Beers

Anchor Brewing is set to release a very special, limited edition, beer they’ve been working on for a long, long time. Dubbed “Our Barrel Ale,” (an homage to their Christmas beer, “Our Special Ale“), it’s a blend of at least three of their beers. While just a guess, the three are possibly Liberty, Porter and Old Foghorn. All we can say for sure is it’s not Anchor Steam. The individual beers were aged in Anchor’s own used Old Potrero rye whisky barrels for at least six months, then blended together to create OBA. Only 100 cases of magnums will be available for sale when it’s released in mid-February. And you can only buy them at the brewery. The price will be $30.

We had an opportunity to try OBA last night at Anchor Brewery, at an event to launch SF Beer Week, a ten-day series of over 150 beer events in the San Francisco Bay Area. I’d say they nailed it out of the gate. The flavor imparted from the barrel aging is present, but is never overpowering, and the blend — whatever it turns out to be — works. It’s malty, sweet with an underlying hop character that is all integrated together so that nothing really dominates. This gives it a very smooth mouthfeel and nice complex flavor profile, exactly what a blended beer should be — something greater than the sum of its part. This is going to go fast, so get yourself a bottle or two before it’s all gone.

Full Sail Brewing has announced the special release of Black Gold Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout 2009. This
highly anticipated release from Full Sail’s vintage barrel series has been a Full Sail brewing tradition since 1998. Every year since, Full Sail’s talented team of brewers brew an Imperial style dark ale and fill roughly sixty oak bourbon barrel casks, then age them in their cellar for about a year.

“Wood and barrel aging is an art form that takes dedication, patience and care. We brew this special beer in small batches, that’s why it is available in very limited quantities. You should get some while you can,” explained Jamie Emmerson, Full Sail’s Brewmaster.

The beer will be released in early February. According to Emmerson, it was initially brewed in February 2008, and released as Full Sail Imperial Stout. A portion of the batch was reserved and aged for almost a year in Bourbon casks from Kentucky to create Black Gold. “This extended aging presents hints of vanilla and allows the Stout to pick up the flavors of the wood, bourbon and oak. The aging combined with the robust character of the Imperial Stout make for an extraordinary and wonderful taste experience. It has a strong roasted malt character and a full body. Chocolate and caramel nuances blend with the hops for a smooth Imperial Stout,” described Jamie. “It cellars well, if you store a few bottles in a dark, cool place and be patient – you will be rewarded for your effort and restraint,” To help the beer aficionados that have the self-discipline to cellar this beer, Full Sail marks the bottle label with the reserve year. Black Gold will be available in 22 oz bottles and on draught. (ABV 10.5%, IBU 65)

If you’re near the Mt. Hood, Oregon, area, Full Sail is planning a special event to celebrate the release of Black Gold. The brewery will be pouring three of their wood-aged beers including bourbon-barrel-aged 2002 and 2008 Top Sail Imperial Porter, and 2009 Black Gold Imperial Stout. The special tapping will take place at 5 p.m., Monday, February 2nd at Full Sail’s River place Brewery in Portland, Oregon and at 5 p.m., Thursday, February 5th at the Full Sail Tasting Room and Pub in Hood River. For more information call the Full Sail River place brewery at 503-222-5343 or the Full Sail Tasting Room and Pub at 541-386-2247.

Full Sail Brewing Company recently released the first beer in their Brewmaster Reserve line-up for 2009, Slipknot Imperial
IPA. This annual favorite and gold medal winner at the 2008 World Beer Championship will be available January to mid March. “As the name implies, every aspect of this American style IPA is amplified – from the up-front hop aroma and bitterness to the big malt body,” said Full Sail’s Brewmaster, John Harris. (ABV: 7.8% IBUs: 80)

“Slipknot is part of our rotating selection of Brewmaster Reserve Beers. Every ten weeks we come out with a different beer that show cases the brewer’s art. We began the program back in 1998 as a way of celebrating our independence and creativity.” said Full Sail’s Founder and CEO, Irene Firmat.

Slipknot will be available in 22oz bottles and on draught in specialty beer stores and pubs throughout the Pacific Northwest. In March, Full Sail will follow-up Slipknot with Full Sail Imperial Porter. New beers in Full Sail’s 2009 Brewmaster Reserve line-up include Keelhauler Scottish Ale, due out in Mid-March, and Grandsun of Spot IPA, due out in June.

On Groundhog Day, February 2nd, 2009 beer will see red with the release of Odell Brewing Company’s Red Ale, an American-style red with generous hops for an extra kick.

For several months, Odell brewers crafted different varieties of red ales on the brewery’s five barrel Pilot Brewing System. The test batches were served in the Odell Brewing Tap Room and evaluated by the entire brewery staff. The selected brew features aggressive American hops delivering a robust hop aroma and flavor.

Red Ale follows Odell Brewing’s winter release, Isolation ale, as part of the brewery’s new rotating seasonal lineup that will replace its Single Batch Series. The rotating seasonal lineup will also include a new summer brew currently in development on the brewery’s Pilot Brewing System.

“Making this beer was a true collaboration of efforts and creativity,” said Odell brewer Brent Cordle. “The Red Ale has some serious hops, but it’s well-balanced and very drinkable.” Red Ale will be available through May in six-packs.

For a brewery known for its use of hops, it seems out of character to wait nearly 30 years to produce a year-round IPA. Torpedo is worth the wait. Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. is proud to announce the release of Torpedo Extra IPA as the newest addition to its year-round roster of beers. This is the first full-production IPA to come from the brewery and the first change in its year-round lineup in over a decade.

Why did it take so long to introduce a year-round IPA? The brewery has spent years experimenting, searching for a way to highlight bold flavors without resorting to hop extracts or pellets. Sierra Nevada has brewed with 100% whole-cone hops for 29 years with the belief that it makes a better, more natural tasting beer. Whole-cone hops offer subtle flavors and complexities that are unavailable in processed form. Rather than sacrifice flavor, they invented a way to do it better.

Torpedo celebrates the brewery’s dedication to 100% whole-cone hops all the way through the brewing process. The name itself comes from a device called the “hop torpedo” that was conceived, designed and developed at the brewery. The result is a revolutionary method of dry-hopping that harnesses the vital hop oils and resins that lead to an unusually flavorful and aromatic beer featuring the full, nuanced range of spicy complexity that hops have to offer. Designed with a mixture of hop varietals, each with their own unique character, Torpedo Extra IPA has layers of flavors ranging from citrus, herbs, black pepper and pine, with delicate hints of tropical fruit.

Torpedo is an assertive American IPA deep reddish-gold in color, with a smooth and bready malt presence and over-the-top hop aromas. The beer has a solid bitterness and a massive hop flavor, yet remains easy drinking with a pleasant dry finish. Torpedo Extra IPA will be available for hop fans nationwide in 6-pack bottles starting late January 2009.

Kurt and Rob Widmer, innovators of American-style Hefeweizen, may be laid back guys but they are serious about brewing great beer. Their latest creation, Drifter Pale Ale, is no exception. Brewed with Summit hops, a new variety known for its intense and abundant citrus aroma and flavors, Drifter’s taste is unique to the category. True to the pale ale style, Drifter’s light bittering hops give the brew a crisp, clean and refreshing finish ideal for those longing for lazy days adrift on the lake.

“We crafted Drifter to make waves in the category and provide beer lovers with a new pale ale experience,” said Kurt Widmer, co-founder of Widmer Brothers Brewing. “Most pale ales are brewed with Cascade hops. Ours is truly an original, made with Summit hops known for their delicate flavor and undertones of tangerine, mandarin orange and grapefruit.”

Drifter is a laid back, smooth and inviting pale ale; its subtle caramel malt sweetness balances the tangy hops and leaves drinkers feeling refreshed and satisfied. Drifter was a Silver Medal winner in the Pale Ale category at the 2006 Great American Beer Festival; the beer sails in at an ABV of 5.7% and 32 IBUs.

Drifter will be available on tap in 20 select states beginning January 5th, with six-packs on shelves in early February. The beer will launch nationwide in mid-April and will be offered year-round. A Drifter six-pack will retail for approximately $8.99.

Alaskan Brewing Co. announced that it will expand the limited release of its award-winning Alaskan Barley Wine to all ten western states where Alaskan beer is distributed. Alaskan Barley Wine has been produced in limited edition batches each year since its introduction at the Great Alaska Beer and Barley Wine Festival in 2003.

“It is a big beer for our big Alaska winters,” said Co-founder and Brewmaster Geoff Larson. “This brew garnered a steady following in Alaska, but people from all over the country were asking when they could buy Alaskan Barley Wine in bottles.”

The brewery finally answered the call last January, releasing the 2007 Alaskan Barley Wine in 22-ounce bottles for the first time in Alaska, Washington and Oregon, but it wasn’t available for long.

“It was in and out,” says Matt Maples at Liquid Solutions, a national internet-based beverage distribution company, of the 2007 Alaskan Barley Wine. “We started with 55 cases – they sold out in less than a week.” Maples was not surprised about the high demand for the 22-ounce bottles, “People make a lot of crazy barley wines, but this one is so well put together and balanced it’s quite the hot ticket.”

Alaskan Barley Wine is a full-bodied ale, deep mahogany in color and brewed with an array of complementing malts to achieve its high original gravity. Multiple hop additions in the boil and dry hopping during fermentation provide contrast to the big malt character resulting in the smooth balance that distinguishes this specialty brew.

Like a fine wine, Alaskan Barley Wine can be aged for years. The bottling of each vintage of Alaskan Barley Wine will allow individuals to age it to their liking. “Those that prefer a fresh, dynamic and flavorful barley wine can enjoy it right away,” says Quality Assurance Analyst Darin Jensen. “This is also a great cellaring beer that will gain deeper malt complexity and smoothness over time.

The balanced flavor collaboration between hops, malt and high alcohol showcases the barley wine style, scoring high marks from judges and winning first place at the 2007 Toronado Barley Wine Festival and bronze at the 2008 World Beer Cup.

“Many American barley wines tend to go to flavor extremes; it can taste like there is a mosh pit going on in your mouth,” says the musically inclined Jensen. “The beauty of Alaskan Barley Wine is in the balance between hop bitterness, big malt sweetness and high alcohol. This one crowd surfs over your palate, especially with age.”

The 2008 vintage of Alaskan Barley Wine will be available in January in select retail locations in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming. For those who live elsewhere, it will be available online at www.liquidsolutions.biz.

The label comes from the Alaska Natives who first trained dog teams for winter transportation to the Russian and American settlers of the 19th century to today’s Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, the history of Alaska is tethered alongside the history of dog mushing. Dog teams were the primary source of winter transportation in Alaska before the advent of the airplane and are widely used even today for sport racing as well as travel in remote areas of the state.

In the small town of Ipswich, Massachusetts, the new year will mark a milestone in the city’s history. In 2009, Ipswich will celebrate its 375th anniversary. Throughout the year, the town will hold a multitude of community events, educational programs, and outdoor activities to commemorate the past, present, and future of Ipswich, Massachusetts.

As part of the festivities, local brewery Mercury Brewing will be releasing, in limited quantity, 1.5 liter bottles of strong ales. The series will include an Imperial Stout, a Summer Barley Wine, a Double I.P.A, and a barrel aged Old Ale. The first strong ale to be released will be the Choate Bridge Imperial Stout.

Russian imperial stout was originally brewed to satisfy the Czarist courts. Because it was transported across the freezing Baltic from England, imperial stout was brewed with a high level of alcohol. Our Choate Bridge Imperial Stout may not be sailing over the Baltic Sea anytime soon, but the rich, flavorful, deep chocolate color and flavor will remain true to the style. The use of roasted barley gives this hearty ale its subtle coffee aroma and taste.

The first 20 cases, or 80 1.5L bottles of Imperial Stout will be sold right out of the brewery on a first come, first serve basis. Each of these bottles will also be numbered as they come off the bottling line.