New Beer Friday, January 25 Edition

The first-ever Buzz picture

By Chris Siciliano

Tomorrow marks the two year anniversary of The Buzz: Siciliano's Market News & Notes. Funny to think that it all began nearly 400 posts ago with this shout-out to a far more impressive anniversary:

"On January 26th, 1837, our still-young nation welcomed the newest and most appendage-like state into the Union. Who could have guessed that 174 years later [now 176 years later], the 26th state in order of admittance would be among the best in terms of beery goodness."

If you're interested, you can go here to read the first-ever Buzz post in its entirety. But be sure to check out the latest arrivals to the beer department before you go. Thanks for reading, everyone—two years, 398 total posts, and counting!

New (and Returning) Beer

• Right Brain Naughty Girl Scout, $7.19/22oz - "We all look forward to those Thin Mint cookies from the Girl Scouts — and Right Brain has managed to capture the best elements of these in liquid form. There’s a strong peppermint flavor, complete with some minor chocolate and roasted malt overtones. The light alcohol content makes for an easy-drinking, smooth brew that’s perfect for any holiday or winter occasion" (source).
• Right Brain Firestarter Chipotle Porter, $7.19/22oz - "Dark porter with chocolate malt. Subtle smokiness and mild heat" (source).
• Right Brain CEO Stout, $7.19/22oz - "Chocolate, Espresso and Oatmeal (CEO): A local favorite and it's back Get the executive treatment! Just the right amount of Great Northern Roasting's espresso roast will open your eyes to the posh non-corporate world of gourmet beer" (source).
• Right Brain Northern Hawk Owl, $6.49/22oz - "A medium-bodies Amber Ale with a mild sweet finish. Marris Otter malts infuse this brew with notes of caramel and walnuts, making it easy to drink and extremely versatile in food pairings" (source). 
• Shiner FM 966 Farmhouse Ale, $1.49/12oz - "A few centuries ago, during the cold winter months, farmhands in Europe brewed a ‘seasonal provision’ Farmhouse Ale to be enjoyed once spring rolled around. In the farmlands of Shiner, TX that tradition lives on. Which is why our tribute to this style uses Golding, Sterling and Meridian hops for a sweet yet lightly spiced flavor. Our incredibly refreshing farmhouse ale bears the name of the farm to market road just to the south of where our brewery has proudly stood for over 100 years" (source).
• Sam Adams Double Agent IPL, $1.49/12oz - "Brewing innovation is about asking "what it?". What if we gave an IPA a new identity and used some of our favorite West Coast hops, with their grapefruit, piney, & tropical fruit character, in a lager? The result is this boldly hoppy & and flavorful brew with the crisp smoothness of a lager. Cheers!" (source).
• Sam Adams White Lantern, $1.49/12oz - "Belgian style white ales have a long history of unique ingredients, as brewers experimented with spices discovered during the spice trade. For our hazy brew we found a refreshing combination of crisp wheat, the tangy sweetness of tangerine & orange peel, and the subtle spiciness of coriander & grains of paradise. Cheers!" (source).
• (Sam Adams) New Albion Brewing Co. New Albion Ale, $1.59/12oz - "First brewed almost 40 years ago by Jack McAuliffe, a Navy veteran, this American Pale Ale was the product of Jack’s desire to replicate the quality, great tasting beers he had enjoyed while serving in Scotland and other parts of Europe. Brewed solely with American Cascade hops (why? Because that was all that was available to Jack at the time), New Albion Ale is a golden American Pale Ale that holds a distinct citrus hop note and subtle piney character. A delicious brew, it’s no wonder New Albion Ale inspired so many of the Pale Ales we drink today" (source).
• Dark Horse Fore Smoked Stout, $2.09/12oz - "Brewed with all malted barley and peat malt (smoked malt). This beer is full bodied with chocolate, roasted barley flavors, and a smokey almost BBQ finish" (source).
• Sierra Nevada Bigfoot, $2.59/12oz - "Sierra Nevada Bigfoot is an award winning example of the English Barley Wine style. It boasts a dense, fruity bouquet; an extremely rich, intense, bittersweet palate; and a deep, reddish-brown color. This ale is superbly balanced between an almost overpowering maltiness and a wonderfully bittersweet hoppiness" (source).
• Lagunitas Sucks, $1.99/12oz - "A ‘Cereal Medley’ of Barley, Rye, Wheat, and Oats…. Full of complexishness from the 4 grains, and weighing in at 7.85% abv, Then joyously dry-hopped for that big aroma and resinous hop flavor" (source).
• Innis & Gun Spice Rum Cask, 2.79/12oz - "We are delighted to present this unique limited bottling of Innis & Gunn finished in oak barrels which previously contained navy rum. Maturation in special oak barrels imparts Navy rums with the sweet, spicy character for which they are renowned. We have long wondered what flavours might be imparted to our beer by finishing it in these same barrels and earlier this year we decided to find out. We brewed a special batch of Innis & Gunn beer and matured it in oak for 60 days. Every single drop spent half of that time in American oak barrels before being refilled into selected navy rum barrels to finish the lengthy maturation. Once the beer had absorbed the unique character the barrels were emptied, the beer blended and then maturation continued for a further 47 days until all of the flavours had married together and mellowed" (source).

Picture of the Week

It's the perfect weather for this beast.

Cheers!