Saturday, February 25th, 2017

New Beer Saturday: Academy Awards Edition

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There’s no #OscarsSoWhite controversy at this year’s Academy Awards, but there is plenty to talk about. Will La La Land walk away with a record number of Oscars? Will Denzel Washington win his third, and Meryl Streep her fourth? Will Matt Damon’s feud with host Jimmy Kimmel rear its ugly (and hilarious) head? No matter what happens and who wins, you’ll certainly new craft beer and cider to get you through it. Below are the bottles and cans that arrived at Peaks and Pints this week — many new releases, some restock of favorites. Lights! Camera! Drink!

DOGFISH HEAD BEER TO DRINK MUSIC TO 2017 TROPICAL BLONDE

Music has long been part of Dogfish Head’s DNA and they celebrate Record Store Day annually with a special release. Dogfish Head Beer To Drink Music To ’17 is a 6.8% ABV pinkish red, rosey Blonde Ale with a nice splash of kiwi and hibiscus. 12oz, 6.8%

FIRESTONE WALKER BRAVO BROWN

Nearly 12 years since it was first brewed, Firestone Walker Bravo Imperial Brown Ale is finally bottled. One of the driest beers in the Vintage Reserve series, it’s also a crucial component in the annual blending of Firestone Walker’s Anniversary Ale and helps balance out some of the sticky sweet components. 12oz, 13.2%

FISH TALE REEL ALES CHOCOLATE IMPERIAL STOUT

Deep dark roasted coffee/cocoa malt flavors, this Chocolate Imperial Stout has a smooth full-bodied flavor, with a slight cacao dryness and bitterness on the finish. This is a terrific beer to drink through a range of temperatures, because as it warms in the glass, the flavors get more pronounced with increased depth and complexity. 22oz, 12%

HIGH WATER BREWING WEST MEETS EAST

The Chico, California brewery added fresh Kiwi and Kumquats, from the groves of California, to its Golden Ale that was aged in wine barrels for one year. The result is a bright and flavorful juxtaposition of sour and sweet with mystifying spicy and palate refreshing qualities. Ooooooooommmmmmm … 500ml, 6%

LOOWIT BREWING GRIMLOCK RYE PORTER

The addition of rye to the dark malts of chocolate, toffee, coffee and toast goodness transforms this 2016 World Beer Cup silver medalist into a spicy finish winner. 22oz, 5%

NEW HOLLAND BLUE SUNDAY SOUR

This fun, fruit-forward craft beer has a big malt backbone and cherry notes throughout. The low carbonation and high residual sweetness make this easy to drink, while the woody Brett notes and other wild flavors keep things interesting. This tastes well-aged; drink it now. 22oz, 7%

PFRIEM FAMILY BREWERS RYEPA

Beer at its most basic is composed of just four ingredients: barley, hops, yeast and water. Hood River’s pFriem Family Brewers takes pride in creating brews that go beyond such traditional boundaries. And, that’s certainly reflected in its RyePA, a reference to an added element of malted rye. IPAs in general emphasize the bitterness of hops with herbal, citrus and piney character in their aroma and flavor. Rye adds to that its own complexity of spicy and bready qualities. pFriem’s version has the resiny and grapefruit notes from the hops with the added bonus of the spicy rye giving it a little gingerbread kiss. 500ml, 6.4%

PIRATE’S PLANK BONE DRY CIDER

Living up to its name and scrumpy style, this cider actually tastes a bit like drinking a delicious plank of applewood, if one could achieve such a feat without splinters in really unfortunate places. 500ml, 6.9%

SIERRA NEVADA TROPICAL TORPEDO

Sierra Nevada fired up its hop torpedo — a device the brewery designed to dry-hop beer through one or more torpedoes slowly for four days, ensuring that all the desired oils are extracted from the whole hops — and added a little hula. The Chico, California brewery took its Torpedo Extra IPA, named for the device, and added a drop of trop with passionfruit and mango aromas and flavor (we taste pine and grapefruit rind too) with a sexy bitter finish, thanks to Amarillo hops. 12oz, 6.7%

PLUS:

7 Seas Wild Imperial Stout Black Currant

Ace Pineapple Cider

Alaskan Smack of Grapefruit IPA

Alpine Windows Up IPA

Black Raven Coco Jones Coconut Porter

Cockrell Blackberry Cider

Crux Cast Out IPA

Dick’s Grand Cru

Dogfish head Flesh & Blood IPA

Fish Tale Reel Ales Vicious Circle Amber Ale

Fremont Interurban IPA

Fremont Lush IPA

Ghostfish Peak Breaker Double IPA

Lagunitas IPA

Maui Coconut Porter

Mazama Mosaic Eruption

Mazama Rasplendent

Mollusk Red Roses Sour Ale

New Belgium La Folie Sour Brown

pFriem Citrus Zest

pFriem Single Hop Pale Mosaic

Schilling Grapefruit And Chill Cider

Silver City Ridgetop Red

Silver City Whoop Pass IPA

Skookum Amber’s Hot Friend

Snoqualmie Falls Spring Fever Belgian Grand Cru

Wingman Peanut Butter Cup P-51 Porter

… and 600 different craft beers and ciders in our cooler.