New Beer Friday, The Desk of Steve Edition (Jan 9)

The desk of Steve

Preamble by Steve Siciliano

The first full week of the New Year is always anticlimactic at Siciliano’s. But after a month and a half of nonstop busyness the staff and I actually look forward to these few days of relative calm.

Typically we use the first couple of days of January to catch our breath and then we turn our attention to some much needed cleaning projects.

This past week Barb tackled the floors, the staff attacked the shelves and I spent the better part of a morning cleaning up the cramped corner of the store that serves as my “office.” When my project was finished I sat back and once again resolved to keep the space clear, my bookcase organized and my desk uncluttered. Unfortunately this annual New Year’s resolution lasts about as long as it takes for the spring seasonals to begin showing up on our newly washed beer shelves, which, according to these these calculations, should be any time now.

New and Returning Beer

• Sierra Nevada Nooner, $1.69/12oz - ". A midday go-to, Nooner is our take on the classic German-style pilsner—one of the original session beers. Nooner is easy drinking yet packed with the big flavor of spicy and floral whole-cone hops. Its brilliant golden color begs you to take a sip and sink your taste buds into an extremely welcoming beer, full of flavor and balanced by a crisp, dry finish" (source).
• Sierra Nevada Beer Camp Hoppy Lager, $1.69/12oz - "Beer Camp is the ultimate brewing experience. We bring beer fans into our brewery nearly every week to create their own beer with us—the more daring the better—and each spring we’ll highlight one of the small-batch standouts. Last year, Beer Camp worked overtime. Along with our fan brews, we made 12 additional beers with 12 exceptional breweries. Choosing one for an encore wasn’t easy. Ever drawn to hops, we decided to reimagine our hoppy lager collaboration with Ballast Point" (source).
• Great Lakes Conway's Irish Ale, $1.69/12oz - "A malty beer with a notable toasty flavor derived from lightly roasted malt. Slight fruit and hop accents add to the overall complexity" (source).
• Sam Adams Cold Snap, $1.69/12oz - "Crisp & lively, the hazy smoothness of this unfiltered White Ale is roused by the crackling of spring spices. From a hint of sweetness from orange peel & plum to the peppery bite of fresh ground coriander, the subtle blend of spices creates just the right refreshing kick to signal that spring is on its way" (source).
• Sam Adams Escape Route, $1.69/12oz - "Escaping from winter’s darkness, this hazy golden, unfiltered Kölsch style creates a fresh start. Our take on the classic hybrid style grom Cologne, Germany, combines the subtle fruit notes of an ale with the smooth crispness of a lager for a bright, refreshing brew to help escape those lingering cold days" (source).
• Sam Adams Rebel Rider Session IPA, $1.69/12oz - "Bursting with bright citrus, grapefruit, and classic piney west coast hop character, this beer has a soft lingering bitterness and a lighter body overall." (source).
• Odd Side Chocolade Koffie Sout, $2.39/12oz - "If you’re a fan of chocolate stouts this is the one to try! A great mixture of thick, sweet, dark chocolate fudge, and light espresso bean undertones will immediately appeal to your senses. Your taste buds will dance when the creamy stout takes flight" (source).
• Deschutes Red Chair, $1.79/12oz - "The citrus punch of a big IPA, minus the one-dimensional hop sledgehammer. Seven select European and domestic malts round out the edges for a complex, copper-colored brew. Like its namesake ski lift, it’s an insider’s ride to fresh thrills" (source).
• Uerige Doppelsticke, $5.59/500ml - "Uerige DoppelSticke might just be "Germany's interpretation of a barley-wine", ie a third definition next to England's "malt-driven" idea {such as JW Lees Vintage Harvest Ale} and America's "hop-heavy" version {such as Sierra Nevada's BigFoot}. OG - 1085; IBU - 75; Ingredients; Hops:Spalt Spalter, Hallertauer Perle, Spalt Hallertauer; Malts: Pilsner malt, caramel malt, roasted malt" (source).
• New Belgium Slow Ride, $1.69/12oz - "Kicking back and relaxing with a session beer requires little more than a couch, some free time, and a few pals. Slow Ride Session IPA is up for this easy-going challenge, starting with a pour of sheened gold and plenty of fluffy, white foam. A blend of seven hop varieties, led by exotic Mosaic and Nelson Sauvin, twist together brilliant tropical scents of melon, peach, lime and grapefruit for a vividly fruity aroma. The flavor mirrors the aroma, while balancing a malty-sweet yet clean start and hoppy bitterness in the back. Light bodied and extra quaffable, Slow Ride Session IPA brings the finish line to you" (source).
• New Belgium Portage, $1.69/12oz - "A great porter just feels right in your hand. And carrying a glass of Portage Porter is no different. An opaque, brown pour, this beer presents with coffee and chocolate aromas, with hints of toast and smoked almonds. The taste follows suit, adding an upfront sweetness and a slight, roasty bitterness to back it up. Creamy and wonderful, this porter sips a medium body and finishes dry and delightful. Portage Porter carts itself towards perfection. Just tip your glass and keep smiling" (source).
• Cheboygan Light House Amber, $2.19/16oz - "Our German style Alt, Lighthouse Amber, has a brilliant light amber hue. Its light tan head is thick, retaining, and laces the glass all the way down. Lighthouse Amber has a silky-smooth medium body. A Noble hop aroma up front finishes with a Carmel malt nose. Our old world brewing method brings out a light toasted-bread flavor you’ll want to savor again and again. It’s a mouthwatering and thirst quenching delight" (source).
• Cheboygan Blood Orange Honey, $2.19/16oz - "A unique twist on a great American-style wheat beer, with the addition of fresh local wildflower honeyBlood Orange Honey Can WEB mixed with blood orange zest, and blood orange puree. The result is a medium bodied beer that is very smooth with a residual sweetness, and creaminess from the honey, and an exhilierating nose of citrus from the orange" (source).
• Shorts Dolly Dagger, $1.99/12oz - "Dolly Dagger harmoniously joins big sweet malt aromatics with signature fruit and spice yeast characteristics. Flavors of toasted grain, caramel, dark fruit, and clove provide a perfect precursor to the substantial bitter contributions from the exclusive use of high-alpha Bravo hops. The end result is a balanced blend of big grain sweetness, intense hop bitterness, and unmistakable yeast qualities" (source).

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Here's to the curious.

Cheers!