Green Flash Hop Odyssey White IPA hitting shelves this week

June 12, 20142 Comments

A new member of the Green Flash Hop Odyssey series will be making its way to Eastern Iowa shelves this week. Green Flash Hop Odyssey White IPA will be showing up soon in the Eastern Iowa market. Here’s more on this beer from the Green Flash brewery website:

There’s a lot going on in this beer with two yeast strains, copious amounts of wheat malt, and a big focus on “C” hops to deliver a citrus explosion. In fact we lined up more than a dozen hop varieties in the brewery to select 3 hops with the biggest citrus character to dry hop the beer.

This golden beer pours with beautiful, fluffy white beer foam that lasts due to its bottle conditioning. Feel free to rouse the yeast that settles in the bottle for a fuller texture and a more cloudy white appearance. The citrus aromas that jump from the glass are largely tangerine up front with other types of citrus notes that mingle with the Belgian yeast esters. Hop flavors of bitter orange zest dominate the brew and linger to the finish with a nice play of American and Belgian yeast combo.

Stone Brewing Update: Unapologetic IPA + Coffee Milk Stout coming

June 11, 20141 Comment

The following information comes courtesy of http://www.beerpulse.com. More brews from Stone Brewing are on their way and they both sound terrific!

(Escondido, CA) – Some brief news on a pair of upcoming Stone Brewing Co. beer releases…

First, a release date has been set for Beachwood / Heretic / Stone Unapologetic IPA, according to company marketing materials. The beer will ship next week with an intended launch date of June 30th. More on the beer below…

When you get three hopheads together to collaborate on a beer, it’s only natural to expect some hopped up liquid incarnation of their lupulin lust to spring forth from such a session. Maybe it seems passé to some—three masters of hoppy beer once again exploring the familiar territory of the India pale ale. After all, who needs yet another IPA, double or otherwise, right? It’s all been done. To those who feel this way, this trio’s reply is: “So what?” In birthing a double IPA made bitter and fruity care of a mélange of new and experimental hops (Azacca, Belma, and yet-to-be-named varieties from Washington’s Yakima Valley), they aren’t staying in a comfort zone—they’re hitting a sweet spot in the name of all that is good, delicious, hoppy and forward-thinking to create an IPA that’s both like and unlike anything they, or you, have ever tasted. Rife with essence of pine, resin, and fruits both citrus and tropical, there’s no need for apologies with this beer. All that’s necessary is a yearning for hops, a sturdy constitution and an empty glass.

Hops bill: Belma, HBC342, Azzaca, and Steiner 06300
Packaging: 22oz bottles and draft
Stats: 9% ABV / 90-100 IBUs

Also coming this summer is Stone Coffee Milk Stout, previously known as Gallagher’s After Dinner Stout at Liberty Station. The beer will replace Stone Saison in the seasonal six-pack rotation on August 4th. Marketing copy below…

Bell’s “The Planet Series” coming in August

June 6, 2014Leave a comment

Bells Brewery will be releasing a “Planet Series” of beers according to http://www.beerpulse.com and a Bell’s press release. The list is below and there are some very intriguing offerings that will be coming out, but it looks like it’s going to be limited. Here’s more:

(Comstock, MI) – In the same tradition as our Batch and Wheat Series,’ Bell’s Brewery, Inc.is proud to announce The Planet Series.

It will feature seven different beers each inspired by a different piece of music from the composer Gustav Holst. Each beer will be limited and released both in six-packs and on draft according to the arrangement of Holst’s composition across all area’s Bell’s distributes to.

The first Planet beer will be released this August with each successive entry debuting about every two months after. The final beer is scheduled for release in July 2015.

“Our two most successful brands come from a couple of my great literary references. This time, I took inspiration from a great piece of music,” said Larry Bell, Bell’s President and Founder.

“This piece, being in seven movements, gives us a lot of freedom to innovate and create,” he added.

Holst conceived the idea for “The Planets” in 1913 with the first complete performance occurring in 1920. Each movement of the suite is named after a different planet and its corresponding astrological character

The lineup:
“Mars, The Bringer of War” – Double IPA
“Venus, The Bringer of Peace” – A Blonde Ale brewed with honey, apricot, vanilla and cardamom
“Mercury, The Winged Messenger” – A Belgian Single
“Jupiter, The Bringer of Jollity” – A malt forward Brown Ale
“Saturn, The Bringer of Old Age” – A Bourbon Barrel-aged Barleywine
“Uranus, The Magician” – Black Double IPA
“Neptune, The Mystic” – A beer inspired by Dr. Bell’s Medicinal Stout, one of Larry Bell’s homebrews that also helped inspire Eccentric Ale

More information will be released as it becomes available on the Bell’s website (bellsbeer.com) as well as on its social media channels (Facebook, Twitter and Google+).

Deschutes future releases: Bock, Belgian IPA, Black Butte XXVI

June 2, 2014Leave a comment

The following information comes from beerpulse.com. More beers heading to our shelves this summer, should be great beers all summer long!

(Bend, OR) – Deschutes Brewery shared a newsletter update this week including some info on upcoming beer releases. More below…

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Doppel Dinkel Bock 10.5% Alc. by Vol. / 17 IBUs

This third Conflux Series brew features a collaboration with Distelhauser Brewery of Germany who have been brewing beer since 1811.

A connection between our two breweries was discovered over 10 years ago, so we decided it was high time we created a beer together to celebrate this beautiful relationship.

Our brewmasters decided on a Doppel Dinkel Bock or Imperial Spelt Beer. Spelt is an ancient species of wheat traditionally used to bake bread, but the malty, wheat and slightly spicy flavors of this ingredient combine with very fragrant notes (including bubblegum, clove, banana, and just a hint of citrus), to give this beer a ton of flavors and an outstanding aroma. Double down with this Doppel Dinkel Bock collaboration…its smooth, full bodied and drinkableness (is that a word?) will make the Bavarian in you, very proud! CONFLUX SERIES NO. 3

AVAILABILITY: Late June in 22 oz. bottles and on draft in limited quantities in most states where Deschutes Brewery beers are sold

Foray Belgian Style IPA 6.5% Alc. by Vol. / 60 IBUs

A brand-new addition to our lineup, this beer made its way into bottles the same way all of our Bond Street Series beers do – by being a popular “experiment” at our pubs. When our “focus group” of pub patrons rave about one of our pub exclusive beers loud enough and for long enough, we make every attempt to make it more widely available to our fans. This bright golden color and medium bodied Belgian Style IPA complement dry, fruity esters and tropical fruit flavors. Foray is a journey during which Belgian yeast delivers hints of apples and pear, and the citrus Galaxy hop aroma make this a trip worth taking. BOND STREET SERIES

AVAILABILITY: June – September in 22 oz. bottles and on draft where Deschutes Brewery beers are sold

Black Butte XXVI ~11% Alc. by Vol.

Each year, we celebrate our anniversary with a huge double version of our flagship Black Butte Porter. Our brewers love to experiment and they always add some fun new ingredients to this beer. In the
past, we’ve added chilies, chocolate nibs, dates, figs and tart goodness. This year, we’ve added cranberries, pomegranate molasses and Theo’s cocoa nibs to this 50 percent bourbon barrel-aged awesomeness. Like all of our Reserve Series beers, we encourage you to drink one upon its release and put some away for later. Some things just get better with age! Head on over to our Bend or Portland Pubs on June 27th for a snifter or bottle of this beer. We’d love to celebrate with you! RESERVE SERIES

AVAILABILITY: June 27th in 22 oz. wax-dipped bottles and on draft in limited quantity in all. 25 states where Deschutes Brewery beers are sold.

Stone Enjoy By 7-04-14 to be Nationwide Release

May 16, 20142 Comments

Stone Enjoy By looks to be heading back to Iowa for the 7-04-14 release. Here’s more information and I hope to get an exact release date soon, this is courtesy of http://www.beerpulse.com:

Quick update on Stone Enjoy By 07.04.14…if you follow us on Twitter, you learned about this last week. According to Stone Brewing Co.marketing materials, there is a tentative list of markets and this one appears to be going far and wide.

In case you missed it, Quadrotriticale will be released the same week.

And starting this Monday, look for the new collaboration release, Kyle Hollingsworth Keri Kelli Stone Collective Distortion IPA.

Limited availability in: AK, AL, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, NC, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OR, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, VT and WA

More Distro news! Southern Tier Anyone??

March 10, 2014Leave a comment

The hits just keep coming for Eastern Iowa! Coming off of news and rumors that Oskar Blues and Left Hand Brewing will soon be adding their beers to our shelves, I just received word from a very reliable source that Southern Tier Brewing will be entering our market in July. Here’s the link to the beer lineup from Southern Tier: http://www.stbcbeer.com/our-beers/

Here’s more about the brewery itself: https://www.stbcbeer.com/about-southern-tier-brewing-company/southern-tier-brewery/

Shmaltz Brewing Enters Iowa

January 7, 2014Leave a comment

Just received a text from my buddy the Beer Counselor, letting me know that Benz Beverage Depot has just received a shipment of beer from Shmaltz brewing.

Here is what they have in stock:

Genesis
Messiah
Bittersweet Lenny’s RIPA
Hop Manna
Death of a Contract Brewer

Distribution News: Horny Goat Brewing Heading to Iowa

June 18, 2013Leave a comment

I’m not sure who’s going to get excited for this, but according to http://www.beerpulse.com, Horny Goat brewery out of Milwaukee, WI will started distributing their beers to Eastern Iowa shelves in the 2nd Quarter of 2013. I’ve had a few of their offerings, and the only thing I can say is that I hope they get a hell of a lot better and a name change might do them good as well. But anyway, the following news comes from beerpulse.com:

(Milwaukee, WI) – Horny Goat Brewing Company is starting their 4th year in the craft industry with new brews and new distribution. Located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Horny Goat prides itself on creating delicious beers that are both traditional and different. This summer marks the second year Watermelon Wheat, their best selling seasonal, will be available in markets. With real watermelon added during the fermentation stage this wheat ale is a great beer to enjoy during the summer. They are also perfecting new brews in preparation for mass distribution at their Milwaukee Brew Pub. Horny Goat Brewing Company is expanding its reach to many additional markets in the United States in the near future.

RECENT ADDITIONAL MARKETS
3rd and 4th Quarter 2012:
Texas, Nebraska, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee

1st Quarter 2013
Arizona, Indiana, Kansas, Missouri

2nd Quarter 2013
Iowa

Horny Goat Brewing Company currently serves 19 states. Horny Goat was founded in 2009 on the idea that craft beer should be fun and not so pompous. Horny Goat Brewing Company’s line includes a wide variety of flavors both traditional and unique: Exposed Cream Ale, Hopped UP ‘N Horny IPA, Horny Blonde Lager, Baby Got Bock, Watermelon Wheat, HornyCopia Pumpkin Ale, Oktoberfest, Stacked Milk Stout, Brownie Porter, and Chocolate Cherry Stout.