Feature Beer Friday! - Sierra Nevada / Russian River Brux

This weeks feature beer comes to us from a couple of highly regarded California breweries, Sierra Nevada and Russian River.  Sierra Nevada is one of the nation's largest craft breweries but still puts out excellent beers on a regular basis and some really fantastic seasonal and special release beers.  Russian River is unfortunately not available in Louisiana but they are best know for their Pliny IPAs and a remarkable lineup of sours.  

 

For this beer, the two breweries collaborated on their domesticated wild ale, using Belgian yeast strains for primary fermentation, but putting some brett years (gives off a characteristic sour flavor) into the bottles for secondary bottle fermentation.  There are still some of these available around BR, and after this review I think it ages well, so go get one!

 

Reviewers: Eric Ducote (BR Beer Scene), Jay Ducote (Bite And Booze), Jeremy Spikes  and James Lawson (Whiskeybomb.com), and Brenton Day (TheAleRunner.com)

Serving: 750ml bottle, corked & caged.

Appearance: "Deep gold, hazy, white head." "Pale & foggy," was Jay's comment.  No bad scores, but nothing amazing either.

Aroma: Spicy but still sour... it really reminded me of a fireball candy wrapped in a sour skittle.

Taste: This really smoothed out the aroma, blending the flavors nicely into an easy drinking but still sour package.  Jay picked up notes of clove and allspice, while Brenton also found some banana.  

Mouthfeel: A very flavorful finish, and I loved the funk.

Overall: This one scored very well, James said that he would highly recommend it and I agree.  This is a really pleasing sour that aged very well and should continue to do so.  

Overall Rating: 84

My Rating: 88

Get Ready For New Belgium In Louisiana!

Hey everyone, exciting new beer news today from BeerPulse.com as it was announced that New Belgium Brewing (facebook - twitter) out of Fort Collins, Colorado is looking to make their way to the Louisiana market in April of 2013.  They will of course bring with them their popular Fat Tire Amber Ale, but more exciting to me is their Lips Of Faith series.  This is their select series including collaborations with other breweries and often showcasing some of the sour or wild styles.  This is pretty exciting for beer drinkers in and around Baton Rouge, and it's always great to get a new brewery in town.    

Full press release:

(Fort Collins, CO) – New Belgium is headed to Louisiana and Alaska in 2013 and has a lot of new beers coming in the pipeline for next year, according to the company’s spokesman. BeerPulse caught up with Bryan Simpson last week to get the skinny on future plans.

"Both of those states are ones that we’ve been looking at for a long time,” says Simpson. “Certainly Louisana being contiguous to Texas makes a lot of sense where we have trucks already heading down there. We think Alaska is an interesting place. A lot of us just have an affinity for it and we have a couple folks who have lived up there.”

The company is in the midst of building distributor profiles and timing is expected to be by early fall, similar to when the company entered Michigan. Correction: New Belgium says on Twitter that Louisiana will be “mid-April-ish.”

Simpson explains that the company is in a holding pattern of sorts when it comes to capacity so in order to add more-densely populated areas, they’d have to add more capacity than what they’re currently in the midst of adding.

New Belgium is on pace to brew 775,000 barrels this year, up nearly 9% from last year’s mark of 713,000 barrels. With the addition of new tanks, annual capacity grows from 800,000 barrels to 925,000 barrels.

As for the beer lineup…
Shift Pale Lager is coming to 12 oz. cans and draft with a national rollout slated for February.
Belgo IPA will be replaced by Rampant Imperial IPA at the end of the first quarter and will be a first Imperial IPA for them in the core lineup.
Rolle Bolle Belgian Golden Ale will replace Somersault as the summer seasonal and Accumulation White IPA will replace Snow Day as the winter seasonal.
Red Hoptober and Dig will return again as seasonals.

New to the Lips of Faith Series in Q1 will be Sultana Cascara Quad. Cascara is the husk of a coffee bean and adds an earthy and leathery tone to the beer. Other Lips of Faith beers to come include: Pluot (Q2), Coconut Curry Hefeweizen and a new wild ale (Q3), Yuzu Berlinerweiss (Q4).

New Belgium also has some collaborations in the works, each to be released as part of the Lips of Faith Series.

They will brew with Dieu de Ciel on a Q1 beer called Feijoa. Another will be a dandelion beer with Red Rock out of Utah called Paardebloem. That will come out in Q2. There is currently no collaboration partner lined up for the fall. The brewers will team up with De Dolle on a release next winter.

Feature Beer Friday! - Parish Grand Reserve

Alright, time for a special Feature Beer Friday treat, a sneak preview of the upcoming Parish Grand Reserve!  This barleywine styled beer is set to hit shelves in Baton Rouge at the end of November, and there should be enough to go around.  Parish Brewing (facebook - twitter) is also making a second appearance on Feature Beer Friday with the Canebrake being previously spotlighted. 

Reviewers: Eric Ducote (BR Beer Scene), Jay Ducote (Bite And Booze), Jeremy Spikes  and James Lawson (Whiskeybomb.com), and Brenton Day (TheAleRunner.com)

Serving: 750ml bottle, the commercial release will be waxed.

Appearance: "Ruby red." "nice tan head on a red beer, residual foam." We all scored it 13 or 14 out of 15 possibly points.

Aroma: Caramel malt, rich, Brenton thought it found a nice hoppy-malt balance, and Jay picked up notes of apricot on the nose.

Taste: Sweet, a little hoppy, rich with caramel malts.  Brenton, Jay, and James all commented on fruit flavors coming through as well.  

Mouthfeel: "Creamy, smooth finish." This one really had a nice finish and the alcohol content really balanced well with the flavors.

Overall: This was the first beer to receive scores at 90, from two of us. It was very well received and will be up there as one of the best locally produced beers.  If you do get a chance to get your hands on some, be sure to age one and see how this one tastes in a year when the 2013 batch comes out!

Overall Rating: 86.66

My Rating: 90

Review: Saint Arnold Bishop's Barrel No. 1

A while back I mentioned this upcoming brew from Saint Arnold Brewing Company (facebook - twitter), their first barrel-aged release under the new Bishop's Barrel series.  It's only available in a handful of bars/retaurants around town, but last I checked they still had some in stock.  Check The Bulldog, The Cove, and The Chimes for sure if you want to grab one before they are gone!  

This first release is a Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout, and they knocked this one out of the park.  I was a little concerned at first that not being able to buy it retail and age the beer would leave it a little too "hot" and boozy, but I think Saint Arnold did a nice job of aging this one for us to let it mellow out before it hit the market.  The reportedly aged it for a whopping 10 months in Knob Creek barrels and the bourbon influence is astounding.  The vanilla and oak bourbon notes play right into the rich malt character of the stout base.  The beer isn't one to be chugged down, but rather sipped, and can easily be shared with a friend if you don't want to take down one by yourself. 

It's not a cheap beer, but this is definitely one that deserves to be tried if you are a fan of top notch craft beer offerings.  I'm thrilled that this beer found its way to Louisiana and that we were able to get a decent supply at the local bars.  Try it before it's too late, you won't regret it at all!  Well done Saint Arnold, well done indeed.  

Celebrate Tin Roof's 2nd Anniversary This Friday!

Hey everyone, the local brewery Tin Roof will be turning 2 years old this Friday and they are planning a party to benefit Cancer Services of Greater Baton Rouge.  They have definitely come a long way over those two years with their third full-release beer, a canning line, and now two different seasonal offerings.  The food trucks will be there as well, so if you can make, it it's good food and beer for a good cause.  Here's the full press release:

Tin Roof Brewing Company’s 2nd Anniversary benefitting Cancer Services

A special ‘Food Truck Friday’ will help improve life for those living with cancer.

Friday, November 16, 2012

Baton Rouge, La. - November 2, 2012 – Cancer Services of Greater Baton Rouge will be
helping Tin Roof Brewing Co. celebrate their 2nd anniversary with a special Food Truck
Friday.

This free event will take place on Friday, November 16th from 5-8 p.m. at the
brewery’s location off Nicholson (1624 Wyoming Street). Food and beer will be
available for purchase and proceeds from Tin Roof beer sold at the event will benefit
Cancer Services’ mission to improve life for those living with cancer.

Tin Roof is no stranger to hosting Baton Rouge’s food trucks, but this event is unique.
John Peak, Marketing Director for Tin Roof Brewing Co., explains, “We love being
a part of this community. The opportunity to raise money for Cancer Services while
celebrating our 2 year anniversary is really something special.” In addition to their
attendance and support, the Baton Rouge Mobile Food Vendors Association will honor
the local brewery’s success; each of the food trucks will feature a menu item cooked
with one of Tin Roof’s five brews. Participating Food Trucks include Taco de Paco,
CURBSIDE, Dolce de Vita Pizza, FRESH, Three Bones and Pullin’ Pork. A family-
friendly event, all ages may attend, though only those 21 years or older can receive a
wristband to purchase beer. Live music will be provided by local musician Blake Breaux.

Cancer Services Executive Director Mimi Riche shares the excitement, “Cancer Services is a local agency completely dependent on the generosity of this community. Partnering with local businesses means so much to us.”

For more information about the event, contact Cancer Services at 225-927-2273.

Since 1959, Cancer Services of Greater Baton Rouge has provided free of charge programs, services, assistance and support to meet the changing medical, financial, educational and emotional needs of cancer patients and their families within a 10-parish area. If you would like more information about Cancer Services, please visit www.cancerservices.org.

Feature Beer Friday! - NOLA Hopitoulas

Time to go local again, with the much anticipated canned release of the NOLA Hopitoulas IPA.  NOLA Brewing (facebook - twitter) is of course out of New Orleans, LA, and have a great regular lineup plus some awesome seasonals like the Irish Channel Stout.  This one has been a BR Beer Scene favorite on tap for a while now, but just recently started hitting the Baton Rouge market in 16-ounce cans, perfect for tailgating!

Reviewers: Eric Ducote (BR Beer Scene), Jay Ducote (BiteandBooze.com), and James Lawson (Whiskybomb.com), and Charles (BigMouthPodcast.com).

 

Serving: 16 ounce can.

Appearance: Deep gold, good head, good color, nothing to complain about here.

Aroma: The aroma wasn't as strong as expected, which was good for someone like Charles who isn't a huge IPA fan.  I found it to be more reserved that the Schlafly A IPA that we tried earlier, look for it on a future Feature Beer Friday!

Taste:  Very smooth, still a little more reserved and less hop forward than expecting, especially out of a beer so fresh.  

Mouthfeel: I found it to be a little creamy, which is a good thing, and also with a slight lingering hop bitterness that didn't bother me at all.  Jay described it as a pretty standard IPA mouthfeel.

Overall: We all enjoyed the beer, but I feel like it loses something out of the can as opposed to on tap.  Charles, who isn't really an IPA gay said it was a "good starter beer for a non IPA drinker," and I agree.  I also feel like it's the best local example of the style, and there's nothing wrong with drinking local!  

Overall Rating: 72.5

My Rating:69

Feature Beer Friday! Newcastle Founder's Ale & Werewolf

Alright, time for a Feature Beer Friday double-dip, this time from Newcastle out of England!  Newcastle Brown Ale is the famous brand out of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, but these days Newcastle (now owned by Heineken) is no longer in the city of Newcastle and also has branched out into various other seasonal beers.  We had a few bottles on the Raise A Glass radio show, so I think it's time for a Newcastle double-dip!

First up, the Founder's Ale!  This is Newcastle's English Pale Ale offering, and their Spring seasonal.

Reviewers: Eric Ducote (BR Beer Scene), Jay Ducote (BiteandBooze.com), and Jeremy Spikes (Whiskybomb.com). 

 

Serving: 12 ounce bottle.

Appearance: "looks like Abita Amber" was one comment, and I'm sure almost all of my readers know exactly what that beer looks like.

Aroma: A little hops, mostly biscuity malts, you just don't expect and English Pale Ale to be as hoppy as the American version.  

Taste:  Poorly balanced, boring, not exciting at all.  Jeremy had this one scored at a 28/40 but Jay and I both put it below the 20 midpoint.  

Mouthfeel: I didn't like the mouthfeel at all, and thought it had a bad lingering aftertaste.

Overall: Jay and I really disliked this one, with scores below 50... Jeremy was a little more favorable but still noted that it wasn't as good as the regular Newcastle Brown Ale.

Overall Rating: 49.33

My Rating: 42

 

Second up, the Werewolf.  This is Newcastle's Irish Red Ale offering, and their Fall seasonal.

Reviewers: Eric Ducote (BR Beer Scene), Jay Ducote (BiteandBooze.com), Jeremy Spikes (Whiskybomb.com), and James Lawson (Whiskybomb.com).

 

Serving: 12 ounce bottle.

Appearance: "Clear amber color, decent head, but otherwise boring" was one comment, and we all agreed that there was nothing special to it0.

Aroma: Boring was the best adjective to describe the aroma... foul was one of the worst.  A few of the others might require earmuffs if you're reading aloud near children.  "Smells like wolf shit or turdwolf," as Jeremy put it.

Taste:  "Tastes like shit."  Enough said. 

Mouthfeel: Watery and lame.

Overall: None of us liked this beer, at all.  It was just a terrible swing and a miss from Newcastle and I'm surprised it made it to the public.  

Overall Rating:27.25

My Rating:26

 

I hate really being mean to beers, but these both need some serious work.

Coming Soon: Saint Arnold Bishop's Barrel No. 1

Just saw this on Saint Arnold's facebook site and also on Beerpulse.com, but it appears Saint Arnold's barrel aging project is ready to release the first offering on November 5th, a bourbon barrel aged imperial stout that will be known as Bishop's Barrel No. 1.  Kudos to them for instituting a barrel aging program and really trying to put out some great beers beyond their main lineup.  I'll admit that a bourbon barrel imperial stout isn't really groundbreaking, but it's also a proven winning combination.  Their second Bishop's Barrel offering has already been announced as an old ale in chardonnay barrels with cherries... now that sounds interesting, and delicious.  This first release will only be available in bars and restaurants, not retail, but I'd bet that places like Avenue Pub and The Cove will be on the list to get a few.  Read the full press release below!

Press Release:
(Houston, TX) – Saint Arnold Brewing Co. (www.saintarnold.com), the oldest craft brewery in Texas is preparing to launch the Bishop’s Barrel series next week. Saint Arnold Bishop’s Barrel, which will only be available in bars and restaurants, will feature small batches of a variety of barrel aged beers under the Saint Arnold Bishop’s Barrel label. As is the case with Saint Arnold’s highly regarded Divine Reserve series, each batch of Bishop’s Barrel will be distinguished by the number on the neck label.

Saint Arnold Bishop’s Barrel No. 1 is a Russian Imperial Stout aged for nearly 10 months in used oak bourbon barrels that the brewery acquired from Kentucky’s Woodford Reserve distillery. Saint Arnold emptied 48 barrels, which produced 948 cases of 12-ounce bottles. Bishop’s Barrel No. 1 will ship to bars and restaurants throughout Texas and Louisiana on Monday, November 5, 2012.

“We filled our first barrel in 2005, mainly for our own enjoyment,” said Saint Arnold founder/brewer Brock Wagner. “We slowly expanded our barrel program to a few barrels here and there before beginning our barrel program in earnest at the end of last year. The barrels essentially become one more ingredient in the beer recipe adding both the character of the beverage previously stored in the barrel as well as flavors extracted from the wood.”
Bishop’s Barrel No. 1 is a pleasant sipping beer with the bourbon both present but not overpowering. It pours a black color with a nose that is all bourbon and chocolate. The taste starts with a mix of spice with the bourbon and chocolate emerging and lingering through the finish. The warmer it gets, the better Bishop’s Barrel No. 1 tastes. The brewery recommends serving between 55 and 60 degrees.

Since moving into its downtown brewery more than three years ago, Saint Arnold has planned to expand its barrel aging. The brewery features a 2,000 square foot barrel room housing over 200 barrels acquired from California wineries and Kentucky distilleries. Saint Arnold uses the barrels one time before they are retired. They make lovely tables or flower pots after that.
Aging is currently underway for three future Bishop’s Barrel offerings, including Bishop’s Barrel No. 2, which will be an Old Ale in Chardonnay barrels with cherries. It has been aging for nearly a year and is scheduled for release in February 2013. The barrels came from a winery founded in 1981 by Wagner’s cousin.

“Our brewers are enjoying the challenge of deciding what to put into a barrel next,” said Wagner.

Barrel aging beer is a very small niche in the overall craft brewing industry, but it has gained in popularity as tastes evolve and appreciation for craft beer varieties has grown. The Great American Beer Festival has four categories devoted to wood- and barrel-aged beers that attracted more than 300 entries in 2011.