New Belgium Brewing Company: Lips of Faith Kick

After such a long day at work, I think it's time to wind down with a new brew that I'm, quite honestly, excited to try. New Belgium's Lips of Faith series has yet to disappoint my taste buds, and I highly doubt this one will be the first. This ale is 75% brewed with pumpkin and cranberry juice, 25% ale aged in wooden barrels. Ranking in at 8.5%, I have high hopes.

It pours a nice golden color with an egg-white colored head. Malty sweet aromas come off the nose with some spices as well. I do get some pumpkin off the nose, but nothing like Shipyard's Smashed Pumpkin. Time to taste...

Oh my! It's a sour! If you enjoy sours, you will love this. On the front of the tongue I get all the tartness I would expect from a sour. The tartness brings out a bitter cranberry flavor with is actually quite balanced and pleasant. As the beer warms, the tart cranberry gives way to the pumpkin as the recognizable flavors seem to switch. The warmer it is, the more pumpkin I taste. I like this a lot. Overall I'm quite pleased with how well balanced this ale is. I didn't expect it to be a sour, but the wooden barrels obviously did their job well. What is so impressive about this beer is that it's 8.5% ABV. Most sours tend to be in the 5-6, maybe 7, range in terms of ABV. Obviously there are many exceptions to this non-intentional grouping of "sours," but something at 8.5% does indeed stand out when you don't taste any alcohol in the beer. Go buy one and enjoy it! It won't be around for long, I can promise you that. Well done, New Belgium.

Hangar 24: Oktoberfest (Celebration)

As I sit here and drink my morning coffee, I have decided to try something a little different. It has been months since I last blogged about new/exciting brews. It is not because I have lost interest or I have stopped analyzing beer; I can promise you that is not the case. I have just slacked off a bit when it comes to anything that channels my strong relationship with academia. However, it is time to return to the world of beer through text. Now, onto something a little bit different.

Last week in the IE, Hangar 24 Craft Brewery celebrated its release of their Oktoberfest, a Marzen-style lager. Last year the release party for the brew was held at the brewery itself. I attended this celebration, and it is insane to think about how much a brewery can grow in one year. While the Oktoberfest in 2010 was packed shoulder to shoulder with almost no shade, it was still relatively easy to get a beer. In fact, they even put on a special cask of the 2010 Oktoberfest with raspberries added, and it was delicious. The pros definitely outweighed the cons.

Transition back to 2011, and let's discuss Hangar 24's 3rd Anniversary celebration. It was still held at the brewery, but this time they rented a huge tent for shade (Redlands is not known for its shade or cool weather to say the least). They had live bands, specialty brews, and enough room for every person to comfortably move around. The celebration seemed to be carried out successfully to a tee. This is what I was expecting for their Oktoberfest release. Yet, I do not manage the books for a brewery so I have absolutely no idea what the difference in costs were between this, and what they did for their Oktoberfest this year.

Now I feel I have provided enough background information to inform you, the reader, of my experience at this year's Oktoberfest. When it comes to situations and events like this, I'm not very picky. Let me just get that out of the way. This year's celebration was held at a park directly across the street from the University of Redlands. A nice strategic move by Hangar 24, and completely understandable on my end. The $5.00 cover was donated to the Optimist Club of Redlands, an organization to help youth (from what I understand). It was relatively comedic, however, that the old men kept calling the brewery "Hangar 21." I don't know why I found it so entertaining, but maybe it was because it brought back my Megadeath days; all I had to do was subtract 3 from 21, and I'd have Hangar 18! With that being said, the celebration was fun in my opinion. While there weren't many activities to fill time besides old, traditional socialization, it was still an entertaining experience while holding a fresh Oktoberfest lager in hand.

 (Oktoberfest lager resting next to glass stein filled with commemorative shirt)

The beer itself is rich and malty, with a little bit of spice to it that I do not remember from last year. This could have been a reaction to something I ate earlier in the day, but I am not entirely sure. The brew then had a slight, or should I say very slight, hoppy finish. Hangar 24 knows how to make a good beer, and this year's Oktoberfest lager is no exception.

(Polka band playing "Just Because")

(Stein holding contest)

 

Now back to the celebration itself, I must obviously give my opinion on my disappointments. While the lack of activities didn't bother me much, the beers available did. I understand it's hard to transport a large number of your beers in the trucks-turned-bars, but the disappointment came when there were only 4 beers available. The beers available were: Orange Wheat, Helles, Alt-Bier, and of course Oktoberfest. None of these beers are bad, that's not my point here. I suppose what I'm trying to say is that one of the pros of having it at the brewery itself is the option to have something different if desired. Or, in fact, have the special cask put on for the festival. At the brewery, there is always the option to have something different. At a park, you only have four choices. That's my only issue with the celebration. The food was good, the polka was great, and the people from Hangar 24 are always really nice and relatable. I will definitely return to the Oktoberfest next year, so I suppose I better start browsing some authentic lederhosen online.