2022 Colorado Black Friday Craft Beer Releases

The holiday season is officially upon us, and that means the thrill of shopping for others in crowded spaces has begun. Instead of fighting the ravenous hordes at a tortuous big box store, why not enjoy some tasty beer? Black Friday marks a big day in the craft beer community as many breweries release special and limited edition beers, many of them made big and boozy for a warming liquid cold weather blanket. We have rounded up a list of 2022 Colorado Black Friday craft beer releases for your perusal and enjoyment. Convince the family to stop by one of these establishments while you’re out and about fighting off the crowds and that turkey hangover. Beer also makes for a great present for that special friend or family member!

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Barrel Room Spotlight | Mortalis Brewing

Entering the Barrel Room Spotlight for round two is another young but quickly-growing brewery out of Avon, New York. Since opening their doors in 2018, Mortalis Brewing has striven to create a portfolio of beers that both utilize the finest ingredients and break the mold to stand out in a competitive market. Beyond that, they want their beers to be enjoyed in a relaxed environment that promotes memorable and heartfelt human connection. Through this unpretentious and admirable formula, Mortalis has also succeeded in establishing a strong program of barrel-aged beers. We had the opportunity to speak with Paul Grenier, one of the co-owners of Mortalis Brewing, and really get a “behind-the-scenes” look at the inner workings of their barrel room.

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2022 FoBAB Results | Festival of Wood & Barrel-Aged Beers Award Winners

The results are IN and we now know all of the big award winners from this year’s 2022 Festival of Wood and Barrel-Aged Beers (FoBAB). This year’s 20th anniversary of FoBAB was once again a spectacular success with over 160 breweries showcasing the country’s absolute best producers in the wood and barrel-aged beer categories.

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Six Under the Radar Breweries Worth Trying at FoBAB

As we noted in our Tips to Have a Great Time at FoBAB article, The Festival of Wood and Barrel-Aged Beer (FoBAB) is a challenging festival to navigate. The sheer magnitude of breweries alone make it tough. And, the vast majority of beers served are either high-ABV or require one to consume some Tums. Do you want to be stumbling or rumbling? One might wonder why anyone would dare attend an event that challenges the liver, the gut, and the mind. Well, because it’s some of the best beer in the world. It’s where brewers meet distillers and where chemistry meets artistry. It’s good to try the beers you know, but it’s also good to try something new — but which ones?

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Revolution Brewing Set to Release Three Familiar Deep Wood Beers

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. The next Revolution Brewing Deep Wood release will feature a trio of returning entries including two classics and one other highly popular returner.

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TrimTab Brewing | Chocolate Sauce Barrel-Aged Stout

When discussing the craft beer scene in Alabama, one of the first names that comes up is TrimTab Brewing. Located in the heart of downtown Birmingham, TrimTab Brewing opened their doors in 2013. Since their very first day, they’ve always looked to create beers that fell under the category of expressive and experimental. Whether that was with their IPAs, their fruited Sours, or their Stouts, one thing you can always take away from TrimTab is their ability to keep their products lively, unique, and progressive. One of their newest releases in their Gallery Series is their Chocolate Sauce Imperial Stout. Not only does this series exemplify what TrimTab always aims to do, this particular beer could really mark a turning point in their Stout production.

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J. Wakefield Brewing | Bake Kujira: Burnt Titanium

With Wakefest 2022 quickly approaching, it made sense to feature this monstrous pastry stout from the team at J. Wakefield Brewing. A more exclusive and sought-after riff off of a JWake favorite Big Poppa, Bake Kujira exemplifies what this brewery constantly strives to do with their high gravity releases.

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Side Project Brewing | M.J.K. Barleywine

It is so difficult to address the true outcome of a beer so heavily shrouded by hype. It’s no secret to the craft beer community that Side Project Brewing boasts one of, if not the best, barrel programs in the world. Even the likes of M.J.K., a beer representing the culmination of their barleywine production, finds itself constantly under scrutiny, for the most part by those who will never actually have a chance to try it themselves. Again provided with an incredibly rare opportunity to open yet another La Coterie exclusive bottle, M.J.K. was one in particular that needed a showcase.

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Hawkins Farmhouse Ales | Major Progression BA Belgian Quad

Just over half an hour directly to the south of Austin sits Lockhart, Texas — the self-proclaimed “barbecue capital” of the state. The quintessential small-town-Texas vibe is punctuated by the enormous queues snaking out of Lockhart’s four famous barbecue joints on the weekend, which attract visitors from across the state and further afield. Now there is a new reason to visit Lockhart: Hawkins Farmhouse Ales.

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Goodwood Brewing | Sting Like a Beer

Kentucky’s Goodwood Brewing has a habit of brewing beers that are touched with wood at some point during the process. Sting Like a Beer spends quite a bit of time lingering in a brandy barrel before we get a chance to taste it. And boy is it worth the wait.

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Side Project Brewing | O.W.K.

It’s been almost (exactly) two years since this extremely limited release from Side Project came out. While many who are familiar with O.W.K still consider it to be the best beer ever produced, perhaps even a larger percentage of people still don’t even know of its existence.

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Everything You Need to Survive FoBAB This Year

Two hundred breweries from around the country will come to Chicago on Nov 8-9 and offer guests a wide variety of wall-to-wall, remarkable barrel-aged beers. However, with an abundance of wilds, sours and a host of bourbon, rum and wine barrel-aged brews, the Festival of Barrel Aged Beers (FoBAB) tests both one’s liver and belly.

So, how do you survive? How can you avoid getting so inebriated you can’t taste the beer…or walk? How do you avoid having your stomach curdle? For that matter, how do you enjoy FoBAB fully?

Don’t worry; we have a plan.

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A Tale of Two Sours | Anderson Valley Gose and Great Divide Belgian-Style Sour

It was the best of sours, it was the best of sours. My apologies to Mr. Dickens, but the tale of these two sours from two different breweries located in two different regions, and enjoying two different histories, is a joyful one. So, do you prefer California or Colorado? Kettle or Barrel? Belgium or Germany? It doesn’t matter. You can have whatever you want because beers like these exemplify how we as craft beer fans are indeed living in the best of times.

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Begyle Brewing to Release their Barrel-Aged Beers Starting Friday

In Chicago, in November, it’s almost impossible to not run into a great barrel-aged beer. Begyle Brewing will release two of its own starting on Friday (Nov 17) and both are worthy of standing in line to get. Barrel-Aged Imperial Pajamas will be released on Nov 17th, with Batch 500 being released the following Friday.

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Beer Showcase | Avery Brewing Ginger Sour

August 5, 2017 marks 24 years of brewing for Avery Brewing. To commemorate the achievement, Avery released Twenty Four Imperial IPA — a stellar beer, to be sure. But, the biggest news emerging from the Boulder-based brewery in 2017 involved its decision to substantially alter the beer portfolio by saying goodbye to old standbys and instead concentrating more on barrel aging. Hence, it behooved us at PorchDrinking to look at one of its latest Botanical & Barrel releases, Ginger Sour, while simultaneously raising our pint glasses and exclaiming, “Happy Anniversary, Avery!”
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Boulevard Brewing | Smokestack Series: Rye-On-Rye X – Sazerac

ABV: 11.8 | IBU: 29

Oh, how I love finding a big, bold, limited release beer from a large craft brewery with a great reputation. Behold my excitement when I reached into my dwindling stash of “cellar” beers and pulled out the Boulevard Brewing Rye-On-Rye X – Sazerac from their acclaimed Smokestack Series! Read More

Odell Brewing | Elephunk Imperial Wild IPA

ABV: 9.9% | IBU: 33

Funky doesn’t begin to describe Odell Brewing Elephunk Imperial Wild IPA. This delicious boozy palette puncher is indeed a wild ride. It’s weird. It’s complex. It’s funky with a “p-h.” Yep, it’s PHunky.
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Event Recap | Noon Whistle Brewing Second Anniversary (Chicago)

Noon Whistle Brewing | Photo Credit: Mathew Powers

Suburban Chicago’s Noon Whistle Brewing is located in an old strip mall and barely visible from the main road; a location unlikely to garner a passing grade in a Business 101 class. Makes no matter because in the craft beer world, it’s not location, location, location that’s essential; it’s libation, fermentation, innovation.

The beer emerging from Noon Whistle Brewing pulls throngs of thirsty patrons through its doors. And that is why when I arrived a few minutes after the noon hour on a Friday — the first of two days dedicated for its two-year anniversary — I was far from the only person ready to indulge in a parade of special releases. By the time I left that night, the place was packed.

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Founders Brewing Company To Release Frootwood

As Founders Brewing Company enters its 20th year of brewing, they have announced the release of the first beer from their 2017 Barrel-Aged Series. Frootwood is a cherry ale aged … Read More

Denver Beer Co. | Drama Queen Saison Aged in Wine Barrels

ABV: 8.3%

I don’t mean to be dramatic, but I think they’ve named this beer wrong. With a name like, “Drama Queen”, you’d expect this 8.3% barrel-aged saison to be too boozy, quick to fly off the handle with overly pronounced flavors. No, she is far too balanced to be called a drama queen.

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