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So many beers, So little time…Newbies is your essential map to the “best of the best” and the hottest new craft beers rolling out each week, and this week, we’re all about the cold weather seasonal. From Ska’s Hibernal Vinifera Stout to Black Raven Old Birdbrain Barleywine, we’ve got all kinds of new releases you’re going to want to chase down. So welcome to another edition of Newbies – your ultimate guide to great new craft beers!
A Satanic Stocking Stuffer (Boulder, CO) – Avery Brewing is releasing something satanic just in time for Christmas. The first shipments of this year’s 15.4% ABV monster, Mephistopheles’ Stout Batch No. 9, are leaving the brewery this week and should hit shelves and taps at select locations around the country by this Friday (yikes – Friday the 13th).The name Mephistopheles originally appeared in literature as the demon in the German Faust legend. According to the story, Faust was dissatisfied with his life and made a deal with the devil, exchanging his soul for unlimited knowledge and pleasures. Mephistopheles appears in this legend as a plain-clothed devil, mirroring the massive brew hiding within this 12 oz. bottle.
Last of the 2013 Rarities (Frederick, MD) – Our friend Tommy Hunter from the Flying Dog Brewery invited us out last night for a party celebrating the latest release from their innovative Brewhouse Rarities series – and as usual, we had too much fun. Flying Dog Cinnamon Porter was last night’s highlight and it’s a 6% ABV beauty that’s a perfect cold weather addition to this holiday season. Totally drinkable and with subtle cinnamon notes that intensify with each sip, this Brewhouse Rarity is available now on draft as well as in bottles.
The Sumerian Goddess of Grapes and the Cold Season Returns (Durango, CO) – Ska Brewing has announced the second release in their Seasonal Stout series, which features a different canned stout for each of the four seasons. Hibernal Vinifera Stout is their new oak-aged foreign stout brewed with Malbec grapes. In keeping with the series’ solstice and equinox release dates, it will hit shelves on December 21, the date of the winter solstice.
Time to Get Bird-Brained (Redmond, WA) – Black Raven Brewing Company will be re-releasing an award-winning fan favorite at their brewery this Saturday, December 14. Having matured in rye whiskey barrels for months, Black Raven Old Birdbrain is an enormous American-style Barleywine Ale. And it’s returning to Black Raven’s brewhouse this weekend – so you know what to do!
Smokin’ (Brooklyn Center, MN) – Smoke, Surly Brewing’s seasonal Smoked Baltic Porter, started hitting the shelves last week. Lager-brewed, with smoked malts from Germany, its black malt flavors mesh with notes of raisins, plums, and figs for a complex and warming drinking experience that’s perfect for long winter nights.
Makin’ Bacon (Orland Park, FL) – One of the most highly sought after beers in Florida, Maple Bacon Coffee Porter will be commercially released in bottles for the first time ever on January 14. This limited run of 22 oz. bottles was initially released as a small-batch run at Boca Raton’s Funky Buddha Lounge & Brewery in 2011 and has become one of the most heralded porters in the world.
