By Steve Siciliano
Longtime readers of The Buzz may have noticed that one of our blog's regular features has a new name. For the past eight years the popular weekly post bore the title of New Beer Friday, an apt moniker in view of the fact that the piece usually ran on that particular day of the week and included a list of the store’s new and returning beers.
Because Siciliano's product lineup has evolved over the years, we felt that a name change for the weekly Friday feature was in order. The list of new and returning beers in the Friday post always followed a short preamble (usually penned by yours truly) that could, and in fact often did, focus on subjects other than beer. The upshot was that subscribers who might be more interested in those other subjects (fine wine, winemaking, premium cigars, spirits, etc.) perhaps weren't reading posts and thus weren't getting the skinny on the other cool things we're doing and the other products we're selling at the store.
We feel that the new name, Siciliano's Market News, will broaden our readership and help keep all of our loyal customers better informed.
Speaking of spirits, we are pleased and excited to announce that we have acquired an entire 30-gallon barrel of bourbon from Eastern Kille distillery. This straight bourbon is double pot distilled then aged for a minimum of two years in new, charred-oak barrels manufactured by GR's own Croze Nest Cooperage.
According to owner Joe Smith, Croze Nest barrels are made from white oak that is hand-selected and aged in Missouri for twelve months. After machining the wood into staves and constructing the barrels, Joe warms them over a fire which allows the grains in the wood to relax. Once the barrels are bent into shape, they are charred to a medium toast resulting in a dark wood surface that has aromas of vanilla, cinnamon and chocolate.
The 750ml bottles of barrel-strength bourbon (123 proof) are labeled with the Siciliano's Market logo and are retailing $47.39 exclusively at Siciliano's.
The following are Siciliano's liquor buyer John Barecki's tasting notes: Toasted oak, light tobacco, crème Brule, light toffee, cherry, vanilla, baking spices, light coffee, chilies, dark chocolate and cola.
New and Returning Beer
Abita Macchiato Espresso, $2.39/12oz - "Abita Macchiato Espresso Milk Stout combines the rich flavor of roasted coffee w/ a full-bodied stout.Pale,caramel,chocolate & roasted malts create a dark color" (source).
Atwater Bavarian Cream VJP, $1.99/12oz - "English Porter brewed with coffee beans and Bavarian Cream" (source).
Austin Brothers Raspberry Vanilla Porter, $1.99/12oz - "Raspberry and dark chocolate aromas hit the nose. The caramel and chocolate malts gives this beer a rich and roasted taste, balanced with vanilla beans" (source).
Big Lake Basecamp, $3.39/16oz - No commercial description.
Boulevard Brand Land, $4.59/12oz - "Brandy Land, a brand new Smokestack Series limited release, is a cinnamon infused, double mashed imperial stout that slumbered 12 to 24 months in casks that held bourbon and apple brandy. Boasting notes of chocolate, espresso, baked apple and spiced wood, Brandy Land’s delectable blend ends with a warm, lingering finish." (source).
Connecticut Valley Magic Dragon, $4.89/16oz - "The Magic Dragon is a 5.5% kettle sour fermented with over 1,400 lbs. of dragon fruit and 600 lbs. of passion fruit! With tastes of kiwi, pear, and watermelon from the dragon fruit, paired with tropical sweet hints of pineapple, papaya, mango, blood orange, and guava from the passion fruit. These unique fruits intermingle and create a complex flavor that makes this Sour pure magic" (source).
Connecticut Valley Raspberry Dream, $4.89/16oz - "Raspberry Dream is a 5.5% kettle sour that takes you a step further down the path of tartness; slightly increasing both the acidity and the quantity of fruit to provide a more puckering, flavorful experience. A bursting raspberry aroma hits you from the first crack of the can, before a pleasant tart flavor greets you on the first sip, bringing with it a balancing berry sweetness. Perfect for day drinking and day dreaming" (source).
Foundation Cran-Orange Jam, $4.69/16oz - "Cran-Orange Jam is a kettle soured ale brewed with lactose and fermented with cranberries and oranges. The wonderful cranberry and orange tartness is balanced with enough sweetness to make it a pleasure to drink" (source).
Foundation Epiphany, $4.69/16oz - "Citrus, tropical fruit and pine blend to provide you with a sublimely juicy hop experience" (source).
Foundation Forge, $4.69/16oz - "Jet black, potent, and brimming with roasted malt and chocolate flavors, Forge is everything a big stout should be. Forge highlights deep chocolate, coffee and malt flavors with round, citrusy hops in the background. Drink now, or cellar for later, we hope you enjoy this bear of a beer" (source).
Foundation/Brewery Vivant Black Forest Magic, $4.89/16oz - "Black Forest Magic is an ode to the perfectly balanced flavors of chocolate, cherry, and vanilla in the classic Black Forest Cake. Brewed in collaboration with Brewery Vivant, cherry juice from their homeland of Michigan is layered with vanilla, over our rich and chocolatey milk stout base, making for a dark and decadent treat" (source).
Founders Frangelic Mountain Brown, $2.89/12oz - "We love a well-balanced brown ale. Especially a brown ale of the hazelnut coffee persuasion. Case in point: Frangelic Mountain Brown. Initially brewed and released in bottles in 2012, this deliciously sweet and nutty coffee brown ale quickly became a favorite amongst beer fans and inspired us to continue pushing the coffee and beer envelope. Turns out your new favorite coffee drink is a beer" (source).
Goose Island So Lo, $1.69/12oz - "So-Lo is a full bodied IPA with big aroma, citrus and herbal aroma notes, and a nice balanced bitterness. If the can didn’t mention it, you’d never think it was a low cal beer but now that the cat’s out of the bag… surprise" (source).
Grand Armory Fluffernutter, $2.69/12oz - "This Handcrafted Milk Stout Is Packed With Flavorful Amounts Of Creamy Peanut Butter And Toasted Marshmallow" (source).
Mikkeller BA Beer Geek Vanilla Shake, $21.99/500ml - No commercial description.
Odd Side Java Mint Chip, $2.39/12oz - "Craving ice cream? This stout will ease your taste buds. It the perfect marriage of mint-chocolate-chip-ice cream and roasted coffee" (source).
Petoskey Robusta Nut Coconut Chocolate Porter, $2.79/16oz - "A heavy dose of cacao nibs gives this English porter a rich, dark chocolate flavor, and roasted coconut adds complexity and balance. A unique, robust and nutty seasonal brew" (source).
Prairie Christmas Bomb, $10.89/12oz - "The Bomb! that we all know and love, with the addition of Christmas spices – cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg" (source).
Railtown Brewed Mooed, $3.49/16oz - Coffee Milk Stout.
Railtown Bueno Mooed, $4.09/16oz - Imperial Mexican Hot Chocolate Milk Stout.
Railtown Good Mooed, $2.99/16oz - Milk Stout.
Railtown No Mooed to Bake, $3.49/16oz - No-Bake Cookie Milk Stout.
Rogue Double Time Cherry Lime, $3.59/16oz - "Double Time Cherry Lime is an imperial Berliner Weisse juiced up with cherry and lime. The sour base sets the perfect stage for the tart and sweet cherry notes to play off the citrus from the lime. Like a song in double time, the notes hit fast yet are orchestrated and balanced within this surprisingly refreshing brew. Both tart and sweet cherries combine for a full cherry flavor balanced by citrus lime and a sour base in this light-bodied beer" (source).
Rogue Dreamland Lager, $2.09/12oz - "This beer was born from a dream. A dream to renovate our hometown skatepark in Newport, Oregon to give our community a safe and clean place to skate. The incredible people at Dreamland Skateparks helped make our dream a reality and with them we want to help others realize their dream. So we brewed Dreamland American Lager, a simple, crisp lager from which a portion of the proceeds will go toward building skateparks around the world. Welcome to Dreamland" (source).
Tapistry Milkabama Tangerine, $3.59/16oz - No commercial description.
Video of the Week | Croze Nest Cooperage
"Raise Your Spirits" with GR-based Croze Nest Cooperage.
Cheers!