New Beers For The New Year

Forgive the delay on some of these, I was busy spending Christmas in the frozen beer-wasteland of Minnesota. Strangely, it was warmer there than it was in PDX for the first couple days, and they had less snow...

It wasn't a total bust; our hotel ended up being less than a mile from Blue Max, one of Minnnesota's premier bottle shops. I managed to squirrel away a few bottles and cans (mmm, Surly) in my checked luggage to share with people here.

Like another unexpected load of snow (or hail?!?), the new year starts off strong with some incredible new beers from here and abroad.

Gouden Carolus Cuvee Van de Kaiser Rood (red label): (commercial description) - To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the "Cuvée van de Keizer Blauw", the brewery launched a blond-version : Cuvée van de Keizer Rood. This beer is similar to the previous Gouden Carolus Easter Beer. Blond rich beer that is brewed each year during the easter period. It contains several types of malt and during brewing 3 herbs are added. It's golden blond colour, it's high alcohol concentration of 10 %, it's full and balanced taste make this beer into a source of vitality and strength which will appeal to the demanding beer taster. For ideal tasting pour out gently in one pull to a temperature round 7-8° C. Served with pride it is drunken with respect. This pleasant golden blond beer is chosen for he who loves a richer, somewhat spicy and refreshing beer.

Gouden Carolus Hopsinjoor: This pale beauty encompasses all that is right in the world of Belgian beers; a radiant orange color, a massive white head that leaves a trail of lace down the glass, and a complexity of flavors that can only come from Belgian yeasts. If you enjoy Taras Boubla, Urthel Hop-It, or Houblon Chouffe you owe it to yourself to try the Hopsinjoor.

Malheur 10: (commercial description) - 10% abv – re-fermented and bottle-conditioned Full bodied, medium strong, gold coloured beer, with a rich honey-like texture, and a pleasant warming, slightly hoppy-dry lingering aftertaste

Malheur 12: (Commercial Description) - 12% vol.alc. – re-fermented and bottle-conditioned Rich, dark coloured beer, with a wonderful hoppy, floral nose and well-balanced flavours, making it easy to drink.

Deschutes Buzzsaw Brown: This is a pretty respectable, if somewhat boring brown ale. A translucent brown body capped in beige foam leads to biscuity malt character and a smooth, nutty finish. Good for those spring days when it's too cold for a pils and too warm for an imperial stout.

Bridgeport Beertown Brown: (commercial description) - Roasted chocolate and pale malts shake hands creating mild caramel flavors. Brown is your new reason to love beer. Hops are added to create the perfect balance of sweetness to hopiness. Brown is back... and it's beautiful. The only thing I can add is that the beer is much better than the silly name...

Bakalar Czech Lager: A crisp, slightly sweet Czech pilsner. Simple and effective.

Leinenkugel's 1888 Bock: (commercial description) - Leinenkugel 1888 Bock, a lucisous brew, originally created to serve lumberjacks, will be available for all who want to try its excellent boutique of Caramel, Pale and two-row Chocolate malts. Cluster hops add a touch of citrus character and when combined with Munich malts and a 20- to 25-day cold lagering process, you have a truly timeless beer.

Stone/Nogne O/Jolly Pumpkin Holiday Ale: Pours a deep amber/brown color with a white foamy head and nice lacing. Aroma of spice, spice, and more spice. The smooth caramel malt body supports the wide array of spices and hops. A nice full-bodied mouthfeel leads to a moderately hoppy finish that drags traces of nutmeg and carraway along for the ride.

Stone Cali-Belgique IPA: Stone IPA meets Belgian yeast. Fruity, hoppy, and oh so delicious...

Nonge O Dark Horizon (2nd Edition): The first edition of Dark Horizon was one of the most intensly beers I've ever had. Coffee, roast malt, smoke, mollasses, and alcohol collided in a hedonistic expression of the brewers art. The label for the second edition suggest waiting until fall of 2009 for it to properly meld and round out. Do you have the patience?

That's it for now, but a little birdie told me to expect cans from Oskar Blues next week, and a keg of Gordon was delivered to the (painfully smoke-free) Horse Brass today, so it may already be on tap by the time you read this.

Speaking of a smoke-free Brass, I'd like to leave you with this great photo by Anand Barnard, compliments of the Willamette Week flikr stream:

New Beer For Friday Sept. 7, 2007

The holiday flood begins...


New Arrivals:

Serafijn Celtic Angel: There's no commercial description, so click the link to read some reviews or wait until I drink one and report back...

Serafijn Donker: This dark brown Serafijn has a spicy herbal character and a soft bitterness. The Achilles brewery has a unique way of achieving an even heating of the wort: using no direct flame or steam, the wort is pumped through a spiral that sits in a tub of hot water!

Serafijn Tripel: There's no commercial description, so click the link to read some reviews or wait until I drink one and report back...

Serafijn Grand Cru: There's no commercial description, so click the link to read some reviews or wait until I drink one and report back...

Hemel Nieuw Ligt Grand Cru: Translated from Dutch, on the painted label: "heavy beer, 12% ABV, for long cellaring. Full, dark, aromatic. Now ready to drink, but around 2008 at its peak. Store cool and dark. Drinkable until eternity." English bottles: Exquisitely brewed by Browerij De Hemel - "Heaven" in Dutch - and gently accented with spices lovingly picked from the Garden of Eden. It is specially brewed to give pleasure for all Eternity. Keep it in your cellar as long as you can. It just gets better as time goes by.

Gouden Carolus Noel: For the Christmas and New Year festivities the Gouden Carolus range is now extended to include this seriously heavy strong brown ale. Het Anker are thus rekindling a long lost tradition from the days of yore when they marketed Cardinal Christmas and Anker Christmas. The commercial description doesn't really say much, but I remember it being like a heavenly spiced dessert in a bottle. Take that for what it's worth...

Sam Adams Imperial Pilsner: This is easily the best brew I've ever had from Sam Adams, even better than the much maligned Triple Bock. Clear, golden, and medium bodied with a billowy white head. There's some malt in there somewhere, but this beer is all about the hops. Earthy, spicy Hallertau hops permeate every drop of this beer leave a lasting impression on your tongue. It won't be around for long, so try some while you can!

Six Rivers Bluff Creek Pale Ale: Citrus notes, well balanced, crisp with a hoppy aroma. Honestly, that commercial description leaves a lot to be desired, so I'll post something more thorough in a couple days.

Shipyard Pumpkinhead Ale: A crisp and refreshing wheat beer with delightful aromatics and gently spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg.

Dogfish Head Punkin Ale : Punkin' Ale is a full-bodied, spiced brown ale brewed with baked pumpkins, cinnamon, nutmeg, and brown sugar. Dogfish Head Punkin' Ale is named after the annual Punkin' Chunkin Festival held near Lewes, Delaware the weekend after Halloween.



Long Lost Friends:

Chimay Grande Reserve (Blue) 1.5 Ltr Magnums: It's the same Chimay Blue you know and love, but in a larger bottle that's perfect for holiday gatherings or family dinners.

Piraat 1.5 Ltr Magnums: Piraat has been out of stock for so long I'd almost forgotten the wonderful blend of sugar and hops it provides. At 10.5% abv its another great beer for gatherings or a really, really long solo session.



Note: Most of these descriptions came from either the bottle or the brewers' website. I take no responsibility if something doesn't live up to the flowery marketing-speak they use to describe it.

Have a good weekend!