Epic Brewing | Sour Brainless on Peaches Vertical #1 – #3

When Epic Brewing first released its Sour Brainless on Peaches in late June 2015, the brewery’s sour program was officially launched. I remember going to the first release at the Denver taproom, where I was able to hand-dip the wax on my bottles, enjoy free peach ice cream from Little Man with flame roasted peaches, and also get my first taste of Epic’s sour peach. In the two years since the initial release, Epic’s sour initiative has quickly matured into an innovative and well-respected program.

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Call to Arms Brewing | The Legend of Khores Ballroom Beer

I don’t need to introduce Call to Arms Brewing to most of you, because you’ve likely already heard all about it. I don’t need to tell you their Khores Ballroom Beer has become a staple in Denver, Golden and the rest of the world. I certainly don’t need to remind you Khores is delivered from a humble, though up-and-coming brewery modeled after an English-style pub in Denver’s Berkeley neighborhood.

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Lone Pint Brewery | Yellow Rose IPA

ABV: 6.8% | IBU: 62

I literally spent the afternoon driving around town and following Twitter to find a Lone Pint Yellow Rose on the shelf for this piece because I think it is one of the most perfect beers brewed in Texas. Named after a popular Texas heroine, Yellow Rose is always in short supply due to the overwhelming popularity of this Single Malt and Single Hop (SMaSH) IPA beauty.

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Brewery Showcase | Noon Whistle Brewing

Photo Credit: Noon Whistle Brewing via Facebook

The Noon Whistle Brewing story resembles one enjoyed by innumerable craft breweries, especially in Chicago. The brewery first sought to create a niche within the booming craft beer market by becoming Chicago’s premier session-beer location. But, now in its third year, abundant success has forced the Noon Whistle Brewing crew to adapt its vision, both to accommodate its growing business, and also satisfy a desire to brew a variety of great beer. Noon Whistle has transitioned from audience-seeker to a trusted name brand. 

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Founders Brewing | KBS 2017 Release

The continued meteoric rise of craft breweries affords beer drinkers an opportunity to enjoy special releases with unfathomable regularity. But, once in a while, a classic “gotta have it,” beer rolls around; be it Pliny the Younger, Utopias, or in this case — KBS.

Since 2002, Founders Brewing has been putting its coffee-chocolate-malty stout in whiskey barrels and then storing them below its Grand Rapids home for a year. Each spring, just as tulips emerge from the soil, KBS escapes the caves so it can be enjoyed by throngs of fans. Welcome to spring; welcome to KBS season.

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Oskar Blues Brewery | Hotbox Coffee IPA

Featured photo courtesy of Oskar Blues Brewery

ABV: 7.2% | IBU: 70

Stouts and porters are most often the base styles for coffee beers and so my ears perked up when I heard about Oskar Blues‘, Hotbox Coffee IPA. The pairing of a hop heavy brew and coffee seem to be just the jolt I need out of a Spring Seasonal this year . Read More

4 Hands Brewing Company | Chocolate Milk Stout

There is one craft brewery that I pass everyday on my way home from work each night. 4 Hands Brewing sits on the edge of downtown St. Louis inside a 20,000 square foot brewing facility featuring two tasting rooms and 3,000 square feet dedicated to barrel aging. They produce five year-round beers and a growing list of seasonal and barrel aged beers.

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Mikkeller | Chipotle Porter

ABV: 6.6% | IBU: N/A

It’s cold. Goddammit, it’s cold. For those of you not so blessed to be living below the Mason-Dixon Line, you’re likely in the midst of what’s been a long, cold winter. As the mounds of snow continue to grow and you begin to forget that the sun exists; winter tightens its icy grip this time of year. So, how can you fight back and stay warm? Should you bundle up with extra layers or rely on hand and toe warmers in gloves and socks? While those options are smart and practical, I tend to go another route. I avoid the cold by staying inside with beer, such as Mikkeller Chipotle Porter, the fuzzy slippers of the soul.

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Samuel Adams | Fresh As Helles

ABV: 5.4% | IBU: 18

Do you have a propensity to get a little fresh with blondes? If you do, go to Helles… Samuel Adams Fresh as Helles Lager, that is.

Ahh, the Munich classic provides familiar tastes that comforts one like a blanket on a cold winter’s night, and when the beer is constructed by a modern craft brewer there is the added bonus of exquisite quality and innovation. Sam Adams Fresh as Helles is that combination of classic comfort with a modern craft-beer spin.

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961 Beer | Porter (A Beer From Lebanon)

Cover Photo credit: 961 Beer (via Facebook)

5.6% ABV

Uncertainty and cultural disharmony runs amuck in the world today, but not among beer aficionados. A typical beer nerd’s Instagram feed includes posts from New Zealand, Brazil, Mexico, the UK, Ireland, the U.S. … and Lebanon! Yes, that Lebanon. Sandwiched between Syria and Israel, the region’s history is noted for its tumultuous nature and not one that would appear to be conducive to brewing. But, the region is also rich with beer history – predating the The Peloponnesian War by a few thousand years — and now it has microbreweries. The first one arrived a few years ago, named 961 Beer, and the porter it brews is as good as the area’s beer history is rich.

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WoodGrain Brewing Company | English Breakfast Stout

ABV: 5.1% | IBU: 53

One of the best things about visiting my in-laws in the Midwest, besides enjoying all of their fresh from the farm veggies and napping in … Read More

Begyle Brewing | Begyle Blonde

ABV: 5.4% | IBU: 20

If you’re like me and not ready to put summer behind you yet, try a lighter beer that would be a good transition from summer to fall. The Begyle Blonde, a deep gold colored American Blonde Ale, is a perfect beer for the transition of the seasons.
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Harlem Brewing Company | Renaissance Wit

ABV: 5.8% | IBU: 12

The mere utterance of Harlem likely evokes a myriad of imagery; it’s a section of New York City that’s oozing with history. The name and label artwork adorning a bottle of Harlem Brewing Company Renaissance Wit speaks to that wealth of history – beer history, music history, cultural history, and everything in between. But, when reviewing a beer, one must refrain from being swayed by the story attached to a beer or brewery. Instead, the beer must be judged on its own merits, and that is what this showcase aims to do. Nevertheless, there’s no reason history and culture can’t be included in the discussion. Craft has always been more than just about beer, and this wheat beer personifies that concept.

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BadWolf Brewing Company | Session Brown

ABV: 4.7% | IBU: 29

It’s cliché but sometimes you want a beer that you can drink in the fall while wearing a flannel. Maybe you’re wearing brown boots, maybe you’re sitting on a haystack or maybe you’re just sitting on your back porch on a sunny, somewhat warm afternoon.

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One Minute Beer Review | Franziskaner Weissbier

Although owned indirectly by Anheuser-Busch, I would argue that Franziskaner Weissbier still has a place in any beer drinkers repertoire.

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Lagunitas Brewing Company | Wilco Tango Foxtrot

ABV: 7.85% | IBU: 64.20

It’s a shock that it’s already October and fall is officially here. The summer was a blur and it seems like Christmas is already right around the corner. Yet, we’re at that awkward point in the year when it often still feels like summer despite the fact that we can officially say it’s fall and crack open those seasonal brews. So, is it still cool to enjoy a hoppy IPA or crisp, citrusy shandy, or are we resigned to force in those maltier, more robust ales and stouts? There isn’t really a satisfying mix of the two to help bridge the gap. That is until now — Lagunitas Brewing Company has introduced to the world its new Wilco Tango Foxtrot.

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Against the Grain Brewery | 35K

ABV: 5.0% | IBU: 25.5

Another summer has come and gone. As we rapidly approach the fall season, you start to see pumpkin beers as the main focus within the craft beer industry.  But for me, it’s all about the stout! I know that you can enjoy any beer during the year, no matter what season it is. However, when the weather gets cooler and the days get shorter, I personally just love drinking stout, such as Against the Grain 35K.

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Old Bust Head Brewing Co. | English Style Pale Ale

ABV: 5.6% | IBU: 21

Old Bust Head Brewing Co. has appeared on taps throughout bars in my new hometown and because it’s made in Warrenton, which isn’t far from me, I knew I had to give it a shot. At my glorious Harris Teeter, I bought a 6-pack of their English-style pale ale, interested in both the beer but also the beer category itself — I’ve circled around English pale ales, but never dove into the style. Read More

Dogfish Head | SeaQuench Ale

ABV: 4.9 | IBU: 10

Dogfish Head has a knack for marking time — 60, 90 and 120-minute intervals. But, in the case of SeaQuench Ale, it’s not mere minutes that matter, it’s centuries. Five hundred years ago, the German brewing purity law, or Reinheitsgebot, gave birth to the prominence of the German lager we’ve all come to know and love. Sea Quench Ale honors that anniversary by simultaneously celebrating German brewing and ignoring that law.

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Jackie O’s Pub & Brewery | Dark Apparition Vanilla & Coffee Bean

Style: Russian Imperial Stout | ABV: 10.5%

Spring has practically arrived and with warm weather comes spring and summer beers. Darker beers tend to fade out to make way for … Read More