New Beer Friday, Reporting for Port Edition (May 15)

By Steve Siciliano

Winexpert has announced that a new chocolate dessert wine is being added to the company’s portfolio of seasonal releases. Chocolate Salted Caramel Dessert Wine is the latest offering in the company’s popular port-style wine category and will debut with perennial favorites Chocolate Raspberry Dessert Wine and Chocolate Orange Dessert Wine in special releases this fall.

Each of these three gallon kits will retail for $109.00 and are available only on a pre-order basis. Orders may be placed in person at Siciliano’s Market, by calling 616-453-9674 or via email at this address. Deadline for ordering is Sunday, June 7th.

Descriptions for the 2015 Winexpert chocolate dessert wine offerings are as follows.

Chocolate Raspberry Dessert Wine

This dessert wine is bursting with rich, intense flavors and aromas. Warm cherries and plums are supported by a racy zing of bright raspberry and luscious chocolate.

• Oak: Medium
• Sweetness: 7 (sweet)
• Alcohol: 17%

Chocolate Orange Dessert Wine

Back by popular demand, this intensely flavored, full bodied dessert wine has complex aromas of bittersweet dark chocolate, ripe orange and marmalade.

• Oak: Medium
• Sweetness: 7 (sweet)
• Alcohol: 17%

Chocolate Salted Caramel Dessert Wine

This perfectly indulgent dessert wine is both sweet and luxurious. The velvety decadence of chocolate blends beautifully with rich, salted caramel.

• Oak: Medium
• Sweetness: 7 (sweet)
• Alcohol: 17%

New and Returning Beer

• Short's Dan Pink Skirt, $1.99/12oz - "Dan’s Pink Skirt is an American IPA brewed with Summit and Simcoe hops. Malt characteristics are mild and practically undetectable in the nose. Dan’s Pink Skirt has pronounced floral and citrus aromas, with a pine resin hop bitterness that attacks the palate" (source).
• Atwater Conniption Fit, $2.99/12oz - Imperial/Double IPA
• Oddside Wheatermelon, $2.29/12oz - "The perfect summer treat. A wheat ale brewed with tons of fresh cut watermelon" (source).
• Terra Firma Manitou Amber, $2.69/16oz - "Unfiltered American Amber Ale. Manitou has a rich, soft malt body, beautiful deep amber color and finishes with a bouquet of whole cone hops. 5.3% abv. Manitou was at one time one of Michigan’s most widely recognized micro brewed brands. Originally produced by Traverse Brewing Company in Williamsburg Michigan, Manitou is now brewed in Traverse City, on the same equipment, with the original recipe by the same brewer" (source).
• Brewery Vivant Saison, $4.29/16oz (4 per) - "Zaison takes its inspiration from the famous Saison style of beer made in the southern region of Belgium. Traditionally a saison is made in the coolness of the winter months to be enjoyed in the Spring and Summer. The term "Imperial" has be co-opt by the American brewers to imply strength (%ABV). While saisons often err on the side of low ABV, the Vivant Zaison twists up in to the 9% zone. Watch out, this one goes down smooth and will knock you down if you're not careful! Use the buddy system, always drink with a friend" (source).
• New Belgium Pear Ginger Beer, $9.19/22oz (1 per) - "Mix your own adventure this summer with PEAR GINGER BEER . Our latest Lips of Faith release updates the Victorian-era ginger beer with whimsical additions of pear and lemon peel, creating a zesty, invigorating summer sipper crafted for beer glasses and mixologists’ cocktail shakers alike. Warming, spicy ginger punctuates a lively wash of sunny lemon, pear and bready white wheat for a sip that starts sweet, but finishes with just the right amount of heat. Drink it straight, no chaser, or put a new spin on a classic gimlet—either way, shake it up this season with Pear Ginger Beer" (source).
• Frankenmuth Twisted Helles, $1.69/12oz - "Twisted Helles is inspired by Michigan summers--and so by effect, it's summer's perfect compliment. The unmistakable presence of German noble hops is perfectly balanced with an elegant maltiness reminding you that bitterness has no place in a true Helles lager. Full-bodied yet pleasantly quenching...and then there's the "twist."The moment you crack open a can your senses are brought to life in both aroma and flavor with finishing hints of orange and lemon zest that bring it all back home. Because this in one summer brew that knows exactly where home is" (source).
• Summit Hopvale, $2.49/16oz - "Intense grapefruit, pine and lemon hop character in a supremely drinkable session ale. Brewed with 100% organic US hops, malts and lemon peel. In 16oz cans and on draught" (source).
• Arbor Ryeclops, $2.69/12oz - "Ryeclops is dominated with a mouthful of distinct rye malt character complimented by the spicy fruity hoppiness of American high-alpha simcoe hops. Use caution when confronted with the Ryeclops, as it’s delightful aroma and complex flavor camouflage a might, boozy-backboned single-hopped monster of a brew" (source).
• Keweenaw Witbier, $1.69/12oz - "Witbier is a delightfully smooth and refreshing classic Witbier. An unfiltered Belgian Style Ale that's pale and cloudy in appearance, brewed with barley, wheat and seasoned with orange peel and coriander" (source).
• Sierra Nevada Hoptimum, $2.59/12oz - "Hops, hops and more hops are the stars of this big, whole-cone Imperial IPA. Resinous ‘new-school’ and exclusive hop varieties carry the bold and aromatic nose. The flavor follows the aroma with layers of aggressive hoppiness, featuring notes of grapefruit rind, rose, lilac, cedar and tropical fruit – all culminating in a dry and lasting finish" (source).
• Stiegl Pilsner, $2.39/16oz - "Enjoyment of first-rate beer with a pleasant hoppy character. Straw-colored and warm amber glow, pleasantly sparkling with a dry body. Using the aromatic hops from the Mühlviertel region, it entices you with a bouquet of fresh hops and a distinctive bitter finish" (source).
• Deshutes Twilight Summer Ale, $1.79/12oz - "Summer has its own rules. As luck would have it, it also has its own beer. This clever golden-hued ale pours remarkably crisp and clean. A distinctive malt body complements a refreshing hop profile led by a heady dose of bold Amarillo hops" (source).

Wine of the Week

• Sirius Bordeaux 2011, $13.59/750ml - "Dark red colour, opaque. Nose with hints of oak, caramel, blueberry jam and black cherry. Very nice texture and mouth feel. Medium body, dry, with medium acidity and medium tannins" (source).

Picture of the Week | Morel Season

From an undisclosed location somewhere near Grand Rapids.

Cheers!