New Beer Friday - August 24 Edition

iPod, Siciliano's style

By Chris Siciliano

Anybody who's been by the store lately will have maybe noticed the Pod sitting pretty in the back parking lot. We'll leave it up to you our loyal readers to devine the Pod's true purpose at Siciliano's, though the least we can do is give you some options from which to choose. See below for your list of choices, all eminently believable, but only one of which is true.

The Pod is there because (a) we need more room to store all that extra product we intend to sell during our annual homebrew sale; (b) Siciliano's is moving to the small town of Rye, PA, where the streets are awash with the slightly spicy, hoppy brew after which (we believe) the town is named; (c) in an effort to devote himself completely to the pursuit of homebrew, one obsessive homebrewer has set up camp in the back parking lot; or (d) the Pod is empty, an elaborate ruse set-up only for the purpose of this New Beer Friday.

Any guesses which (if any) is true?

New (and Returning) Beer

• Lagunitas Imperial Stout, $4.79/22oz - "Dark and thick like your favorite dessert with a Bonus. Highly roasted malted barley, and plenty of it, gives the beer uncommon richness and smoky, roasty depth… kinda like a hydraulic sandwich in a glass" (source).
• Harpoon 100 Barrel Series #43 - White IPA, $6.69/22oz - "Citrus and floral hop notes complement this refreshing, slightly spicy beer" (source).
• Harpoon Octoberfest, $1.49/12oz - "Several malts, including Munich and chocolate, deliver the malty character. The delicate hop aroma is not overpowering and the Willamette hops provide a gentle bitterness which balance well with the residual sweetness" (source).
• Avery The Kaiser Imperial Octoberfest Lager, $8.19/12oz - "The Kaiser once said, 'Give me a woman who loves beer and I will conquer the world.' If the Kaiser and his significant other had tipped this bottle, we’d all be 'sprechenden Deutsch!' We took all that is good in a traditional Oktoberfest – gorgeous, deep copper sheen, massive malty backbone and spicy, floral, pungent noble hops – then intensified each into this, an Imperial Oktoberfest" (source).
• Southern Tier Harvest, $1.69/12oz - "Harvest Ale is our celebration of the changing weather and the sowing of hops and barley that will be used in our upcoming brews. We usher in the fall with a classic English style Extra Special Bitter of the highest order. Deep ruby in color with an even deeper hop flavor… in fact, we throw fresh English hops into every brewing vessel, then dry hop after fermentation to impart a zesty kick. This beer has real hop character that mingles with fresh malted barley for an experience that will make you wish it were fall year ‘round" (source).
• Southern Tier Phin & Matt Extraordinary Ale, 1.69/12oz - "A beer so fresh and tasty the duo put their names on it" (source).
• New Holland Ichabod Pumpkin, $1.79/12oz - "Ichabod combines malted barley and real pumpkin with cinnamon and nutmeg in a delicious and inviting brew. A rewarding complement to many dishes, Ichabod pairs well with autumnal foods such as poultry and root vegetables. After dinner, try it with your favorite dessert!" (source).
• Atwater Blocktoberfest, $1.69/12oz - "Brewed with 100% German malt for a rich taste and amber color" (source).
• Point Oktoberfest, $1.19/12oz - "Originally brewed a couple hundred years ago to celebrate the betrothal of the Crown Prince of Bavaria, we’re helping keep the tradition alive by brewing it every fall for all of our royal/loyal followers. We continue the celebration by traditionally brewing this special malty amber lager in August and September. Blue Point Brewing’s Oktoberfest lager is stored cold for two months to ensure its distinct smooth flavor" (source).

Picture of the Week

Beer Camp, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co,
Chico, CA 

Cheers!