New Beer Friday, Winexpert Limited Edition (Oct 7)

Preamble by Steve Siciliano

Each year Winexpert releases five super-premium kits from the world’s great wine regions that are not part of the company’s regular portfolio.

These kits are available only on a pre-order basis and are released during the first four months of the year.

We are now taking orders for the 2016 Limited Edition offerings. The following are the individual varieties along with the respective pricing and release dates. Complete descriptions are available here.

• Yakima Valley Cabernet Franc, $157.95 (Available January)
• Italian Vermentino, $151.95 (Available January)
• Spanish Milagro, $157.95 (Available February)
• California Blanc De Noir, $151.95 (Available March)
• Australian Grenache Cabernet with grape skins, $182.95 (Available April)

These kits yield six gallons of wine which translates into thirty 750-ml bottles.

Please note that we must receive pre-orders by Friday, December 2, 2016 either by phone (616-453-9674), email or in person at Siciliano's.

New and Returning Beer

• Arbor Eik, $20.99/750ml - "A big, floral, citrusy nose with hints of blood orange, brett and oak. This refreshingly sour, light bodied IPA is reminiscent of lemon grass and has a strong oak character carries through to a very dry finish" (source).
• Arbor Peaches on Regalia, $20.99/750ml - "A perfect summer sipper for those funky enough to imbibe. It’s dank, earthy, and has peach aromas in the nose with hints of lemon and grass. Light bodied on the palette and slightly tart. The unripened peach notes lead into a mildly sweet, biscuit finish" (source).
• Dark Horse Scary Jesus Rockstar, $2.19/12oz - "This collaboration beer made with Chef Cleetus Friedman of Chicago's Fountainhead will save your soul and then melt your face off. Aromas of chamomile touch your nose as they lead into the soft body and mouthfeel of this liquid symphony. Just as your mind is clear and your sins are washed away, a tasty riff of sweet and earthy fresh apricots hit your palate and rock your tastebuds finishing dry and hoppy. Drink, rock, repeat" (source).
• North peak Dubious, $2.19/12oz - "North Peak Dubious is a smooth and rich beer, brewed with real chocolate, and roasted and black malts. The aroma, flavor and body are underscored by chocolate added at the end of the boil" (source).
• North Peak HooDoo, $2.69/12oz - "North Peak Hoodoo Midwest Wet Hop IPA is the first of it’s kind. Brewed with fresh from the farm Michigan hops for exceptional flavor. Hoodoo is hops from start to finish with a little malt in the middle, just enough to keep Hoodoo from going Voodoo on you. not to worry – pretty much nothing but hops" (source).
• Stone Coffee Milk Stout, $1.99/12oz - "North Peak Dubious is a Dark Chocolate Stout that has the perfect combination of chocolate, roast and black malts resulting in a smooth rich beer. Judicious use of hops bring out a complex, yet subtle bittering finished off with a big Goldings nose. This swirl of aroma, flavor and body is underscored by the rich chocolate that is added at the end of the boil. This medium bodied beer is brewed in Traverse City, MI, on Old Mission Peninsula incorporating locally grown hops" (source).
• Stone Xocoveza, $2.99/12oz - "Harmoniously layered with cocoa, Mostra coffee, pasilla peppers, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and milk sugar, this beer is an insanely delicious take on Mexican hot chocolate. Thanks entirely to you and fan demand, it has gone from being a one-time offering to a yearly tradition too special to skip. Feel free to enjoy it long into the winter months because this festive beer will age beautifully and is definitely not exclusive to the holidays" (source).
• Stone Enjoy By Tangerine 10.31.16, $8.99/22oz - "After brewing this intense double IPA with more than 10 different hops and consistently delivering it faster than any bottled IPA on the planet, we decided to do something different with this Stone Enjoy By IPA—we took it to another level, again. Puréed tangerines were added to the batch to create a devastatingly fresh IPA with a tang of tangerine. The flavors yielded by this addition to the recipe meld beautifully with the bitterness of the hops. True to this series, Stone Enjoy By Tangerine IPA is brewed specifically NOT to last, and should be enjoyed within 37 days" (source).
• Uncle John's Cinnamon, $2.99/16oz - "For generations, we made hard apple cider simply for our family’s enjoyment. When word got out about its crisp taste and perfect amount of carbonation, folks asked us to put it in cans. So here it is, direct from our farm to you. We use only fresh, quality apples-great apples make great cider! This cider is made from our traditional apple blend with other fruit and/or spice flavors added" (source).
• Crispen Charred Cider, $8.99/22oz - No commercial description.
• Painted Turtle Java Vanilla, $3.29/16oz - "Crafted for the coffee lover, Java Vanilla is made with exceptional coffee from our favorite local roaster, Schuil Coffee Company. This coffee is combined with quality vanilla and blended to perfection with an outstanding semi-sweet cider. Java Vanilla is a unique flavor you'll rave about" (source).
• Painted Turtle Apple Crisp, $3.29/16oz - "Apple Crisp hard cider is dessert in a can inspired by mom’s incredible apple crisp. Cinnamon and vanilla complement Michigan’s best baking apples, which are slow fermented to give you a hard cider experience you just won’t forget" (source).
• Painted Turtle Blueberry, $3.29/16oz - "Sweet Michigan blueberries are blended with an incredibly refreshing semi-sweet cider to create an amazing beverage that you just can't help but smile about. Blueberry Bliss is bursting with blueberry flavor. This cider is light, delicious, and a fan favorite" (source).
• Painted Turtle Traditional, $3.29/16oz - "Painted Turtle Traditional cider is the best you will ever taste. It starts off bright with an apple explosion and finishes with mild pear and floral notes. It is smooth, refreshing, and uplifting. Semi-sweet and balanced, it makes a perfect drink for any occasion" (source).
• Sierra Rose Strawberry, $2.29/12oz - "Strawberry and apple cider fermented for a great subtly tart taste" (source).
• Sierra Rose Peach, $2.29/12oz - No commercial description.
• Sierra Rose Blueberry, $2.29/12oz - "Smoked blueberries, dark and very rich" (source).
• Sierra Rose Blackberry, $2.29/12oz - "Like a dry wine with complex flavors. The apple character marries with the added fruit to create a balanced flavor" (source).
• Farmhaus Hop Crop, $2.29/16oz - "This cider isn't for everyone. Made for those looking to take their taste buds on an adventure, this cider is aggressively hopped from start to finish. Not bitter, but a real mouthful. It's big. It's bold. It's beautiful. It's a whole crop of hops fresh from the farm exploding in your mouth. Packed with citrus and passion fruit flavor, it's mouthwateringly delicious" (source).
• Northern Naturals North Star, $2.69/12oz - No commercial description.
• Northern Naturals Blueberry, $2.69/12oz - "Our blueberry apple has playful characteristics, sweet on the nose and semi dry on your palette. Our cider is very clean, crisp, & refreshing.  Wild Blueberries and a blend of local Heirloom Apples" (source).
• Deschutes Hopziet Autumn IPA, $1.79/12oz - "If you’re looking for a traditional Oktoberfest, head to Munich. This modern ale inspired by the time-honored flavors of a Märzenbier combines classic malts with the latest hop varietals from Germany to deliver an herbal and balanced Autumn IPA that’s as at home in your backyard as the biergarten. Celebrate the season by sharing with friends, and skip the lederhosen- your friends will thank you" (source).
• Deschutes Sagefight IPA, $2.09/12oz - "The main event for hopheads has arrived! In the right corner we have lively botanicals hailing from the high desert; in the left, heavyweight citrus hops are looking for a knockout. Get ready to take a punch and keep on swinging with this bold Imperial IPA brewed with sage and juniper berries that’s best shared with those in your corner" (source).
• Oskar Blues Hotbox Porter, $3.09/12oz - "This porter (6.4% ABV, 30 IBUs) is based on malt flavors of roasted nuts, crème brulee, cocoa, and caramel, extracted from English and German roasted and caramel malts. Hotbox Roasters then crashes the party and infuses potent, cold-extracted coffee from Burundi and Ethiopian beans and deals out flavors and aromas of dark plums, chocolate, and hints of blueberry" (source).
• Starcut Phuzz, $2.29/12oz - "Phuzz is a semi-sweet cider fermented with Michigan apples and peaches. The cider is a brilliantly clear amber-straw color and has aromas of fresh apple and peach. Phuzz is mildly tart and subtly sweet with flavors of bold apple and pleasant lingering peach" (source).
• Jolly Pumpkin La Parcela, $14.39/750ml - "Ok, so the joke was that Jolly Pumpkin doesn’t brew a pumpkin beer. Well, now we do. Just this one. Packed with real pumpkins, hints of spice, and a gentle kiss of cocoa to liven the soul. An everyday easy way to fill your squashy quotient. Guess now folks will have to find something else to joke about" (source).
• Avery Raspberry Sour, $13.79/22oz - "Sour ale with raspberries added. Aged in oak barrels. Luscious ripe red raspberries are elegantly intertwined with a bountiful amount of lactic acidity and delicate barrel nuances to cultivate this stunning sour ale" (source).
• Avery El Gose, $1.99/12oz - "A timeless, traditional tart gose (goes-uh) with its zesty and salty disposition is brightened by a tangy citrus twist. A bier for every día" (source).
• Ballast Point Cinnamon Raisin Commodore, $2.59/12oz - "Our Cinnamon Raisin Commodore is truly a story of experimentation. Originally a gold-medal winning American stout first born in our R&D program, our brewers developed a new variation, adding cinnamon and raisins to this dark, bittersweet brew. The result is just the right amount of sweet and spice, with roasty maltiness at the helm" (source).

Video of the Week | The Cider Shed

A fitting video to accompany the many hard ciders on this week's NBF.

Cheers!