Update: Bell's Batch 9000 Info

If you were curious what form Bell's Batch 9000 would take, look no further than the above picture. Yes, you read that right: "Malt beverage brewed with molasses and brewer's licorice." I have no idea what that means in terms of end-product, and now I'm just more curious. Way to go picture; you did nothing to quell my anticipation.

If you want a back story of Bell's commemorative beers and speculation about the release date, I'd recommend taking a jaunt over to beernews.org for a nice write-up.

Leinenkugel's Going National with Classic Amber

Leinenkugel's has always been a great stand-by, a brewery that creates a lot of different styles that are all tasty and affordable. But Leinenkugel's has always been a very Midwest brewery, with only a few styles finding themselves throughout the nation (e.g., when I was in Boston last year, the only Leinenkugel's I saw on tap was, not the standard Honey Weiss or Original, but the Sunset Wheat). Well, much to the delight of my brother, as well as other Leine-lovers across the nation, the brewery is taking steps to change this:

But the beer that got its start quenching the thirst of 19th-century lumberjacks will shed whatever's left of its regional image Monday with the national launch of a new brew, Classic Amber. The beer, a potential flagship for the Chippewa Falls, Wis, brewery, is meant to compete with the nation's bestselling craft beer, Samuel Adams.

With the Classic Amber, this is the third new beer Leine's has launched within the last three months. While I didn't enjoy the Fireside Nut Brown, I thought the 1888 Bock was a refreshing, accurate take on the style, and I'm excited to try their newest, the Classic Amber. Here is the description from the brewery:

Leinenkugel's Classic Amber Lager
Our signature all-malt lager is a celebration of genuine ingredients, time-honored brewing traditions and authentic craft beer flavor. With its brilliant amber color, premium blend of Pale, Caramel and Munich malts, and subtle, yet complex citric hoppiness, you simply can't go wrong with a Classic.

Check out the full description here, and look for it in stores early March.

Via The Star Tribune

Bell's Batch 9000 Info

According to a string of posts on Beeradvocate, we're getting close to Bell's newest every-1000-batches special release, the Bell's Batch 9000. According to a post by Larry Bell:

The saying goes,"give the customer what they want."
Remember 7000? Well that was kind of weak, so we are trumping up that recipe to make something bold. You want something for the cellar? You got it.

The 7000 was a 12% Imperial Stout, so hardly a beer that you'd call weak, and hardly a beer that you'd think about making bold unless you were going to do something crazy. Here's hoping.

Update on New Great Divide Beers

Great Divide's two newest ventures--Claymore Scotch Ale and Espresso Oak Aged Yeti--are out as of February 13. I personally haven't seen them in stores in the MSP area, but as we get nearly everything else they brew, I'm hoping that they'll pop up soon.

Also, go check out their new website they launched to coincide with the fancy new labels, or if you want to read up on the newest beers.

Sierra Nevada Torpedo & Bigfoot

Finally. It took much longer than it should have, but both Sierra Nevada's Torpedo Extra IPA and Bigfoot Barleywine have hit the Twin Cities market. I picked up a six-pack of each at Thomas Liquors.

The Torpedo is nice enough. At a modest price and 7.2% alcohol, it's an economical, tasty choice. It won't replace my IPA standards (Two Hearted, HopDevil, Titan, and more-so lately, Crooked Tree), but it's always nice to have more options year-round.

The Bigfoot is as I remember and all that I love in a barleywine: big malt, big hops, and big alcohol. I am disappointed that it hit so late in the season; but, it's snowing outside right now and that gives me justification enough to plow through a few more six-packs before it's gone until next year.

Update: despite the lack of care for the brewing process or the nomenclature, I stumbled upon this review that does a nice job of describing the flavor of the Torpedo Extra IPA.

Redhook Tripel in April

Redhook will be releasing a new beer in April: a tripel. A tripel from Redhook? Hooray!

Here's the info off of the beeradvocate forums:

Belgian Tripel is deep golden hued with subtle hints of vanilla, clove and cinnamon. Fruity, spicy and warming with a complex but soft malt character.

Belgian Tripel Overview:
IBU: 22
Alcohol by Volume: 8.0%
Original Gravity: 19.3 plato
Shelf Life - 180 days

Availability
For a limited time only, Belgian Tripel will be available in 22oz bottles and 1/6 barrel draught, nationwide

STR Date: April 20, 2009
Probable retail price- $7.99 per 22oz bottle

The Beer that Made Milwaukee Famous Returning to Milwaukeehat

Schlitz, it seems, is doing all it can to return to it's once golden state as The Beer that Made Milwaukee Famous. This past summer, Pabst (who owns Schlitz), relaunched the brand with the original 1960's formula. And now, under contract with MillerCoors, have returned the brewing and bottling back to Milwaukee. Ah nostalgia. I mean, for those who have been alive long enough to have nostalgia about this.

Read more

New from Great Divide

Hells yeah! With that label, I feel like I need no words. If you want words, go read all about it it here.

Beer News Roundup via Beernews.org

I just got around to reviewing the beernews.org posts from the last few days. I found so much great news that I thought I'd provide a beer news roundup for those who don't peruse the beer websites as often as I do:

• Tyranena's next Brewers Gone Wild will be a cherry porter called Paradise by the Dashboard Lights (7.5 to 8%). It'll be out late January or early February.
• Southern Tier is releasing a "Black IPA," called Iniquity Imperial Black Ale. No release date. 9%.
• In March or April, Southern Tier is releasing an Oak Aged Unearthly IPA
• Left Hand has released their 2009 seasonal beer schedule.
• Sierra Nevada is tweaking their labels.

If you check out nothing else, go take a look at the Southern Tier Black IPA label...as with all of their labels, it's the best.

Surly Three + Mild News

Straight from Surly's Brewer's Blog:

Ok! now that 16Grit is gone what's next?

Surly Mild will be released Jan 19th,look for it at your local.Expect a light bodied,low alcohol brown ale with flavors of lightly sweetened biscuits,tobacco and a dry finish.
26IBU
4%abv

Surly Three is our anniversary beer.Try it first at Winterfest!(Feb 6).Look for it DRAFT only the week of Feb 9.Brewed with 50%Honey and 50%German Dark Munich malt,fermented with a Belgian yeast strain and aged on toasted White Ash.
Lots of honey aroma intertwined with rich caramel-cracker flavors,the Ash adds a cinnamon,nutmeg and vanilla aroma and a dry finish.Smells like bourbon to me.
16IBU
10%abv

Thought Mild was great last year; thinking it'll be great this year. Also...the Three...so excited. I've loved both the One and the Two and have been waiting for the Three quite anxiously. I'm sure this won't disappoint. I mean, really...honey, dark Munich malt, white ash, 10%...sounds nothing if not fun.

Magic Hat Coming to MN!

I'm back! Holidays, busy, blah blah blah sorry for no posts blah blah...here's the good news:

According to a post on Beeradvocate (that seems quite reliable), Magic Hat Brewing Company will begin distribution in MN in February. Why, you ask, should you care? Because it's awesome, that's why.

I had the chance to try both the #9 and Circus Boy when we were in Boston last May, and I thoroughly enjoyed the beers and couldn't wait until we could get some love here in Minnesota. Also, it's the only brewery I know of where you can buy both a 12-pack of branded condoms as well as a baby bib. Mixed signals, to be sure, but they still make great beer.

The Death of Sparks

It is with great sadness that I inform you that MillerCoors is being forced to reformulate their caffeinated alcoholic beverage, Sparks, effectively making it pointless. This about sums up why:

The beer giant had come under fire from the states as well as several consumer-advocacy groups, for allegedly marketing its top-selling Sparks brand so that it appealed to underage consumers. Critics also complained that the drinks raised potential health risks by masking feelings of drunkenness.

I can maybe understand people being upset about the marketing. Maybe. But, I highly doubt that's what this is about. And it's statements like this one (made by Attorney General Richard Blumenthal) that infuriate me:

Sparks is an insidious and insane drink that deservedly now is down the drain -- like all stimulant-spiked alcoholic drinks should be. . . . Beverages like Sparks are a witch's brew of alcohol and caffeine, energizing drunks and encouraging dangerous, even deadly behavior. Common sense says a drink impairing judgment while conferring excess energy is a very bad idea. Studies show that these drinks lead to binge drinking, car crashes, sexual assaults and other risky behavior. They impair reactions and reasoning, but instill the illusion of alertness and energy.

What next? Banning Red Bull and vodkas? Banning coffee beer? Banning me from slamming some espresso before going out to the bar?

As ridiculous as that comment is, I love the absurd new marketing stipulations:

Remove from Sparks marketing any references to mixing the drinks with caffeinated or stimulant-laced beverages, as well as plus and minus signs, batteries, on/off switches, elevators, lightning bolts and snowboards, and the words "powered” and "ignited."

Yes, because I know that when I was under 21, anytime I was near an elevator, even heard someone whisper the word elevator, I could think of doing nothing but slamming back gallons of alcohol while raping anything and everything that so much as crept into my eyesight.

Article 1
Article 2

Space Beer! The Future is Now!! (Almost)

From BBC News:

Japanese beer brewed from barley which was grown on the international space station orbiting the Earth, has finally been tasted.

The Space Beer will not go on sale, but should help scientists decide which crops astronauts could take with them on prolonged space flights on future missions exploring places like Mars.

Cosmonaut Dr Boris Morukov who spent 11 days in space says potatoes may one day be grown, but not to make space vodka.

Like the IPA, born out of the long journey from England to India, one can only hope that our long trips to Mars will one day produce a new fantastic style of beer: space beer.

Check out a video here. (Silly BBC won't let me embed the video; however, their volume level does go to 11. So, I actually doubt that blogger could handle it anyway.)

Here's a longer, better article about the actual process, in which we finally learn that the barley was grown in space and then brewed by Sapporo on Earth. This is less exciting for two reasons:

1. It's a lot less futuristic than we had previously thought, and
2. Sapporo is not that good.

And the quote that really bothers me is this, "There's really no beer like it because it uses 100 percent barley." Really? Not because it was brewed with barley grown in space!?

Full Sail LTD 01 Coming Soon

Amidst a flurry of updates in Full Sail's newsletter (such as Wassail and Old Boardhead Barleywine 08 hitting the markets among other things), comes this piece about LTD 01:

LTD 01 Coming Soon.
Good news beer lovers, our easy-drinking albeit way tasty LTD Recipe 01 is rocking the fermentation tank as this very moment. We predict LTD 01 will be hitting the shelves in early January, maybe sooner.

Back for its third year, LTD 01 is part of our seasonal line that emphasizes and builds on our brand mantra - both the world class quality of our beers (LTD – Limited Edition) and our celebration of independence (LTD – Live the Dream). We dedicate LTD to everyone who's living the dream, whatever that dream might be. Our dream was to start our own brewery, run it our own way, and do it in an unreal place where all summer the wind pumps and all winter the snow dumps. If you're living your own dream, then cheers to you!

Since its initial release, LTD 01 has racked up two gold medals from the World Beer Championships and received an “A” rating from Beer Advocate Magazine. But, we’ll let you be the judge. If you haven't already tried it, it's a wonderfully balanced medium-bodied, copper colored lager with subtle hop accents and a caramel aroma that goes down smooth - perfect for the winter season.

You can pick up a sixer at your favorite beer store or get it on tap at your local pub until spring when we will follow up with LTD Recipe Number 02. Rumor has it the brewmaster is working on LTD 03 for this summer. Stay tuned.

Can't wait! Also, LTD 03, eh? 01 has been my favorite of the two thus far, so we'll see if this newcomer can tip the scale for me.

Go here for the most current newsletter if you want to read it in full.

Bell's + De Proef

Straight from beernews.org:

(Kalamazoo, MI) - Bells Brewery was named as the co-brewer for next year’s Signature Series collaboration with De Proef in Belgium. Bells’ John Mallet will travel over to Europe to work with De Proef’s Dirk Naudts this coming March. Past collaborators include Tomme Arthur from Port Brewing/The Lost Abbey and Jason Perkins from Allagash. Both beers were Belgian styles and it would be assumed that is the way the series will continue to trend. That said, Bells’ vast collection of beers only includes a relative handful of Belgian styles to date; it will be interesting to see what brew comes out of this joint effort.

I tend to love everything that Bell's makes, and what I've had from De Proef has been quite tasty, so this is a rather exciting collaboration. We'll see how far it will be distributed. Here in MN we get both Bell's and De Proef, so odds are good thus far.

Go here for the full press release.

Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA

For the first time in 28 years, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. is going to be releasing a new full-time beer: Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA.

Apparently, initially, there was some confusion as to what this beer was or would be, but beernews.org went to the source and got this from Bill Manley, Sierra Nevada Communications Coordinator:

Yes, Sierra Nevada will be releasing Torpedo Extra IPA as a new addition to our year-round staple of beers. The tentative release date is January 15. This is the first change in our year-round lineup since we started back in 1980. The beer will be available in 6-packs, with the same distribution as all of our other year-round and seasonal beers.

There's a lot more information over at beernews.org, if you're curious what The Hop Torpedo is or what the confusion has been surrounding this beer.

Here are the details from Sierra Nevada:

Torpedo is in a grey area, somewhere between an IPA and a Double IPA…We are calling it Extra IPA…

7.4% ABV - IBU’s in the high 70’s to 80’s
Bittering hops: with Magnum
Finishing hops: Magnum, Crystal, Chinook.
Torpedo: Magnum, Chinook, Citra

I'm excited for this. I do love the IPAs, and Sierra Nevada is always pulling off fantastic hoppy beers (Pale Ale, IPA, Celebration, Harvest Series, ESB, etc.)...I'm sure this one will fit in rather well.

Full Sail's 2009 Brewmasters Reserve List

Full Sail Brewing Company has released their 2009 schedule of special Brewmaster Reserve beers. Full Sail, I've found, is always consistent and constantly surprising me. It's hard to go wrong with their core beers (IPA, Pale Ale, Amber, and Session), I went a bit overboard with how many six packs of both the LTD 01 and LTD 02 I went through, and the few Brewmaster Reserves that I've had (Prodigal Sun and Old Boardhead Barleywine 07) have been fantastic. So, it's with some excitement that I reprint at least the basic details of their new lineup. Open up this pdf for full details.

• Slipknot Imperial IPA (January to mid-March)
• Full Sail Imperial Porter (March to April)
• Kellhauler Scottish Ale (mid-March to June)
• Grandsun of Spot IPA (June to September)
• Vesuvius Belgian Style Golden Ale (mid-August to November)
• Lupulin Fresh Hop Ale (mid-September to November)
• Wreck the Halls (November to mid-January)
• Black Gold Bourbon Imperial Stout (February until it's gone)
• Old Boardhead Barleywine (08 released October 2008, 09 in October 2009)

I've yet to see the 2008 Barleywine anywhere around here, although I have snatched up two bottles of the 07 so far this year, and right now I've got a bottle of their 21 Anniversary Doppelbock waiting in the fridge for me. We'll see how long it lasts in there.

Jim Gaffigan Pale Ale?

Little late coming to this, but apparently Stevens Point Brewery from Stevens Point, WI is teaming up with Jim Gaffigan to promote the Point Jim Gaffigan Pale Ale.

I don't think I've actually tried anything from Point, but I have heard Gaffigan, and he's hilarious. Whether or not that hilarity somehow translates into a delicious beer, it's anyone's guess.

I can't seem to find information on this anywhere but on beernews.org, so who knows how accurate this is...still seems worth it just for the picture.

(via beernews.org)

I'm back with Surly news

From Beernews.org:

Surly Brewing got label approval this week for Coffee Bender, a spin-off of its popular brown ale that introduces a coffee kick. This looks like it could be a winter seasonal though an email has been sent to Founder/Owner, Omar Ansari, for more info. While the year-round brands are available in some parts of Illinois, the other seasonal, Bitter Brewer, appears to only be available in Minnesota at the moment (when canned).

Read more at beernews.org.

Leinie's Big Eddy Imperial IPA

Reading about Leinenkugel's newest beer, Big Eddy Imperial IPA, gives me mixed feelings. First, I'm excited, because Lenie has yet to tap into the "hoppy" beers, preferring to make drinkable, session-type beers. This seems to mark a new venture for them, and it's fantastic to see such a long-standing brewery take a chance with something so different. It's called a "high-octane ale" and this description doesn't disappoint:

"Big Eddy Imperial IPA is one hundred percent malt based with special hops added at every stage of brewing. Each batch is treated to a highly refined filtering process, resulting in a brilliant beer with a breathtaking tawny red, coppery glow. Its assured bitterness is punctuated by an 8.9 percent alcohol content, while the clean lingering finish manages to not overpower. It's expensive to brew, but it's worth it."

If that isn't good enough for you, here's the one provided by Roman's Pub's website (one of the locations carrying it): "Bright golden orange color, big citrus hop nose, immediate hop bitter upfront that leads to a nice malt balance and finishes long and dry, made with Warrior, Cascade, Simcoe and Amarillo hops backed by Munich Caramel and Pale Ale malts."

A Leinie brew at 8.9% abv and bitter? This sounds awesome. Almost all of Leinie's other beers top out at 4.9%, with the Oktoberfest at 5.1% and the Big Butt at 5.8%. Unfortunately, they don't list the IBUs to compare the bitterness to.

The only reason why I'm not thrilled about this right now is because it's "being test-marketed on tap only in some select bars in the Milwaukee area." Hopefully people embrace this new beer and it soon finds itself in my direction and my stomach.

For information on where to drink it, go here