BrewScoops 02-12-19
by Gail Kearney, gailekearney@gmail.com
Hershey, PA – Tröegs Independent Brewing announces the release of its rotating Hop Cycle beer for spring, First Cut Mango IPA. Two complementary ingredients – citrusy Simcoe hops and sweet mango – come together to form an IPA greater than the sum of its parts. With hops in hand and curiosity their guide, Tröegs conjured up the Hop Cycle to explore the possibilities of our favorite flower. Along the way, they discovered that the citrus of Simcoe elevates the delicate sweetness of mango, local rustic malt is the perfect backbone to support a big hop bill, and that – left to shine – Cascade, Centennial and Chinook are classics for a reason. Each spring, hop growers dust off their pruning shears and trim the first shoots, bolstering the bines for a rich growing season. First Cut – a mouthful of citrusy Simcoe and a touch of sweet mango – is a nod to this ritual, without which the world would be a less hoppy place. Weighing in at 6.2%, First Cut is brewed with real mango. troegs.com/hopcycle/ Photo: Tröegs Independent Brewing
Portland, ME – Allagash Brewing Co. released Sun Drift, a beer brewed with lemon zest, fermented with Brettanomyces yeast, and then blended with black tea. Lemon zest imparts a slightly tart note that’s accompanied by a medley of funky tropical fruit flavors created by the yeast. After brewing, the beer is blended with Fair Trade Yunnan Black tea from Little Red Cup, of Brunswick, ME. The result evokes the refreshing combination of lemonade and tea, all cruising on a layer of fruit-filled aromatics. This Belgian-style ale is made with local pale malt and local raw oats. It’s hopped with Cascade and Citra, then fermented on a combination of Saccharomyces and Brettanomyces Claussenii. Available in four-packs of 12-oz bottles in these fine states: CA, CT, DC, GA, IL (Chicagoland only), MA, MD, ME, NC, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, SC, VA, VT. allagash.com/
Grand Rapids, MI – Founders Brewing Co. has announced the return of KBS, the second installment of the Founders Barrel-Aged Series, a lineup of five barrel-aged beers set to release throughout 2019. The KBS release is an annual tradition at the brewery. KBS is an imperial stout brewed with massive amounts of coffee and chocolate before aging in oak bourbon barrels in caves beneath Grand Rapids and at an offsite barrel-aging facility, the Barrel House. It comes in at 12.2%. KBS will be available for pickup in 12-oz bottles at the Grand Rapids and Detroit taprooms and will be released using a pre-ticketed reservation process. 750mL bottles will be available for sale from the Company Stores’ coolers beginning on March 8. Head to foundersbrewing.com/latest-news/ for more info on the ticket sale. KBS will be available throughout the brewery’s 47-state distribution network on draft and in 750mL and 12-oz bottles beginning on March 15.
Boulder, CO – Avery Brewing Co. announces the release of a new full-time beer with national distribution, Hazyish IPA. A juicy and hazy IPA with low bitterness, it has an expressive aroma of four different hop varieties (Simcoe, Amarillo, Azacca, and Mosaic), and a creamy mouthfeel. At 7.0%, it is a surprisingly crushable beer with a bouquet of tropical and citrus hop essence, without being overly bitter. In fact, the IBU is only 30. Says Fred Rizzo, Director of Brewing Operations at Avery Brewing, “[We] created haze through natural methods with protein-rich malts like oats and wheat. We then focused on fine-tun[ing] the level of haze that is necessary to get the right amount of hop aroma and flavor without compromising the shelf stability. The result is a beer that’s hazy…ish. Don’t expect it to be opaque, but it will have all the juiciness and aromas of a hazy IPA that you will love”. Hazyish IPA can be found in 6-pack 12-oz cans. Find it near you with our brew finder. Ready to party? Also coming soon from Avery is Brut IPA. This extra bubbly and dry IPA sings with a chorus of effervescence and an orchestra of hop aroma. With low bitterness and a crisp finish, Brut IPA sparkles with life and is worthy of any celebration. Brut IPA will join Avery’s full-time line-up on March 1st.
Fort Bragg, CA – North Coast Brewing Co. is excited to release its first seasonal beer of 2019. A limited quantity of Beachmaster Imperial India Pale Ale is now available to fans for the second year on draft and in 12-oz bottles. The full-bodied 9% beer is named in honor of the mighty northern elephant seals that frequent California’s Mendocino Coast. Beachmaster is a tribute to North Coast Brewing’s flagship beer, Ruedrich’s Red Seal Ale, which began the brewery’s commitment to conserving and protecting marine mammal life 30 years ago. As part of its mission to make the world a better place one pint at a time, North Coast Brewing highlights the importance of marine mammal research efforts and rescue through its beers. Beachmaster rounds out North Coast Brewing’s roster of marine-centric beers, including Red Seal Ale, North Coast Steller IPA, named for the Steller sea lions, and Laguna Baja, inspired by the seasonal migration of gray whales along the Pacific Coast. northcoastbrewing.com
Hood River, OR – 100 calories and only 6 carbs, new Session Light – from Full Sail Brewery is perfect for anyone looking to keep the calories low but their standards high. Session Light is a Northwest take on a classic American lager, brewed with mountain spring water, malted barley, and Glacier and Sterling hops, all fresh from Full Sail’s Pacific Northwest backyard. 3.6% Session Light pours bright, has a mellow, malty flavor, and finishes crisp and clean. In keeping with the market shift toward better-for-you, healthy booze, consumers are craving not just a light beer, but one with flavor and nuance, and Session Light delivers. Available now on draft, Session Light will also be available in 12-oz slim cans in 6-packs and 12-packs, and in bottles in the Session Mashup Summer Variety Pack this spring. fullsailbrewing.com
Kihei, HI – For a limited time, Maui Brewing Co. will release Makena Cloud Hazy IPA in cans and draft. The hazy pale gold color and juicy tropical fruit and citrus aromas are both innocuous and inviting. With 62 IBUs, there is light bitterness derived from the balanced hop profile of Citra, Amarillo, and El Dorado hops, and mostly fruity goodness in the unfiltered IPA which checks in at 6.6%. Heavy on pineapple and citrus, this beer goes down easy and “will keep you reaching for another,” states Lead Brewer, Pete Cumbo. It is now available in the Kihei Restaurant and Tasting Room. MBC locations in Lahaina, Kailua, and Waikiki will see it the week of February 22nd. It will be available in 4-pack cans and draft in Hawaii markets where Maui Brewing Company craft beer can be found. MauiBrewing.com
Escondido, CA – Stone Brewing’s newest year-round beer storms ashore – Stone Tropic of Thunder Lager. Hitting that sweet spot of a lager that appeals to IPA lovers, Stone’s newest core beer arrives in all 50 states. The beer’s name is a nod to the uncharted tropical islands on which most of us would willingly castaway ourselves… provided that we could have our perfectly stocked beer fridge in tow. It’s just right for a self-imposed “three hour tour,” be it on an island, on a boat, or simply on the couch. Aromas of citrus, pineapple and coconut are followed by flavors of lime, orange and passion fruit. A newer hop variety – Cashmere – when harvested at just the right time imparts flavors of ripe cantaloupe that elevate the juicy qualities of this beer. The new addition to Stone’s lineup is now available throughout the US in 12-oz 6-pack cans, 19.2-oz single-serve cans and draft. The 5.8% lager is brewed to be enjoyed fresh, which means the rescue boat has 120 days to get the castaways home or, more likely, re-stock the island’s refrigerator. Beer finder: find.stonebrewing.com
Longmont, CO – Coffee lovers rejoice! Left Hand Brewing Co. is amped for the return of Hard Wired Nitro, now available for the first time in 13.65-oz nitro widget cans. It’s now even easier to take this smooth, coffee porter on the go for whenever you need a kick. Hard Wired Nitro features Allegro Coffee Company® Hard Wired Coffee, a unique blend of beans selected specifically for this brew. At 6%, Hard Wired Nitro is your favorite cup of coffee woven into a smooth and creamy nitro porter with chocolate malt, coffee, and toffee notes. Available in 4-pack cans, 1/6- and 1/2-barrel kegs. Just in time for Valentine’s Day, Left Hand is introducing a new variation on its award-winning Milk Stout CO2 – Raspberry Milk Stout. At 5.7%, roasted coffee notes combine with raspberries and chocolate malt for a liquid, raspberry truffle-like experience. Dark and delicious has never been more tempting. So light the candles, turn on Al Green, and crack a can of Raspberry Milk Stout. You’ve just set the mood. Available in 6-pack, 12-oz cans, 1/6- and 1/2-barrel kegs. www.lefthandbrewing.com
Juneau, AK – Alaskan Brewing fans are starting to see a familiar friend on the shelves, as Alaskan Spruce IPA is back for its second year as the Spring entry to Alaskan’s rotating series. The beer won a World Beer Cup gold medal in its first year as a seasonal product, and another gold in the Pacific Northwest’s Best of Craft Beer Awards. Alaskan was a pioneer in the use of spruce tips, first in sweeter beers such as the iconic “Alaskan Winter Ale” migrating to more hoppy beers like IPA’s, where the evergreen and wood character of the Sitka spruce tips became more prominent. Slightly bitter and bracing, Spruce IPA is imminently drinkable, with aromas of pine and berries. The taste maintains a berry like, fruity, slightly floral and tart quality, but the bitterness in this beer brings out the piney similarities that spruce tips have with the selected hops. It is available through April in all 22 states where Alaskan beer is sold. alaskanbeer.com
Longmont, CO – Oskar Blues Brewery is introducing a fresh new line-up of rotating IPAs with the Can-O-Bliss IPA Series. Each IPA in the series showcases an all-star cast of hops including innovative combinations of new and experimental hop varietals from around the world. The first release, 7.2% Can-O-Bliss Tropical IPA, is a juicy, sunset-hued rogue wave of tropical fruit flavors featuring clean, complex Mosaic, citrusy Azacca, fruity Galaxy, aromatic El Dorado and pungent Idaho 7 hops. On deck is Can-O-Bliss Hazy IPA, a hazed-out and hopped-up IPA packed with flavors of stone fruit, melon and peach. Rounding out the series will be Can-O-Bliss Citrus IPA, an intensely citrus-y and aromatic brew that will put zest to the test. All Can-O-Bliss IPA Series beers will be distributed nationally on draft and in 6- and 12-pack cans following their respective releases, plus they will appear in the CANundrum mix 15-pack. www.oskarblues.com
