Ya know, here at the shop, you can tell at glance what a swell time it is for your beer based romance! It’s like every time you walk through the front door you can hear dear mother nature murring “let yourself go.” So since you’ve been such sweet chickadees let’s dive into what’s new this week!
Phew, y’all!!! It’s been a real busy one here at the store. Forget about 99 bottles of beer on the wall, try 2400 cases going up it. Yeah that’s right, we’ve got the goods in for this year’s advent boxes… and if you don’t want to miss out, make sure you’ve got one reserved. I mean, hot diggity dog, Y’all are knocking out the pre-sales of them! As a friendly reminder, pickups will begin November the 19th. We’ve got some good stuff in store for y’all.
This week also has us barreling through those kegs! If you’ve spent any time in the store seeking a recommendation, you might recall me speaking adoringly of dark lagers. Simply put, I LOVE the style and think it’s perfect for Central Texas. As luck would have it, we’ve got Austin Beerworks Black Thunder on draft! Woohoo!!! For those hop heads out there- you’re in luck. We snagged the last keg of the ever-so-lovely Crosby fresh hop IPA from St. Elmo, that rare & lush gem Juicemeister from Live Oak, the crisp and piney Secret Beach of Meanwhile provenance, and for those wanting a good ol’ classic American style there’s Lakewood’s IPA. We’ve kept things rounded out with a last ode to summer, putting on Peach Emoji from Independence. To the folks in the back asking about something dark, it’s coming. I imagine by the end of the weekend we’ll have something tasty in the barrel aged department.
The news from the wine department this week finds us lousy with treasures. I’m over the moon with the clutch of 2020 releases from Southold Farm & Cellar (like, go follow them on Insta now and make a plan to visit them!). Their Weapons of Choice is a decidedly Texan take on Cabernet, no Cali fruit bombs dropped. Imagine a world not overly aged in oak. The Future for Miracles syrah is jovial & makes for a perfect partner in crime. It’s really exciting to see how Texas wine makers are making something markedly different from those big meaty chewy Rhône syrahs. This is finess & nuance. This is floral & earthy. This gal has what it takes to age well, if you can wait that long. However, production for these beauties is between 94-114 cases, so there’s not too much to go around. Two other bottles I’ve been patiently waiting to get my hands on are the red and white from Artifice wines of the Canary Islands. Both are sourced from small parcels of vines on volcanic soils, but it’s the white that really expresses that mineral quality. The barrel fermentation & subsequent 11 month aging impart a creamy note, with just a hint of an oxidative quality. It’s a rich white waiting to be paired with a meal. Their red is simply intoxicating. Take some time to appreciate the bouquet of smells coming from it. You’ll be lost in an incense & crushed violet fantasy. Those spice and herbaceous components compliment the lush red fruit and balanced acid notes. This is a Thanksgiving winner. You’ll impress everyone.
Make sure you set aside some time next Saturday afternoon for our Beaujolais Nouveau party. The cases will be arriving early next week and available for sale starting the 18th. Just like the wine, this fête will be fun, easy, & breezy for ya covergirl. Expect special by-the-glass options, light snacks, and all the Edith Piaf you can handle to have you thinking too- “Non, je ne regrette rien!” On November the 27th the folks from Weathered Souls will be in house for a TAP TAKEOVER to celebrate their anniversary. We’ll have brews on tap that you won’t be able to find anywhere outside of the brewery. Look out for some more wine tastings in December: our friends from Republic National are in on the 3rd, David Mayfield Selections will be here on the 18th to highlight the exciting things coming from Les Lunes wines of California.
For our November Brewery of the month, we are happy to announce that it’s the fine folks from Texas Beer Company! For JUST $8.99 a six pack we have their Pecos Amber, K9 Lager, and Hoppy Duck IPA.
Later, y’all.
New & Returning Beers & Seltzers This Week
Back in Stock – Roughtail Chromatic Orb, Legal Draft Free & Clear GF Lager, Ayinger Brau-Weisse, Blue Owl Kühlbox.
Elgin Meadery Cyser Aromatis – Made with central Texas wildflower honey, northern spy apples, and natural cinnamon. Sweet and crisp with the aroma of apple pie, it makes the perfect drink for the fall season. 13%ABV
Elgin Meadery Pirumel – Pirumel is a super dry pear mead with a light crispness. 12%ABV
903 Mudslide Stout – Celebrate happy hour with our Mudslide Stout! We incorporated all the rich flavors of our favorite creamy cocktail into this decadent brew: a drizzle of chocolate, a dash of coffee, and a splash of Irish Cream. These luscious layers make this silky stout a delightful treat when you’re in search of a liquid dessert. 10% ABV
Symbol Banana Nut Bread Porter – Finally a beer fulfilling the holiday tradition of Banana Nut Bread. This delicious porter has moderate bitterness with notes of banana, macadamia nuts, and coffee. Honey and chocolate malts add to the semi-sweet body of this Symbol throwback beer. 10%ABV
Modern Times Alien Radio – This outrageously tasty DIPA is a haze-filled festival of Citra, Idaho 7, Crystal, & Simcoe hops. Ready your face for a glorious detonation of stone fruit and tropical awesomeness with undertones of resinous pine that bring the whole thing together in a rather spectacular fashion.8%ABV
Modern Times Terebellum – Prepare for a life-altering flavor expedition. 2-row, golden naked oats, wheat, and flaked oats set the stage for base for a soul-stirringly graceful dance by Mosaic, Motueka, El Dorado, and Vic Secret hops. The final beer is an absolute showstopper, with notes of lemon-lime, watermelon, and subtle pine that move in perfect synchronization across the palate. Don’t be alarmed if consumption elicits a little jig of your own. 6.3%ABV
Einstok Doppelbock – Malted barley and chocolate tones define the traditional style, while the robust aroma and long, mellow finish make this the perfect companion for holiday feasts. 6.7% ABV
Modern Times Diamond Drive – This utterly enchanting juice-vortex is the progeny of mountainous quantities of Mosaic, Idaho-7, Sabro, & Centennial hops. Their powers combined yield a staggeringly tasty beverage with hazy depths that explode with tropical fruit, blueberry, and citrus, underscored by a subtle, lovely coconut character from the Sabro hops. It’s a majestically complex and incredibly crushable IPA that we think is going to seriously improve your day. 8%ABV
Bishop Cider Texan 12pk – Introducing: the only 12-pack that will literally make you more Texan. Made with Texas’ best ingredients, the Texan Twelve includes Texas Strawberry with Poteet strawberries, Peach Tea with Fredericksburg peaches, Nectar with Texas honey, and Pecan Pie with Texas pecans. Careful, it might just change your life
Brooklyn Winter IPA – Cold weather calls for thick knit hats, swift sleds, and Brooklyn Winter IPA. this classic IPA layers Simcoe and Trident hops for notes of dark fruit, blood orange, and bright, frosty juniper and pine aromas. A touch of rye spice notes warm the finish to keep you cozy to the core. Stock up and enjoy the flurries while they last. 7% ABV
Flying Ember Prickly Pear Agave – Made from the prickly pear, a flat-stemmed spiny cacti, this Ojai-inspired flavor features notes of strawberry and melon merged with the delicate sweetness of blue agave. We harvested the vibrant neon juice from this textured plant to create a satisfying blend that’s nuanced, smooth, and unique. 6.9% ABV
Victory Storm King – After a long hiatus, the legend is back! We’re celebrating 25 years of brewing by bringing this award winner out of the Victory Vault. Well-balanced and complex with massive notes of espresso and dark chocolate, it’s no wonder this one’s a fan favorite. 9.1% ABV
Alesmith Speedway Stout w/ Madagascar Vanilla & Ceylon Cinnamon – For this special edition of our signature imperial stout with coffee we decided to offer up some comfort for the cooler fall and winter months. A generous amount of Madagascar vanilla beans along with just the right amount of Ceylon Alba cinnamon provides this beer a delicate milky sweetness, notes of chocolate, roast, and a subtle spiciness.12% ABV
Alesmith Tower of Flower – We teamed up once again with our good friends at Beachwood Brewing to make this behemoth west coast style India Pale Ale that has been double dry-hopped with Galaxy, Cashmere and Nelson hops. This monstrous hop blend gives this beer intense notes of passion fruit, citrus, peach and melon. 6.8% ABV
American Solera Foederville – Oak aged sour dry hopped with Hallertau Blanc. 5.4%ABV
Blue Owl Jubilberry -Sour Cranberry Ale w/ Ginger & Oats 7.1%ABV
El Segundo Great Cut – We can think of only two things that come close to perfection. First up, the diamond… judged by its cut, color, carat and clarity. Treasured by many as the hardest, most valuable stone found the world ’round. It’s also the shape of America’s pastime, which on sight alone can bring about fond memories of hot dogs, beer, fresh cut grass and of course, hitting that 0-2 count, game-winning walkoff Grand Slam so many dreamt about. And on deck in our near-perfection line up is, obviously, the West Coast IPA… which just so happens to share traits with diamonds as it is partly judged by clarity and color and it is also the favorite pastime of all true IPA lovers. Once you factor in the great cut of aromatics the Galaxy hop brings to the ballpark, this straight up sandlot nostalgia may have you thinking that maybe there is, in fact, one perfect thing. 6.5% ABV
Humble Forager Bungee Jump – Inspired by those delicious pineapple upside down cakes, we layered juicy dessert sour with pineapples, sweet cherries and Madagascar vanilla beans before dusting with brown sugar and ceylon cinnamon. 6% ABV
Untitled Art Pixie Mix Cherry Crusher – Hard seltzer with nostalgic cherry flavor. 5.5% ABV
Untitled Art Bliss on the Beach – Imperial seltzer with peach puree, orange juice concentrate, cranberry concentrate. 9% ABV
Untitled Art Florida Weisse – It’s back for version 5! Berliner weisse style ale with guava, passionfruit, and prickly pear. 4.8% ABV
Maine Beer Co Wolfe’s Neck – A gift to the people of Maine and its visitors, Wolfe’s Neck reminds us of the importance of protecting land for future generations to experience and enjoy.
“We’ve dropped a pebble, now we have to see where the ripples go.”
FLAVOR PROFILE: TROPICAL FRUIT (PINEAPPLE, MANGO, GUAVA, COCONUT) AND ORANGE, WITH NOTES OF ONION/GARLIC AND UNDERLYING TOASTED BREAD AND PINE. 6.5% ABV
Harpoon Winter Warmer – Winter Warmer was Harpoon’s first seasonal beer. It was designed to be enjoyed during the holiday season. Note the aroma of cinnamon. There is no aromatic hop added that might overpower the distinct spice scent. A smooth, medium bodied ale spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg. 5.9%ABV
Rahr & Sons Winter Warmer – Warm up the long, cold nights of winter with Rahr’s latest seasonal offering. Wonderfully robust, rich and full-bodied, Rahr’s Winter Warmer is created in the fine British tradition of holiday ales. Perfect for either holiday gatherings or quiet evenings at home. 8%ABV
Clown Shoes Rainbows Are Real – This Hazy IPA contains the terpenes Beta-Pinene and Linalool, aromatic compounds derived from natural botanical sources. They supplement the sweet malt backbone and lively blend of Azacca, Citra, and Mosaic hops that make Rainbows Are Real shine with fresh, juicy notes of sweet citrus. 6.75%ABV
Clown Shoes Exorcism at Sunset – Undead Party Crasher, aged 100% in bourbon barrels. 12.5% ABV
Clown Shoes Bubble Farm – The Intergalactic League of Farmers waits for no man, even with a crop as delicate as bubbles. Elegant crops, of course, and no matter the trouble in harvesting them it’s always worthwhile to see those beauties shine. Light in color with a touch of haze, this American IPA maintains an approachable medium-body without sacrificing any of the full aroma and flavor of copious dry hopping additions of Simcoe, Azacca, and Idaho 7 hops. 6.5% ABV
Rahr & Sons Drunken Santa – Barrel aged London Ale.9.4%ABV
Shacksbury Luna – An electric alchemy of dry Basque cider from Spain blended with local Vermont La Crescent grapes. This cosmic wonder explores the edges of expectations for what defines cider and wine, in order to create a category that is otherworldly. Luna is bright but grounded with punchy acidity and balanced tannins. 9.5% alc/vol.
Schneider Aventinus – The worldwide standard for wheat doppelbock.
Hedgehog Mango Tango – Farmhouse ale with mango and habanero. Dry, fruity and slightly funky with a habanero kick. Now in cans! 7% ABV
Martin House Colombiana – Rum Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout with Cherries and Coconut. 13%ABV
Weathered Souls Vietnamese Style French Press – Sweet coffee. This is better than the porter. 13.2%ABV
Weathered Souls PB Fusion Technique – With Coconut, Brownie Batter, and Peanut Butter 13.5%ABV
B-52 Dracula’s Chimney Porter – In his dark castle shrouded from light, Dracula awakens with a thirst for something rich. The Kürtőskalács, or
New Wines This Week
(On-Premise Consumption or Off-Premise To Go)
Southold Farm & Cellars Future for Miracles 2020 –
Another year, another killer Syrah vintage from RCV. Now don’t expect a huge wine here, this is the more finessed side of Syrah, the fun side of Syrah… The wine then opens up with a bouquet reminiscent of the first few days of spring- floral, all roses and dirt, the first ripe plums of the season. Drink it now or set it aside for a couple of years if you can be patient.
Unfortunately for all of us, there are a measly 95 cases. And we’ve contemplated drinking all of it ourselves.
THE TECHNICAL INFO
-Varieties: 92% Syrah, 8% Viognier-
-Vineyard: Robert Clay Vineyards
-Soils: Decomposed sandstone and granite
-12.24% alcohol
-SO2: 35 ppm
-95 cases produced
Southold Farm & Cellars [18 to 1] 2020 – Petit Verdot always strives to be a monster, tannic, brash… this is why it’s always used sparingly in Bordeaux. Luckily this vintage, we had a perfect foil to this monster in the Mataro. That brashness is quieted to a dark rumbling, while bright red fruit dances throughout. Like an African Rhino with its Oxpeckers, these two are symbiotic.
THE TECHNICAL INFO
-Harvest August 18th, 2020
-13 days primary and aged 12 months in French Oak
-Complete malolactic fermentation
-SO2: 30 ppm
-ABV: 12.7%
-94 cases
Southold Farm & Cellars Weapons of Choice 2020 -Once again, let us remind you, this is Cabernet Sauvignon from a time before fruit bombs and 2×4 oak elements. A time that solidified this as a major variety in France. Like those, this is a wine of finesse, a true expression of Cabernet Sauvignon in Texas, that you can only find here. Restrained, savory, and just damn delicious. This wine will definitely continue to evolve and blossom if you have the patience!
THE TECHNICAL INFO
-First Harvest August 1, 2020,
-16 days primary and aged 10 months in neutral barrels
-Complete malolactic fermentation
-35ppm SO2
-122 cases
Southold Farm & Cellars Little Bit of Swing 2020 – 100% Petit Verdot. It’s big and brash. Though this wine is a baby, don’t let it fool you, this a hungry baby at 3am pissed off you decided to start sleep-training it. Sure you could get up, or in this case open it, and it enjoy it now, but you’ll be so much happier you gave it time to develop on its own. So with that we suggest at least an hour decant when opening, you’ll both be much happier.
THE TECHNICAL INFO
-Harvest August 7th, 2020
-13 days primary and aged 12 months in French Oak
-Complete malolactic fermentation
-35ppm SO2
-122 cases
Vinca Minor Moonland Rosé – Moonland is Jason Charles of Vinca Minor’s delightfully playful project of co-fermenting grapes, apples, and pears to explore what resiliency and sustainability look like in the dramatic and ever-changing climate of northern California. While the subject is serious, the wines are whimsical and taste as good as they look!
Petit Verdot + Gravenstein Apples
Wildmakers Brias de Guarilihue Rose 2019 – Fresh Rosé from the Itata Valley. 12% ABV
Château Malbat Bordeaux Rouge 2019 – Since 1865, Château Malbat is the pride and joy of the Rochet family. Located at the heart of the Bordeaux wine region, between the Garonne and the Dordogne rivers, the family vineyard stretches over 85 hectares (210 acres) and benefits from a climate perfectly suited to the production of the finest Bordeaux wines. Indeed, this oceanic climate combines morning mists, which provide high humidity in the atmosphere, with a strong sunshine during the rest of the day favoring grape ripening.
“Lovely deep purple colour. Ripe fruit aromas, particularly cherry and plum. Elegant, fruity and supple body, with round tannins and a smooth finish.”-Winemaker Notes
Constant Crush Cab Franc Field Blend 2020 – The beauty of the Eola Springs Vineyard is that its size provides an expansive range of soils, elevations, and aspects. This young field blend block of Cabernet Franc is grown on a northwest-facing slope on ancient marine sedimentary soils at the northern end of the site. The vines are planted at nearly twice the density of the old vine block, and to three clones of Cabernet Franc. Steiner, a California Heirloom selection, 214 & 327 selections from the Loire Valley.
• The Willamette Valley, and Eola-Amity Hills AVA are large with many varied soils, aspects and hidden valleys to be explored. It is with this in mind that we seek sites and farmers to work with who share our interest in understanding what this wine-growing valley is possible of.
• Fruit was harvested in mid-October and captured the warmth of the season showing sage, kalamata olive and dark violet fruit flavors. Only 50% of this fermentation was whole cluster and as a result the wine has firm tannins and a darker fruit profile than the 2019 vintage.
Constant Crush Flavors in Blend 2020 – Sauvignon blanc has a truly unique character in the Willamette Valley, when farmed similarly to the other varieties more common in the region. It is intense and exotic having ripe guava and tropical fruit notes and a weighty and full mouthful of fruit. The extended daylight hours and UV light that the Willamette Valley receives during the growing season is responsible for the photodegradation of pyrazines and as such the variety delivers non of its characteristic grassiness. In fact, the variety ripens so fully here that we decided that it required the added fresh acidity that comes from heirloom clone Chardonnay. Together these varieties create a more engaging and harmonious white wine. 12.8% abv
Field Recordings Paso Piquette Project -This piquette came about as a community effort as well: We gathered pomace from 9 other wineries in the Paso Robles area and brought it all back to Tin City to make this wine.
If you’re not familiar with this style, it’s made by rehydrating skins that have been crushed in production. We let the skins soak for a few days, then ferment. The result is a bubbly, low alcohol, super drinkable red wine. Yum.
Tastes like: Candied raspberries, Bonne Maman Mixed Fruit preserves, Lavender and Sage. 7% ABV
Borja Perez Artifice Listan Tinto 2018 – “Produced with Listán Negro from different vineyards, altitudes and soils, the 2018 Artífice Tinto fermented mostly in stainless steel with some stems, thanks to the new destemmer he bought. The wine matured separately in oak barrels and foudres for 10 to 11 months and then was blended together and bottled. It has a meaty note on the nose, quite different from the majority of Listán Negro wines from the island, reminiscent of boiled ham, with a smoky/flinty touch. It’s juicy and very pleasant, with a soft texture. With time in the glass, notes of dried petals and subtle pumice stone emerge, along with a peppery twist and volcanic undertones. It has bright flavors and very good freshness, tasty, spicy and a little herbal with nuances that Pérez attributes to the use of the stems. It’s only stems… but I like it! 8,500 bottles and 280 magnums produced. It was bottled in March 2018.” Wine Advocate
“100% Listán Negro sourced from different parcels in Ycoden Daute Isora. Each parcel is vinified separately in steel and concrete tanks and blended into Frech Foudres and very old french barriques. It rests 8 months in vitro before release.” importer
Borja Perez Artifice Listan Blanco 2018 – 100% Listán Blanco (called Palomino in the region of Jerez) from old vines. The wine was fermented and aged in 500 liter French barrell. The wine was then aged for 7 months on the lees. Minimal sulphur was added at bottling. The volcanic soils lends a fine mineral aspect to this refreshing white wine.
New Draft Beers This Week
(On-Premise Consumption or Off-Premise Crowlers)
903 New Zealand Pilsner – New Zealand Style Pilsner 5%ABV
Austin Beerworks Black Thunder– If a stout and a pilsner had a lovechild, it would be Black Thunder. It would also be a miracle, because beer can’t “get it on.” This miniature powder keg starts with a roasted, bread-like complexity but finishes dry and clean like a pilsner. It’s dark, distinctive, and dry. 5.3%ABV
Lakewood IPA–All hail the glorious hop! This luminary of lupulin packs a wallop of flavor and aroma in a tiny package. Our intense love for these little flowers is why we created a highly drinkable beer that perfectly showcases their incredible versatility.
Rather than brew a bitter bomb, our balanced American India Pale Ale bursts with tropical flavors like grapefruit, papaya, and tangerine from a blend of Bravo, Citra, Mosaic, and Mandarina hops. This everyday IPA is bold without being brash. 7%ABV
St Elmo Crosby– Fresh hopped American IPA 7%ABV
Meanwhile Secret Beach– San Diego Style IPA with a light biscuity malt character that allows the hop flavors to shine through. Notes of marmalade, blueberries and the devil’s lettuce. 6.2%ABV 55IBU
Live Oak Juicemeister– Juicemeister is where IPA meets Bavarian ale. This beer benefits from a sizable late addition of Huell Melon and Strata hops that contributes to a powerful floral, citrus aroma while maintaining a mild bitterness, and bubblegum flavors imparted by our Bavarian yeast strain! Enjoy! 5.3 % ABV
Independence Peach Emoji– Peach tea sour. 6% ABV
Parking at WhichCraft Mueller? The garage behind us on McBee is free to use.
