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Get It Before It’s Gone (Fort Collins, CO) – If you haven’t yet tried the goodness that is New Belgium Brewing Company’s Lips of Faith Series, you better get yourself some of its fourth and final round for 2012. The two new debuting brews will be a Biere de Garde ale and an Imperial Coffee Chocolate Stout.
The Biere de Garde, which features hints of clove and citrusy notes from orange peel and bergamot backed by Sorachi Ace hops, is New Belgium’s second ale brewed in collaboration with Michigan-based Brewery Vivant (the first being Escoffier, a sour ale).
Featuring espresso from Fort Collins’ Cafe Richesse, the Imperial Stout is a bold, 10% ABV brew rounded out with roasted barley and spiced with fair trade cocoa nibs. The brews will be available starting in November in select markets.
Elvis Would be Proud (Newport, OR) – Rogue Ales are really twisting our brains by blurring the lines between beer and dessert. First, it was the release of their smoky-sweet Maple Bacon Porter in collaboration with Portland-based Voodoo Doughnut. Now, they’ve taken that concept to the next level with the new Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Ale. If the thought of liquid dessert doesn’t suck you in first, the unmistakable pink bomber is sure to catch your eye and tantalize your taste buds.
Christmas is Coming Early This Year (Boulder, CO) – Don’t get left high and dry on the downslope. On November 1, Upslope Brewing Company released its highly anticipated Christmas Ale, a spiced Belgian-style Dubbel. The brew is a part of their Limited Release Series and will be available in a 16-oz can four pack. Further confirming its status as a Christmas gift, the ale comes packaged in a red ribbon-striped can and pours a cheery, ruby-red hue.
Anniversary-Aged Goodness (Paso Robles, CA) – This past weekend, Firestone Walker Brewing Company released its barrel-aged Sixteenth Anniversary Ale, appropriately called XVI, or Sixteen. The brewery’s reputation for its extensive barrel-aging program shows, as XVI is no ordinary anniversary beer. To find the right harmony, local winemakers and brewers assemble annually at the brewery to compete in teams to find the perfect blend. The resulting limited-release ale is composed of a blend of eight distinct beers pulled from 226 bourbon, brandy, and tequila barrels. Savor slowly and let the spirits do the talking.
Getting Into the Barrel Biz – (Houston, TX) – The Lonestar State’s oldest craft brewery, Saint Arnold Brewing Company, is releasing its first debut brew in its new Bishop Barrel series today. Bishop’s Barrel No. 1 is a Russian Imperial Stout aged for nearly 10 months in used oak bourbon barrels that the brewery acquired from Kentucky’s Woodford Reserve distillery. Because of its limited quantity, however, the brew will only be available in restaurants and pubs in Texas and Louisiana. If you can’t find the first barrel-aged brew, don’t fret – the brewery has three future Bishop’s Barrel offerings in the works, including an Old Ale with cherries aged in Chardonnay barrels.
