For our June feature we’ve got four exciting beers from Virginia’s trendy Aslin Beer Company. The brewery tries to push “innovation and creativity,” and it shows with this interesting selection:
Our featured beers for this month hail from Virginia Beach! Commonwealth Brewing Company is a local hot spot, and now we’re excited to bring their brews to you. We’ve currently got four selections from Commonwealth’s wide variety of beers.
Big Papi – The “big brother” to the popular Papi Chulo IPA. This double IPA weighs in at 8% ABV, Commonwealth promises Big Papi is “super juicy with low bitterness.”
Mano Del Puma – Commonwealth describes Mano Del Puma as a light Mexican lager, calling it “smooth, clean and supremely sessional.” They even suggest adding a slice of lime.
Westphalia – A brand new beer, Westphalia is a Dortmunder Export Lager. Commonwealth calls this a spring beer, with a “long and old lagered smooth character” and 6% ABV.
We’re happy to announce that Schlafly beers are returning to our shelves after a long forced hiatus! First up, we’ve got a couple of IPAs and a Kolsch to get you reacquainted.
Schlafly India Pale Ale – Described as something of a session beer, Schlafly IPA is on the balanced more sessionable side. With a light color and both “citrus and tropical flavors” according to Schlafly’s tasting notes. 5.0% ABV
Schlafly Northeast IPA – This is a limited release, and clearly brewed with the IPA connoisseur in mind. Schlafly uses a unique brewing process of kettle boiling and dry hopping. Schlafly promises a thick head on this unfiltered beer. Weighing in at a hefty 8.0% ABV.
Schlafly Kolsch – An award winning Kolsch, brewed with a fairly ancient yeast of family origins. Schlafly promises the their Kolsch blends malt and fruit with a fresh lager finish. 4.8%ABV
We’ve got an exciting new pair of brews from Maine Beer Company. As usual, the understated labels hide an exceptional beer inside.
Woods & Waters India Pale Ale is named in honor of the commemoration of Maine’s Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, a national park of over 80,000 acres, including parts of the Penobscot River and views of Katahdin Mountain.
Woods & Waters is brewed with five different varieties of hops, and four malts. Maine Beer Company’s tasting notes for Woods & Water include:
“Melon, pineapple and pink grapefruit. Underlying notes of onion and garlic with subtle pine and a faint malt grain sweetness.”
It seems Maine Beer Co has another hit, with Woods & Waters currently enjoying a 91 pt score on the ever popular Beer Advocate website.
A Tiny Beautiful Something Pale Ale is a different kind of beast entirely, brewed with only El Dorado hops and four types of malt. Maine Beer Company’s tasting notes include:
“Orange marmalade and apricot with floral perfume notes, spicy and earthy.”
If you’re interested in either of these beers, call ahead. These may go quickly, and availability may be limited.
We’ve got two exciting craft beer features for the holiday season!
First up is a beautiful and tasty gift set from Brewery Ommegang. The “Quadrupel Conundrum” comes with three special variations on Ommegang’s unique quadrupel ale. This four pack includes:
Original Quadruple Ale – for those unfamiliar, Ommegang blends quadruple ale and Belgian kriek for a unique malty and sweet take on the style.
Wine Barrel – The original quadruple aged for three months in red wine casks, imparting “subtle flavors of oak and dark fruit.”
Bourbon Barrel – For this variation, the quadruple is aged for six months in bourbon barrels, for added falvors of “chocolate, bourbon and oak.”
Blueberry Coffee – The most extreme of the bunch, the quadruple mingles with blueberries and roasted Ethipoian coffee beans. Ommegang assures us there’s nothing subtle about the taste of this one.
If you’re looking something a bit more festive, consider a bottle of Troegs Mad Elf Grand Cru, This brew has become a holiday tradition, and is synonymous with the season for Troegs fans. Never one to disappoint their fans, Troegs calls this years Mad Elf Grand Cru the “Director’s Cut”. This year’s Grand Cru was brewed with “Tart Balaton cherries”, with tasting notes that include cinnamon, clove, brown sugar and pepper.
Troges Mad Elf Grand Cru is bottle conditioned, and available in corked 22oz bottles. Not sure which is right for the beer lover in your family? Please ask our knowledgeable and friendly staff for advice.
It’s that time of year, the annual super limited release of Samuel Adams Utopias. We last featured Utopias in November 2017. This year’s Utopias is every bit as interesting, from the beautiful bottle, to the curious liquid inside. The process begins unassuming enough, with a variety of malts and german hops. Also listed among the ingredients is Vermont maple syrup. As a part of the proprietary brewing process, a variety of yeasts are used, including champagne yeast, and a variety selected for it’s ability to thrive at such a high alcohol content.
From there the brew is aged in a variety of barrels, for various lengths of time. The 2019 Utopias is made from beers aged up to 24 years, including a new addition this year, a final round of aging in Moscat barrels.
Weighing in at an extremely hefty 28% ABV, Sam Adams compares Utopias once again to a fine sherry, cognac or port.
We’re featuring three unique limited beers this month…
Right Loose – American Wild Ale with Maine blueberries – Dogfishead Brewery
The unique process for Right Loose starts with a blend of dark and blonde beer base, brewed with Brettanomyces and Lactobacillus. From there the brew is aged for a full year in wine barrels. After aging, Maine blueberries are introduced for a surely fruity finish. 7.2%ABV
Mean Old Tom – Stout aged on natural vanilla beans – Maine Beer Company
Maine Beer Co. brews this delicious stout with two types of hops and a variety of malt, including roasted barley, flaked oats, chocolate and midnight wheat. The brewery tasting notes include “vanilla, coffee, and roasted cereal with dark chocolate.”
Bourbon County Brand Stout 2017 – bourbon barrel aged imperial stout – Goose Island Beer Company
We’ve managed to get our hands on several bottles of this 2017 release, known for aging well. This is a serious brew, weighing in at 14.1%. Goose Island promises an “intense mix of charred oak, chocolate, vanilla, caramel and smoke.”
October is approaching, and the pumpkin beers have already arrived. So far we’ve got these 9 pumpkin brews to choose from. From imperial pumpkin stouts to pumpkin wheat beers to pumpkin ale aged in rum barrels…we’ve got you covered.
Warlock Imperial Stout – Southern Tier Brewing Co. – Brewed with pumpkin and pumpkin spice
Voodoo Ranger Atomic Pumpkin – New Belgium Brewing Co. – Brewed with cinnamon, Habanero and Del Arbol peppers
The Fear Imperial Pumpkin Ale – Flying Dog Brewery – Brewed with 300lbs of local pumpkin per 50 barrels
Roadsmary’s Baby – Two Roads Brewing Co. – A traditional pumpkin ale aged in rum barrels
Punkin Ale – Dogfish Head Craft Brewery – A brown ale brewed with pumpkin, brown sugar and spices
Harvest Pumpkin Wheat – Blue Moon Brewery – Brewed with pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and allspice
Shipyard Pumpkinhead – Shipyard Brewing Co. – A pumpkin wheat ale, brewed with cinnamon and nutmeg
Night Owl Pumpkin Ale – Elysian Brewing – Brewed with pumpkin puree, pumpkin juice, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and allspice
UFO Pumpkin – Harpoon Brewery – An unfiltered pumpkin brew of notherwestern hops, spices and malty sweetness