This week's list of new and returning products follows a few words about a serendipitous hookup with old friends
Preamble by Steve Siciliano
Barb and I were suffering from a bad case of boredom and our usual methods of dealing with pandemic induced ennui—jigsaw puzzles, crossword puzzles, solitaire, soduku, etc.—weren't doing much to assuage it. My wife sat blankly staring at the TV, occasionally emitting loud, deep and prolonged sighs. "How about we go to Greyline for a few beers," I suggested. "We need to get out of the house."
Greyline Brewing has a nice heated outdoor seating area but we decided to plop down at one of the socially distanced inside tables. Halfway through our first beer we were pleasantly surprised to see Mark and Pam Johnson walking through the taproom.
We had met the Johnsons way back in the mid 1990's at the old Founders brewpub on Monroe. Cigar smoking was allowed in the pub back then and Mark and I were among those who contributed to the smoky haze that occasionally hung over the smallish taproom. The aroma emanating from the overworked popcorn machine added to the rather divish ambiance and when you took a trip to the one of the single stall restrooms you crunched over the scattered piles of peanut shells on the floor. Quite different from the current taproom but the vibe was laid back and comfortable and it was one of our favorite places to socialize and have a few beers.
Besides a love of premium cigars Mark and I share a passion for fishing and sports and we talked about both while enjoying a few pints of Nate Walser's excellent brews. Mark is one of the best fishermen I know and Pam is flat out one of the nicest people on the planet. Getting out of the house for a few hours was made even better by a serendipitous hookup with some long time friends.
Featured Wines of the Week
Recanati, Yasmin Red, Israel, $12.49/750ml- A sensational all-occasion red. Extremely versatile, this supple and appealing medium-bodied red exudes generous aromas of succulent red berry fruit. 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot. (Source)
Cortenova, Pinot Grigio, Italy, $9.39/750ml- Fresh and floral bouquet with a hint of pears, apricots and bananas. Fresh and inviting with bright fruit and an easy drinking style with a pleasing hint of almonds in the aftertaste. (Source).
Buy three or more bottles of wine get 10 % off.
"It's our mission at Siciliano's to sell quality wine at affordable prices
Featured Spirits of the Week
Dingle, Irish Gin, $42.09/750ml- Dingle Original Gin is the product of a considerable amount of research, both technical and historical, and experimentation. Our aim was to create a totally unique gin, one which worked within the great tradition of gin distilling but which also came with a degree of innovation.We use, amongst other botanicals, rowan berry from the mountain ash trees, fuchsia, bog myrtle, hawthorn and heather for a taste of the Kerry landscape. It’s a formula unknown elsewhere and is calculated, amongst other things, to create the sense of place and provenance. The spirit is collected at 70% abv and then cut to 42.5% abv using the purest of water which we draw from our own well, 240 feet below the distillery. (Source)
Glendalough, Pot Still Irish Whiskey, $57.89/750ml- This most quintessentially Irish style of whiskey, pot still, is first matured in ex-bourbon casks, then in Irish Oak felled in the mountains around the distillery. While the bourbon cask softens and sweetens the whiskey, the higher levels of flavor in Irish oak complement and balance the classic pot still spices. (Source)
Slane, Triple Casked Irish Whiskey, $31.59/750ml- Slane Irish Whiskey brings grain and malt whiskeys together through the distinctive flavours of three casks.With notes of vanilla, banana, butterscotch, dried stone fruits and subtle baking spice, each sip takes you on a sensory journey, uncovering the subtle layers of this whiskey’s complex character. (Source)
West Cork, Blended Irish Whiskey, $26.29/750ml- A delicate blend of grain (75%) and malt (25%) whiskey matured in bourbon casks, with a slight citrus and cracked pepper aroma. A smooth and balanced whiskey, the taste is one of malt, lingering sweetness, citrus, apple and nutmeg.
Taste: Malt, slight citrus, cracked pepper.
Aroma: Malt, lingering sweetness, citrus, apple and nutmeg. (Source)
Barr an Uisce, Wicklow Rare, Irish Whiskey, $50.49/750ml- “Blend – 80% Grain / 20% Ten year old malt. Matured in first fill Bourbon barrels for 4 years, Finished in Oloroso casks for 6 months. 43% ABV”
Pale gold in color. Aromas of vanilla, honey and baked fruits (confit). Very smooth entry and then expansive with a mouth coating, oily texture. Mid palate shows a nuttiness and warmth with hints of raisin and plum. Long, clean finish with subtle marmalade notes and caramel. The Wicklow Blend is as mysterious as the ancient mountains that this blended Irish Whiskey is named for. (Source)
New and Returning Products
Abomination Wandering into the Fog, $6.29/16oz - Brewed with a heavy wheat and oat malt bill hopped and double dry hopped aggressively with 7+lbs per bbl of Mosaic, Pacific Jade, Citra, Summit and Enigma. (Source)
Anxo District Kosher, $3.59/12oz - 100% PA-Grown Northern Spy Apples fermented with our house yeast in both stainless and large wood casks. The only Kosher For Passover cider in the world that we know of! (Source)
Atwater Whango Mango, $1.99/12oz - Tropical paradise in a bottle. Get your mouth ready for the perfect balance of mango sweetness and refreshing wheat flavor. Clean and crisp on the tongue, fill your vessel with this laid-back sipper and set sail for the Isle of WHANGO. It was brewed to overwhelm but never overpower. Welcome to the jungle, baby. (Source)
Barrel + Beam Cuvee Superoir, $7.59/375ml - Sour - Other
Big Drop Galatic Extra Dark, $1.99/12oz - Forget the notion this is a brew style that has had its day. Instead, think of it as honeycomb covered in chocolate, because that’s exactly what it tastes like: rich, unctuous and an absolutely decadent treat of a brew. (Source)
Big Drop Pine Trail Pale, $1.99/12oz - A delight for the senses, this brew delivers on all levels. Rosy floral aromas are immediate as you pour, with a light and limey citrus bite on the palate and a balanced but obvious bitterness to finish. (Source)
Brewery Vivant Tree Bucket, $4.69/16oz - Our brewers are slinging some serious hops into this Belgian inspired DIPA, which is why we initially named it "Trebuchet", the mediaeval French catapult pictured at right. We ran into a snafu with the name when we discovered another cool brewery in California already had it trademarked.
Belgian candy sugar and the Ardennes yeast strain lend sweetness to this very, very hoppy beer. Tropical fruit-forward Citra hops, among others, give balance to the sweet profile and high ABV. The beer is babied in the fermentation tanks and dry hopped just before packaging. (Source)
Elk Raspberry Lime Gose, $1.99/12oz - Tart, sour ale brewed with coriander and fresh fruit. Cool and refreshing - hello summer. (Source)
Evil Twin Blueberry Donut Even More Jesus, $7.59/16oz - Imperial Stout w/ Donut & Blueberry Flavor
Evil Twin Pink Pineapple, $3.59/16oz - A 7%, tart, slightly sweet, very refreshing sour IPA, with pineapple of course. (Source)
Fair State Main Boss, $5.49/16oz - Pastry stout collaboration with Pulpit Rock (IA) with Coconut, Vanilla Beans, Molasses, Almond, and Bitter Orange. Inspired by rum drinks, and infused with our own take on Orgeat (almond/citrus) syrup. Massive, thick, sweet, and rich. All the things. (Source)
Fair State Too Far, $5.49/16oz - Extra thick Blackberry/Plum/Lactose/Marshmallow fruited sour collaboration with Drekker. (Source)
Great Lakes Crushworthy, $1.99/12oz - Do you believe in love at first sip? With a lightly filtered body and a sweet kiss of orange, it's more than a crush. It's your new main squeeze. 105 calories. (Source)
Griffen Claw Psyche 16, $3.99/16oz - Double New England Style IPA brewed and dry hopped with Sabro, Strata, and Galaxy hops. It hits the palate hard with juicy rich tropical berry notes and a super solid mouthfeel. (Source)
Hoof Hearted Tail Pipin', $4.69/16oz - IPA brewed with Pilsner Malts and Hopped with Citra and Sirachi Ace. (Source)
Hopewell 24:37 Red IPA, $4.39/16oz - 24:37 is a Red IPA that’s as complex as the day on Mars is long. A sturdy base of dark malts lays the foundation for herbaceous Sorachi Ace hops, combining for a luscious, deep IPA that carries a complex flavor array of baked bread, caramel, lemongrass and pine. (Source)
Hopewell Alpi, $2.99/16oz - Alpi is an Italian-style Pilsner with an aromatic hop profile and a crisp, lean body. Floral and spicy with a touch of cracker malt for balance. (Source)
Hopewell Clover Club, $3.29/16oz - Clover Club is a Sour Ale brewed with raspberry and a blend of five botanicals. Fruity, citrusy and herbaceous with a spritzy tartness, reminiscent of the pre-Prohibition cocktail of the same name. Brewed in collaboration with The Whistler and Letherbee Distillers. (Source)
Hopewell First Pils, $2.99/16oz - First Pils is the first beer ever brewed by Hopewell and, fittingly, the one we reach for most often. A Pilsner-style Lager with a bready malt profile and a snappy noble hop finish. Tastes great anytime—but best with friends. (Source)
Hopewell Neon: Cherry Lime, $22.79/750ml - Mixed-culture Sour Ale fermented on fresh Montmorency cherries from Michigan, then finished on fresh lime leaf before bottling. (Source)
Hopewell Next Round, $3.29/16oz - Next Round is an Irish-style Stout with a classically dry and roasty flavor profile. Malt-forward and easy-drinking with notes of fresh coffee, bitter chocolate and toasted bread. (Source)
Hopewell Off Black Pils, $3.29/16oz - Off Black is a Black Pils at the intersection of the bold & the easy-going. Dark roasted malts play front & center, but firm noble hopping & modest alcohol reel it back to its crisp, refreshing endpoint. (Source)
Hopwell Light Beam, $4.19/16oz - Lightbeam is a Hazy IPA that radiates the full spectrum of modern hop eccentricities. An initial burst swells with the essence of ripe mango, papaya and apricot, while reverberant threads of green grass and prickly pine tether its final form. Here's to a bright spot. (Source)
Lone Pine Choco Tuesday, $4.89/16oz - Imperial stout with chocolate, vanilla, waffle cones, lactose, and peanuts. (Source)
Lone Pine Holy Donut, $5.49/16oz - We partnered with our friends at The Holy Donut to produce a beer using over 300 of their Dark Chocolate Toasted Coconut donuts to brew this decadent imperial stout. (Source)
Lone Pine Oh-J, $4.39/16oz - A carefully selected arrangement of late-addition hops produce a pure citrus punch. 0% fruit. Fresh, never frozen. Not from concentrate. (Source)
Marlowe Eager to Share, $4.39/16oz - Pale ale brewed with Citra and Mosaic hops
Mast Landing All the Way Up, $4.69/16oz - Sour - Fruited
Mast Landing Islands, $4.69/16oz - A clean and bright IPA to mentally transport you off-shore. Brewed with Azacca, Centennial, and Simcoe hops for a refreshing, tropical flavor profile. (Source)
Midland Arbuckle Cold Brew Coffee Stout, $3.79/16oz - Lactose and cold-brew coffee from Creation Coffee Co. make this a creamy and rich offering. (Source)
New Holland Watermelon Spritz, $1.99/12oz - One part seltzer, one part sparkling ale, and one part watermelon. Combined, it makes one effervescent, crisp, and refreshing beverage! Start your spring off right with the beautiful flavors of our Watermelon Spritz. (Source)
One Well Only Gose to Show, $2.99/16oz - Refreshing gose. Mild salt in the front. Large lime flavor throughout with a nice mild tart finish. (Source)
One Well Ripped Right, $2.99/16oz - Our first of the ‘Ripped’ series or New England IPAs. It is going to have hoppy citrusy flavor and immediately hits you with citrus aroma. Made with Citra and Mosaic hops. (Source)
One Well State of Bean, $2.99/16oz - A blonde ale brewed with “Soul of the South” (Butter Pecan coffee) from Kalamazoo Coffee Company. (Source)
One Well Whoppy, $2.99/16oz - The Whoppy Hoppy is a hoppy wheat ale with a golden orange color and a mouthful of flavor. This light-bodied brew is crisp and delivers wonderful hints of passion fruit and grapefruit that come from the natural tropical flavors of the Citra hops used in brewing. (Source)
One Well Xalapa, $2.99/16oz - Blonde ale brewed with no-spice jalapeños that provide all of the nose and flavor of a jalapeño, but without any heat. (Source)
Public Access Grandeza, $5.99/16oz - Gose style with pineapple + dragonfruit. (Source)
Shorts Peachy Yum Yum, $2.59/12oz - American sour ale with peach and pomegranate. (Source)
Speciation Allopatic, $13.99/375ml - Barrel Aged Wild Ale with MI Red Grapes. (Source)
Speciation Blackberry Incipient, $9.39/16oz - Our Golden Sour beer brewed with pilsner malt, oats, & wheat. Fermented with wild and lab cultures, and open fermented for ultimate yeast expression and to capture additional wild cultures. We then added 5 gallons of Blackberry Concentrate to 9 bbls of beer for a balanced fruit character. (Source)
Stone Dayfall, $2.19/12oz - Belgian white-style wheat ale brewed with coriander and orange. (Source)
Stone Viking Space Probe, $3.19/12oz - In the spirit of all the exploratory missions deployed across the galaxy — be they spacecraft, Viking or other — we’re constantly probing the world of beer back here on Earth. That quest has brought us to this latest creation, which comes from our brewing team at Stone Brewing – Napa. With a subtle haze reminiscent of some far-off nebula, and further complimented with the juicy flavors of Ella and Citra hops, this beer is most definitely out of this world. Crafted to be enjoyed on Earth, but if intelligent life does exist out there, we’re pretty sure they’ll like it too. (Source)
Territorial Penetrator, $3.49/12oz - Strong, dark, malty lager. This "liquid bread" sustained German monks during periods of fasting. The ingredients include a mountain of grain, hard work, patience and love on the part of the brewers. (Source)
Transient Dark Lagger, $3.29/16oz - German Style Dark Lager
Transient Mellow AF, $4.89/16oz - Mellow AF - continues with the experimental dipa theme of combining one hop we know and love (in this case Mosaic) with a new hop that we have never tried before, but are very excited to try (Southern Passion). The two combine for a big hit of passion fruit and guava, followed by citrus and mango. This may be our first foray into these new South Africa hops, but with how well this turned out, we will be using them a lot more! (Source)
Stay safe. Please wear a face covering in indoor public spaces. Spread kindness not germs!