The Tasting Panel magazine

April 2017

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42  /  the tasting panel  /  april 2017 Spring Sippers by Emily Coleman Sweetwater Brewing Company 20 Year In celebration of its 20th year, Sweetwater Brewing Company debuted a big IPA in the form of its 20 Year. House brettanomyces adds funk and a touch of tart to the fruity and tropical notes of the beer. Co-founder Freddy Bensch notes that this experimental brew is only the beginning: "With 20 years now under our belts, we have capacity under control, and can give more time to projects we've always aspired to do—like working on higher-end, more time-consuming and complicated beers. Our 20th Anniversary Ale is one example of that." Can't wait to taste what's next! sweetwaterbrew.com restone Walker Brewing Company rtem It's not a very well-kept secret that Firestone Walker Brewing Company's co-founders, brothers-in-law David Walker and Adam Firestone, often spar it out in the name of great beer; in fact, it's why the brewery's logo depicts a lion and bear going at it. Celebrating this unique creative process, the Leo v. Ursus series produces bold creations based on the lessons learned from over 20 years in the beer industry. An unfiltered Double IPA, the first release, Fortem (Latin for "The Strong"), mixes newer hop varieties from the Pacific Northwest and Hallertau, Germany, resulting in tropical and stone fruit notes. Pale malt, wheat malt and flaked oats create a full moth- feel that leads into a slightly dry mouthfeel. Your customers will be duking it out for this release! www.firestonebeer.com Walker Magnolia Brewing Company Kalifornia Kölsch Another brewery hit- ting the 20 year mark, Magnolia Brewing Company—a brewpub located at the corner of Haight Street and Masonic Avenue in the Haight-Ashbury district of San Francisco— launched its first packaged beer with the release of Kalifornia Kölsch and Proving Ground IPA. Due to its cool ale fermentation, the Kölsch features complex grassy, herbal notes with hints of citrus and toasted grain; it ends with a clean, bright finish. These cans are available in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Portland, and their distribution footprint will be expand- ing soon. Lucky you! magnoliabrewing.com Melvin Brewing Drunken Master Double IPA Anyone who loves a good Kung Fu movie knows the importance of Jackie Chan's 1978 film Drunken Master. Anyone who loves a good Double IPA enjoys Melvin Brewing Drunken Master Double IPA, which won the National IPA Championship in 2016. The combination of Citra, Amarillo and Columbus hops endows this brew with layers of pine, apricot, mandarin and citrus, with caramel notes from the malt. At 9% ABV, it certainly lives up to its name. www.melvinbrewing.com Sail Brewery IPApaya A release from Full Sail Brewery's Pub Series— the brewery's line of seasonal beers from its pub in Hood River, Oregon—IPApaya experiments with the tropical notes found in Pacific Northwest hop varieties. On top of pale and wheat malts and Equinox and Cascade hops, the brewery adds papaya, which comes through subtly on the palate. Other tropical fruits, including grapefruit and mango, accompany the caramel malt notes. This brew has done so well with consumers that the brewery extended this seasonal offering through the end of April. fullsailbrewing.com Coedo Shikkoku Black Lager The craft beer scene in Japan has exploded in recent years, and its culture of craftsmanship shows through in the country's brews. Going against the stereotype that the only beer that comes out of Japan is a light lager, Coedo Shikkoku Black Lager derives its name from its oynx-like color. Dark chocolate, espresso, dark fruit and toasted malt balance the hop bitterness. As we start seeing more exports from Asia, one can only hope they follow in the footsteps of this brew. www.craftimports.us Sail Series— River,

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