New Beer Friday - December 7 Edition

GRBC, 1 Ionia Ave, GR, MI, USA, NA

By Chris Siciliano

What a thrill it's been these past few months to drive by the building at 1 Ionia knowing it would soon be home to another GR brewery—and not just any brewery, mind you, but one bearing the name of the greatest beer city in the country (world?).

Now that the wait is over, Siciliano's would like to extend a hearty congrats to Michele and Mark Sellers and the whole team down at Grand Rapids Brewing Company. Michigan's newest brewery officially opened for business on Wednesday, December 5, 2012. How fitting they picked this particular date to roll out the barrels—exactly seventy-nine years to the day after the repeal of prohibition, that misguided "noble experiment" which forced the doors closed on the original GRBC.

In another win for anti-prohibitionists, here's the latest beers to arrive at Siciliano's.

New (and Returning) Beer

• Mount Pleasant Freight Train, $3.09/12oz - "Strap yourself in, this is ride is about to get interesting!!! Freight Train Double I.P.A. is a strong, intensely hoppy version of a traditional I.P.A. This brew has a full body and heavy malt backbone that supports the strong hop character and provides a great balance" (source).
• Jolly Pumpkin Noel de Calabaza, $14.39/750ml - "Belgian Christmas ale aged in oak barrels" (source).
• Left Hand Fade to Black Vol 4: Rocky Mt. Black Ale, $2.09/12oz - "That time of year when the light fades away. Brewed for the darkness, Fade to Black speaks in volumes. Welcome to Volume 4, the Beer pours pitch black with an off white head. Citrus (bergamot) and roast dominates the nose. Slight sweet malt gets pushed back by initial citrusy hops followed by powerful Italian Amaro, gentian and hop bitterness. Finishing with a pleasant duality of dry roasted malts and hop bitterness" (source).
• Left Hand Warrior, $6.69/22oz - "Brewed only once a year with fresh hops hand-picked in Longmont, CO and Warrior hops straight off the vine from Yakima, WA. Warrior is brewed using a unique style called “Wet Hopping,” which requires only hops that are no more than a day from the vine. “Wet Hopping” imparts only a mild aroma, but an exceptionally fresh unfiltered hop flavor" (source).
• Rogue 19 Original Colonies Mead, $7.39/22oz - "Situated just across from 40 acres of Rogue hops, 19 colonies of bees were carefully kept and fed. Their honey was extracted, filtered and brewed as a jasmin-infused Mead. Brewed with 5 ingredients: Rogue Hopyard Honey, Wild Flower Honey, Jasmin Silver Tip Green Tea Leaves, Champagne Yeast, & Free Range Coastal Water" (source).
• Courage Russian Imperial Stout, $7.19/9.3oz - "Bottle conditioned. Appeared in the cask at GBBF in 2003 after being brewed in a secret location in Scotland. Last known brewery for the bottled product is John Smith's Tadcaster brewery" (source).
• Bourgogne de Flanders, $11.99/750ml - "Matured in oak barrels for a sweet-sour taste" (source).
• Malheur Dark Brut, $28.69/750ml - "A dark brown appearance with brown creamy foam. The bouquet is extremely complex! Sherry, vanilla, wood ... with a coffee flavour as a result of the roasted malt. Its taste is oak dry, so this is a genuine Brut. The ale has been decanted in young American oak that was especially burned for this ale. Its bitterness is nicely balanced with the tannin of the wood and just a sweet zest from the alcohol. It has an unusual cork dry aftertaste. This ale is bottled according to so called “original method”. The yeast is removed from the bottle by turning and disgorging" (source).
• Einbecker Brauherrn Premium Pils, $2.69/11.2oz - "Einbecker Brauherren Pils is the slightly tangy Premium-Pils-specialty from Einbecker Brauhaus AG, which is highly regarded by both Pils lovers and real connoisseurs. The unique Einbecker-bottle stands out among other beers on the market, especially with over 600 years of Einbecker experience in the art of brewing fine beers behind it" (source).
• Einbecker Schwarzbier, $2.69/11.2oz - "A bottom-fermented specialty with a mild taste, brewed with aromatic barley malt and mild aroma hops" (source).
• Morland's Hens Tooth, $4.29/16.9oz - "Pipkin pale malt, Crystal malt and maltose syrup. Challenger and Goldings hops. Morland’s original yeast" (source).
• Dansk Viking Blood Mead, $30.99/22oz - "Nordic honey wine with hibiscus and hops added. Based on a recipe from about year 1700" (source).
• Baladin Super, $14.19/750ml - "The masterpiece of the brewery. The beer that mostly encountered the favour among the customers at Le Baladin. Although one wouldn’t believe that, it’s the most alcoholic among all the productions. It originated from an old recipe created toward the end of the ’800 following the style of the belgian abbey beers. Intense aroma of warm flowers, apricot and banana and hints of bitter almond. Agreeable, refreshing and quenching taste of apricot in syrup, almond cake and citrus fruits. Excellent the use of belgian selected hop during the fermentation process. This beer matches perfectly with ripen cheeses, biscuits and almond sweets" (source).
• Meantime London Porter, $10.79/750ml - "George Washington was a big fan of imported English Porter. By 1769 he'd lost his taste for British beers. After all, it was keeping the Redcoats fighting. Our Porter is based on a recipe from 1750. We bring you the original aromas and flavours of the beer that made London the world's brewing capital, flavours we know Washington would have loved. Time, care and attention have enabled us to produce a blend of beers bringing you the flavour of the 1750's. Share this beer with friends and enjoy with barbeques, fish or shellfish. The ruby colour & bottle conditioning are proof of its heritage and authenticity" (source).
• J.W. Lees Calvados, $8.99/9.3oz - "Matured in wooden Etienne Dupont Calvados casks from the end of October until mid March. This fully fermented ale has been brewed by JW Lees as a celebration of the brewers' art. Harvest Ale can be enjoyed now or laid down like a fine wine for enjoyment to come" (source).
• J.W. Lees Harvest Ale, $6.99/9.3oz - "Available filtered and pasteurised in 275ml dark glass bottles. Has appeared occasionally in cask. This fully fermented strong ale has been brewed by J.W. Lees as a celebration of the brewers art since 1985. Harvest Ale can be enjoyed now or laid down like a vintage wine for enjoyment in years to come" (source).
• Warka Beer, $2.19/16.9oz - "Brewing tradition dates back to the 15th century, when in 1478 Warka brewers received exclusive privilege to supply the golden liquid to the Warsaw royal court. Warka Beer is brewed according to traditional recipes, using only natural ingredients and spring water" (source).
• Sixpoint Diesel, $2.59/16oz can - "American Stout, full-bodied, roasted, and highly hopped. Each dawn is clear. Cold air bites the throat. Thick frost on the pine bough. Leaps from the tree snapped by the diesel. On the darkest days of the year, light becomes a luxury. Just when you think you cannot penetrate the darkness... SNAP! Light pierces through the roasted pine forest" (source).
• Sam Adams Merry Mischief Gingerbread Stout, $7.19/20z (1 bottle per person) - "This rich dark brew entices with the aromas of the holidays, hinting at the merriment and spices within. The flavor of gingerbread comes alive beginning with the smooth sweetness and heartiness of dark roasted malts and a touch of wheat. But it’s the intensity and spices of cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, & ginger that add a wicked kick for a jolly playful brew full of merry mischief" (source).
• Short's The Liberator, $2.19/12oz - "Double IPA with Lemon & Orange Zest" (source).

Picture of the Week

Sam Adams Merry Mischief,
Get it while it lasts!

Cheers!