(Escondido, CA) – Stone Brewing has received label approval for its next Quingenti Millilitre Series release.

Stone reported on its blog earlier this month that it will be doing something interesting with its next releases:

2010 Old Guardian Barley Wine Aged in Bourbon Barrels
2010 Old Guardian BELGO Barley Wine Aged in Bourbon Barrels
2010 Old Guardian BELGO Barley Wine Aged in Wine Barrels

With the first beer in the series sold by lottery, Stone is turning its attention to its book, The Craft of Stone Brewing Co.—Liquid Lore, Epic Recipes, and Unabashed Arrogance by Greg Koch and Steve Wagner with Randy Clemens.

If you buy the book on Warwick’s online shop through September 9th, you will have the opportunity to buy one of the beers listed above.

More details are over on the blog on how it all works.

Although these beers aren’t bottled yet, we’re expecting there to be about 4,776 of the 2010 Stone Old Guardian Barley Wine Aged in Bourbon Barrels, and 550 of the two Belgo renditions. We’ll have a similar deal going at the Great American Beer Festival, where the actual book itself will be officially released (Greg & Randy will be there in person to sign your copy and compliment you on your choice of reading material).

We will also have a book release event at the Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens on September 27th with the same parameters, with Greg, Steve, & Randy on hand to sign books.

(San Diego, CA) – AleSmith Brewing announced its next barrel-aged beer release.

From a newsletter sent within the past hour…

The long-awaited moment will soon be upon us: the newest batch of AleSmith barrel-aged beer is set for release this month on Wednesday, June 15th.

This edition of BA Speedway, barreled in ’09, is as good as ever. Excellent sweet boozey notes with accents of oak, vanilla, and pleasant oxidative aspects alongside the customary coffee and bitter chocolate roasted malt characteristics.

This has proved to be a very interesting edition of BA Decadence. The 2008 batch, an English-style barleywine aged in bourbon barrels, took on a pleasant sourness. Such quirks of nature can provide intriguing drinking experiences, like the many excellent wild ales being produced today. We think you’ll enjoy this delightfully unconventional offering.

There will be a purchase limit of (4) four bottles of ’09 Speedway Stout per person, and (1) one bottle of ’08 Decadence per person, pending turnout. We want to make sure that everyone has a great time and gets a chance to get some of this highly-anticipated beer, so we reserve the right to change the limit as the sale progresses. We will begin handing out numbers at 8:30 am and the bottle sale will begin at 12:00pm, allowing you time to leave and return if need be.

Some more new beer label previews…

[Update: Turns out both Piney River releases below will be canned & should available in the next couple months.]

Goose Island King Henry: Sure to be highly sought after, this is a Bourbon Barrel-aged Barleywine weighs in at 11.5% ABV. It won’t be released until December per the Goose Island site.

Goose Island Christmas Ale: On that note, Christmas Ale is set to return for the first time since late 2009 this October.

Harriet West Side Belgian-style IPA: This new Minnesota brewery also got keg label approvals for European Style Pils, Dark Abbey Belgian-style Dubbel and Wodan Weizen European-style Weissbier

Piney River McKinney Eddy Amber Ale: New Missouri brewery? Also got approval for Bronzeback Pale Ale. One label says bottled, one label says canned. Both are 16 ounces. Interesting.

Urban Chestnut Zwickel Belgian Style Lager: Speaking of Missouri, new keg approvals from Urban Chestnut. Also look for Schnickelfritz Bavarian Style Wheat Beer.

Shades of Pale Publican Pale Ale: …in 22 oz. bottles

(Portland, OR) – Here’s another preview for an upcoming Widmer Brothers Brewing release.

Based on the fact that they’ve sent it out to a number of beer media members, I’m going to venture a guess that Galaxy Hopped Barleywine will hit shelves this month. At the very least, the label indicates that this is a spring release. The brewery’s write-up:

Since 1984, Kurt and Rob Widmer have been dedicated to creating the deliciously American and European-style beers. The Brothers’ Reserve Series is a showcase fo their innovative skills and creative passion for craft brewing.

Galaxy Hopped Barleywine is a new take on an old favorite. This beer pours a dark crimson, almost mahogany color. The yeast and Galaxy hops(TM) deliver a big bang of red and yellow fruit aromatics like banana, pineapple, cherry and strawberry. The experience begins with a taste of toffee and darkened sweet caramel overlaid on subtle tones of vanilla. All to be punctuated by the floral and citrus dry hop character.

Galaxy hops were bred in 1994 by Hop Products Australia. This company owns a hop garden called Rostrevor in North Eastern Victoria where they were grown for the first time. It’s now grown in both Victoria and Tasmania. It is a cross between an Australian female and a male Perle hop.

Origin: Australia
Aroma/flavor: Pleasant, Citrus, Passionfruit
Alpha Acid: 13 – 14.8%
Typical Usage: Mostly bittering, although noted as a dual purpose. Could be used as flavoring hop as well.

Beer stats:

Bitterness: 60 IBU
ABV: 9.5%
Original Gravity: 24 Deg. Plato
Boxed 22 oz. bottles and draft

(Eugene, OR) – Oakshire Brewing Company of Eugene, Oregon will release its first Barrel Aged Beer under the label Hellshire on Saturday May 7th.

Sales of the beer begin at 8AM at the brewery. The first beer in the Hellshire series is a Barleywine that was 100% aged in Heaven Hill Bourbon Barrels for 10 months. Notes of vanilla, coconut, oak and bourbon intertwine with the beer’s complex malt and hop character, making for a contemplative beer meant for enjoying now, or aging for months or years. It is 10% alcohol by volume and sold in 22 ounce wax dipped bottles.

“The Hellshire Beers are an exciting way for us to show our creativity at Oakshire and also layer new flavors onto already outstanding beers,” explains Brewmaster Matt Van Wyk. “We’ve collected a covey of barrels, now nearing 50, that we are aging several wild beers and spirit barrel aged beers. The future looks bright for our barrel aged beer fans.”

According to Jeff Althouse, Co-Founder of Oakshire brewing, “We believe in the artistry of craft beer and I’ve assembled a great team of brewers who are able to highlight their creative and technical skills through our Hellshire program. Led by Brewmaster Matt Van Wyk, I feel our barrel aged program will become equally as popular as our Single Batch Series and our Seasonal and Year-Round Beers.”

Hellshire I: Barleywine Ale aged in Bourbon Barrels will be released at a special “Brunch” party at the brewery on Saturday May 7th at the end of the inaugural Eugene Beer Week. Complimentary coffee, live local music, and a local food cart serving breakfast sandwiches will be available from 8AM-noon. All of Oakshire’s beers will be sampled and pints, growlers, and kegs will be available for purchase. 22 ounce, wax dipped bottles of this special beer will sell for $15 and supplies are limited. Depending on the demand on Hellshire Day, there may be some available for Oakshire’s distribution partners around Oregon.

About Oakshire Brewing Company: Oakshire Brewing Company of Eugene, OR was founded in October 2006 by Native Oregonian brothers Jeff and Chris Althouse. With the goals of brewing the highest quality artisan beer and providing the highest level of service to their customers, Oakshire has become recognized for consistently brewing fresh, unique and delicious beers in relatively small batches. Oakshire’s website is http://oakbrew.com and they also offer brewery tours and beer tasting at their brewery every Saturday from 12-4pm. The brewery is located at 1055 Madera Street in Eugene. They can be reached at (541) 688-4555.

(Chicago, IL) – Not sure how I missed this one.

Around the time that I was watching cartoon filth as a kid, the Half Acre Beer Co. clan was apparently watching an educational nature show. The show, Wild America, left such an impact on them that they are releasing a beer based on the 12-year tv series, Half Acre Wild America Barley Wine Style Ale. Per the brewery blog:

We brew this tribute beer because 1. A bunch of us at Half Acre watched these shows as kids and really enjoyed seeing these things. And 2. Because there’s a lot of paths you can take when deciding what to do with your time, and deciding you’re going to chronicle yourself raising a bear cub is pretty awesome. “I was thinking after school I’d try to land an entry level job, but instead I figured I document my life with this Grizzly cub in the hopes that I can reintroduce Grizzlies to the Rockies.” Path less traveled. [...] This beer is a month or so out, but we wanted to prime you for this special offering. 22oz bombers & draft.

Though Youtube has brought us more graphic wildlife carnage in recent years than any PBS program could possibly provide, Wild America and Marty Stouffer paved the way…

(Bend, OR) – Deschutes Brewery recently announced a quality issue with Mirror Mirror 2009 bottles.

The brewery blogged yesterday:

We have detected in our lab a similar condition to The Abyss 2009 where some (not all) of the bottles have brett in them. It is interesting in that there seems no way to tell short of general tendencies in storage conditions where the brett will develop to sensory detection levels.

As for the Mirror Mirror or 2009 The Abyss, we will refund and arrange shipment for unopened bottles back to the brewery. As with any of our beers if someone has an unsatisfactory experience, we will make it right. Unfortunately, we cannot compensate for above market pricing paid over the internet or other “extra-market” sources, nor can we send a replacement beer in lieu of payment. Suffice it to say, however, we stand behind our beer and the experiences we deliver. You can contact us directly through our website.

(Escondido, CA) – Even more news coming out of the San Diego area tonight.

The TTB has approved both the ‘classic’ and ‘Belgo’ versions of Stone Old Guardian Barley Wine Style Ale this week. You can zoom in on the back labels below by clicking on the pictures. Check out more info on what went down with these beers.

(Escondido, CA) – …though it will get its way with the Belgo versions, too.

Looks like this commenter was right. I didn’t even think this was an option but apparently it is. Stone Brewing CEO, Greg Koch, announced today that the brewery will bring back the original versions of Stone Old Guardian Barley Wine and Stone Imperial Russian Stout after all.

The brewery created a controversy last week when it announced that it would release alternative versions of the two beers in the ‘odd years’ like 2011, 2013 and so on. These would be so-called “Belgo” versions of these beers, made with a Belgian yeast strain. The catch was that it would come at the cost of not releasing the original versions in those years. A poll taken on Beernews.org last week showed that 71% of readers wanted the original Imperial Russian Stout back and 60% wanted the original Old Guardian back.

In changing its plans, the brewery will still release the Belgo versions as well beginning with Old Guardian in February. Koch denied in his blog post that this was a publicity stunt.

Release kicks off Brewery’s 25th Anniversary celebrations in 2011

(Juneau, AK) – Alaskan Brewing Co.’s limited release Barley Wine is returning in time for craft beer fans to celebrate the New Year in Alaskan style. A big beer for big Alaska winters, this award-winning brew is ideal for sharing with friends in a toast to the year to come.

The bottling of each vintage of Alaskan Barley Wine also allows individuals to age it to their liking. “Those that prefer a big, fresh and dynamic barley wine can enjoy it right away,” says Quality Assurance Analyst Darin Jensen. “This is also a great cellaring beer that will gain deeper malt complexity and smoothness over time – a great one to collect for vertical tastings.”

The balanced collaboration between hops, malt and alcohol in this beer showcase the barley wine style, earning Alaskan Barley Wine top honors at the West Coast’s premier Barley Wine competitions – Toronado (2007) and Hard Liver (2009) – and Bronze at the 2008 and 2010 World Beer Cups for both fresh and aged vintages.

This year, the Alaskan Brew Crew will be enjoying their Barley Wine in celebration of not only the New Year, but also the start of their 25th year in operation. While the first bottles of Alaskan Amber released in December 1986, the Brewery will be celebrating their 25 years of brewing Alaskan with special events throughout 2011, including the limited release of an Anniversary ale in the fall.

The 2010 vintage of Alaskan Barley Wine will be available in January in select retail locations in Alaska, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada and Washington. Those who live outside these areas can learn about where to find it online at www.alaskanbeer.com/our-brew/find-our-beer.html.

About Alaskan Brewing Co.
Alaskan Brewing Co. has been brewing award-winning beer in Juneau, Alaska, since 1986. The Alaskan Brew Crew bottles the unique character of the Last Frontier with historic recipes, local ingredients and glacier-fed water. Alaskan Brewing handcrafts Amber, Pale, White, IPA, Stout, Smoked Porter, Winter Ale, Summer Ale and a variety of limited edition beers in the Alaskan Pilot Series. Visit www.alaskanbeer.com.

(Escondido, CA) – Changes are coming to two of Stone Brewing‘s special releases.

The feedback on the move is weighted towards the positive on Facebook and weighted towards the negative on Beer Advocate. Because the reaction is so mixed, I’ve created a poll on the right to see what you readers want them to do.

From yesterday’s brewery blog post:

Starting in 2011, we’re kicking-off a program we’ve dubbed “Odd Beers for Odd Years.” Translation: in odd numbered years (2011, 2013, 2015, etc…) we’ll be releasing new variations on Stone Old Guardian Barley Wine and Stone Imperial Russian Stout in place of the classic version. A radical redirection for two reliably wonderful beers, we know, but we think you’ll be pleased with the results.

The first Odd Beer for Odd Years release will be rocking your collective world in the form of Stone Old Guardian Belgo Barley Wine, which hits shelves in February.

The brewery will introduce Stone Belgo Imperial Russian Stout in April.

(Salt Lake City, UT) – Big news for those in the Beehive State.

From today’s Epic Brewing newsletter:

Head Brewmaster Kevin Crompton has been hard at work. Epic is on the verge of releasing 4 new beers. Straight Up Saison is a hoppy, farmhouse saison with no fruit on this one. Mid Mountain Mild is on the lighter side of Epic’s spectrum. It’s a clean easy drinking beer with a mild hop profile. Barley Wine is a huge malty hoppy strong beer set to release for the New Year. And get ready for Epic’s super hop bomb the Imperial IPA. According to Kevin, it may be “the hoppiest beer that has ever been brewed in Utah.”

(Amherst, WI) – Central Waters Brewing has announced the date for its anniversary party and a few barrel-aged releases.

First off, Bourbon Cherry Stout and Bourbon Barrel Stout will be packaged this coming Monday according to the brewery’s Facebook page. Expect to see those two beers in stores by year’s end.

Additionally, here’s the anniversary party info as posted by a brewery representative on Beer Advocate:

It’s getting close to that time again – thought we’d get the news out as soon as possible.

Also – we are considering a shuttle this year to Stevens Point in case people want to get hotel rooms there – let me know if there is interest in this.

Also noteworthy, construction is nearly complete on a new warehouse to be used specifically for aging barrels.

(Bloomington, IN) – An update from Upland Brewing…

Per the brewery newsletter:

There’s snow on the ground, and you’re probably wondering where the Winter Warmer is. Fortunately, everything we brewed has already left the brewery and is on its way to you! Be looking for it on draught and in six packs in the coming weeks!

Winter Warmer is available in 1/2 bbl. kegs, 1/6 bbl kegs, and six-pack bottles. 8.5% ABV, 46.7 IBUs, 20.4 Starting Gravity

Also be on the lookout for the return of Upland Schwarz Black Lager next month.

(Cambridge, MA) – Pretty Things Beer and Ale Project has a new one coming out…

[11/24 Update: This will be on tap for the 2nd anniversary party.]

With Pretty Things KK over a month out from its initial release, we take a peak at the next beer to pop up from this small New England-based brewery.

Pretty Things Our Finest Regards is a Barleywine to be released in 22s and on draft. The brewery hasn’t announced an official release date for the beer yet.

Poem from the back label…

It’s cold out there, but it’s warm in here:
The pretty things are full of cheer.
A year has gone, but there’s another to come,
It’s kept for us, and it’s foolish & fun.

So tuck yourself up, and hang on tight,
There’s a warm dark hold to sleep in tonight,
And way at the bottom are grain, hops & yeast,
Kept safe in this bottle from late summer’s feast.

Speaking of KK, the brewery celebrated the 199th anniversary of this beer’s original brewing earlier this week. Here is a strange video (Facebook only) from the quirky folks at Pretty Things to commemorate it.

(Portland, OR) – Widmer Brothers Brewing will release some new brand lines next year.

With today’s Q3 earnings release looming for Widmer Brothers and the rest of its CBA brethren, here’s some news regarding what to expect on shelves next year.

Widmer Brothers Galaxy Hopped Barleywine Ale will be the fourth beer to join the Brothers’ Reserve Series come next spring. This 9.5% ABV ale features huskless malt (often used to enhance clarity) and Belgian candy sugar according to the label.

Widmer Brothers will also be offering two new product lines: Series 929 and the Rotator IPA Series. 929 is an ode to the brewery’s street address, “929 N Russell St” in Portland. So far, Widmer Brothers Nelson Imperial IPA and Pitch Black IPA have received label approval for that line.

The Rotator Series will kick off with X-114 IPA and be followed by Teaser IPA, Shaddock IPA and Collaboration IPA. While it remains to be seen what the brewery has up its sleeve for the collaboration (perhaps it will involved the Collaborator program with the Oregon Brew Crew?), the first three beers have all previously been draft-only beers.

Also returning in 2011 is Widmer Brothers KGB Russian Imperial Stout.

Artwork: Mary Tremonte of Pittsburgh

(Pittsburgh, PA) – It would appear that East End Brewing Owner, Scott Smith, locked himself up in a basement for 24 hours…

…I’ve never seen such a lengthy newsletter update from a brewery owner. Sign up for the newsletter here to get these directly. He’s also a Twitter addict that updates his status frequently.

Note: Below is an excerpt from the newsletter. Oddly enough, there is no mention of this year’s East End Gratitude Barleywine which was bottled in mid-late September. No release date has been announced though Smith told me that he hopes that it will be ready before the end of the year (no guarantee). Onto the newsletter update…lots of new stuff here.

- SESSION ALE #40: Wood St. Kvass
We’ve brewed this downright weird beer so many times now, that soaking 60 loaves of stale rye bread in hot water overnight to make a liquid we ferment with bread yeast the next day… well it almost seems “normal”. So this time, we mixed it up a bit, brewed it a little starchier than usual and diverted a good portion of this batch to oak barrels for hot-aging this summer, in hopes of making some of that wonderful lactic sourness we saw in the early batches….and boy, did it deliver! We’re going to let this sleeper of a project finish out over the cold months of winter, so the beer can condition, clarify, and ready itself for bottles by Spring. We’ll release it under the name DEBASER which aside from the possibly obvious musical reference, is also a really bad pun about the incredibly high level of acidity and sourness in this beer. Yum!

- SESSION ALE #41: BlackberRye Ale
Yes, we brewed a rare FRUIT BEER! Usually they’re not my thing personally speaking, as they’re often too sweet, or have a really rough and astringent finish to them. But Brendan convinced me he could make a good one, and of course, he can. And now it’s all gone.

- SESSION ALE #42: Slartibartfast
Someone once said “Drink up. The world’s about to end.” So, we brewed a beer to answer the ultimate question. A nice English Style Best Bitter. It’s gone too.

- SESSION ALE #43 BluebeRye Ale
Okay, so they’re getting a little less rare around here. But this one’s gone too.

– SESSION ALE #44:”Weisse this beer sour?”(aka Big Pour Brew)
There’s a big push these days to brew the most extreme “beer” in the world, sometimes upwards of 50% alcohol. With an 11% barleywine in our catalog, we’re not shy about going big, but we try to balance that out with the idea of brewing a beer that you might actually want to drink. And while the humor and charm of a packaging a rare beer
inside a squirrel carcass is not lost on us (look it up), we will instead opt for non-extreme re-usable Growlers for our entry in the extreme category. Yes, we’re jumping on the “extreme” bandwagon, but I think ours may be rolling backwards, down the hill, in the other direction.

A stinky 3-day sour mash to make a champagne-like beer that’s just under 3% abv??? You bet! There’s still a couple kegs kicking around at the brewery for Growler fills, but it’s definitely winding down. Berliner Weisse is wonderful style of beer for people who are “Sour Curious”, but are maybe a little scared off by all the funk that an un-fruited Lambic can bring to the glass. So give it a try. I’ve said it before: SOUR is replacing STRONG as the new HOPPY. Any minute now…

- SESSION ALE #45: “Redd Up Red Ale”
Our very first Red Ale, quickly redd up into your Growlers, is now fully depleted. But I have a feeling it will come back around at some point. Maybe it was the crowd-sourced name we got from our GOOD FRIENDS on Twitter?

- SESSION ALE #46: Bitter End 2010
Our annual tradition of “Small Beer” brewed from the second runnings of our Gratitude Barleywine. It’s quite different this year from previous models, and it’s still on tap… for now.

- SESSION ALE #47: RaspberRye Ale
The third in our increasingly less-rare fruit beer series, just went on tap October 22nd weekend at the brewery and the Growler Shop in the Strip. Like its more-rare fruit beer predecessors, it’s been a big mover, so get some while the getting is good!

-T.R.A.S.H. HOMEBREW CONTEST WINNER: “EAST END SESSION BEER AWARD”
Dave Mutschler brewed a Pils and entered it into the biggest homebrew contest in town, and it scored quite well. So, we took his recipe, scaled it up, and brewed it on the big rig. “Czech Please!” is a nice hoppy (think “European hoppy”) lager that will go on tap in another week or two, once it’s finished lagering. But Dave gets the first Growler, okay?

- (the beer we can’t call) EYE OPENER COFFEE PORTER IS BACK!
Featuring our two favorite brewed beverages in the same glass, we did a double batch of this beer, and in addition to packaging a bunch of kegs, we bottled just over half of it in 1 liter swingtops so that itwill be around for a while. And this time, we used coffee from our newest, bestest, GOOD FRIENDS at Commonplace Coffee, a local roaster putting out some of the freshest, tastiest coffee I’ve ever had. They do their roasting in Indiana PA, but you can find their beans around town in all the better coffee joints, including their very own shop onForbes in Squirrel Hill. Plus, their website even sounds beer friendly: www.IPACoffee.com, so how perfect is that?

Look for the release in a few weeks, possibly draft coming out before bottles as we wait for labels to come through. Watch the website for an announcement.

-HOMEWOOD RESERVE 2010 RETURNS
I probably mentioned before that we’ve got a bunch of Bourbon Barrels in here, full of Black Strap Stout and aging for a few months. In a few more weeks, we’ll bottle it all up and release this beer as our special Homewood Reserve. You’ll also see the odd firkin or keg here and there as well, just to help get the word out. More on this beer as it progresses.

-FESTIVAL OF DARKNESS II:
With the return of Homewood Reserve, Coffee Porter, and Snow Melt Winter Ale, regular offerings like Fat Gary Nut Brown Ale, and Black Strap Stout, and our current bottled beer, Illustration Ale (Belgian Dark Strong Ale)…it seems like we’re at a bit of a tipping point with darker beer offerings. So we’re going to add one more to the list, a big robust Oatmeal Stout that will go on tap only at the brewery, and call it our Festival of Darkness II.

While we don’t have the capacity to roll them all out at once, bit by bit we’ll let them sneak up on you, just like the short days of winter. Except this year, you’ll be properly prepared. Bigger than the F.O.D. we did two years back, we’ll feature a total of SEVEN DIFFERENT TREATMENTS (also known as BEERS) to combat your “Seasonal Affected Disorder” which comes on as the days get shorter and the nights get long. Wow. I know I’m already feeling better, just thinking about it.

(Houston, TX) – Saint Arnold Brewing sent out a newsletter update today with a few words on DR10…

“It’s up to you as to whether you vote first, then go get DR10 or do it the other way around, but if you vote first, do it early. And whatever you do, don’t sample DR10 and then vote!

Divine Reserve No. 10 is an English Barleywine, and an alcoholic one at that! It was inspired by Chris Landis’ winning entry in the 2010 Big Batch Brew Bash homebrew competition. This is a beer that not only will age well, but we are recommending aging it. It is clocking in at 11% ABV and could use some cellaring time. When enjoying it, we recommend serving it at around 60¬∞F. This really brings out the malt and fruit character in the beer (there isn’t any actual fruit in the beer). We were concerned that we had overhopped the beer when first tasting it in the fermenter, but the hop bitter has mellowed quite a bit. Having said that, it is on the hoppy side for an English Barleywine.

This is the first Divine Reserve that we have brewed on our new brewhouse and it provided some technical challenges. Brewhouses are designed for brewing 5% ABV beers and we had to get quite creative in how we moved the wort around in our brewhouse to be able to brew such a high gravity beer. Also, we had hoped to make a much larger batch of DR10 – our goal was to make about 50% more than we did of DR9. Instead we only netted about a 20% increase. Thus, the supply is going to again be tight, and much tighter than we hoped it would be. We apologize for this and are already planning some changes to our brewhouse piping that will facilitate us making larger batches of Divine Reserve in the future.

By the way, while the release date is November 2, that doesn’t mean that every store will receive their shipment that day. Some stores have delivery days that will result in their receiving the beer later in the week.”

(Copenhagen, DENMARK) – Mikkeller will send over a couple new beers next month.

Incoming are two versions of Mikkeller Big Worse Barleywine: Red Wine Barrel and Bourbon Barrel. The two brews will ship in about three weeks according to Mikkel. There will be around 100 cases of Red Wine Barrel and 200 cases of Bourbon Barrel. Each beer is aged in second-use barrels for approximately eight months. The beer weighs in at 12% ABV and is packaged in 375 ml bottles (and imported by the Shelton Brothers). [Ed. note: the Bourbon Barrel version is different from the 19.1% ABV Big Worst Bourbon Barrel Barleywine previously released.]

Here is the description for the original Big Worse Barleywine via the Mikkeller website:

“Big Worse is the long awaited big brother of the small test brew Big Bad Barley Wine. The idea behind Big Worse is still to make a simple yet heavy barley wine – just like it’s smaller brother. But this time both the alcohol and bitterness has been pumped up! Big Worse is both thick and sweet and is the perfect beer for desserts. Enjoy it now or keep it for many years. Best stored dark and at cellar temperature.

Ingredients: Water, malt (pils and caramunich), candy sugar, hops (nugget, cascade and centennial) and ale yeast.”

(Portsmouth, NH) – Quietly released within the past week or two…

According to SeaCoast Online:

Redhook brewer Andy Schwartz said this Treblehook is a bit different from past releases, but brewers used the same process as they did when they made the gold medal winner. “This year we went back to the original brewing process for the Treblehook,” he said. “(It’s) a process called double mashing.”

“We collect only the first, most concentrated and intense liquid from each mash, and use it to make Treblehook,” Schwartz said. “This makes for a much more intense malt body to the beer. Much more time consuming and expensive, but very much worth the effort.”

Be on the lookout for this one on shelves right now. It appears to be a very limited release (and perhaps only for the East Coast?).

(Papillion, NE) – Nebraska Brewing will release a specialty beer in two weeks.

Per today’s newsletter:

It’s been a while since Fathead [a Barleywine] has seen the light of day. Turns out that our initial release sold out so quickly that not many people had a chance to get their hands on any.

8 months later, we’re all set to release a larger batch and the timing is right. The cooler days are upon us and this big, slightly boozy barley wine is rich in aromas of dates, dark brown sugar, malt, vanilla, and Stranahan’s whiskey. Aromatics followed by a wonderfully warming interaction with sweet malts, sugars, and oak tannin remove the season’s chill in an instant.

We’ll release this Reserve Series beer on the 29th beginning at 6PM. We’ll provide samples and this time around, we’ll be pairing them up with perfectly matched chocolate from our neighbors at Chocolatiere Stam in Shadow Lake!

And for the first time ever… We’ll have a limited amount on tap in the brewpub following the release. Smaller servings are the rule at 11% ABV and one of our Tap House partners will also be serving a keg on draft following the release party. The Foundation down at 1407 Harney will be pouring some of our draft Reserve Series Fathead!

(Houston, TX) – Some tidbits from the Lone Star State…

Saint Arnold Brewing will release the latest in its Divine Reserve Series in just over two weeks. Chris Landis of Kuykendahl Gran Brewers won the Big Batch Brew Bash competition this year and earned the honor of getting his recipe, an English-style Barleywine, re-brewed at the Saint Arnold facility. The beer will be released in 6-packs as Divine Reserve #10 on Tuesday, November 2nd. Houston Chronicle’s Ronnie Crocker wrote more on it back in August. Crocker notes that Movable Yeast Series beer #2, Altared Ale, will be pushed to December 1st as a result.

In addition, Barley Vine reported an item of interest this week with respect to Divine Reserve #9. According to Saint Arnold’s Brock Wagner, DR 9 Imperial Pumpkin Stout will make a comeback next year as a recurring seasonal (to be called The Pumpkinator). Here is BV’s description of the beer:

“Bottled on 11 November of last year it is the strongest of the Divine Reserves weighing in at 11%. It pours a dark ruby brown color with a lot of pumpkin still present on the nose. Lots of pumpkin pie spice as well along with a good dose of chocolate and roasted malts. It’s a full bodied beer, lots of chocolate, spices, pumpkin. This tastes AMAZINGLY still. Lots of all spice, cinnamon, brown sugar.”

Both of these tips come courtesy of Aaron from the always-excellent Craft Austin blog.

(Hood River, OR) – Some beers are meant to be enjoyed right away and others reward your patience by evolving and improving with age. Full Sail Old Boardhead Barleywine gives a good name to delayed gratification. While ready to drink now, Old Boardhead cellars exceptionally well. Full Sail’s Brewmaster, Jamie Emmerson, suggests you store a few bottles in a dark, cool place and be patient. The newly designed label highlights the reserve year making it easier to keep track. Whether you wait or not, Old Boardhead is a deliciously rich brew with a spectacular depth and complexity of flavor. Deep and robust, it’s a luscious brew to sip in any weather.

“We have been brewing “Old Boardhead” since 1990. It is a beer that celebrates the passage of time and amazingly enough it has been twenty years since our first annual release,” commented Jamie Emmerson. “Old Boardhead is part of our rotating selection of Brewmaster Reserve beers, and every few months, we come out with a different beer that showcases the art of brewing. We began the Brewmaster Reserve series back in 1998 to celebrate our independence and creativity.”

Old Boardhead has been kegged and bottled in 22 oz bottles and is on its way to specialty beer stores and pubs throughout the Pacific Northwest. (ABV 9% IBU 91.) The next beer in Full Sail’s Brewmaster Reserve lineup is Lupulin Fresh Hop Ale that will be released in early September followed by Wreck the Halls that will be released in November. For a full list of Full Sail’s Brewmaster Reserve beers please visit http://fullsailbrewing.com/brewmaster-reserve.cfm.

The independent and employee-owned Full Sail Brewery is perched on a bluff in Hood River, Oregon, overlooking the most epic wind and kite surfing spot in the world. At this very moment 47 specialists in the liquid refreshment arts are crafting barley and hops into your next beer. Among the company’s most popular brews are Full Sail Amber, IPA, Pale, LTD, Session and Session Black Premium lager. Founded in 1987, the Full Sail crew has been fermenting godlike nectar for 22 years. Committed to brewing great beer and sustainable practices their award winning brews are now available in twenty one states. The Full Sail Tasting Room and Pub is open seven days a week. Swing by for a pint, grab a bite, tour the brewery, or just soak up the view. www.fullsailbrewing.com.

(Pacific City, OR) – Pelican Brewery has received label approval for a late fall release.

Pelican Mother of All Storms should make its return later this year. The beer was placed into barrels earlier this month. Brewmaster, Darron Welch, says, “I estimate that we will have about 200-220 cases this year. This batch will have 6 first fill bourbon barrels that will age some 3-4 months, 4-5 second fill bourbon barrels that will have aged about 8-10 months, and 1-2 third fill bourbon barrels that will have been aging for a year or more. All will be blended together for this year’s Mother of All Storms.”

The beer will available through the usual channels: on-site, self-distributed in Oregon and by FedEx (direct mail order) to states that allow it.

The 2010 edition is the first to be bottled with the new name. The beer’s former name, The Perfect Storm, had to be changed due to trademark issues as some have speculated. A trademark search revealed no beers with the name so it’s likely that the name concerned a non-beermaking entity.

More info about the ingredients can be found on the brewery’s seasonals page.

(Chico, CA) – Sierra Nevada Jack and Ken’s Ale has received TTB approval.

Here is the beer description from Sierra30.com: “Jack McAuliffe is the original microbrewer. McAuliffe’s tiny New Albion Brewery in Sonoma, California inspired countless brewers to start small-scale breweries of their own. Jack agreed to guest brew this very special ale with us in honor of our 30th anniversary. This American barleywine is a nod to the big ales New Albion served at their legendary summer solstice parties. It is robust and complex – brewed with 100% American Cascade hops.”

The official site projects a release date of mid-July though the second beer in the series was delayed so the dates are certainly tentative.

There is a lengthy piece on the life and times of McAuliffe up on CraftBeer.com. The article also discusses McAuliffe’s role in the recent collaboration and the beer itself:

“According to Sierra Nevada spokesman Bill Manley, the beer known as Jack and Ken’s Ale contains two-row Pale, Crystal and roasted barley malts, Northern Brewer, Cascade, Cluster and Brewers Gold hops and the house ale yeast. [...]

Sierra Nevada will produce about 1,000 barrels of the barleywine (compare that with the 450 annual barrels produced by New Albion in its heyday) [...]“

(Salt Lake City, UT) – Uinta Brewing got label approval for its fourth beer in the new Crooked Line Series last week.

Uinta Cockeyed Cooper Bourbon Barrel Barley Wine is one of four beers that will be launched under the new product line along with Labyrinth Black Ale, Detour Double India Pale Ale and Tilted Smile Imperial Pilsner. Click for more info about the Crooked Line Series which is to be released soon (if they haven’t been already).

Label description: “Launch into the exquisite flavors of bourbon with splashes of vanilla. Watch for currents of dark chocolate and dried fruit. Generous amounts of hops and malts make for a smooth journey from start to finish. Decadent desserts and aged cheddar cheeses make superb companions.” 11.1% ABV. Cockeyed Cooper is available only in 750s.

(Aberdeen, SCOTLAND) – A few more updates from the gentlemen across the Atlantic . . .

On April 10th, it was TIME Magazine of all places that got the scoop on BrewDog shipping to the U.S.:

“Jim Watt, one of BrewDog’s co-founders, says that some 400 bottles of Tactical Nuclear Penguin are in the process of being shipped to a few stores in California and New York City, including a Whole Foods location [...]”

Now May 21st on the calendar, Watt says that the beer still hasn’t shipped to the U.S. Watt says that there “may be” 15 cases for all of the U.S. Would that be 24 to a case? That would put the U.S. at 360 bottles total.

Part of the reason for it not being shipped yet could (I’m speculating here) have something to do with the fact that, in order for it to be legal for sale in the U.S., it had to be cleared through the TTB, not as beer, but as a spirit. The technical jargon on the label reads, “spirit made with grain.”

Sink the Bismarck! has not received label approval at this point and Watt was non-committal about whether the brewery will ship any over here. They are only producing 100 bottles of this stuff . . . per month.

Abstrakt 01 did get label approval but BrewDog did not end up shipping any to the U.S.

What will ship over? 200 cases of BrewDog Mikkeller Devine Rebel 2010 says Watt . . .

Note: Update #1 can be found here.

“This week we have released our largest barrel-aged project to date. In May 2009 we brewed a special batch of Old Dipsea Barleywine and aged it for 10 months in 4 Heaven Hill Bourbon barrels. We added a special strain of wild yeast or brettanomyces to further ferment and add complexity. You’ll notice an extra fruity character resembling pineapple and a tanginess not found in our standard Old Dipsea. We have bottled 100 cases and wax sealed the crowns. This cult favorite is available now and will go fast. $10 per bottle and $108 per case with a 2 case limit per customer.”

(Press release below with brief beer descriptions attached at the very end)

April 30, 2010 SALT LAKE CITY–Uinta Brewing Company announces its Crooked Line, a series of 750 ml cork- finished bottles of unique, high alcohol beer. Uinta constructed a small, 100% wind powered brewery to accommodate brewing tanks, wooden barrels, and a one-of-a-kind Italian bottling line, which was custom built to bottle and cork the Crooked Line beers. The new line is anticipated to be released in early May.

The Crooked Line is inspired by an accumulation of over 20 years of brewing and tasting experiences. Spontaneous diversions, leading to late nights spent around a table complimented with good food, artisan beer, and scintillating conversation, have forged a crooked path, culminating in the Crooked Line. The term “Crooked” also describes beers that may not follow stringent style guidelines. Such diversions empower brewers to draw on their experience in exploring new beers and brewing techniques.

Uinta believes the larger bottles pair well with good company and good food. The cork and cage finished bottle suggests “celebration” and elevates, and enhances, the beer drinking experience by creating an occasion each time the cork pops. The Crooked Line is “slower beer”— certainly slower to produce, and it is meant to encourage drinkers to pause and to indulge in conversation over a shared meal.

The initial release of the Crooked Line includes four beers, the names of which play upon the word “crooked.” Labyrinth Black Ale is aged in rye and bourbon barrels, and is 13.2% alcohol by volume. Cockeyed Cooper Bourbon Barrel Barley Wine is 11.1% alcohol by volume, and is wood-aged for six months. Detour Double India Pale Ale is 9.5% alcohol by volume, and is brewed with four hop varieties. Lastly, Tilted Smile Imperial Pilsner measures at 9% alcohol by volume. Uinta intends to brew other varieties of Crooked Line beers, including single-production varieties, or beers that are available only for a short period of time, perhaps either for a special occasion or to satisfy a creative whim.

Uinta Brewing is thrilled to work with local artists for the Crooked Line. For the first four releases, Leia Belle, Travis Bone, and Trent Call gave their own creative interpretations of the beer names by designing the label-art. While all of the beers belong to the Crooked Line family, each beer embraces itself own unique identity, beginning with the label and finishing with what’s inside the bottle.

Fortunately, in the current climate of economic uncertainty, the craft brewing industry is growing. According to the Brewers Association, growth in 2009 was 7.2% by volume and 10.3% by dollars compared to 5.9% by volume and 10.1% by dollars in 2008. Overall, total US beer sales were down 2.2% in 2009, but this figure includes mass produced beer. (http://www.brewersassociation.org/pages/business-tools/craft-brewing-statistics/facts)

Established in 1993, Uinta Brewing Company is located in Salt Lake City, Utah. Its original line of beers includes Cutthroat Pale Ale, its flagship beer, and a variety of other beers often named after Utah’s diverse landscapes or historical events. In 2003, Uinta expanded its offerings through a more contemporary brand extension, called the Four Plus Series.

Uinta Brewing strives to produce high quality products with responsible and respectable practices. Uinta beers have received regional, national, and international awards and medals. Uinta Brewing is proud to be an OU Kosher certified company, producing Kosher certified products. Dedicated to good business practices, Uinta Brewing has been 100% wind powered since 2001, and is the first business in Utah to make that mark. Please visit Uinta’s website, www.uintabrewing.com, for more information regarding Uinta’s beers and environmental stewardship.

—————————————–
Beer Descriptions:

Labyrinth: Enter the Labyrinth, a multi-dimensional black ale. Discover the complex intermingling of black licorice and roasted oak. Seek the subtle hints of bittersweet chocolate. Flavors are enhanced when served cool, not frigid. Explore pairing Labyrinth with flavorful cheeses and desserts.

Detour: Detour blazes the trail for fresh and bold Double IPAs. Four varieties of hops combine to step up the flavor profile. A hoppy adventure that finishes dry. Big character. Venture to pair with other spirited flavors such as those found in spicy ethnic foods.

Tilted Smile: Titled Smile breaks away from the crowd. Strong in character, yet approachable and versatile. Confidently balanced with Saaz hops and 100% Pilzen malt. Crisp and delightfully carbonated. Explore pairing with grilled meats and seafood.

Cockeyed Cooper: (The label isn’t yet approved but I would expect that it will be very soon- the brewery released a Bourbon Barrel-aged Barley Wine last year so this may just be taking that beer and giving it a more permanent role in the rotation)

(Haverhill, MA) – Haverhill Brewery will release the latest in its 22 oz. bottled series next Tuesday.

According to the brewery’s Facebook page, “We will be releasing our next 22oz seasonal beer next week on wednesday. However, like the other releases we’re going to be selling them the night before at the TAP brewpub in downtown Haverhill. Come on out Tuesday night for some awesome beer, raffles and of course Triskelion Barleywine Bombers!”

Here’s the label description: “Our Barleywine-style ale is both one of the most simple and one of the most complex beers we brew! We use only high qualuty Maris Otter malt and boil the wort for three beers. This adds a caramel-like sweetness that we balance with East Kent Golding hops. We cellar the beer for six months to mellow and blend the flavors. It has enough hops to age for long periods, which will make it even more drinkable and balanced. Triskelion pairs best with strong blue cheese.”

Head Brewer, Jon Curtis, just tweeted that the brewery put on a firkin of the new brew on Friday morning at the Tap Brewpub.

(Chicago, IL) – Goose Island Beer Co. has revealed two new beers to hit taps as part of Fulton & Wood Draft Series later this year.

The first is Goose Island Minx, which will be available in July, and the second is Goose Island King Henry, which will be available in November. Goose Island White City, as previously discussed here, will come out next month and a beer to-be-named will be released in September.

Minx beer description: “Belgian style imperial India pale ale with an ample malt base, a fruity Belgian yeast aroma, and an alluring citrus hop flavor.

Alcohol by Volume: 8%
International Bitterness Units: 70
Preferred Glass: Tulip
Availability: Limited Release
Draft: 1/6 bbl”

Goose Island King Henry description:

“A hybrid English/American barleywine hopped with several American hops and brewed with over 2 tons of malt.

Alcohol by Volume: 11%
International Bitterness Units: 100
Preferred Glass: Snifter
Availability: Limited Release
Draft: 1/6 bbl”

Descriptions courtesy of the Goose Island Beer Co. website.

(Bodegraven, NETHERLANDS) – De Molen got three more approvals recently for beers to be shipped into the U.S. for the first time.

The Shelton Brothers could import three new ones later this year: Bommen and Granaten, Heaven and Hell (a.k.a. Hemel and Hel) and Engels. Despite having the lowest overall rating of the three, De Molen has the 12th-ranked English Bitter in the world in Engels according to RateBeer.

Here are the beer descriptions off of the De Molen website:

Translation: Heaven & Hell

Twice the amount of dark roasted malts used, massive Imperial stout. This is a mad one. Black brown color with a thick and creamy tan head that can be added to as you wish if you give the bottle a swirl. Give this beer time to breathe and blossom into something truly stunning. Chocolate and alcohol are right there at the front but do not at all overpower the gorgeousness that is underneath. Full of leather, vanilla, amazing wooden notes, beautifully floral character from the hops, thick Belgian chocolate, much character. The flavor of crazy wooden tartness. An extremely bitter finish seems to come out of nowhere and is what really makes this quite unique. Superb width in the mouth and coats the whole palate beautifully.

Style Imperial Stout
ABV 10,2%

Translation: Bombs & Grenades

With 15% ABV is was more than obvious that we had to name this dessert beer Bombs and Grenades. The use of champagne yeast has had it’s effect on both flavor and body. There’s plenty of fruit like orange, tangerine and sweet apples. It’s powerful and full bodied but still easy going. Although the name would suggest otherwise it’s our favorite amongst the female clientele yet also highly appreciated by the other sex.

Style Barley Wine
ABV 15.0%

Translation: English

Our attempt at creating a real English cask ale. And we certainly succeeded. At the Great British Beer Festival our Engels was appreciated by all that tried. Cask ale from the continent? Yeah! Also available bottled by the way.

Style Bitter
ABV 4.5%

(Hooksett, NH) – If you are exhausted in trying to track all the beers that are coming out of White Birch Brewing, you are not alone. I asked Bill Herlicka to help sort out the beautiful mess that he’s created and provide info on some new stuff. Here’s the latest.

“My goal is to have two or three regular beers: the Belgian Style Pale Ale, Dubbel and Wrigian, and have a rotating set of new and seasonal beers. It keeps me having fun and out of trouble that way.

The Barrel Aged Saison is probably not going to be out until around August or so. There’s a flavor I’m looking for with a mild Brett strain which I need to hit before this one is let out the door.

The Moonlight brew is a collaboration with Moonlight Meadery and I hope to have that out later this month.

The Oak Aged Barley Wine came out as a two case test batch to great feedback and sold out in about seven hours. I’m working on the next batch as my last batch of Barleywine until fall. I hope to have around 400-500 bottles for the next batch around June-ish.

I have one more new release for the month called Indulgence. It’s a brew I made with copious amounts of chocolate malt and my house yeast. Not quite a stout, not quite a porter it’s got a great chocolate aroma and a coffee & chocolate flavor with a smooth finish.”

(Ukiah, CA & Saratoga Springs, NY) – Here is a follow-up to last week’s post on some new brews to come from Mendocino Brewing.

Mendocino is set to launch its new Imperial Series and some new seasonals and I got a hold of the official beer descriptions for the first three beers we will see. Also of note, in the last post, I mentioned that the brewery would be replacing White Ale with Blonde Ale. It appears as though this change is partly driven by there being somewhat of a glut of White Ales offered in the Northern CA market. That’s not my opinion (not local to CA), rather it’s just what I’m hearing.

Here are the details on the new beers:

Mendocino Imperial IPA

This full bodied Imperial IPA is brewed with massive amounts of premium varieties of hops such as Amarillo, Cascade, Simcoe and Crystal and paired with a rich blend of luscious Munich, caramel and 2-row pale malts. The result is a perfect balance of luxuriant malt and heady, exhilarating hop flavor. After primary fermentation is finished, we dry hop our Imperial IPA with copious quantities of the above mentioned hops. It is then cold conditioned for a few weeks. The result is an outstanding and unforgettable hop aroma. Starting with an OG of 19 Plato and finishing at 8% ABV, this Imperial Indian Pale is a hop tour de force.

Mendocino Imperial Barley Wine Style Ale

This Imperial Barley Wine Style Ale has a rich amber color with a full, robust body. This Barley Wine style Ale has a traditional warming malt flavor with a delightful hop finish. While exceptionally drinkable now, it will continue to improve with age – taking on subtle flavors of dark fruit, sherry and anise. Hop flavors and aromas will become more rounded and luscious caramel malt notes will become more intense. Brewed with an astonishing starting gravity of 24 Plato and finishing at 11% ABV, this Imperial Barley Wine Ale is not for the faint of heart, though it will reward the adventurous drinker with an unparalleled taste experience.

Mendocino Blonde Ale

Our seasonal Blonde Ale is brewed with the finest 2-row, Carapils and wheat malts, perfectly balanced with fragrant Cascade and Saaz hops. Pale gold in color with a clean, crisp flavor, our Blonde Ale has floral and spicy hop notes with a subtle malt sweetness in the finish. Light-bodied and refreshing, this beer works equally well on its own or paired with seafood, spicy food, barbecue or a host of other choices. A sensational thirst quencher, our Blonde Sale will cool you off on a hot summer’s day.

(Portland, ME) – Sebago Brewing releases two brews in its Single Batch Series.

Sebago Barleywine came out in bottles March 15th. There were approximately 51 cases produced. Sebago Milestone Double Red Ale was just released on April 2nd with production at around 100 cases. Both were released in 22 oz. bombers. Milestone is also available on draft.

The Barleywine is only available in southern Maine though the brewery hopes to make the Milestone available statewide and in MA.

Barleywine description: “This is our boldest beer ever at 9.5% abv, 60 IBUs, and by far our longest barrel-aging time. This beer is a blend of Old World influence and modern day ingredients and technique. We used domestic malt and wheat and distinctly American hops to produce this rich, full bodied ale and then we fermented it with two different yeast strains. On top of all this, we barrel-aged this beer in charred oak bourbon barrels for over three months. The end result is a dark ruby colored ale with very intense aromatics.”

Milestone beer stats:
Alcohol – 9.5%
IBUs – 60
Hops – Cascade and Centennial
Malts – 2-row, Red Wheat, Caramel and Special B
Yeast – House ale yeast and Scottish ale yeast
Aging – Over 9 months in Woodford Reserve charred oak bourbon barrels
Color – Dark ruby, brown
Aroma – notes of vanilla, coconut, bourbon and malty
Flavor – bold maltiness, bourbon, slight alcohol and slight hoppiness.

Milestone Ale description: “Milestone Double Red Ale is a reflection of Jon Clegg and Tom Abercrombie’s past ten years of brewing together. This collaboration beer is brewed using a non-traditional process of stoning the beer, using granite stones that were heated until red hot and lowered into a wooden vat of unfermented beer. Intern bottling carmelizes the wort which brings out the neutral distinctive flavors of dark fruit, caramel malt and light toffee. This crimson colored ale is medium in body with just the right amount of hops to balance the malt profile.”

(Lakespur, CA) – This update comes from Marin Brewing‘s latest newsletter:

We [have released] the first batch ever of Brass Knuckle Imperial I.P.A., White Knuckle‘s big brother. Using the same raw materials as our White Knuckle Double I.P.A., we have created an even bigger hop monster. Similar flavors, but MORE! We used over 8 lbs. of hops per barrel in the “Brass Knuckle” & dry hopped it 3 times! This brew weighs in at about 10% alcohol by volume. Beware of the PUNCH of the “Brass Knuckle”. It will be served in 10 oz. glasses only & there will be no bottles available. So…come and get your taste, and bring your GROWLERS!

[Note: Despite having been a few days, Marin Brass Knuckle is still available as of publishing on the evening of April 3rd.]

Our annual Anniversary brew, Dipsea Tripel Belgian Style Ale, is on tap.

The long awaited return of Stinson Beach Peach! It isavailable on Saturday April 3rd.

Next week we will be bottling 100 cases of Bourbon Barrel-aged Old Dipsea Barleywine Style Ale. The Old Dipsea has been aged in four Heaven Hill Bourbon Barrels for the past 10 months. While this is our biggest barrel release ever, this brew has become a cult favorite of beer collectors, so get yours before it’s gone!”

(Dexter, MI) – A new limited batch of Jolly Pumpkin Biere de Mars Grand Reserve should be released in two weeks.

This comes via the brewery: “The Biere de Mars Grand Reserve is a pub only item. It will not be released to wholesale and will only be able to purchased at our Ann Arbor cafe and brewpub (311 S. Main St. Ann Arbor, MI 48104). This is a once a year release, has been aged on Oak for 18 months and we have roughly 800 330 ml bottles available for sale. We are currently waiting for the labels to come back from the printer and once we get them back we will label them up and begin to sell them. Our plan is to release them on Monday April, 12th [assuming that labels come back on time].”

The Grand Reserve is the crown jewel from Jolly Pumpkin going by RateBeer scores.

Adam Forman, the brewery’s label artist, has created a new label for this one. I’ve attached the old label below.

(Pittsburgh, PA) – East End Brewing will release Gratitude 2009 and Wooden Nickel Saison this weekend.

From an email: “This Saturday March 6th starting at noon, we’ll finally be releasing our bottles of 2009 Gratitude Barleywine, and our Wooden Nickel 5th Anniversary Saison at the brewery. We’ll be pouring tasters of both beers, and have some other niceties planned.”

More specifics as to what will be available from the brewery website:

“1. Gratitude 2009 ($18) (Actually, we’ll have this one for a while.)
2. Woodel Nickel 5th Anniversary Saison ($15+3 deposit)
3. Possibly some Gratitude of older vintages ($tbd)
4. Possibly some “dirty label” Gratitude of older vintages ($tbd)
5. Generally, Gratitude 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008 will only be available in Stacked Vertical packs”

See the full details here.

(Chico, CA) – Until now, Sierra Nevada Brewing‘s Sierra30.com site has been dormant with only a newsletter/notification sign-up link. The brewery hasn’t even sent out the notice yet but the site is now live!

Info on all the pioneers with which Sierra Nevada Brewing is working for the Sierra 30th Anniversary Series is up on the website: slideshows, videos, short biographical summaries, and charities to which each brewer will donate. There is also a short description for each beer. Here is the schedule:

Mid-March – Fritz and Ken’s Ale – Imperial Stout
Mid-May – Charlie, Fred and Ken’s Ale – Imperial Helles Ale
Mid-July – Jack and Ken’s Ale – American Barleywine
Mid-October – Our Brewer’s Reserve – Oak Aged Ale (a blend of Oak-Aged Bigfoot, Celebration Ale and fresh Pale Ale)

From the original press release: “We wanted to pay tribute to the original pioneers who helped me and hundreds of others get started,” said Sierra Nevada founder Ken Grossman. “Few people in the craft-brewing world have accomplished more than these guys, and we thought it might be fun to get the original crew together and make something special.”

(Medford, OR) – Southern Oregon Brewing will release new 22 oz. bottles beginning this February.

According to Beer Advocate, it looks like the brewery currently offers six beers in bottles: Pale Ale, Porter, Woodshed Red, Old Humbug, Gold Ale and Extra Special Britt Ale.

That will change this February when the brewery introduces Gold Digger Northwest Lager and Nice Rack IPA to bottles. The brewery will officially name its Porter, “Pin-up Porter.” All of the labels including Woodshed Red are based on the new theme that the brewery introduced with Extra Special Britt and Old Humbug this past fall.

Most notably, the brewery will bottle its 10% ABV Barley Wine for the first time. The website notes that the bottling is scheduled for spring.