New Beer Friday - January 27 Edition

A Belgo Trio

By Chris Siciliano

Last week, only one new beer. This week, that number balloons to fifteen, proving once and for all that the universe tends toward equilibrium. (It's a yin & yang, feast & famine kind of thing.)

A handful of interesting Belgians are among the several new items added in recent days to Siciliano's beer department. These in addition to a fine new selection of brews from that other great beer state, Colorado. Speaking of the Great Beer State (the real one), just yesterday Michigan turned 175. I tell you what, though, it doesn't look a day over 163. And in people years that's only thirty-seven.

Here's wishing many happy returns to our beloved mitten-like landmass. Cheers!

New (and Returning) Beers

• Dark Horse Fore Smoked Stout, $1.79/12oz - "Brewed with all malted barley and peat malt (smoked malt). This beer is full bodied with chocolate, roasted barley flavors, and a smokey almost BBQ finish" (source).
• Boulder Beer Co. Never Summer Ale, $1.79/12oz - An "aggressive winter seasonal, deep ruby in color, assertively hopped and brewed with dark caramel malt" (source).
• Shiner Dortmunder, $1.49/12oz - "Shiner Dortmunder has a smooth, well-rounded flavor – the perfect fit for any Springtime activity. Because of the unique nature of the style, Shiner Dortmunder is sure to satisfy the palate of a diverse crowd" (source).
• Mississippi Mud Black & Tan, $3.99/32oz - "Dating back to 18th century England, the custom of blending pale and dark beers has kept the 'Black & Tan' a favorite of experienced beer drinkers for centuries. Our famous recipe combines a robust English Porter with a fine Continental Pilsner, preserving the character of each, while creating the classic taste of the legendary "Black & Tan." In true American style, we bring you the best of both beers as they meet in Mississippi Mud" (source).
• Fort Collins The Incredible Hop Imperial Black IPA, $9.59/12oz - According to the label, this "highly hopped" beer "tricks your mouth as the hops and carafa malts play off each other in strange symmetry."
• Fort Collins Rocky Mountain IPA, $1.99/12oz - "We made [this] IPA by dry-hopping for an intense floral aroma and adding a generous helping of malt to create a backbone stable enough to support the characteristic bitterness of the beer" (source).
• Fort Collins Without a Doubt Chocolate Stout, $1.99/12oz - "Big chocolate and roast flavors abound as subtle hop bitterness evens out the sweetness of a rich malt profile" (source).
• Fort Collins Kidd Black Lager, $1.99/12oz - "Chocolate malt lends Kidd its color while German Tettnang hops create the minimal bitterness of this brew" (source).
• Fort Collins Red Banshee, $1.99/12oz - A "tempting combination of crystal and wheat malts for an impeccable soft caramel flavor punctuated by piquantly spicy character of Willamette and Tettnang hops" (source).
• Scaldis Triple, $10.39/550ml - "Most Triples have honeyed, praline and burnt sugar (caramel) qualities. In characteristic Dubuisson style, Scaldis Blonde Triple is much drier with higher white sugar notes, redolent of vanilla icing, meringue and marshmallow. Married to these lighter, more delicate sugar notes is a heady aroma of white peaches and pears, a hint of astringency and a tight, Champagne-like sparkle. Suitable for cellaring. 10.5% ABV" (source).
• Avril Biere De Table, $9.29/750ml - "Bières de table are not the heavy hitters Belgium is so famous for – but are central to Belgian beer culture because they are how Belgians learn to appreciate beer. They are typically enjoyed with home cooked meals at the family dining table. There is no finer example of the style than Avril. USDA-certified, organic Avril is aromatic like fresh bread, full in the mouth and light on the finish. Exceptionally flavorful given its low 3.5% alcohol by volume" (source).
• Moinette Foret Blanche, $10.69/750ml - "Foret Blanche is 5.5% ABV. The color is a foggy golden honeycomb color. In the Dupont fashion, it is drier than most wit biers, with a more yeasty, tart profile. A rare and delicious interpretation of the wheat beer style from the champion of organic beers in Belgium" (source).
• Moinette Biere de Meil, $12.19/750ml - "Bière de Miel is pale golden, with a beautiful aroma of honeycomb delicately accented by orange and citrus notes. The richness coaxes the palate into thinking the beer is sweet—but the finish is close to bone dry with a noticeable hop tang" (source).
• McChouffe Belgian Brown Ale, $12.19/750ml - "The Mc Chouffe is an unfiltered dark beer, which is re-fermented in the bottle as well as in the keg. Behind its fruity flavour a slight hint of bitterness may be found" (source).
• Bockor Bellegems Bruin Sour/Wild Ale, $4.49/11.2oz - "Originally called 'Ouden Tripel', this ancient West Flanders Brown beer has found a new élan as a regional specialty under its current name: Bellegems bruin. The main ingredients of our Bellegems Bruin are malted barley, wheat, hops, water, and caramelized malts. These are used to brew a bottom-fermented beer. Blending this beer with lambic beer aged in oak for 18 months results in this specific West Flanders Brown beer. Its typical flavour is characterized by a well-balanced, hardly noticeable sourness. This first flavour impression is soon followed by a second pleasant discovery: a slight bitterness followed by a hint of sweetness" (source).

Picture of the Week

Contained within this space-age looking package are green (raw) coffee beans,
the newest addition to Siciliano's Do-It-Yourself Department.
Stay tuned to The Buzz for more information!

Nostrovia