New Beer Friday - March 2 Edition

Sierra Nevada Bigfoot - Now in!

By Chris Siciliano

So February ends for another year. If you're like me, you're eyeing March suspiciously, wondering if it's this month that winter finally arrives in Michigan. Well I say let it come. No matter what happens now, the snow can't stick around for long.

Besides, even if the weather fluctuates wildly for the next six weeks, Siciliano's will have the perfect beer to suit you. We've added 21 new items to the suds department in recent days, and appearing this week on New Beer Friday is a full variety of styles, everything from Irish stout to barley wine to maibock to heather ale to summer shandy.

What better time to be a beer geek than during the transition of the seasons. Enjoy the selection!

New (and Returning) Beer

• Bell's Consecrator Doppelbock, $2.69/12oz - "Reddish brown in color with a mild hop profile,Consecrator Doppelbock is a well balanced, full bodied lager with hints of caramel and molasses in its smooth, malty finish. As with our other lager brands, Consecrator undergoes a lengthy lagering period. Unlike the 6 week profile of the other two brands, Consecrator experiences a full three months in the fermenting vessel, giving it an exceptionally smooth character" (source).
• Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Ale 2012, $2.59/12oz - "Our award-winning barleywine boasts a dense, fruity bouquet, an intense flavor palate and a deep reddish-brown color. Its big maltiness is superbly balanced by a wonderfully bittersweet hoppiness" (source).
• Short's Uncle Steve's Irish Stout, $1.69/12oz - "Short’s version of the classic Irish Stout, complete with a dark color, soft head, and smooth full flavor typical of this lighter bodied style. A simple grist formula provides a base of roasted malt flavors while the infusion of nitrogen adds the creamy drinkability everyone loves" (source).
• Jolly Pumpkin Madrugada Obscura Dark Dawn Stout, $13.79/750ml - "A Belgian inspired stout that is as dark as a moonless midnight, brimming of roasted malts and bitter hops" (source).
• Pyramid Apricot Ale, $1.59/12oz - "Apricot Ale perfectly combines the taste and aroma of fresh apricot with the smooth finish of a traditional wheat beer. It’s refreshingly unfiltered character and fruit flavor make it an ale worth savoring" (source).
• Pyramid Discord Dark IPA, $1.59/12oz - "Discord Dark IPA celebrates the marriage of two distinct styles, the Dark Ale and the IPA. The traditional bitterness of an IPA is juxtaposed against a black malt canvas, creating an ale that keeps your taste buds working to discover all the unique flavors imparted by the 5 different hops and 5 different malts" (source).
• Pyramid Thunderhead IPA, $1.59/12oz - "We heap the hops into each batch of our Thunderhead IPA. A golden nectar with a striking floral aroma, Thunderhead holds a harmonious balance between its bold hop bitterness and subtle malt backbone" (source).
• Point Brewing Three Kings Ale, $1.19/12oz - "Point Three Kings is a highly drinkable golden colored Kolsh-Style Ale inspired by the story of the three kings whose remains reside in the Koln Cathedral in Koln Germany. Koln is the birthplace of Kolsh ale, often referred to as the 'crown jewel of brewing art'. Elegant and well-balanced Three Kings is hand-crafted with a delicate fruity aroma, clean soft maltiness, and crisp subtle hopping - an adventure fit for a king" (source).
• Southern Tier Back Burner, $7.79/12oz - "Long ago, British farmhouse brewers made special ales using the first runnings of the mash. These beers, now called barley wine, are brewed in the tradition of days past. At Southern Tier this long awaited brew is placed on the back burner until the start of the new year. Back Burner Barley Wine is a celebration of things to come and things remembered. It’s conceived in three small batches, using voluminous amounts of barley and hops. The process starts early in the morning and ends late into the night. We hope this rare brew reignites your spirit for another trip around the sun" (source).
• He'Brew Genesis 15:15, $12.59/22oz - This beer "celebrates 15 years of Shmaltz Brewing with a Barrel Aged Harvest Barleywine aged in Sazerac Rye Barrels. The beer will have grape, fig and pomegranate juice & dates added to the brew" (source).
• Hofbrau Maibock, $1.99/12oz - "By tradition, the first barrel of Maibock is tapped in the Hofbräuhaus in the last week of April, in time for the merry month of May. The success story of Munich’s oldest bock beer goes back as far as 1614. With its powerfully aromatic flavour and its alcoholic content of some 7.2% volume, Hofbräu Maibock marks one of the high points in the beer-lover’s calendar" (source).
• Leffe Brune, $1.59/12oz - The beer has "the delicate taste of vanilla and clove, and the full aroma of toffee and caramel" (source). 
• Monk's Cafe Flemish Sour Ale, $3.19/12oz - "We blend young and old beers to make this mildy tart sour ale. Light bodied with a lactic/sour nose and a bit of sweet and sour in the finish. Very refreshing" (source).
• Leinenkugal Summer Shandy, $1.39/12oz - "Our take on a traditional German radler. Crisp, refreshing and brewed with natural lemonade flavor, it's perfect for the sun-splashed summer months" (source).
• Orkney Dark Island, $2.29/500ml - "On the nose, this dark beer offers bitter chocolate, figs, toffee and hints of fruit. On the palate, this resolves into beautiful, silky-smooth, coffee-and-chocolate flavours, followed by figs, dates and dried fruits, with a very appealing, lingering aftertaste of fruits and hop bitterness" (source).
• Orkney Red MacGregor, $4.89/500ml - "On the nose, this ruby-red beer is delicate, floral and fruity, with notes of violets, cherries, toffee and caramel. On the palate, the fruits combine with a juicy malt character and hints of toasted malt, with a biscuit malt and spicy hop finish" (source).
• Williams Brothers Alba Scots Pine Ale, $3.29/1l.2oz - "A traditional Highland recipe, popular in Northern Scotland until the end of the 19th Century. This "triple" style ale is spiced with sprigs of spruce and pine, harvested in the spring and brewed with only a small token handful of hops . Break out the goblets and pour with abandon. Rich, tawny and best enjoyed at Room temperature" (source).
• William Brothers Fraoch Heather Ale, $3.29/11.2oz - "A light amber ale with floral peaty aroma, full malt character, and a spicy herbal finish - This beer allows you to literally pour 4000 years of Scottish history into a glass" (source).
• Williams Brothers Ebulum Elderberry Black Ale, $3.29/11.2oz - "Our recipe was taken from a 16th century record of domestic drinking in the Scottish Highlands and is Brewed with roasted barley and chocolate malt, then infused with elderberries to deliver a dark, rich, fruity beer with a strong single hop aroma and satisfying bitter conclusion" (source).
• Williams Brothers Grozet Gooseberry & Wheat Ale, $3.29/11.2oz - "A pale golden beer, with a refreshing fruit aroma, clean palate, fruity wheat flavour and crisp finish. Recommended with, light foods, pastas and salads" (source).
• Genesee Bock Beer, $0.79/12oz, $8.59/12-pack - "Our take on the 16th century German legend has turned out to be a legend in its own right. For every spring since 1951, our brewery has carefully crafted and lagered Genesee Bock Beer. The result is an exceptionally hearty, full-flavored beer with a slight malty finish—and a perfect way to celebrate the snow melt" (source).

Picture of the Week

Provin Trails
(Is this the last time we see snow this year?)

Cheers!