Craft Beer NYC

Allagash just celebrated their 20th anniversary last year of their mission to bring traditional Belgian Ales to the masses.  Located in Portland, Maine and founded by Rod Tod back in 1995, they now distribute in 17 states including Washington DC.  Their iconic White is their top selling year round offering.   Using a varieties of grains, with the subtle spice of coriander and orange peels, they bring this famous flavor to their Belgian white wheat ale.   Everyone must go with this over the cheap imitators in the market.  That unfiltered appearance floats well in a Belgian style oval goblet to fully aerate the fermentation. 5.1% ABV 8/10 Lobster Buoys http://www.allagash.com/beer/white/ Info on Coriander https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coriander#Uses Visit Portland Maine https://www.visitportland.com

Let the march of the pumpkins begin for the year! This year's pumpkin offering from Captain Lawrence has a whole new design and name.  I'm not sure how much of the recipe was altered this year but it is still a strong fall entry from the local New York State region. The brewers at Captain Lawrence use a blend of Columbus and Crystal hops made with real pumpkin puree added before primary fermentation.  Nutmeg, cinnamon and allspice are added late in the boil to pump up this amber ale to the same levels of quality as last year. 5.0% ABV 7.5/10 Van Cortlandt "Blaze" Pumpkins Here's a link to one of my first postings back in 2013 with some of the Captain Lawrence history and the review of Freshchester  http://afordnyc.blogspot.com/2013/02/captain-lawrence-freshchester-pale-ale.html http://www.captainlawrencebrewing.com/pumpkin-ale/

This is hands down one of the top craft beers of the year.   Ballast takes their award winning IPA and adds a citrus twist.   The tart/bitterness of the winter fruit pairs well with the hop citrus profile and make this year round specialty ale takes like Summer 365 days of year.  This is also a gold medal winner this year at the US Beer Open and the Australian International Beer Awards.  The citrus infused ales are the trendy signature craft beer this year but this one is the best!  Beware the poisonous spikes on this sculpin. 7.0% ABV 10/10 Pink Sculpins http://www.ballastpoint.com/beer/grapefruit-sculpin/

The Bronx Brewery brings us their Rye Ale in a newly designed 12 oz can.   This spicy entry in the year round portfolio should be a fridge staple for all craft beer fanatics, especially when you can't get down to your local brewpub to sample anything seasonal from their line on draft.   The Chinook and Crystal hops supplement the flavor profile with their piney tones from the Pacific Northwest.  The malts and grains include Muntons Maris Otter/Tipple, Weyermann Caramunich I, Briess Malted Rye, and Briess Flaked Rye for a spicy rye taste that goes perfect with the woodsy hop profile. 6.3% ABV 8.5/10 Rye, Rye, Rye Your Boat! http://www.thebronxbrewery.com/our-beer#block-views-beer-lineup-block-2

This citrus infused ale has a wheat beer base and is amped up to 8.5% ABV with blood orange juice, grapefruit and tangerine peels.   I would have preferred they kept this one with an IPA base instead of a wheat beer.  The mosaic hops supplement the fruit tones with their own tropical flares and bitterness.  Enjoy this one starting in April as a seasonal entry to the Southern Tier portfolio. 8.5% ABV 8.5/10 http://www.stbcbeer.com/3-citrus-peel-out/

One of the hot new craft beer trends of the year are citrus infused IPA's encompassing everything from pineapple, grapefruit, orange, lemons and tangerines.   This new entry from Dogfish Head throws in a unique spin using orange peel, lemon flesh and blood orange juice.  The most identifying theme of these citrus IPA's is the tartness balancing out the hoppy spice tones with a sweet finish but in a very different way than a traditional Belgian fruit beer with their lambic acidity.  It will be interesting to see how this trend continues into 2017.    7.5% ABV 9/10 http://www.dogfish.com/brewery/beer/flesh-blood-ipa

This Dogfish Head creation started way back at the brewpub in 1997 and made its way back to the release schedule this year.  The description says it all, a peat-smoked ale brewed with maple syrup.   On a recent trip to Scotland I got a chance to take in the smell of burning peat first hand, as part of a scotch demonstration at The Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh.  This ale starts out fermentation with a blend of Belgian and English yeast and then they use the famous oak barrels at the Dogfish Head Brewery to bring the smoked aromas to another level.  The oak tasting notes add a blend to the vanilla and peat-smoked complexity that bring this ale to the level of an enlightened Scottish highlander.  We're talking Sean Connery Level!  Enjoy responsibly as this one clocks in at 11% ABV 11% ABV 10/10 http://www.dogfish.com/brewery/beer/immort-ale

I don't normally post about cider but I was recently given a gift of a special pear flavored hard cider.  The Warwick Valley Winery & Distillery are located in Orange County in New York State about 2 hours from Manhattan.  The orchard portion of the farm started in 1989 and was primarily an apple orchard until they started experimenting in other seasonal fruits and making local wine as well.  The unique American Fruits division is a brand focusing on Fine Brandies and Liqueurs which was also the first of its kind in New York State.  The Doc's Draft line of Hard Ciders has flavors ranging from traditional apple to everything from pear, raspberry, sour cherry and pumpkin.   The Hard Pear Cider is an interesting spin on a traditional hard cider flavor where the pear dials down the sweetness to soften the blow and create more dryer taste.  There has recently been some new craft ales using pear especially in spring and summer seasonal varieties and this is a...

Remember those classic southwestern style hoodies that you had in high school or college circa 1991?   Well with the Smuttlabs experiment Baja Hoodie you can relive the feeling all over again.   This is a heavy amber lager amped up with chilies and agave syrup.   At 7.7% ABV this is strong enough to enjoy without getting dazed and confused.   The bottle I tasted was bottled in June 2015, and this one is currently not on the production slate for 2016, so supplies are limited.   I was able to pick one up at Eataly in the Sam Calagione curated craft beer section in the ground floor market in the historic Flatiron District in Manhattan. 8.0/10 Chucky Chilies 7.7% ABV Info on Smuttynose and Smuttlabs from Portsmouth, New Hampshire https://smuttynose.com/beers/smuttlabs/#show-post Find your very own hoodie! http://www.amazon.com/Classic-Mexican-Hoodie-Pullover-Traditional/dp/B018RLGEQ2%3Fpsc%3D1%26SubscriptionId%3DAKIAILSHYYTFIVPWUY6Q%26tag%3Dduckduckgo-osx...

Another fine crafted ale from the organic team in Middlebury, Vermont.   The Oatmeal Stout is available all year round and is brewed with over 200 pounds of organic oats.  Produced with a jet black color, this stout combines dark roasted malts with hints of chocolate and coffee for some nice medium flavored tasting notes.  All their crafted beers are always unfiltered with all USDA organic ingredients, as well as being fully Non GMO Project verified as of Summer 2014.  Wolaver's have been crafting organic beer since 1997, originally located in California but relocated officially to Vermont in 2002 as part of a consolidation effort after purchasing the Otter Creek Brewery.   They are now owned by the The Long Trail Brewery which is distributed across the northeast but has 45% of their ale consumed in the state of Vermont. 5.4% ABV 8 out of 10 Quaker Oats http://wolaversorganic.com/beers/oatmeal-stout Non GMO Project http://www.nongmoproject.org ...

Romantic Chemistry is a new spring seasonal from Dogfish Head Brewery.  It's actually an update of the previous spring seasonal Aprihop, which was a blended fruit based IPA with apricots.  The new edition is a sparkling refinement in the powers of Myrcene, which is found naturally in hops, mangos, and apricots.   In a market where fruits infused IPA's are gaining in popularity, look for this one hitting the shelves now for a limited time.   Make sure you use the recommended signature IPA glassware created by Sam Calagione to bring out the finest tasting notes of tropical fruit and the hop-forward finish that comes with most of his crafted ales. 7.2% ABV 40 IBU's 10/10 Big Bang Monoterpenes Sam on Romantic Chemistry http://www.dogfish.com/brews-spirits/the-brews/seasonal-brews/romantic-chemistry/index.htm Check out the new seasonal artwork for 2016 from Drew Millward http://www.dogfish.com/community/blogfish/members/janellemiley/introducing-our-2016-seasona...

Imported from Italy, this Lambic saison hybrid is part of the "Le Bizarre" line of craft ales from Birra del Borgo.  The final product is 80% spelt beer mixed with 20% one year aged Lambic from Brasserie Cantillon, a Belgian Brewery that specializes in wild fermented ales.  These spontaneously fermented ales not only use wild yeasts strains, but use specific bacteria located in the Zenne valley near Brussels to create a unique improvisation by nature.  The Lambic tradition could compare to the Miles Davis spirit of jazz fusion compared to the traditional classical spirit of Mozart.   The organized world tends to not endorse such wild free spirits in art, culture or traditional beer fermentation.   The sour tarty tones of the Lambic balance out of the tasting notes of the complex saison for a "no rules" artisanal expression of innovation. 5.3% ABV 8.0/10 Bitches Brew http://birradelborgo.it/en/birre/scheda/15/duchessic https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L...

This organic brew is a stellar offering from the team at Peak in Portland, Maine.  Jon Cadoux has been serving the beer drinking needs of New England for over 20 years now, honoring Peak Experiences in all aspects of life.  In their IPA the citrus tasting notes allow for an intense but also subtle bitterness with a hint of floral nose.  Amarillo and Simcoe are the primary source of hops but Nugget hops are also in the mix.  Peak has a huge effort for sourcing local ingredients and providing a sustainable infrastructure for the expanding craft beer market in the northeast.  Working with partner Elm Hill Farm, Maine has returned to farming fresh hops, which hadn't been part of their agriculture since the 1880's.  Pairs well with all spicy foods and bleu cheeses. 7.2% ABV 76 IBU's 9.0/10 Elm Hill Hops More on sourcing local ingredients and organic farms http://peakbrewing.com/local-ingredients/ http://peakbrewing.com/category/about-us/ ...

How could anything with Sticky Toffee Pudding Ale in the title go astray?   Rich toffee flavor mixed with the decadent famous Great British Pudding gives you a delightful ale from the Wells Family.  Britain continues its worldwide tradition for great ale and great puddings rolled into one.  This is actually a follow up to the very successful Banana Bread Beer launch from a few years ago as one of the most recent additions to their portfolio.  Officially an English Brown Ale with a pretty mild ABV to ease the session experience for the candy like dessert feel.   The gentle hop aromas are from the traditional English Fuggles and Goldings hops.   Charles Wells would be proud! 5% ABV 9.0/10  Union Jacks http://www.charleswellsltd.co.uk https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Wells_Ltd

This limited seasonal release from the Saint Louis Brewery is only available August through October.  They use exotic Polish Marynka hops to go with the blend of grains (Pale, Wheat, Munich, Chocolate, and Crystal) and an American Ale yeast.  This does have heavy pumpkin pie overtones, a bit on the sweet side for some.  Overall this is a solid fall seasonal from America's heartland.  The spices that Schlafly use are a mixture of cinnamon, nutmeg and clove.   The team at Schlafly are celebrating their 25th Anniversary this year.  The taproom in downtown St. Louis resides in a brick building, which is on the National Historic Register and in 1991 it was the first brewpub to open in the state since Prohibition. 8.0% ABV 7.5/10 Mississippi Gourds http://schlafly.com/beers/styles/pumpkin-ale/

This American style pale ale comes from the Quad City area of Western Illinois, right across from the Iowa border.  The Bent River story started back in 1993 in Moline which still is home to their brew pub.   In the 2012 expansion, they opened up the full capacity brewery and tasting room over in Rock Island, just three miles down the road, which allowed them to distribute to three states (Illinois, Iowa, and Wisconsin).   This was a slightly above average full bodied, freshly hopped ale with a nice blend of tasting notes from several varieties of American hops.   Get Bent!   Enjoy the YouTube videos from Bent's own "Brewru" and be sure to ask him about his sword! 5.0% ABV 7.5/10 Mississippi River Paddle Boats https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGyyHugrfIY http://bentriverbrewing.com/AboutUs

Avery Brewing started back in 1993 by home brewer Adam Avery.   The IPA was introduced in 1996 and has been one of their top sellers ever since.  It was the first packaged IPA to be sold in the state of Colorado.  The hop profile is a blend of Columbus, Chinook, Cascade, and Centennial.   The Avery IPA is a proud product of Boulder, Colorado and they use pure Rocky Mountain water in their brewing process.  Their IPA is a strong option coming out of the crowded Colorado craft brewery scene.   6.5% ABV 8.5/10 Rocky IPA's http://averybrewing.com/india-pale-ale/

Dogfish started creating American Beauty in 2013 as an homage to The Grateful Dead.   The recipe began as a fan submitted contest and the winner got to be part of the initial brewing process. For the batch brewed in 2015 Dogfish Head decided to honor the 50th Anniversary of the Grateful Dead with a special label and design.  As of now the American Beauty is not on the schedule for 2016, so enjoy anything you can find out there on the shelves.  The winning fan's "secret" ingredient was organic granola.  The tasting notes of orange blossom honey comes from the granola as well as a slight almond aroma.  The base beer of the Imperial Pale Ale with all American ingredients was hand picked by the band themselves.  The granola used in the original batch came from Eugene, Oregon. 9.5/10 Granola Garcia 9.0% ABV http://www.dogfish.com/brews-spirits/the-brews/occasional-rarities/american-beauty/index.htm

From the experimental minds of Tore Gynther and Tobias Emil Jensen comes the self declared brewing Nomads of Europe.  They are openly against the old school European brewing traditions that have delivered the same stale lagers year after year, especially in their home country of Denmark.  From the Pink Floyd vinyl inspired label designs to their inventive full bodied beer, they are making a serious mark on the craft beer scene.  Bringing fresh intense infused Imperial Stouts to Copenhagen is not a simply task and clearly needs to be done with the freedom to brew surf like true nomads without their own brewery or equipment.  They act as freelance operatives and jump from town to town and use existing brewery operations and infrastructure to concoct their libations.   The Liquid Confidential uses a blend of ancho, guajillo, and chipotle chilies to create a dark and powerful double American style Imperial Stout.  Label design is courtesy of Kasper Ledet. 12....

The craft power of Earth, Wind and Beer comes full force with this fall seasonal offering from Uinta. Officially part of the Organic Line, this Harvest Pumpkin Ale only has 3% organic ingredients this year.   The price of production has sky rocketed in recent years, especially with the organic lines of craft beer.  Wolaver's, one of the premiere forces just folded their operation this past December.  Hopefully Uinta will continue to figure out a way to brew with all organic ingredients again to remain in the fold as a craft beer pioneer.  The Punk'n is a solid entry in the pumpkin beer space.   A nice balance of spicy and sweet tasting notes (honey and vanilla) while a mild hop profile and medium rusty cooper body and color fill it out nicely. 5% ABV 8.0/10 Chunkin Punkins Learn about Uinta's commitment to sustainability and the environment http://www.uintabrewing.com/business_practices.php http://www.uintabrewing.com/brews.php#

Ithaca has teamed up with Whole Foods for an exclusive winter Double IPA.   Full of piney tasting notes from American hops, this is a stellar offering from the New York State brewmasters.  I'm often skeptical of exclusive selections for a gimmick promotion at Whole Foods, but this one breaks through the clutter.   Christmas only comes once a year, however the aroma of pine trees is a essential part of the northeast outdoors all year long.  The beer profile is not listed on the Ithaca website, so the official ingredients (hops, malts, and spices) will remain a little bit of a mystery.  My guess is that the hop profile is a blend of Simcoe, Chinook, or Cascade hops that brings out the piney but slightly citrus tones.   They amp up the ABV to Imperial or Double IPA levels to give you a strong cold brew to survive the winter months.   8.25% ABV 9.5/10 Pine Cones https://www.beermenus.com/breweries/149-ithaca-beer-company

Happy New Year! Here's the best of 2015 to cheers with! Troegs Brewing Co. The Mad Elf Ale http://afordnyc.blogspot.com/2015/01/troegs-brewing-co-mad-elf-ale.html Dogfish Head Kvasir http://afordnyc.blogspot.com/2015/01/dogfish-head-kvasir.html Stillwater Cellar Door http://afordnyc.blogspot.com/2015/02/stillwater-cellar-door.html Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA http://afordnyc.blogspot.com/2015/02/sierra-nevada-torpedo-extra-ipa.html BrewDog Hardcore IPA http://afordnyc.blogspot.com/2015/04/brewdog-hardcore-ipa.html Dogfish Head Bitches Brew http://afordnyc.blogspot.com/2015/05/dogfish-head-bitches-brew.html Bear Republic Racer 5 IPA http://afordnyc.blogspot.com/2015/06/bear-republic-racer-5-ipa.html Stillwater Stateside Saison http://afordnyc.blogspot.com/2015/07/stillwater-stateside-saison.html Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron http://afordnyc.blogspot.com/2015/07/dogfish-head-palo-santo-marron.html Fire Island Beer Co. Sea ...

Sahtea is another entry in the Dogfish Head Ancient Ale series, originally based on a 9th Century Finnish recipe.   The ancient version used rye and juniper berries and was called Sahti.   Sam's new spin on the creation is the addition of black chai tea late in the boil to give it the extra kick of spicy tasting notes.  My bottle was produced back in 2013 and I'm not sure if they have brewed this occasional rarity since.  I managed to find a bottle at Halftime in Westchester County, New York. 9.0% ABV 8.5/10 Chai Teas Sam's Quick Sip http://www.dogfish.com/brews-spirits/the-brews/occassional-rarities/sahtea-0.htm