro in downtown Kent, Monday-Thursday from noon-9 pm, and Friday-Saturday from noon-10 pm (320 W Harrison). Offerings from Airways Brewing can also be found in specialty bars, bottle shops and restaurants throughout the greater Seattle/Tacoma area. For more information about the brewery or Bistro, visit http://www.airwaysbrewing.com.
Thanks to Slim for the review. Sounds like 515 is has a very promising future in the craft brew business! Can’t wait to get out there to try some of their great beers.
I was fortunate enough to attend this fabulous event put on by the good folks at 515. I had done some research on them through their website (http://www.515brewing.com/index.html). It appears to be just a few former home brewers who decided to make their dream plan come to fruition. I had heard from a friend who visited their taproom a couple of weeks ago that he highly approved of the entire operation. Solid brews and atmosphere. This got me even more excited to head down there and see what all the buzz was about. When I saw the baron’s post on their grand opening event, it was simply game, set, match, on finding the right time to check out 515 brewing.
I wasn’t really sure what to expect in terms of attendance before I arrived. They advertised that the first 50 through the door would receive a free 515 t-shirt. Although the freebie was enticing, my main motivation for getting there as it opened was to secure a table for me and my two accomplices during the event. For the purposes of anonymity, we’ll refer to them as “Terrible Terry” and “Iceman Jr.” There was a sizable amount of people in line as I pulled up so being that my free t-shirt hopes were dashed, I focused squarely on getting in line to try one of their tasty brews before they ran out. They clearly did a good job of advertising the event; in fact, by the look on some of the brewers’ faces, they probably did too good. I also was astonished by the turnout but it’s clearly a good thing. It’s another sign that craft brewing has made it here and will hopefully be here for a long time to stay.
I was also unsuccessful at securing a table and it did not appear they had very many set out; possibly to allow for more room for the high number of guests that they had anticipated. The taproom is about what you’d expect. It was spacious and had a home feel to it. It is bigger than most taprooms I have been to before and I think it will serve them well. I didn’t see a space for a patio, however. It is my guess that they are addressing this issue and will possibly have something set up for this summer. It would put the finishing touch on an already great venue. They did have a food vendor available on this day but the brewery itself does not serve food at this time.
Onto the beers! They had a full lineup on tap for this event. In the past, they have had a few of their offerings in addition to making some taps from Confluence Brewing available (http://confluencebrewing.com/). The first I tried was 515’s “Numb Nut”. It is a spicy brown ale that 515 describes as tasting like Christmas. I have mixed feelings on this brew. I did enjoy the creativity that was put into the making of this beer. However, I was turned off by the aroma, not the kind of taste I look for in a brown ale. Not for one moment am I trying to take anything away from what is a good beer, it just wasn’t for me.
The beer that went the fastest was the “OJ IPA”. The keg was dry in an hour. Terrible Terry is partly known for his classic one-liners. He delivered one when he ordered this brew, “I’ll take an OJ Simpson IPA!” he said as he made his choice. It was the right choice, it’s wonderful wheat IPA that has a HUGE kick of orange/citrus. We immediately saw why it was so popular. Iceman Jr. also tried the Numb Nut and I think he liked it more than I did. The two of us then tried “Belgian Paradise”. It was a Belgian-style white ale that also delivered more flavor than a typical brew of that style. Finally, Terry gave the Lil’ Tart (only beer available under 5.0% ABV) a try. The name is deceiving, there’s A LOT of Tart. I remember hearing him say that he didn’t like the Jalapeno beer offered by Bent River Brewing at the Brr fest back in January. So I wasn’t surprised that this was not a hit with him either. The tart in Lil’ Tart is very prominent and is definitely not for everyone. The next time I attend, I’m looking to try the “Stout of the Closet” for sure.
515 lived up to my expectations and then some. Anybody who considers themselves craft brew enthusiasts needs to hit up this fine establishment. I recommend checking their facebook page/website before you visit in order to make sure they have several brews available. They keep this list updated and I would discourage going if they have less than 4 of their brews available. I’m sure you would still enjoy yourself but you’ll get the best experience if you go when they have a full line-up of their exceptional beers on tap.
The very first barrel-aged beer America stills stands strong today as Goose Island’s Bourbon County Stout continues to make beer headlines nationwide as one of/if not the best barrel-aged beer around. I got up very early on a cold Iowa Tuesday morning to capture the prize of a few four-packs of this brew, and was glad I did. As I have slowly evolved into a barrel-aged beer lover, I’ve come to appreciate what the booze offers a really good crafted stout. Earlier in my beer drinking days, I would have scoffed, and possibly spit this beer out proclaiming it to be too boozy and downright undrinkable, but now, I relish the opportunity to taste the vanilla from the bourbon and oak flavor from the barrel.
Goose Island has made many headlines in the beer world this last few years as the Evil Empire that is AB-InBev bought them out, and as much as I avoid buying the big 3, I’ve also come to appreciate that Goose Island hasn’t sacrificed their quality of product with the buyout…. yet, and I hope they never do.
From the brewery:
“I really wanted to do something special for our 1000th batch at the original brewpub. Goose Island could have thrown a party. But we did something better. We brewed a beer. A really big batch of stout-so big the malt was coming out of the top of the mash tun. After fermentation we brought in some bourbon barrels to age the stout. One hundred and fifty days later, Bourbon County Stout was born-A liquid as dark and dense as a black hole with a thick foam the color of bourbon barrels. The nose is a mix of charred oak, vanilla,carmel and smoke. One sip has more flavor than your average case of beer. It overpowers anything in the room. People have even said that it’s a great cigar beer, but I haven’t yet tried a cigar that would stand up to it.”
I will be letting a few four packs age and hopefully at some point I can put together a vertical tasting of this beer, but as I was sipping the last one, (about 2 weeks ago), and as it warmed, it might have been the best barrel-age I’ve tasted. The aroma of the vanilla shines through the longer this beer sits, and as I finished the last half of it, it started tasting like a liquid form of an almond joy candy bar. Anyone else get that flavor? Such a great beer to sit and sip on, especially on a cold winter night! The alcohol warms you up nicely but does not overpower the fantastic flavor of this wonderfully well-crafted brew. Cheers!
REVIEW
Style: Imperial Stout
ABV:15%
Purchased at: Hy-Vee
Pour: Viscous black pour, very thick.
Aroma: Bourbon sweetness, vanilla, coconut.
Flavor: Chocolate flavor, the bourbon is there, coconut is well. Liquid almond joy (that can get you drunk)
Ratebeer.com rating: 100/100
Beeradvocate.com rating: 100/100
Overall: A
My recommendation: A fantastic beer, proceed with caution as a few of these could put you on your ass pretty quick. If you are not into barrel-aged beers this would be something great to try with a group of people at a tasting event.
It’s been awhile since talk of a few big craft breweries were going to be making their way to Iowa. I had a few sources tell me that Oskar Blues and Odell would soon be in Iowa, and also rumblings about Surly heading down south. I don’t have news on Odell or Surly but after reading about Oskar Blues distributing to Indiana I decided to get the contact book out again. Here’s the news I got today regarding distribution. Mostly good news, hopefully we will start to see the wheels put in motion and by summer having some new breweries on the shelves.
*It sounds like Oskar Blues won’t be in Iowa until 2014. I will keep posting updates if I hear anything different.
*Deschutes and Lagunitas are possibly going to make it to the Eastern Iowa market sometime during the summer. 
*Southern Tier is aiming for a 3rd quarter release in Iowa. (1st I’ve heard of this!)
*Goose Island is releasing Sophie Paradisi in a few months. It is a saison with a grapefruit punch.
*Backpocket will have a Russian style imperial stout that will be blended with their oak aged stout that has been siting in Cedar Ridge Barrels at the brewery for the past 6 months.
*And, hopefully we will be seeing Toppling Goliath in stores by the end of April.
That’s it for this week, some great news above, but like before it could totally change. As hard as it is to be patient, that is my advice. Over time we will be seeing some great beer coming from other states and also some fantastic beer coming from our own Iowa breweries! Stay tuned!
Sam Adams is mixing up their summer sampler pack a bit this year, adding 2 new beers to this 12 pack sampler. I wasa big fan of their Porch Rocker and am hoping to see this on more shelves in Eastern Iowa this summer. Here’s the lastest, courtesy of www.beerpulse.com.
(Boston, MA) – Based on public data, it looks like the new Samuel Adams Beers of Summer pack started hitting shelves in some markets as early as the weekend of March 9th.
The Boston Beer Company has been a central target of criticism from those against “seasonal creep” in which seasonals are first released a few months before their respective seasons are officially recognized on the calendar. Samuel Adams seasonal brands have traditionally been among the earliest to hit the market.
In any event, this year’s summer pack features: Summer Ale, Boston Lager, Porch Rocker (radler), Belgian Session, Little White Rye (all-new) and Blueberry Hill Lager (all-new).
Porch Rocker six-packs will arrive in late April/early May, per the brewery.
The forecast for Boston, where the company is headquartered, calls for snow accumulation of 1-3 inches between Monday night and Tuesday.
The earliest known summer offering that BeerPulse is aware of is Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy which rolled out in mid-February.
