Sierra Nevada Cask-Aid

Another one-time release draft only beer from Sierra Nevada just got approval.  This beer is "cask-aid" it is unknown where this beer will be available or what style the beer even is.  All we know for sure is that Sierra Nevada always makes a very good brew and this brew is available in a 10.8 gallon firkin.

Magic Hat Humble Patience

Updated new artwork for an old seasonal release from Magic Hat.  This brew is released at the end of every summer for enjoyment in the fall.  An Irish-style Red Ale is balanced and hopped nicely using Apollo hops.  A great blend of malts makes for this tastey ale.  These malts include Crystal, Pale, Chocolate, Cara and Roasted Barley to achieve the fine color.  Keep an eye out for this one.

Sam Adams Rauchbier

Samuel Adams Rauchbier is available only at Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts and had gotten there by winning the home brew contest.  The brewery has decided to release this beer to the masses and there are 4 different approved labels all with different names for the brew.  The names are "Rauchbier", "Seven Hills Rauchbier", "Bonfire Rauchbier" and "Roasted Rauchbier".  A Rauchbier is a "Smoke Beer" which roasts its malts over burning beechwood logs.  There is no word yet on which label or name will be chosen for release.

Long Island Cask Festival

The 7th annual Cask Ale Festival at Blue Point Brewery was held on Saturday April 9, 2011.  It was a beautiful day and there were a ton of great beers there, all in cask of course.  Two of the tastiest brews were being served by none other than Brooklyn.  One of these cask conditioned beers was Blast, a west coast IPA as Garrett Oliver calls it, some call it an imperial or double IPA.  This had the most beautiful critical hoppiness you look for in a big IPA like this.  It was extremely drinkable and remarkably smooth even at 9% ABV.  The clarity of this brew was amazing, and this is no easy task especially when the casks weren't arranged and tapped until a few minutes before the event, normally 24 hours is recommended to settle the finings.  Finings are used to settle the live yeast in a cask to the bottom to prevent consumption of these yeasts.
The other offering from Garret Oliver and the Brooklyn Brewery was first released this passed March at the brewery and select locations.  This beer was a dark and roasty Dry Irish Stout.  Perfect body and a nice blend of roasted malt makes for a really enjoyable session beer at the festival.  Many of the beers at the festival being higher in alcohol made this beer a real treat at only 3.9% ABV.  There are rumors, none are confirmed, that this beer may become the Brooklyn Spring seasonal release in the future.

Steve Hindy: The Boss

Savor Flowers

Another collaboration beer is getting a ton of attention.  This beer truly deserves it this time.  It is a collaboration between Jim Koch of Boston Beer and Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head.  This Collabo-brew was made just for the Savor food and beer festival coming up in Washington DC this spring.  This brew is an interesting one,  it is an oak aged beer that is made with rose peddle soaked water and other natural flavors.  There hasn't been any info on how this beer tastes but coming from these two brewmasters, it is sure to be a quality beer.

Anchor Old Fogerty

So this isn't a new beer from Anchor Brewing Company, but this is an interesting mixture of two classic craft brews.  You guessed it right, its a mixture of Anchor Liberty Ale and Anchor Old Foghorn barleywine.  This was invented by the ultimate brewery rep, Bob Brewer.  Bob Brewer was and still is the first representative selling Anchor beers.  His territory is everywhere except the San Francisco bay area, so you know this guys is living legacy in the craft beer world.  This beer blend mixture is sure to be a tasty favorite since it contains two great beers.  The Liberty Ale smooths the Old Fog Horn barleywine and changes these brews into a nice treat. 

Lighter Shade of Pale

Sierra Nevada Beer Camp batch #46 is an interesting brew, although every brew out of the camp is.  This batch was a session-version of the Pale Ale named Lighter Shade of Pale with a 4.2% ABV.  A session beer is a brew that is relatively low in alcohol content usually somewhere from 3% ABV right up to 5% ABV.  These brews allow the craft drinker to drink plenty of them before getting too drunk and the drinker usually sticks with or "sessions" the same beer all day/night.  A lower ABV to the current Sierra Nevada Pale Ale which is at 5.6% is sometimes welcomed by craft drinker who typically enjoys beer so much that its sometimes necessary to drink many hours in a row.  Don't expect to see this beer just yet besides at special events and festivals.