New Brew

Here's a listing of the new brews that we expect to be delivered this week:

Troegs Sunshine Pils

The sun's role dominates the Hop Cycle as vines grow before the human eye and budding hop cones reach maturity beneath the sun's rays. Sunshine Pils combines the refreshing snap of a Euro-style Pilsner with an assertive hop character. Crisp. Hoppy. Pilsner. As a summer beer, it is a fine complement with all types of salads. It also pairs well with shellfish and mild fish filets. 4.5% ABV, 45 IBU's.

Terrapin Beer Co.

A trio of releases from Athens, GA. First up is Maggie's Peach Farmhouse Ale.

This refreshing summer offering  has all the flavor and aroma of freshly picked peaches (to the tune of 1,000 pounds per 100 barrel batch!) combined with the complexity of a well executed farmhouse ale.  You may remember Maggie’s older sister, Side Project Volume 7, one of Spike’s first first forays into  farmhouse ales. This newest version is just as lovely, should age just as well and has the uniquely GA flavor of fresh summer peaches!

Pair Maggie's with a perfect Georgia farm-fresh lunch; a fried green tomato sandwich with garlic aioli on freshly-baked bread and a spicy arugula salad. 5.3% ABV, 22 IBU's.

We're also expecting a delivery of Terrapin Moonray, Side Project Volume 22. Terrapin's rendition of this traditional Weizenbock style is clearly a hoax, as they added cocoa nibs and orange peel for a greater depth of flavor.  With its big malt presence and hint of banana from the yeast, this beer may just make you howl at the moon. 8.3% ABV, 20 IBU's.

Finally, we're also expecting Terrapin's Hi-5 IPA.

Like a memorable adventure along U.S. Route 101, “Hi-5″ California Style IPA leads you down a road of pure adrenaline and beauty. Capturing the majestic flavor of citrusy hops that roll off your tongue like a white cap on an ocean wave, this scenic wonder will keep you in awe, sip after sip. 5.9% ABV.

The Cider segment has been booming, and we're bringing in a couple of offerings from Farnum Hill. First up is Dooryard 1403.

‘Dooryard’ is an old/new idea, typical of this place. Many cider orchards abroad do big business at the farm, where locals refill their empties with whatever the cider-maker taps that day.

Dooryard 1403: Gently sparkling in bottles, prickly in kegs.  Barely off-dry, its bright fruity aromas and flavors weave around nice tannic astringency.  Peach, dried fruits and cream follow from the nose into the flavor, joined by pineapple, citrus, and woody suggestions.  These all carry into the finish, fading toward dried fruits and black tea.

DY 1403 came together beautifully from assorted crop elements.  Juice from three late-season bittersweet varieties, Dabinett, Chisel Jersey, and Yarlington Mill, set its tannic foundation.  Esopus Spitzenberg’s bright acidity and fruitiness supply most of its sharpness, perfume and high fruit. Dashes of Ashmead’s Kernel and Wickson bring in more intricate aromas and flavors with their keen signature acids.

Farnum Hill Summer Cider is golden and gently sparkling, blended to remind people in the States that good ciders make ideal summer “wines,” something the wider world never forgot. So in this one look for prominent fruit and keen acid, soft-pedaling the tannic, earthy notes common to the other FHC blends. In Summer Cider the fruits are rich, the citrusy notes are strong, with gentle sweetness in the background. It’s a bit like whiskey sours, without the alcoholic whack. Summer Cider’s alcohol by volume is FHC's usual, around 7.5%.  Available beginning in May, while it lasts — more goes out each year and sometimes they miscalculate. (Some people put cases down in their cellar in order to drink Summer all winter.)

Kloster Andechs Brewery

How about an import to round our Monday? Andechser Bollbier Hell is also due in.

A product of traditional multiple mashing, Andechser Vollbier Hell presents a bright straw yellow and clear gleaming look that cannot fail to fascinate.

Its head is firm and fine pored. Its aroma is pure and fresh from the cellar, with soft malty accents imbued with floral hoppiness.

Its light and soft body leaves a pleasant, tangy taste in the mouth. The mild sweetness marries well with the velvety bitterness of the hops. It concludes on a rounded, harmonious note.

Andechser Vollbier Hell is therefore a classical Bavarian Vollbier (11.5% original extract and 4.8% alcohol by volume).

Also due in, without additional notes, are the Breckenridge Summer Sampler and Stone Smoked Porter Chapter 22.