10/30/17
Todd@HoustonBeerScene.com
We’ve got plenty of new beer updates many of them fitting temperatures finally dropping and the Fall season. There’s something new to fit almost anyone’s beer interests whether you‘re a hophead, malt monster or want something nicely balanced. Keep an eye on our Labels Approvals page for additional information on upcoming releases for the Houston area and the rest of our state. We also have weekly updates on local events. Cheers to new beers!
Note: Availability for all beers listed is draft only unless otherwise noted.
B-52 Brewing Company – Ze Hazy German – Brewed for their Oktoberfest party, this is a hazy 6.4% IPA brewed with all German malts and hops, including Hallertau Blanc, Callista and Ariana. This is another strong entry into hazy IPA territory for B-52 as it features the smooth feel and a quality dry hopped flavor that marks the style, but I was expecting something a bit more “out there” from the use of German ingredients. That being said, this is a really solid hazy IPA.
B-52 Brewing Company – Ze Hazy German: Traminette – Also brewed for their Oktoberfest party and presumably only available at the brewery. This is Ze Hazy German re-fermented with traminette grape juice. I didn’t get too much from the grape juice and enjoyed this about the same as the base beer.
Houston Beer Scene Pick – Baa Baa Brewhouse – Lederhosen – Brewed for their Oktoberfest party, this would probably best be described as a New England session IPA brewed with German ingredients. At 4.2% I was surprised that this packed more flavor and a better mouthfeel than the majority of the session IPAs I’ve tried, but was a little disappointed that the German ingredients didn‘t create something radically different. The excellent quality of the flavor out of a session IPA still makes this one a winner.
Houston Beer Scene Pick – Brash Brewing – Projekt Mayhem – Brewed for their anniversary party, this is an absolutely amazing gose that bursts with sour and lime flavors with a touch of salt. The layers of flavor create a nice complexity and the level of tartness is dead on, assertive without totally wearing out my tongue. Brash continues to wow me with the quality of their beer, even when going in directions that I wasn’t expecting.
Houston Beer Scene Pick – Fetching Lab Brewery – Midnight Watch Porter – Fetching Lab’s latest is a 6.2% English porter that the brewery plans to make different varieties of in the future. Roasty with notes of coffee and chocolate and bitter, yet balanced, I think most porter fans will really enjoy this one.
Great Heights Brewing Company – Citramendous – This Citra-fueled brew is an 8.8% double IPA. The flavor is traditional citrus forward DIPA with a bit more malt body than average.
Holler Brewing Company – Atchaboy IPA – This 7.4% American IPA has a bit more malt backbone than most while still bursting with fruity hop flavors and an assertive bitterness which feels stronger than the reported 80 IBU. The bready malt flavor lingering in the background sets this apart and really adds to the complexity. Yet another highly enjoyable Holler beer.
Holler Brewing Company – Boisterous Bobcat – This “double wit” is a 9.9% beer brewed by doubling the ingredients of their Witty Kitty recipe. Pretty much the flavors you’d expect from a wit, but bigger, thicker and lacking some of the subtleties of a traditional wit.
Houston Beer Scene Pick – Holler Brewing Company – Romper Rye – This is an excellent example of a rye pale ale. The combination of spicy rye, citrus and piney hop and toasty malt come together nicely and are joined by an ample bitterness. At 5.6% this is something I could come back to often and hope Holler makes this one a part of their regular rotation.
Town in City Brewing Company – Suburban Amber – A 5.5% brew that’s their City Amber recipe brewed with wild yeast. The wild yeast adds just a slight edge of something different, but the overall flavor is that of a solid American amber.
Not Sampled
B-52 – Wheeze The Juice variants – For B-52’s latest release of Wheez The Juice, they also brewed Farmhouse Wheez The Juice being served on nitro, Wheze The Shake – Dreamsicle, and a version finished with Galaxy served on nitro.
Baa Baa Brewhouse – Choctoberfest – One I missed from their Okto-Baa-Fest, this was still available at the brewery as of Saturday. Hopefully there’s still some for next weekend.
Brigadoon Brewery – La Mort Vivent Se Souvient – A 6.8% tribute to Southern Star’s retired biere de garde, Le Mort Vivent. You’ll have to head to the Texas Renaissance Festival to try this one or any other beer from Brigadoon until they get their production brewery up and running. Their Black Plague Russian Imperial Stout is excellent this year.
Buffalo Bayou Brewing Company – Pecan Pie – A 9.3% dessert beer brewed with cinnamon and whole roasted pecans.
Eureka Heights Brewing Company – Zicke Zacke – A marzen brewed for the King’s Bierhaus and King’s Biergarten Oktoberfest celebrations. It appears that some may still be available at the Heights location, possibly Pearland too, but it’ll probably be gone soon. This may or may not be the same beer as Von Wolfhausen a festbier released for the Eureka Height’s Jortstoberfest event.
No Label Brewing Company – Fresh Hop Solo: Idaho 7 – The latest in the Hop Solo series is a 5.6% fresh hopped pale ale described as having flavors of guava, pineapple, melon and citrus.
Platypus Brewing – Chocolate Orange Porter – Their Stars at Night Coffee Porter with orange peel and cocoa. Looks like a very limited release at the brewery only.
Saloon Door Brewing – Fall IPA – This 6.8% brew is described as a juicy IPA with tropical and citrus hop flavors.
Saloon Door Brewing – Salted Caramel Porter – This 6.1% porter is the latest to join Saloon Door’s extensive list of Fall porters. Looks to be a very limited brewery only release.
Running Walker Beer – Pumpkin Runner – The latest “Ask Brian” beer was brewed with pumpkin and pumpkin spices.
Texas Beer Refinery – OkTBRfest – A 6.7% traditional marzen.
Town in City Brewing Company – Azacca Dry-Hopped Pale Ale – The name says it all for this 5.8% APA.
Vallensons’ Brewing Company – Russian Imperial Stout – This 10% brew is described by the brewery as having a complex flavor using many roasted and chocolate malts with an aggressive hop profile.
Whole Foods Brewing Company – Earn It – Their latest hazy IPA clocks in at 7.2%.
News
Great Heights Brewing Company – They have recently started selling kegs to outside accounts, so we should start seeing their beer around town.
Holler Brewing Company – Black Sunshine – A black IPA scheduled to be released on November 11th as part of their first anniversary party, Hollerpalooza.
Holler – Pacific Hazebro – A juicy IPA brewed solely with hops from New Zealand. Also scheduled for release at Hollerpalooza.
Ingenious Brewing Company – I guess Ingenious is holding the title of “Houston Area’s Newest Brewery”. Ingenious will be debuting some of their beer at The Hop Stop in Humble on November 2nd with a tap takeover that starts at 4:00. No word yet on which beers will be released, check Facebook for the latest.