Happy April everyone, although the nice weather hasn't quite found us yet the beer producers are very busy.
Bagtown Brewing After a successful soft launch on April 1st they are having a Launch Event Saturday on April 8th from 8 to 10 PM.
The whole team will be at Ducky's pub to celebrate their official launch party with some great beer and live music. The doors will be open to the ticket holders from 8 PM with the doors opening to the general public at 9 PM. Tickets are expected to go fast so buy them as soon as you can.
Red Rover Craft Cider has a new cider they will be releasing next week. Orchard Reserve 2016 is a English Extra Dry cider that is a warming 7.2% ABV. Red Rover carefully chose the best apples NB has to offer for this craft cider. A slow fermentation followed by ageing for six months enhances the subtle spice and delicate honey notes of their favorite heritage Russet and Crab apples. A total of 400 bottles were produced and will be sold only at their Ciderhouse and Farmers Markets for $16.50.
Big Tide Brewing says they will be bringing some really special beer for this year's Saint John Beerfest. They will have their Down East Brewing Awards Gold Medal winning Chocolate Amaretto Porter, their collaboration with Petit Sault Malobiannah Gruit, and Crystal One-fifTEA, brewed especially for the event. This 5.9% ABV light golden, refreshing, crisp and citrusy ale was brewed with pilsener and wheat malts in the grist. An incredibly smooth bitterness and flavour comes from the kettle addition of Saint John’s very own King Cole Tea (celebrating 150 years), complimented with the delicate and citrusy flavour from bergamot and marigold in Earl Grey. They worked with Darlings Island Farm on the test batch to determine the best hops to enhance the floral and citrusy flavours from the tea, and 12 IBUs come from late editions of mild, herbal Saazer and wonderfully aromatic Crystal hops.
Flying Boats Brewing launched Stagecoach Amber Ale this week. It is named after the early pioneering stagecoach transportation services linking southern NB towns and villages. This beer will be launched at the Saint John Beerfest this Saturday April 8th but will also be available at the Saint John Ale House, Britt's Pub and Eatery, as well as the Barrel's Head in Rothesay. Kegs are also destined for the James Joyce Pub and Graystone Brewing in Fredericton, and Ducky's Pub in Sackville. A collaboration brew with Craig Pinhey, this Amber Ale imparts a heavy caramel flavor together with a unique raisin-like characteristic and bittered with NB grown Cascade hops and is 5.5% and 29 IBUs.
Graystone Brewing is donating $1 from every sale of Ridgeback IPA in the taphouse and at The Capital Complex to their neighbours The Royal Canadian Legion leading up to the 100th anniversary of Vimy Ridge.
They also have a new beer, Alpen IPL. It is an amber India Pale Lager with ample bitterness and a clean, soft mouthfeel that weighs in at 6% ABV and 70 IBUs.
Loyalist City Brewing says that after some great feedback from their local beer drinkers, and new inventory, they have made some adjustments to their hop series base recipe. They were finally able to line up a reliable supply of the infamous “Vermont” yeast strain, and will now be using it to ferment all their hop series beer. The Vermont strain produces a fruity ester profile reminiscent of peaches and light citrus that complements the hop profile in American and New World IPAs nicely. However, what this strain is undoubtedly best known for is the resulting cloudiness in the beer that follows when hops are added during primary fermentation resulting in the classic New England IPA appearance. They have also bumped up the alcohol content and hopping rates in their hop series to produce a beer with more body and increased hop flavor and aroma.
First up in the revised Hop Series is Summer, an Australian hop produced from the Saaz lineage. Summer is a distinct hop used primarily for its balanced citrus and stone fruit flavor and aroma. When used for dry hopping, the finished beer has pleasant apricot and melon notes. Summer’s flavor and aroma profile are complimented nicely by the esters produced from the Vermont strain to result in an easy drinking and unique New England IPA with 5.5% ABV and 65IBUs.
Maybee Brewing has a new beer for the summer weather. Tailwind Session Ale is a New England Style session IPA with Mosaic hops and Vermont Yeast. It is a crushable 4.8% ABV session IPA just in time for the nice weather. Available now.
Picaroons Traditional Ales says it is that time of the year again and they need your cat's face. Send them a Hi-res picture to compete in their Melonhead Cat Contest where your cat could be on this years Melonhead label. Check out the details on facebook.
Savoie's Brewhouse announced the a couple of new wheat beers. Heron Island Orange Wheat and Restigouche River Raspberry Wheat, both 5% ABV, will be released next Friday at the brewery.
Trailway Brewing debuted a brand new Porter. They say "Think pale chocolate, roasted, coffee with a medium body and a relatively dry and crisp finish keeping this highly drinkable. Like a good cup of coffee!" It is the first Porter brewed at Trailway and this brew will not be canned but instead will be making it's way around the province for next week's growler program but there will be kegs in the tasting room of the 4.7% ABV ale.
That is all for this week, have a great week end and see you next Friday.
