New Beer Round-up – 10/02/2017
Todd@HoustonBeerScene.com
Welcome to another New Beer Round-up packed with great new beer options. With the huge amount of new releases lately I’ll be keeping busy. New Beer Round-up is a regular feature at Houston Beer Scene with a new entry every two weeks. Check out our Texas beer labels approval column for additional info on new beer.
Note: Availability for all beers listed is draft only unless otherwise noted
8th Wonder Brewery – Dirty Coast – This collaboration with Shmaltz Brewing Company and Renegade Brewing Company as part of the Reunion Series is described by 8th Wonder as a “murky 3rd coast nod to NEIPAs”, but “not a NEIPA“. Dirty Coast uses a combination of Amarillo, Citra and Simcoe for flavoring. I would describe the final product as a hazy, brown IPA as Dirty Coast features strong citrus hop flavors that burst out from a lightly roasted caramel malt body. The flavor is also pretty similar to some black IPAs I’ve tried.
Buffalo Bayou Brewing Company – Amaretto by Morning! – This 6.0% cream ale is a variation of Sam’s Wake ‘N Bake, with almonds added. The almonds provide a nice, subtlety sweet nuttiness that compliments the vanilla and espresso flavors from Wake N’ Bake. This one has been available at the brewery in the past, but now is on a wider release on draft around town.
Eureka Heights Brewing Company – Fancy Pants – Fancy Pants joins 5 O’Clock Pils and Dollar Pils Y’all as another solid pilsner brewed in Houston. Eureka Height’s version is a 5.3% German style pilsner brewed with Mandarina Bavaria hops. For the most part this is a solid, straight forward German pilsner, but a semi-subtle citrus flavor from the hops offers an interesting riff on the style.
Houston Beer Scene Pick – Holler Brewing Company – Single Hop Lager: Sorachi Ace – Holler’s 3rd entry in this series is my favorite so far. I love the lemon, dill and touch of orange from the Sorachi Ace which are highlighted without overwhelming the grainy, lightly bready pale malt body. At 5.4% and having a fairly low bitterness, this is almost too easy for me to drink. This brew is definitely a great starting point for someone interested in trying this unique hop variety.
Houston Beer Scene Pick – Lone Pint Brewery – Zythophile Lone Hop Ale: Mandarina Bavaria – This is yet another solid entry into the Zythophile series, Lone Pint’s SMASH (single malt and single hop) IPA series that always features a different hop each batch. The Mandarina Bavaria hop powers a strong citrus flavor as well as a solid bitterness. I really enjoy the use of the featured hop and I can see why more and more beers are featuring Mandarina Bavaria these days.
Houston Beer Scene Pick – Sigma Brewing Company – Burial in Space – This beer was released to celebrate Sigma’s first anniversary and is an excellent choice for the event. Burial in Space is a Russian imperial stout with 2/3 of the beer aged in Yellow Rose Rye Whiskey barrels and the remaining 1/3 aged in Yellow Rose Outlaw Bourbon barrels resulting in a rich, complex and boozy winner. The sweet, dark malt flavor is thick and luscious, but the whiskey, bourbon and oak really shine as well. During Sigma’s first anniversary party there were also coffee and chocolate versions of Burial in Space available, as well as the base beer that was put into the barrels. Limited bottles were available at the brewery, but may be sold out by now.
Sigma Brewing Company – Hold On Saison – This 6.8% saison is a collaboration with Holler Brewing Company featuring Citra, Simcoe, Amarillo, and Rakau hops. Their goal was a hoppy saison and they succeeded – there is plenty of citrussy hop flavor that meshes really well with the spicy yeast notes. As part of the this release eight fruit versions (passion fruit, wildberries, raspberries, mango, lychee, blood orange, pineapple and sour cherry) were released at Conservatory, some of which are still available. I tried the raspberry version and while I enjoyed it, I felt that the base beer was a better choice.
Houston Beer Scene Pick – Spindletap Brewing Company – Operation Juice Drop – Spindletap’s latest hazy IPA is a collaboration with Parish Brewing Company with all proceeds from sales benefiting JJ Watt’s Hurricane Harvey Relief. Spindletap continues to do really well with this style as the full-on, juicy flavor atop a lightly bitter body that is supposed to exemplify the NEIPA style is on full display here. Cans were available at the brewery, but they may have sold out by now.
Texas Beer Refinery – Best Buds 3.0 – This is a triple dry hopped version of Best Buds, a 6.8% American IPA. The dry hopping is fully on display as this features a pleasant, bright hop flavor.
Texas Leaguer Brewing Company – Airmail – One of two beers available during their soft opening weekend. This 5.0% American blonde pleasantly surprised me with a little more body than expected. A quality lighter style beer for their core line-up.
Houston Beer Scene Pick – Texas Leaguer Brewing Company – Knuckle Bock – This 6.5% bock was the second beer available during their soft opening. This is on the darker malt end of the style with plenty of full caramel flavor. I was really happy with this one – this is what I always wished Shiner tasted like.
Not Sampled
B-52 Brewing Company – Yozu Whiskey Sour – This is an interesting collaboration with Heights Bier Garten that appears to be only available at their bar. The beer is a berliner weisse that was aged for six months in a ten year old Whistlepig Rye Whiskey barrel with peach, yuzu zest and juice. Whiskey aged in the same barrel was chosen to pair with the beer for a boilermaker.
B-52 Brewing Company – Ze Hazy German – Hazy 6.4% IPA brewed with all German malts and hops, including Hallertau Blanc, Callista and Ariana. Cans are available at the brewery.
B-52 Brewing Company – Ze Hazy German Traminette -Zee Hazy German re-fermented with Traminette grape juice. Cans are available at the brewery.
Bearded Fox Brewing Company – Foxtoberfest – Bearded Fox’s latest release is a 5.1% marzen.
Brazos Valley Brewing Company – Country Roads Oktoberfest – Brazos Valley’s seasonal release is a 5.3% marzen. Available in cans.
City Acre Brewing Company – Baltiac – A 7.8% Baltic porter.
Galveston Island Brewing – 007: Golden IPA – A 7.1% IPA brewed with El Dorado and Simcoe hops.
Galveston Island Brewing – Peach Hefen-A – A version of their 4.8% hefeweizen brewed with peach.
Karbach Brewing Company – Bourbon Barrel Hellfighter (BBH) with Espresso – The latest in the BBH series is brewed with a roast from Cuvee Coffee. Available in bottles starting this week.
Karbach Brewing Company – KR&D (Karbach Research and Development) NEIPA – Karbach’s latest entry in their limited release draft series is a 6.6% stab at the NEIPA style.
Platypus Brewing – Tea Infused Bobby Dazzler – Brewed with organic black tea and reported to have flavors of hibiscus, black raspberry and huckleberry.
Saint Arnold Brewing Company – Fresh Hop Elissa IPA – This year’s version is hopped with Cascades from a farm in San Augustine County, Texas. This is probably the first beer I’ve heard of to use hops grown within the state. A portion of sales of Fresh Hop Elissa will be donated to The Houston Food Bank.
Saint Arnold Brewing Company – Icon Red: Marzen – The latest in the Icon series is a 5.8% traditional German style lager.
Saloon Door Brewing – Sagecoach – A 6.0% saison brewed with herbs – I‘m assuming sage is one of them.
Sigma Brewing Company – 8X Dry Hopped Medina Sod – Sigma had two versions of this available at their 1st Anniversary party.
Texas Leaguer Brewing Company – 2 Hopper – This 6.4% American IPA joined Texas Leaguer’s line-up during their official grand opening last weekend.
Texas Leaguer Brewing Company – 6-4-3 – A 5.0% Belgian pale that also debuted during Texas Leaguer’s official grand opening.
Vallensons’ Brewing Company – Amberzon – Vallensons’ calls this 7.5% brew an “imperial amber ale“.
Vallenson’s Brewing Company – Down the Hatch – A lemongrass ginger wheat with Hatch chilies.
News
Baa Baa Brewhouse – Double Decker NEIPA – This is set to release at the brewery on October 7th.
Baa Baa Brewhouse – Dirndl G-IPA – A 3.9% beer described as a hazy IPA brewed with German malts and hops. Will be released on October 14th at their Okto-Baa-Fest party.
Baa Baa Brewhouse – Lederhosen G-IPA – This 4.5% brew is another hazy IPA made with German ingredients that will also be released at Okto-Baa-Fest.
Baa Baa Brewhouse – Marzen – Lastly an Oktoberfest made by a guest brewer will be released at Okto-Baa-Fest.
Brash Brewing Company – Milk the Venom: Firewalker – This version of Milk the Venom is aged in cinnamon vanilla whiskey barrels blended with more aged in maple whiskey barrels. No release date yet, but this should rock!
Running Walker Beer – New weekly beers – Running Walker is running a promotion called “ASK BRIAN: Beer of the Week!” in which they tap a new surprise beer every Saturday. You have to locate their head brewer Brian or other staff to find out more about the beer.