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Owen Ogletree's
Monthly Brewtopia Brewsletter
January 10, 2024
Owen is founder/editor of Brewtopia.info, columnist for Southern Brew News and Beer Connoisseur Magazine, lecturer at Knoxville's Brewing & Distilling Center, founder of the Atlanta Cask Ale Tasting, a BJCP National Beer Judge, and judge for Great American Beer Festival and World Beer Cup.
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Follow our craft beer adventures...
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- Exciting Beer List for Atlanta Cask Ale Tasting Just Released!
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Here's the exclusive, jaw-dropping list of amazing craft beers for our 18th annual ATLANTA CASK ALE TASTING coming up on Saturday, January 20 at Bold Monk Brewing. Go ahead and get a ticket - your taste buds will love you!
- Arches I’m Not Bitter, You’re Bitter ESB. This 5.1% ABV ale comes across as a well-balanced, sessionable, traditional English-style bitter. Look for earthy, herbal English hops balanced with light bread and cracker notes from domestic and English malts.
- Athentic Brewing Company Cask-Hopped Wide Open IPA. Athentic pulled a fresh cask of Wide Open IPA near the end of fermentation and cask-hopped it with Simcoe, Rakau, Denali and X10416 hops to complement the X1019 and Citra hops of the base beer. The result is a perfect marriage of piney and citrusy fruit notes with a touch of dankness and a smooth, satisfying finish.
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 Bagby Beer Company Three Beagles. This mouth-watering English-style brown ale from one of California's best breweries weighs in at 5.3% ABV and delivers elegant dark malt flavors and aromas with just enough hops for balance. Quite easy-drinking and not sweet or cloying, it's just enjoyable.
- Beacon Brewing Weiss Guys Dunkel Weizenbock is a 7.5% ABV German-style strong dark wheat beer that offers a complex bouquet of esters and phenols from the German weizen yeast, coupled with a bready malt backbone from copious amounts of locally malted wheat and German Munich malt. Notes of freshly baked banana bread, dark fruit, and a hint of caramel also come through.
- Blackbird Farms Customer Entitlement is an American Pale Ale with appealing aroma, flavor, and bitterness from additions of Citra and East Kent Golding hops. 6% ABV.
- Bluejacket Company Porter (East India Porter) is our interpretation of the 1858 Whitbread Contract Porter brewed in collaboration with beer historian Ron Pattinson. Company Porter is heavily hopped with East Kent Goldings to punctuate malt-driven coffee, bread crust, and cocoa flavors with notes of tea, citrus, herbs, grass, and lavender. This remarkable 6.2% ABV dark brew finishes earthy and dry, with a pleasant lingering bitterness.
 Bold Monk Prophets of Hope is a 12.7% ABV bourbon barrel-aged barleywine brewed with select English malts, fermented in stainless steel, and aged in Prichard’s bourbon barrels for eight months. It boasts a full, malty body that's supported by a firm addition of hops for balance. The ale pours with a deep reddish brown hue and a light brown head. With intense notes of malt, charred oak, bourbon, hints of cherries and dark fruit, this beer will hold up to time’s test. Cherry Street / Lincoln Fill Station Maui Delight is an 8% ABV imperial porter that was aged in a Buffalo Trace bourbon barrel. This cask contains additions of toasted coconut, macadamia nuts, grilled pineapple, and Kona coffee. One sip and you'll be transported to winter break in Hawaii! (Our annual cask collaboration with our friends at Lincoln Fill Station in Snellville.) - Cherry Street Berries of the Sword Baltic Porter is our 9% ABV big and bold Baltic porter (Brothers of the Sword) infused with a blackberry, blueberry, and raspberry reduction. Roasty chocolate notes mingle with sweet, rich fruits for an indulgent cask experience.
- Close at Hand Brewing Flex & Pretend Saison is a dry, rustic farmhouse ale built with pilsner malt, a substantial dose of spelt and rye, and paired with a lovely blend of turmeric, ginger, and lemon peel. It offers a warm, invigorating aroma with bright, earthy, citrus and clove notes on the palate with a punch of ginger. Decidedly versatile, it’s a beverage just as at home in the heat of summer as around the family table during the holidays. (A collaboration with Normaltown Brewing.)
- Cøntrast Artisan Ales Double Chocolate Big Poppa Imperial Stout. Big Poppa, the base beer of our beloved Hypnotize Biggie Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout, was cask-conditioned on delicious Costa Rican cacao to create a decadent layering of deep chocolate flavors. Layers and layers and layers, oh my! 10.1% ABV.
- Creature Comforts Winter Trees Cold Red IPA. Innovation and nostalgia abound in this 7.1% ABV beer. We believe this to be the first Cold Red IPA, meaning it is brewed with rice and corn, fermented with lager yeast, and possesses a strong malty backbone complemented by piney hops and toasty malts.
- Cultivation Brewery Simple Habits. This 8.5% ABV Belgian-style imperial IPA was generously dry-hopped with Nelson Sauvin hops. It offers a balance of fruity notes and herbal spices from the Belgian yeast, rounded out by the light honey sweetness of the malt. The aroma is a complex mix of white wine and gooseberry from the New Zealand hops.
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 Elsewhere Brewing Blank Czech comes from a collaboration with brewer friends Piece Brewery from Chicago and Five Wits Brewery in Chattanooga. Staropramen yeast, pilsner malt, Carared malt and Saaz hops make for a light and drinkable Czech-style amber lager. This cask contains a hop plug of Mt. Hood for a nice resinous finish. ABV: 4.7%, IBUs: 20.
- Eventide Brewing Cinnamon Bun Kattegat Baltic Porter was conditioned with cinnamon, brown sugar, and vanilla beans. The 7.0% ABV dark beer offers a creamy medium/full body with an outstanding flavor profile from the dark malts and adjuncts.
- Gate City Brewing Company Fuego Lager provides a spicy twist to our popular 4.3% ABV Gate City house lager. We dosed this cask with a special blend of peppers for a mild, firey kick.
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 Good Word Brewing Digital Comforts is a classic English-style Best Bitter coming in at a sessionable 3.8% ABV. For such a light alcohol content, this elegant pub ale packs layers of subtle UK malt and hop character.
- Highland Brewing Nutz & Voltz is a harmonious blend of rich flavors, featuring the tropical essence of coconut seamlessly intertwined with the robust notes of freshly brewed coffee. The infusion of vanilla adds a velvety smoothness, creating a luscious and indulgent experience that transcends traditional beer boundaries. With every sip, the coconut and coffee dance on the palate, elevated by the subtle sweetness of vanilla, delivering a uniquely delightful brew that captures the essence of a tropical morning in a glass.
- Hop Atomica Bronze Goddess. A classic doppelbock, this adjunct-free 8% ABV malt bomb was brewed with Munich and Pilsen malts and kissed with Magnum hops. Expect aromas of carob, caramel, chocolate, and a touch of plums and dark stone fruit. It is oh-so malty with sweet, yet well-attenuated, flavors of dates, toffee, and Raisinettes. That's some good bread!"
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 Hopstix Yasuke is our take on an international dark lager. We started with a foundation of Continental pilsner malt and roasted Chinese sweet black rice. A healthy amount of Spalter Select hops combined with the malts to form a clean and crisp 5% ABV dark lager with sweet toasted rice and coffee nuances.
- Jekyll Brewing Southern Juice IPA. Our 6.3% ABV Southern Juice IPA ranks as one of our year-round offerings that boasts a nice citrus and piney dank aroma from Citra and Simcoe hops. This cask received our usual dry-hop treatment and was then conditioned on fresh sumo mandarin oranges and a hefty dose of additional Citra hops.
- Khonso Brewing No Scrubs. This Wheatwine does not have time for those sitting on the passenger side of their best friend's ride. No Scrubs is made with 75% wheat malt, along with some traditional malts for a subtle sweetness. Pecan extract provides a subtle nuttiness, and Liberty and Paradigm hops contribute hints of hoppy spice. With an ABV of 9%, No Scrubs is the next crossover hit.
- Liquid Nation Second To None E.S.B (Extra Special Bitter). This 5.0% ABV traditional English strong bitter performs a nice balancing act between hop bitterness and malt toast taste, with caramel sweetness coming through mid-palate, before drying to a clean and pleasing hoppy finish.
- Lost Druid Shrewd Speculation Wheatwine. Deep gold, tilting to light amber in color, this 10% ABV heavily wheated ale presents an aroma of complex fruitiness dominated by golden raisins and white grapes. The same fruits, along with a touch of apricot, hit the front of the palate with sweet effervescent vigor, followed by subtle caramel and honey notes in the middle. The beer finishes slightly drier, with a wisp of tartness and moderate alcohol.
- Magnanimous Brewing Kral Czech Pilsner is a 5% ABV Bohemian Pilsner offering refreshing, yet complex, notes of pilsner malt, lightly toasted bread, and beautiful hop character arising from generous additions of floral/spicy Czech hops.
- MAZURT Rum Barrel-Aged Unfocused Reflections of Matter: Elders Edition. As the Elders were hiking to Machu Picchu drinking the local hot cocoa, they were surprised by the rock star on the trail. In the confusion, the rock star spilled his drink into the hot cocoa. Coffee and rum tasted great with the cocoa! This Imperial Stout was aged in Independent Distilling rum barrels, and then rested on Machu Picchu cacao nibs and Kenyan coffee beans. (A collaboration with Bold Monk.)
- Monday Night Choculus Pecan Pie is a 10% ABV Imperial Stout rested on cocoa nibs, vanilla beans, and locally sourced Georgia pecans. The resulting flavor is delicious, slightly roasted, and nutty. This ale is served still to amplify the decadent stickiness of this delightful stout.
- Monkey Wrench Brewing Pipe Wrench Stout. This easy-drinking 6.3% ABV dark ale includes Maris Otter and chocolate malts plus flaked and roasted barley, which bring out espresso, toffee, and rich chocolate flavors. Oak chips soaked in bourbon for four weeks were added to impart woody and vanilla notes.
- Moon River Captain's Porter is our 6% ABV porter with special additions of cocoa, cinnamon, cayenne, and vanilla beans that enhance the already rich, full-bodied brew that is our porter. Think "Mexican hot chocolate."
 New Realm 1800’s XXX English Mild. Inspired by recipes from Ron Pattinson’s book The Homebrewer’s Guide to Vintage Beer, this recipe is a historical nod to the mild ales from England in the 1800s. This cask was brewed with English Mild Ale malt and Maris Otter malt, fermented with London Ale yeast, and weighs in at 10% ABV.- NoFo Brew Co. Dapper Don's Pecan Porter rested for three months in a NOFO Apple Brandy barrel. Expect notes of figs, brown sugar, caramel/toffee, vanilla, and oak. 6% ABV and 18 IBUs.
- Normaltown The Mild Midwinter is a 3.8% ABV UK-style dark mild ale brewed with classic British base malt, crystal, brown, and a touch of chocolate rye malt for an intriguing twist on a classic, elegant style of ale.
- Red Hare Streaking Through the Quad is a 10% ABV Belgian-style quad aged in a Red Hare Rum Barrel. Look for strong caramel and prune flavors followed by notes of oak and a smooth rum finish. Be careful, or you might actually end up streaking through the quad.
- Round Trip Brewing Krüsch on Nelson. Instant Krüsch, a New Zealand hopped Kolsch, is a collaborative effort between Round Trip and Victory Brands. For ACAT, we took freshly fermented Instant Krusch and added an elevated level of Nelson Sauvin hops to the cask that was conditioned with a small dose of freshly fermenting IPA.
- Schoolhouse Brewing 70's Bushel is an 8% ABV double IPA that starts with a prominent hop aroma. This big brew delivers flavors of citrus, tropical fruit, and melon, along with piney resin notes. Brewed with West Coast yeast and hopped with heaps of Mosaic, Simcoe, Citra, Centennial, Chinook, and Sabro.
- Service Brewing Company The Big Churro is a bourbon barrel-aged blonde pastry stout brewed with cinnamon, vanilla and cacao and then aged for eight months in Barton 1792 and Wild Turkey barrels. A boozy dessert beer with bold doughy notes of cinnamon sugar with a smooth blend of vanilla and bourbon.
- Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. This is the legendary beer that created the American Pale Ale style in the 1980s and started America's love affair with hops. This elegant ale offers a light caramel nuance, mild fruity esters, and beautiful grapefruit notes in the aroma, flavor and bitterness - thanks to generous additions of Cascade hops.
- Six Bridges Brewing's Time Out of Mind is a 10% ABV barleywine made with Crisp Heritage #19 Maris Otter malt and finished on oak from Six Bridges' own house rum. The beer name comes from a groovin' Steely Dan song. Take some time out of mind while enjoying this flavorful barleywine.
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 Social Fox Brewing Oot Yer Face Wee Heavy. This 8.2% ABV strong Scottish ale was brewed using traditional methods. The dark brown (almost black) ale offers a rich caramel flavor with notes of semi-sweet chocolate, roasted hazelnuts, and cold brew coffee.
- Southern Brewing Smooth Operator comes in as a potent 9.5% ABV imperial stout with impressive mouthfeel and dark malt complexity. Peanut butter and raspberries were added to this exclusive ACAT cask for additional layers of flavor.
- STATS Brewpub Albatross IPA is a West Coast-style IPA with mango and serrano peppers added to this exclusive cask. Expect a firm malt backbone, complemented by generous hops and a pleasant fruit/capsaicin note. 6.7% ABV.
- Steady Hand Puffy Monkey Milk Stout is a 6.5% ABV milk stout base brewed for our seasonal release, Puffy Jacket. Puffy Monkey is a traditional milk stout aged on Bananas Foster coffee.
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 StillFire Brewing Suwanee Claus Imperial Doppelbock is a 12.1% ABV special beer brewed only once a year on December 6. It's lagered for the entire year until the next batch to replace it is again brewed on St Nicholas Day. Extremely complex, it comes across as malty, yet smooth and drinkable due to the extended aging. Enjoy a little late Christmas cheer!
- SweetWater Brewing 3rd Time is a Charm is a delicious and surprisingly easy-drinking 10% ABV dry stout with dark chocolate, roasty flavors, and a hint of coffee. This delicious brew marinated in a barrel that previously aged whiskey. Prior to this, the barrel contained port wine. Expect complex flavors of berries, caramel, almond, vanilla and green peppercorn.
- Terrapin Double Secret “Hazy” Probation is a 9% ABV imperial hazy IPA that was hopped generously with Amarillo in the boil, then double dry-hopped with Sequoia, Setiva and Zamba hops for a big, juicy flavor and aroma that will definitely keep you off the Dean’s List.
- Three Taverns Old Bones. Inspired by our passion for classic English pub-style beers, we took the concept of an English Old Ale and brought the ABV down to a sessionable 5.0%. Old Bones is a delightfully simple, yet subtly complex beer, brewed with a blend of floor-malted Maris Otter malt, medium English crystal malt, black malt, and a touch of flaked wheat. Notes of toffee, freshly baked biscuits, black cherry, and molasses come through, along with stone fruit esters from the English yeast.
- Torched Hop Anthem of the Angels Coconut Porter. This 6.2% ABV Robust Porter was aged on toasted coconut flakes post fermentation. Additional coconut was added to the cask. Notes of coconut and dark chocolate leap from the glass.
- Twain's Break the Wheel English Dark Ale is a 4.9% ABV nod to classic British brown ale. While all the hype may lie in lagers and IPAs these days, this nutty, chocolatey, and toasty dark ale is really what the beer drinking soul needs on a cold winter's day. Ingredients: English Maris Otter, crystal malt, chocolate malt, UK Fuggle and East Kent Golding hops, and expressive English yeast. It's adjunct-free, just as it oughta be.
- Variant International Taste Station. This special version of our 10% ABV Imperial Stout was conditioned in the cask on toasted coconut, vanilla, cacao nibs, maple, and coffee for outstanding layers of complexity.
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 Wild Heaven Big Baby Cakes. Big Baby Cakes is a Bulleit barrel-aged Russian Imperial Stout filled with the flavors of a classic Mardi Gras king cake. Milk chocolate and espresso pair with sweet cinnamon and creamy vanilla with bourbon oak undertones. No plastic baby included.
- Wrecking Bar Brewpub's Me Want Oatmeal Cookie Porter. This is our malty English brown porter aged on cognac and rum-soaked golden raisins, cinnamon and vanilla.
Atlanta Cask Ale Tasting Partners:
- Bold Monk Brewing
- Lincoln Fill Station
- Atlanta Humane Society
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- Modern Hops Brings New Beers to Atlanta
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 Georgia craft beer distributor Modern Hops announces exciting craft beers hitting Atlanta-area retail stores, restaurants and bars right about now:
Tripping Animals in Miami:
Daytripping, Tripping Animals (8.5% New England IPA) is a double dry hopped oat cream Double IPA. This hazy collab with Other Half was hopped with Riwaka, Motueka, and Nectaron. [Untappd 4.15]
Shegar, Tripping Animals (5% Stout) is Tripping Animals' first ever Irish stout. It's classic and true to the style.
Stay Bullish, Tripping Animals (13.5% Stout) is an imperial stout conditioned on coffee, Madagascar vanilla, and cacao nibs. [UnTappd 4.14]
Super Connected, Tripping Animals (10% New England IPA) is a hazy Triple IPA collab with Fidens. It has super notes of citrusy pine for a truly all encompassing drinking experience. [Untappd 4.25]
Two Tides Brewing in Savannah:
Citra And... Riwaka, Two Tides (7% New England IPA) is another hazy IPA from this favorite Two Tides' series. It has huge impressions of peach rings, fresh zested orange, and that southern hemi white wine twang. [UnTappd 4.1]
Sixfoot, Two Tides (6.5% New England IPA) is brewed with Citra, Mosaic, and El Dorado hops. It's lush with tropical and stone fruit flavors and aromas.
Vapour, Two Tides (7% New England IPA) is a hazy IPA with Cashmere-Cryo, Citra-Cryo, Galaxy, and Mosaic hops. It's smooth and juicy, all day. [UnTappd 4.14]
Little Cottage in Avondale Estates:
High Density, Little Cottage (6% Fruited Sour) is an easy drinking sour ale with tangerines and apricots.
Dark Star Seeker, Little Cottage (5% Munich Dunkel) is a malty, smooth, toasty, and grain-forward Munich Dunkel. [UnTappd 4.06]
NoFo Brew Co. in Cumming:
Snow Ghost, NoFo Brew Co (7.5% New England IPA) is an ultra full-bodied, hazy IPA with a pillowy mouthfeel. It is loaded with intense aromatics of tropical citrus, grapefruit, and hops balanced with a juicy sweetness and mild bitterness.
Schoolhouse Beer in Marietta:
Thirst Responder, Schoolhouse (5% American Lager) is a rescue for parched palates everywhere and is ready and waiting to answer the call for flavorful satisfaction anytime. [UnTappd 4.17]
Astro Kitty, Schoolhouse (7% New England IPA)) is a hopped-up beast of a brew that cleverly blends flavors of tangerine, papaya, peach, and pineapple, all in a playful and hazy IPA.
Modern Hops is a valued sponsor of this Brewsletter.
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- 01/20/2024 ATLANTA CASK ALE TASTING. Mark your calendars for one of Atlanta's favorite craft beer fests that's returning again to the wonderful Bold Monk Brewing. Tickets on sale now!
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- Follow Owen Ogletree and Brewtopia Events on Social Media
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UP NEXT...
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Owen Ogletree and Jim Smith explore new breweries and pubs in the Netherlands!
Photo courtesy of Discover Dutch Cities
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