New Beer Friday - September 21 Edition

Congrats to Steve Lewis and the
team at Fusionary

By Chris Siciliano

Longtime readers of The Buzz might recognize the name Fusionary Media. The Grand Rapids-based web design firm that built Sicilianosmkt.com designed the sharp look of this very blog as well. They are also the company behind Michigan Micro Caps, a very fun craft-beer-themed smartphone game now available for iPhone and Android.

That game, which first made headlines on The Buzz, is now making headlines across the country. An Mlive article penned by Garret Ellison has been picked up by the Associated Press and news outlets from San Francisco to Washington D.C. are reporting favorably on the app inspired right here in Grand Rapids.

The Buzz staff would like to extend a hearty congratulations to Steve Lewis and the team at Fusionary. Knowing first hand how hard they worked, we're all very pleased to see them getting the recognition they deserve.

New (and Returning) Beer

• Dark Horse Scotty Karate, $2.09/12oz - "For those of you who don't know who Scotty Karate is... He is a local one man band who plays an amazing slurry of honky tonk influenced, punk country songs. His voice is amazing as well as his high energy shows. (Check him out @ www.scottykarate.com) So, we decided to make a beer and name it in his honor. This beer is a big, full bodied Scottish ale. It is 9.75% alc. but it is very smooth and balanced. Since Scotty is also very passionate about beer I asked him to write a description for you, so from the man himself... Aroma: Smells like A fresh caramel apple with a hint of cinnamon inside of cranberry shortbread. Or maybe fresh home made hard candy (from home economics class-7th grade). Flavor: Tastes like a smokey chocolate chip cookie, wild roadside cherry-asparagus, woody, crispy leaf on a fall day" (source).
• Unibroue Terrible, $10.09/750ml - "La Terrible is a dark brown beer on lees and is part of a collection of exotic and refined Unibroue beers brewed using 100% natural raw materials. It may be drunk as an aperitif or as an after dinner digestive. It is equally a perfect accompaniment to the above-mentioned dishes or a pleasant alternative to coffee" (source).
• New Holland El Mole Ocho, $8.19/22oz - "Our exploration into the flavors of mole, the legendary sauce of central Mexico. Malty aroma and rich, cocoa-laden body laced with an invigorating tinge of dried chilies and coffee" (source).
• Harpoon Rich and Dan's Rye IPA, $1.79/12oz - "This beer is brewed with our proprietary yeast – the same yeast we’ve used since first brewing Harpoon Ale – and some interesting hop varieties. The combination of Pale, Rye, Caramel 60, Flaked Rye, and Vienna yield a complex malt body that stands up to the spiciness of the rye and the pronounced hop flavor. The rye also adds a reddish hue to the beer. The kettle additions of Centennial, Apollo, and Chinook, and the dry hop addition of Falconer’s Flight add a multidimensional hop character" (source).
• Henry Weinhard's Private Reserve, $1.29/12oz - "An American Pale Lager, Henry Weinhard's Private Reserve blends Henry's German heritage with the natural ingredients of the Pacific Northwest. If you want to impress your friends, you can say it's brewed with 100% Cascade hops specially grown in Oregon. But all you really need to know is that it's crisp, clean and one helluva beer" (source).
• New Holland Beerhive, $8.19/22oz - "Little John’s local bees create a spring wildflower-honey that lends a sweet, earthy complexity to a traditional style of beer (triple) with a balancing snap of ginger in the finish" (source).
• Arbor Brewing Co Buzz Saw IPA, $2.29/12oz - "A big, bold hop-forward west coast style IPA. The malt character is subdued to showcase a blend of Simcoe, Amarillo, and Centennial Hops creating a lingering dry finish with notes of pine, grapefruit, and apricot" (source).
• Heavy Seas Great Pumpkin, $6.69/22oz - "The secret is in the 2.5 pounds of spice per barrel for this fall brew. We add the pumpkin during the mash at precisely the right time to create just the perfect balance of malt, hops, pumpkin and spice" (source).
• Shorts Ale la Reverend, $1.99/12oz - "A distinctively dry, light bodied IPA with an appealing golden hue, thirst-quenching crispness, and laden with pungent hop aromas of citrus and spruce. Semi-sweet malt provides a backdrop for some mild earthy flavors and slight grassy notes. Doubling the dry-hop additions allows for lower alcohol levels, while still providing the entire hop effect expected of an IPA" (source).
• Fox Barrel Pommegranate Perry, 3-liter bag (wine-box style), $15.79 - "Pearfectly still. Fox Barrel Pomegranate & Pear is naturally fermented, using 100 percent, unpasteurized, American, fresh-pressed pear juice" (source).
• Pyramid Octoberfest, $1.59/12oz - "Oktoberfest with a deep amber color and rich flavor. The perfect beer to celebrate the fall season. A strong malt backbone is deliciously balanced with hop bitterness" (source).

Picture of the Week

Stumper season

Cheers!