New Beer Friday - November 9 Edition

By Chris Siciliano

Fans of New Belgium will be pleased to hear that a few of the brewery's über-famous beers are finally available in Michigan in 12-ounce bottles. Previously available only in the larger 22-ounce sizes, patrons can now purchase at Siciliano's Market the smaller versions of the Abbey, 1554, Ranger IPA, Tripple, and of course, the iconic Fat Tire.

Individual bottles retail at $2.69/12oz and a mix-sixer or two might just be the perfect thing to purchase and enjoy in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving. Why? To be honest, I don't know. I guess I just have turkey on the brain.

In other news, we hear tell that yet another West Michigan brewery is just about ready to open its doors. An early congrats to the gang at Rockford Brewing Company. We can't wait to get out there and sample a pint! 

New (and Returning) Beer

• Bells This One Goes to 11, $3.09/12oz (6 bottles/customer) - "This One Goes to 11 Ale opens with bright, juicy aromas such as tropical fruits & ripe cherries, largely derived from massive kettle & dry-hop additions of Southern Hemisphere hop varieties such as Galaxy, Motueka, and Summer. The citrus & resinous pine notes of the Pacific Northwest hop family are also well represented, making their presence known through Simcoe, Citra, and the newly released Mosaic varietal, just to name a few. A wide range of specialty malts anchor the hops to this IMPERIAL RED ALE, contrasting the assertive bitterness & juicy aromatics with a robust, toasty depth of flavor. Fermented with Bell’s signature house ale yeast, This One Goes to 11 Ale finishes with a lingering warmth" (source).
• Sierra Nevada Celebration, $1.59/12oz - "Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale represents a time honored tradition of brewing a special beer for the holiday season. There are generous portions of barley malts and fine whole hops of several varieties, creating a brew with a full, rich and hearty character" (source).
• Goose Island Christmas Ale, $2.39/12oz - "Specialty Belgian malts create a deep garnet color and a truly rich old European flavor in our classic Christmas Ale. And the generous amount of crystal hops adds that extra spicy aroma to your pint, perfect for a wintry night. Our Christmas Ale brings good tidings and joy to each Holiday Season. A two-time Gold Medal Winner in the World Beer Championships" (source).
• Goose Island Mild Winter, $1.69/12oz - "Toffee brown, medium-bodied, with a creamy head and an aroma of raisins and freshly baked dark bread. Mild Winter’s rich caramel malt and spicy rye flavors are sure to take the bite out of whatever Old Man Winter brews up for you this year" (source).
• Bells Oracle, $2.99/12oz (2 bottles/person) - "Our take on the West Coast-style Double India Pale Ale, The Oracle places hop intensity first & foremost, making only the slightest concession to malt & balance. The fireworks start with the floral aromatic punch of two separate dry-hop sessions with Amarillo and NZ Pacific Jade. Resinous, citrusy hop flavors mixed with aggressive bitterness from a massive kettle addition deliver on that aromatic promise" (source).
• Acoustic Mead Mapple Apple Bzzz, $3.69/12oz - Description not yet available.
• Great Lakes Christmas Ale, $2.39/12oz - "It has a cinnamon and ginger spice flavor, a rich copper color, and a medium body that will fit with any holiday meal" (source).
• Ommegang Duvel Rustica, $14.09/750ml - "A Belgian-style Golden Ale of 8.5% ABV brewed with fine pils malts and hopped with noble Styrian Golding hops from Slovenia" (source).
• Blue Point Winter Ale, $1.69/12oz - "Blue Point Brewing’s Winter Ale is a hearty and robust amber ale. Brewed to chase away the chill of a cool winter night. Made with Pale, Vienna, crystal and chocolate malt. This uncommon amber is only brewed during the cold months of the year. Winter Ale is an extremely popular seasonal specialty. Enjoy the tasty balance of malt and hops. Remember this special ale leaves with Winter" (source).
• Finch Brewing Fascist Pig, $7.89/22oz - "A deep red malt-forward ale brewed with plenty of caramel malts and a touch of rye, brewed and dry-hopped with Palisade and Zythos hops" (source).
• Coney Island bourbon Barrel Human Blockhead, $12.59/22oz - "This might be the most unique barrel aged lager you will find. Brewed like a barley wine but fermented as a lager then aged on fresh wet Buffalo Trace barrels for 5 months" (source).
• Stone Lukcy Bastard, $7.69/22oz - "Lukcy Basartd is a dry-hopped meeting-of-the-Bastards in a in-the-fermenter-blend of Arrogant Bastard Ale and Double Bastard Ale…with a perfect balance of the essence of OAKED Arrogant Bastard Ale. All in all, one awesome Bastard" (source).
• Stone Double Bastad,  $7.59/22oz - "This is a lacerative muther of a beer. The evil big brother of Arrogant Bastard Ale. It is strongly suggested you stay far, far away from this beer. Those foolish enough to venture close enough to taste will experience a punishingly unforgiving assault on the palate. ’Course there’s always the masochists" (source).
• Shorts Bludgeon Yer Eye PA, $1.99/12oz - "Incredibly floral green hop aromas jump out at you, the initial taste lends pleasant roasted flavors, followed by a wonderful bitter finish" (source).
• Dogfish Head My Antonia, $10.19/22oz - "This here beer is a lagerific departure for our ale-centric brewery. A marriage of old world tradition and new world innovation, My Antonia is brewed with pilsner malt and continually-hopped with a blend of Noble and West Coast hops" (source).
• Dogfish Head Theobroma, $14.39/22oz - "This beer is based on chemical analysis of pottery fragments found in Honduras which revealed the earliest known alcoholic chocolate drink used by early civilization to toast special occasions. the discovery of this beverage pushed back the earliest use of cocoa for human consumption more than 500 years to 1200 BC. As per the analysis, Dogfish head’s Theobroma (food of the gods) is brewed with Aztec cocoa powder and cocoa nibs, honey, chilies, and annatto (fragrant tree seeds)" (source).
• Samichlaus Helles, $4.39/12oz - "Samichlaus is brewed once a year on December 6, and is aged for 10 months before bottling. It is one of the rarest specialties in the world. Samichlaus may be aged in the bottle for many years to come, as older vintages become more complex. Brilliant deep amber, complex dry toasted malt nose and huge intensely sweet palate. The 2007 bottling is the first bottling since 1987" (source).

Picture of the Week

"Beer Good" at the Berkley Front in Berkley, MI

Cheers!