Upcoming Big Grove Beer Releases: Brewpub in Solon and Brewery and Taproom in Iowa City

March 16, 2017March 16, 2017Leave a comment

A list of exciting releases are coming from the folks at Big Grove. Both the Brewpub in Solon and the Brewery and Taproom in Iowa City have a nice array of brews coming to those locations. Que the music, let’s break it down:

THURSDAY
Solon Brewpub: A barrel fermented Que Sera aged with Peaches is being tapped for opening.
Iowa City Brewery and Taproom: will release a Cranberry variant and a Blackberry variant of Que Sera. Time still TBA, so follow Big Grove on Facebook for that announcement!

FRIDAY
Solon Brewpub: Irish Cow Bomb cask, Zadar! Milk Stout from Hell w/Almonds, Vanilla beans, JBC coffee and Jamison soaked Oak staves..

All of these releases coming soon and don’t forget that today (Wednesday) they tapped a barrel-aged Barleywine that is available at both locations. Stay tuned for me details on future releases from both the Big Grove Brewpub and the Big Grove Brewery in Taproom! Cheers!

Big Grove Brewery Set to Release “Buster” Triple IPA Tuesday, Jan. 24th!

January 20, 2017January 20, 2017Leave a comment

buster 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!

Big Grove Releasing Business Time Double IPA 11/30 @5 p.m. + Citra Triad Release Announcement

November 29, 2016November 29, 2016Leave a comment

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% ABV

I 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?

Hitting Shelves: Fall Releases, Stone Oakmeal, Jubalale, BB Quad, Destihl

July 19, 2016July 19, 2016Leave a comment

Quite a few new brews will soon be hitting packaging lines and then off to distro and HOPEFULLY!…hopefully hitting our shelves. Let’s get on with the list!

**Stone Oakmeal Bourbon Barrel Stout** – this is part of Stone’s Small Batch series so I’m not sure if we will see this beer or not. According to mybeerbuzz.blogspot.com this is Stone’s bitter chocolate oatmeal stout aged in Kentucky bourbon barrels for 7 months. It will come in at 11.4% ABV and packaging will begin this month. More on this beer courtesy of Stone Brewing:

Brewed December 5, 2015
Originally inspired by the recipe of two Team Stone members, Stone 12th Anniversary Bitter Chocolate Oatmeal Stout became an instant classic. The onyx-hued beer also proved to be an ideal barrel-aging specimen, thanks to the rich, thick mouthfeel and chocolate-heavy flavors and aromatics.

**Destihl Wild Sour Series: Synchopathic** – another brew is making its way to Destihl’s popular Wild Sour Series and Synchopathic is a dry-hopped American Wild ale bursting with flavors.Here’s more on this brew courtesy of beerstreetjournal.com:

…with totally rad aromas and flavors reminiscent of grapefruit, orange, lemon, tangerine, pineapple and hints of pine, giving way to a biscuity-crackery malt back beat, low bitterness and a dry finish to bring everything in synch.

Destihil Wild Sour Synchopathic is available in 12 ounce cans and draft starting in mid-July.

Style: American Wild Ale
Availability: 12oz Cans, Draft.
Release: Mid-July, 2016

6% ABV

**Boulevard Bourbon Barrel Quad** – the 750 ml are no more for this beer as we will be getting it in 12 oz 4 packs. It will still check in at 11.8% ABV and it sounds like it will become available in October. Expect the price to be a tad higher than most other Boulevard 4 packs due to it being barrel-aged.

**Deschutes Jubalale** – the annual release from Deschutes will be available starting in October. It will once again be available in 12 oz 6 packs and check in at 6.7%. Here’s more on this beer courtesy of Deschutes’ website:

Available October – December. Warm spiciness and tradition grace this bold winter ale. Intriguing, layered flavors unfold to reveal chicory, dried fruit and toffee notes with a hoppy kick to finish. The deep garnet color pairs perfectly with holiday celebrations.

**Boulevard Cranberry Orange Radler** – something you usually consider a summer-style beer, radler, is getting fall makeover courtsey of Boulevard. Their popular lemon/ginger radler will take a backseat as the cooler months approach and be replaced by Cranberry/Orange radler. We will see this one coming in October as well. Here’s more from Boulevard:

Beginning in the fall of 2016, Cranberry Orange Radler will be available in six packs of 12-ounce cans. Using our experience from creating Ginger Lemon Radler, we’ll follow the same process, but instead of using ginger and lemon juice, we’ll add (no surprise here) orange and cranberry to the beer.

Beautifully hazy and slightly pink in color, Cranberry Orange Radler will open with an aroma of sweet blood oranges and just a hint of cranberry. The blood orange character boldly manifests in the flavor giving way to cranberry tartness. The base beer, Unfiltered Wheat Beer, contributes a slightly sweet bready flavor to the malt profile of the beer that shines with bright citrus flavor and a touch of acidity. Cranberry Orange Radler clocks in at 4.05% ABV and 12 IBUs.

– Jeremy Danner, Ambassador Brewer

Know of anymore releases? Send a message my way! Cheers!

Green Flash Natura Morta Plum Releasing in July and Bells Uranus Ready to Ship

June 2, 2015June 2, 20151 Comment

The 3rd beer released in the Cellar Series from Green Flash. The question is, will Iowa see this beer? We did get Silva Stout and Flander’s Red should be hitting shelves June 7th, so hopefully we see both new beers from the Cellar 3 series. This beer sounds delicious as it’s a saison that has been fermented in oak foudres and then aged in red wine barrels with plum puree. Here’s more courtesy of beerstreejournal.com:

Green Flash Natura Morta Plum will the third entry into the brewery’s new “Cellar 3″ program. Recently, the brewery opened a new barrel aged location/warehouse/tap room dubbed ‘Cellar 3′, from which beers like Flanders Drive and Silva Stout are a part.

Style: Saison (w/ Plums. Barrel Aged. Wine Aged.)
Availability: 750ml Bottles, Corked & Caged. Limited release.
Arrival: July, 2015

5.5% ABV

Bells 6th installment of their Planetary Series, Uranus the Magician, is bottled and ready to ship. Uranus is a black double IPA coming in at 9.5%. Here’s more from beerstreetjournal.com on this release:

Starting last year, Bell’s kicked off a new series based on composer Gustav Holst’s “The Planets” orchestral suite. The beer series, like the suite contains seven movements (beers). Bell’s Mars, The Bringer of War arrived in late summer, 2014.

Bell’s Uranus, The Magician, is an black imperial IPA, in an attempted to capture the essence of the dark planet that is almost 32, 000 miles from Earth.

The hop profile is enormous and complex with help from Citra, Galaxy, Polaris and other hard to find hops. The use of de-bittered or de-husked black malt lends color without the overly astringent or roasty flavors normally associated with stouts and porters.

Bell’s Uranus is available in June in 12oz bottles for a limited time.

Style: Imperial IPA
Hops: Citra, Galaxy, Polaris
Availability: 12oz Bottles. One-time Release

Shelf News: Chocolate Ale, Chai Spiced RIS, Imperial Coffee, Hopvale, + Stone Discontinues 2 Brews

January 29, 2015January 29, 20152 Comments

Quite a bit a news this week, some great and some rather disappointing. Good news or bad news first? Let’s get the bad news out of the way.

According NewSchoolbeer.com Stone will be discontinuing two beers from seasonal lineup and they happen to be 2 very tasty beers. Their Sublimely Self-Righteous Black IPA and Levitation Amber Ale will no longer be produced. Very disheartening for me as I thought both beers were full flavored and delicious and Sublimely was one of my favorite Black IPAs on the market. With so many great beers to choose from, the market just became a bit thinner, but these two beers are still better than half of what is on our shelves. Either way, say goodbye.

Onto some good news. A few beers will be making their way to Eastern Iowa shelves in the next few weeks. We all know Hopslam is coming and Oskar Blues has hit Central and Eastern but just in time for Valentine’s Day will be Boulevard’s Chocolate Ale. The following comes from www.beerstreetjournal.com:

Chocolate Ale is full of surprises, beginning with a glowing amber hue. The aroma is given over to earthy, fruity cocoa, with just a hint of hops. Smooth layers of dark chocolate intertwine with threads of caramel, vanilla, and nutty malt as the flavor warms and rounds to a bittersweet finish.

Boulevard Chocolate Ale was first released in 2011. The demand has been so high since then, the brewery has increased the amount brewed and packaged every year. In both 2014, and again in 2015, Boulevard has brewed the maximum amount possible for the production schedule.

Style: American Strong Ale (w/ Chocolate)
Availability: 750ml Bottles, Corked & Caged
Arrival: Early February, 2014 (Seasonal Release)

9.1% ABV

**Hopefully coming in March is the latest release from Stone’s “Odd Beers for Odd Years” lineup. This year it looks like it is going to be a Chai-Spiced Russian Imperial Stout. The ingredients list of this brew look stellar. Here’s more from http://www.beerstreetjournal.com:

As it stands, the classic version of Stone Imperial Russian Stout is deep, dark, rich, roasty and perhaps even a bit sinful. The ‘Odd Beers for Odd Years’ part of the journey means the coming of each odd-numbered year provides the opportunity to take this traditional beer to new and mysterious places, embarking on an exploratory odyssey enabled by strikingly flavorful elements applied to a lovely onyx canvas. This beer, the latest ‘Odd’ transubstantiation, takes inspiration straight from the spice aisle, incorporating array of ingredients assembled to emulate the flavors of authentic chai tea. Cinnamon, cardamom, clove, ginger, a dash of black pepper and a dose of black tea combine with Stone Imperial Russian Stout’s incumbent flavors to take it deep into exotic, previously unfathomed tenitory. Expect a touch of earthiness in combination with a warm, tantalizing aridness. Asa one-time brew with enduring character, Stone CHAI-SPICED Imperial Russian Stout is crafted to be contemplated fresh or cellared under proper conditions for many years so that it may live on not only in one’s memory, but on his or her taste buds as well.

Stone Chai-Spiced Imperial Russian Stout will be available in 22oz bottles, and draft. Typically arriving in March.

Style: Imperial Stout (w/ Clove, Ginger, Black Pepper, Cardamom, Black Tea, Cinnamon)
Availability: 22oz Bottles, Draft
Release: TBA

**Hitting the KC area first on February 10th and then to it’s distribution areas will be Boulevard Brewing’s Imperial Stout “X” Coffee. This will be part of the Smokestack Series and is the first of many new releases that we will be seeing from Boulevard. Seems Boulevard has really upped their game as their release schedule looks very promising in 2015. Here’s more on this beer courtesy of Boulevard’s Press release:

As a special treat for lovers of big, complex stouts, Boulevard Brewing Company offers the 2015 Imperial Stout “X” Series. The “X” factor stands for a key ingredient brewed into each of several limited releases plan throughout the year. This edition was infused with Ethiopian Sidamo Coffee from our Kansas City neighbor, The Roasterie, lending this robust Stout at subtle wine–like smoothness.

Boulevard Imperial Stout “X” Coffee will be available in 750ml bottles February 10th in Kansas City, other cities shortly after.

Style: Imperial Stout (w/ Coffee)
Availability: 750ml bottles, Draft. Limited release.
Arrival: February 10th, 2015. (KC first)

11% ABV

**And the last bit of news comes from our friends up north, Summit Brewing company. A new year round can release called Hopvale Organic Ale is a session beer with lemon peel. According to mybeerbuzz.blogspot.com this beer will come in at 4.7% ABV and will be available in 16 oz cans.

Stone Enjoy 2-14-15 Coming to Iowa Shelves

January 8, 20151 Comment

I just read the following information regarding Stone releasing their next Enjoy By IPA and it looks like it will be a nationwide release. Here’s more from beerstreetjournal.com:

Stone Enjoy By IPA 02.14.15 is being bottled on 1/9/15 and hits the markets below as soon as possible. The IPA is brewed year round, but markets vary each release.

Style: Imperial IPA
Hops: Calypso, Super Galena, Simcoe, Delta, Target, Amarillo, Motueka, Citra, Cascade, New Zealand Nelson Sauvin, and Australian Galaxy

Availability: 22oz Bottles and Draft.
Markets: AL, AK, AZ, CA, CO, DE, FL, GA, ID, IA, IN, KA, KY, PA, RI, OH, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MT, NH, NE, NJ, NM, NY, OR, NV, TN, SC, VT, WA

9.4% ABV, IBUs 88

Update on Deschutes

July 2, 2013July 2, 2013Leave a comment

With Deschutes brewing coming to Iowa in late July, many people have been asking what beers can we expect. I’ve been talking to quite a few people about this and it sounds like their regular lineup is what they will start with and then slowly incorporate seasonals and special releases. In fact, http://www.beerpulse.com just posted an update on future Deschutes releases, when to look for them and where:

Deschutes Green Monster

When: August/September (one time release, VERY limited)

What: Reserve Series (22-ounce bottles)
Here at Deschutes Brewery, we’re always on the lookout for a chance to create something new for our fans. In short, we don’t leave well-enough alone. That’s why, more than two years ago, our brewers decided to pack up some extra beer in French oak barrels, infect it with Brettanomyces, and then wait for the transformation. Dubbed affectionately around the brewhouse as “Green Monster”, the name stuck. At the end of this experimentation story, you will find a monstrously fantastic, brand-new sour beer, with slight cherry and barnyard scents and dried fruit aroma. In fact, the only scary thing about this beer is that it is so darned limited and will never be brewed again.

Where: You’ll be lucky to find this at all.

Beer Geek Information:
~7% Alcohol by Volume (ABV)

Deschutes Jubelale – A Festive Winter Ale

When: September-December

What: Winter Seasonal (6-packs, 12-packs and draft)
We often hear that nothing starts off the brisk fall season quite like seeing Jubelale show up on the shelves and on tap for the first time. Dark and malty, layered flavors unwrap to reveal chicory and earth notes and a hoppy kick to finish. Hints of the holidays are in every sip of Jubelale – to beer lovers, it’s like a cozy fireplace gathering. Almost as exciting as taking your first sip of this festive brew is seeing what creation a local artist has come up with to grace the label and packaging. This year’s label features a mysterious owl in an illustration by Avlis Leumas, a Bend Oregon artist who was excited to be selected to create this year’s artwork.

Where: Available in all 21 states where Deschutes is sold

Beer Geek Information:
6.7% Alcohol by Volume (ABV)
60 IBUs

Deschutes Chasin’ Freshies Fresh Hop IPA

When: October until it’s gone

What: Bond Street Series (22-ounce bottles and draft)
Born in a ski town, Deschutes Brewery knows what it’s like to be endlessly in pursuit of untouched perfection – chasing pristine powder slopes on mountain flanks. In similar fashion, Deschutes Brewery will chase down Gamache Farms’ famed fresh Amarillo hops for this year’s vintage. Chasin’ Freshies, which first appeared in the Bend pub and came out in its bottle debut last fall featuring heirloom Cascade hops, is a nod to the snow and hop enthusiasts we’ve entertained for the last 25 years at our downtown gathering spot. You’ll most definitely want to seize the moment and enjoy the bold, juicy aroma and flavor that comes but once a year.

Where: Available in most states where Deschutes is sold

Beer Geek Information:
7.2% Alcohol by Volume (ABV)
65 IBUs

Deschutes Hop Trip Fresh Hop Pale Ale

When: October until it’s gone

What: Bond Street Series (6-packs and draft)
We know we’re lucky to be located right in the heart of hop-growing country. And the beer that ensues from this proximity is big and bold. When the Crystal hops at Sodbuster Farms are ready for harvest, our crew gets in the truck to go pick them, bag them, load them and dump the freshly harvested jewels into the brew kettle – all in just a few hours. The results of this hurried journey? A pale ale with a uniquely bright citrus punch to the nose. Worth the trip, every time.

Where: Available in most states where Deschutes is sold

Beer Geek Information:
5.5% Alcohol by Volume (ABV)
38 IBUs

Deschutes The Abyss

When: November

What: Reserve Series (22-ounce wax-dipped bottles and draft)
It’s hard to believe our brewers have been lovingly creating this magical liquid for eight years now. That’s right, 2013 marks the eighth time that beer fanatics have been able to crack open the wax-dipped tops of these bottles and fall right into the complexity that is The Abyss. This imperial stout is the heart and soul of Deschutes Brewery’s Reserve Series beers, with an endless crevasse of flavor that reveals itself each November (or, if you are the patient sort, whenever this brew is uncellared and dusted off for consumption).

Where: Available in most states where Deschutes is sold

Beer Geek Information:
11% Alcohol by Volume (ABV)
70 IBUs