We had one cancellation, so there is a single ticket left for our WhichCraft Road Trip on Saturday, Nov 15th down to New Braunfels & Wurstfest. Click here to purchase!
Interested in volunteering at Firkin Fest at Flix Brewhouse on Sunday, November 9th? We at WhichCraft are in charge of rounding up volunteers for this awesome & unique event. Check here for event details and to sign up to volunteer. It’s going to be a great event, and volunteering will save you $35 as well as get you a free lunch, firkin pours & a t-shirt. Join us, it’ll be a firkin good time! Wanna buy a ticket without volunteering? See here.
We’re a co-sponsor of Austin Beer Week which is taking place 10/24 – 11/2. Help celebrate the outstanding Austin beer community by coming to one of our tasting events. See below for details.
Upcoming Events, 6-8pm
Thursday, October 23rd
We’re ridiculously excited to host Jeffrey Stuffings, founder & owner of Jester King, who will be signing bottles and sampling out a few things. It’s Austin Beer Week-eve and we’re kicking off the 10 day event of awesomeness the right way. We’ll be tasting all sorts of awesome JK stuff (free samples only, none for sale). We’ll also be releasing a case each of Noble King, Orange/Grapefruit Provenance, Das Wunderkind, le Petit Prince, El Cedro & Wytchmaker. We definitely encourage you to bring in your own bottles for Jeff to sign as well. Don’t miss this one.
Tuesday, October 28th
Justin Malone from Sixpoint Brewing will be in for a free tasting event at your favorite bottle shop 6-8pm on Tuesday 10/28. We’ll taste the lineup of slim cans from Sixpoint, including the brand new wet hopped Sensi Harvest pale ale in addition to Sweet Action, Bengali & Resin. Who knows, Justin may have a special surprise or two for us as well!
Wednesday, October 29th
Grapevine Brewing is fresh off a gold medal at GABF for their English Brown Ale called Sir Williams. Erik Jensen from the brewery will be pouring samples of that in addition to their other beers we have in stock. Don’t miss tasting a gold medal winner for free!
Thursday, October 30th
Save the World continues to release stellar true-to-style Belgian bottle conditioned ales. Taste them all for free in addition to one or two future release goodies! We also bought some very nice glassware from them we’ll have for sale as well.
New Beers This Week
Lakewood Temptress – Happy Austin Beer Week! We love y’all soooo much we decided to get some of the fantastic Lakewood Temptress as a thank you to our customers. An imperial milk stout that is silky and rich with notes of toffee, chocolate, cocoa and caramel. 9.1% ABV/Garland, TX/Ratebeer 98
Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA – Too extreme to be called beer? 120 Minute IPA is brewed to a colossal 45-degree plato, boiled for a full two hours while being continuously hopped with high-alpha American hops, then dry-hopped daily in the fermenter for a month and aged for another month on whole-leaf hops! Limit 1 per person.
Epic Big Bad Baptist – Epic’s most highly sought after annual release is a bourbon barrel aged Imperial stout brewed with coffee & cocoa nibs. Aroma is cocoa powder, coffee, dark roast and a bit of vanilla. Big sweet dark toffee and bourbon, with bitter cocoa and coffee, and some tannic woody dryness. 12.1% ABV/Salt Lake City, UT/Ratebeer 100
Abita Bourbon Street Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout – Aged in Pappy Van Winkle bourbon barrels! Brewed with a combination of pale, caramel, chocolate and roasted malts. Oats are also added to give the beer a fuller and sweeter taste. It is then aged for another 8 weeks to absorb all of the flavors from the barrels. The result is a strong stout that brings out the roasted flavors from the malt and the warming toasted, vanilla, and bourbon flavors from the barrels. 10% ABV/Abita Springs, LA/Beer Advocate 86
Uinta Cockeyed Cooper – This bourbon barrel aged barleywine is one of the most highly sought after annual releases from Uinta. This year’s batch comes in at 11.1% ABV and rich, hoppy & delicious. Big sweet aroma, of dark fruits, malt, brown sugar, booze, raisins, wood. Taste is very boozy, with sweet malt and dark fruits, and a big woody undertone. 11.1% ABV/Salt Lake City, UT/Ratebeer 98
Stone Xocoveza Mocha Stout – This brew was the winner of Stone’s annual Homebrewer competition who then gets to make his or her winning brew on Stone’s massive brewing system. This one is a chocolate, cinnamon, nutmeg, chile pepper, and coffee-infused milk stout and was built to mimic the flavors of Mexican hot chocolate. 8.1% ABV/Escondido, CA/Ratebeer 99
Stone Double Bastard – This is basically a double recipe of Stone’s popular Arrogant Bastard. Higher ABV, more aggressively hopped & a larger malt bill make for an even more arrogant bastard of a beer. 11.2% ABV/Escondido, CA/Ratebeer 100
Stone Lukcy Basartd – (yes, that’s how it’s spelled) – Lukcy Basartd is a dry-hopped meeting-of-the-Bastards in a in-the-fermenter-blend of Arrogant Bastard Ale and Double Bastard Ale…with a perfect balance of the essence of OAKED Arrogant Bastard Ale. All in all, one awesome Bastard. 8.5% ABV/Escondido, CA/Ratebeer 99
Odell 180 Shilling – 25 years ago in Fort Collins, CO, Odell launched their brewery with 90 Shilling Ale. They are now celebrating their Silver Anniversary with a double version of the recipe that started it all. Hearty roasted malt base balanced by subtle earthy hops and aged on oak to create notes of toffee, plum, vanilla and dried cherry. 9.6% ABV/Fort Collins, CO/Beer Advocate 86
Sierra Nevada Celebration – Celebration Ale represents a time honored tradition of brewing a special beer for the holiday season. There are generous portions of malts and fine whole hops of several varieties, creating a brew with a full, rich and hearty character. This is not a winter warmer but instead just a highly rated IPA. 6.8% ABV/Chico, CA/Ratebeer 98
Brooklyn Winter – Brooklyn Winter Ale is brewed with heirloom Maris Otter malts to create a beer with roots in blustery Scotland. Brooklyn Winter Ale is richly malty, aromatic, full-bodied and perfect with stews, roasts and holiday dishes. 6.1% ABV/Brooklyn, NY/Beer Advocate 82
Hops & Grain Porter Culture – The latest year-round release from our friends on the east side! Porter Culture is a Baltic Porter – not a style you see commercially very often. It starts with a base of Pilsner and Munich malts and chocolate wheat and de-bittered black malt are added to provide flavor of coffee, dark chocolate, raisins and just a hint of roast. Their house lager yeast is crisp & dry and lets the malts take center stage. These will be limited in production for the first few months so get them while you can. 6.6% ABV/Austin, TX/No ratings yet, but it’s delicious!
Finnriver Black Currant Cider – A light, lovely cider, with a purple blush, that blends heirloom and organic dessert apples with the tart mysteries of organic black currant. Semi-sweet & immensely drinkable. 6.5% ABV/Chimacum, WA/No ratings yet
Troubador Obscura Stout – Troubadour Obscura is a Belgian Dark Strong Ale with 8.5% ABV and refermentation in the bottle. The beer has a malty character with a nice roasty flavor. It has a mild bitterness, which is a bit stronger in the aftertaste. One of the best Belgian Stouts we can get in the state. 8.5% ABV/Ursel, Belgium/Ratebeer 96
Saint Arnold Christmas – St Arnold’s annual Christmas Old Ale is a rich, hearty ale perfect for the holiday season with a malty sweetness and spicy hop character. The generous use of five different malts is responsible for the full flavor and high alcohol content. 7% ABV/Houston, TX/Ratebeer 85
Deschutes Hop Trip – Part of the Bond Street Series, this Fresh Hop Pale Ale is all about celebrating the hop harvest in the fall. Fresh picked hops have to be added to the brew immediately and in abundance. Roughly 270 pounds of Crystal hops from were added to the 50 barrel batch in addition to some dry kilned whole flower hops. That adds up to approximately 5.5 pounds of hops per barrel brewed. 5.5% ABV/Bend, OR/Ratebeer 97
Sam Adams Merry Maker – This rich dark gingerbread stout entices with the aromas of the holidays. The flavor of gingerbread comes alive, beginning with the smooth sweetness and heartiness of dark roasted malts and a touch of wheat. But it’s the intensity and spices of cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, & ginger that add a wicked kick for a jolly playful brew full of merry mischief. 9% ABV/Boston, MA/Ratebeer 97
Buffalo Bayou Black Buffalo Rye’d – A rich & dark black Belgian-style IPA, this latest release from Buffalo Bayou is, like their other beers, genre-stretching. Fruity esters from the Belgian yeast play well with the roasted malt & aggressive hopping. 7.3% ABV/Houston, TX/no ratings yet
Ranger Creek Dark Side of the Hop Black IPA – Ranger Creek’s latest release is a 4 pack Black IPA referencing the iconic Pink Floyd album. Roasted malts & copious hops make for a malty & hoppy delight. 7.1% ABV/San Antonio, TX/No ratings yet
Karbach Weekend Warrior Pale Ale – A well balanced and crisp pale ale with a lovely aromatic hop aroma and flavor. Quite sessionable and crisp… great for fall weather. 5.5% ABV/Houston, TX/Beer Advocate 85
Karbach Hopadillo IPA – Copper in color with ruby highlights, this Texas IPA has a strong citrus aroma with hints of earthiness and spice from the added European hops. Light berry fruits are perceived before giving way to citrusy hop character. Dry and quenching, this IPA is dry-hopped for added aromatic intensity. 6.6% ABV/Houston, TX/Ratebeer 91
Karbach El Hopadillo Negro – Aggressively hopped like its younger brother Hopadillo, this one uses much more roasted malt and has a more bold mouthfeel. Roasty, hoppy & delicious, available in bombers. 7.2% ABV/Houston, TX/Ratebeer 96
Karbach Rodeo Clown Double IPA – Karbach’s big & bold double IPA has a malty sweetness not found in the Weekend Warrior or Hopadillo. It still has a well-balanced flavor even though it clocks in at 9.5% ABV. Available in both 4 packs and bombers. Houston, TX/Ratebeer 94
Karbach Weisse Versa Wheat – A very interesting hybrid wheat beer, the Weisse Versa uses hefeweizen yeast on top of a Belgian witbier base recipe. Traditional coriander & citrus peel spiciness from the witbier pairs well with the clove/banana flavors from hefeweizen yeast. 5.2% ABV/Houston, TX/Beer Advocate 87
Stone Hibiscosity – The latest in the Stochasticity project, this is a Belgian golden ale with hibiscus and orange peel. The addition of Magnum and Sterling hops provides a balanced bitterness to the beer’s citrusy, berrylike spiciness, while the malted wheat adds a subtle yet sweet bready flavor to complement the tartness of the hibiscus flowers. Giving the beer tropical fruit and banana characters, the Belgian yeast strain Ardennes was used to complete the unique brew. 7.4% ABV/Escondido, CA/Ratebeer 86
Avery Dugana IPA – Avery’s small batch series of beers continues to impress, this time with a brutally bitter, dank, piney and resinous ale designed for those seeking a divine hop experience. 8.5% ABV/Boulder, CO/Ratebeer 99
Rogue Santa’s Private Reserve – Rogue’s annual holiday offering, Santa’s Private Reserve, is a variation of the classic Saint Rogue Red, but with double the hops–including Chinook, and Centennial, and a mystery hop called Rudolph. 6% ABV/Newport, OR/Ratebeer 91
Alaskan Smoked Porter – The dark, robust body and pronounced smoky flavor of this limited edition beer make it an adventuresome taste experience. Alaskan Smoked Porter is produced in limited “vintages” each year and, unlike most beers, may be aged in the bottle, much like fine wine. This is the 2013 vintage! 6.5% ABV/Juneau, AK/Ratebeer 99
Back in Stock: Abita Imperator Black IPA, Ranger Creek Small Batches #7, 8 and 9, Infamous Pumpkin Massacre
Weekend Tastings, 6-8pm
Friday
Lakewood Temptress Imperial Milk Stout
Smuttynose Cluster’s Last Stand IPA
Moonlight Meadery Wild Blueberry & Honey Mead
One more random thing we’ll open up!
Saturday
Hops & Grain Porter Culture
Virtue Cidery Cidre Nouveau
Ranger Creek Dark Side of the Hop Black IPA
One more random thing we’ll open up!