Founders Brewing’s 2018 CBS Showcases Greater Depth and Balance

Ah, CBS. Founder’s highly-praised Imperial Coffee Chocolate Stout returns for a second consecutive year starting November 2nd across their distribution footprint. This year’s version is different than the 2017 variant for several reasons.

First and most obviously, the iconic “mountie” is missing from the bottle and branding. Why? Everyone has ideas and Twitter has seen its fair share of wild speculation. My guess is they just wanted to refresh the brand and focus on this year’s beer. Which, by the way, is very very good. After a six-year hiatus, the CBS that returned in 2017 was good, but its maple syrup sweetness dominated the palate. That said, this year’s version is great, dare I say exceptional, because it brings this insanely complex beer back to equilibrium. It’s much more balanced than year’s past, which lets several flavors shine. 

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Brewery Bhavana | Cellar Door No. 3

Confession: I never wanted to be a beer snob. In fact, I fought it. But I wouldn’t be writing this if I succeeded.

I started drinking craft beer because I didn’t know better. All I knew was I liked it better than the macros. Before long, I was drinking craft beer because I did know better. Words like “boozy” and “barnyard” and “mouthfeel” entered my vocabulary. At bars, the hunt began with the most expensive. I researched the history of lambic and pilsner and bière de garde. And to complete my snob-ucation, I joined a beer club.

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Elevation Beer Co. Celebrates Dia de los Muertos, 2018 Señorita Release

Fall can be a beautiful time of year. But it can also be an unpredictable time of transition. Maybe you live in a perilously bipolar climate, where one day you’re reaching for the sunscreen, and the next day you’re in the middle of an Armageddonian blizzard. Maybe your fantasy football team isn’t living up to its potential, so you go to your local watering hole to drown your misery in a new seasonal brew, only to find seven different pumpkin ales on tap.

I’ve got nothing personally against pumpkin beer, although some people feel differently. And to be fair, in the fall there are plenty of other beer releases (wet-hopped beers, Oktoberfest, stouts, etc.). But in the midst of the cold weather-fueled Halloween frenzy, we overlook one of the most interesting events of the season: Día de Muertos (or commonly in America, Día de los Muertos). Elevation Beer Co. in Poncha Springs, Colorado has been celebrating the event for a few years, which roughly coincides with the annual release of their imperial porter, Señorita.

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Little Miami Brewing | Bike Path

Location, location, location: Regardless of the type, location is always a critical piece to the success of a new business. This truth is evident when visiting Little Miami Brewing in Old Milford, Ohio, as their location is about as good as it gets. To celebrate one of the many perks of their location, the crew at Little Miami created Bike Path, a Bohemian pilsner that has become a fan favorite.

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New Holland Brewing | 2018 Dragon’s Milk Reserve

When you hear New Holland Brewing you probably think of Mad Hatter IPA or perhaps more commonly, Dragon’s Milk. The barrel-aged Stout from the Michigan brewery has become an industry staple amongst the craft beer world and with a consistent recipe and proper barrel-aging, this beer is a go-to during Stout season.

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Dogfish Head | Pennsylvania Tuxedo Spruce Tip Pale Ale

Another crisp day means another crisp beer. Autumn brings with it many things, ranging from flannels to hunting season. Dogfish Head, out of Milton, Delaware uses the season to their advantage with the spruce-infused pale, Pennsylvania Tuxedo.

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Vault Brewing Company | Sweet Potato Ale

The fall brings in a welcoming change as the leaves start to transform into vibrant colors before they gracefully fall to the ground here in the Northeast. Stepping out for fresh air, it noticeably has become crisper as it wisps by. And with everyone ironing their favorite flannels before heading out to enjoy the festive activities of the season, there is another phenomenon that lets you know that fall is upon us: beer shelves lined with various options of pumpkin ales.

But amidst the sea of pumpkin beers, the Pennsylvania-based Vault Brewing Company ventured off on their own quest to ring in the season with its Sweet Potato Ale, which gives beer drinkers a switch from the world of pumpkin-everything and celebrates another savory food that accompanies this time of year nicely.

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Brewery Ommegang | Candi Stout

Photo courtesy of www.mashing-in.com

As we speed through October, the weather (should) become colder and the days become shorter. The finale of the month is Halloween. You can get into the spirit by decorating your home, dressing in costume or you can find your sweet kicks in seasonal beers that have flavors of peanut butter cups or pumpkin pies. One such spirited beer available is Brewery Ommegang Candi Stout.

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Brothers Craft Brewing | Blonde Betty Imperial Blonde Ale

Autumn is the season of pies. Whether it’s pumpkin, sweet potato or pecan, we all know the colder months bring forth a nostalgic desire for those traditionally warming, sweet sensations. So when the wave of pumpkin-spiced everything (including beer) takes over, how do you stand out? Brothers Craft Brewery cuts to the core of this dilemma by releasing a specially brewed apple ale, Blonde Betty.

There is no beer scene in the Shenandoah Valley without the influence of Brothers Craft Brewery, formerly known as Three Brothers. These guys have been providing wonderful beers in the Appalachian Mountains since the Virginia beer boom in 2012 by catering to both sides of the craft beer spectrum. They recently won Best in Show at the Virginia Craft Beer Cup for their flagship Lil Hellion; their barrel-aged beers like Resolute and Drunken Mornings are loved by rare beer collectors.

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Sierra Nevada | 2018 Oktoberfest

Beer: one of America’s staples. One of the biggest, most popular industries in our beloved country. When you think of beer, you think happy hour, late nights with friends, summer nights, fall nights, unwinding after the kids go to bed or maybe even visiting one of your local establishments to find something new to taste. When I’m joining in on any of those festivities, I think about finding a beer that will satisfy my never-ending quest for delicious beer. I don’t care which craft brewery I get my beer from; I just care that it’s good, and that it was made with the hopes that the craft beer world would enjoy it.

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Brew Detroit | Cerveza Delray

October brings with it many things: changing leaves, the full onslaught of pumpkin beers and the end of outdoor parties. But my favorite part of October is, after the buzz of GABF, getting my hands on the Michigan medal winners. Luckily Michigan is a large enough brewing state that at least someone within a 30 minute drive will win something. This year, Brew Detroit snagged an International-Style Pilsner Bronze with Cerveza Delray, named after the beleaguered neighborhood just south of Mexicantown that is currently home to a lot of pollution but will soon welcome the Gordie Howe International Bridge (a welcome addition to everyone besides a company that is the literal embodiment of a bridge troll).

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Rockyard Brewing | The Gondolier

As a kid, I loved Halloween and all the teeth-rotting candy that came along with it. Warheads and Sour Patch Kids were my favorites. In the same time period, my parents (in an attempt to prove to me that beer was gross) let me take a sip of a certain domestic lager. It worked, for a while, because I still remember that sip of beer and it was disgusting. But palates change, and now of course I know how delicious craft beer can be. My love of mouth-puckering sour treats, however, was left behind long ago with my last pair of Bugle Boy jeans.
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Eddyline Brewing | Mango Kettle Sour

Sometimes a beer is more than a beer. Sometimes it’s a symbol of support, solidarity, girl power, fearless females even — like Erin Moynihan, the brewer behind Eddyline Brewery’s new sweetly-sour creation, the Mango Kettle Sour.

The first sour in Eddyline’s lineup (and Erin’s first solo effort) was born with a purpose, with the Colorado Women’s Rafting Team in mind. This group of intrepid ladies based in Buena Vista and Salida won the Nationals in this international sport and will represent the United States in Argentina in November 2018. Anyone who has priced international flights knows that kind of travel doesn’t come cheap so a percentage of the sales of this feisty, fruity brew will help support their bid for the prize.

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Jack’s Abby Craft Lagers | House Lager

After a sip of Jack’s Abby’s House Lager, it is understandable to think that you just tasted the Massachusetts brewery’s version of an Oktoberfest. Everything about the taste harkens back to the 1516 German Reinheitsgebot law that states only water, malt, yeast, and hops can be used to make beer. But there is something else about it that separates it from the other beers on the market. It has a maltier taste that splits the difference between nutty Oktoberfests and the standard golden lagers that belong at a summer barbecue.  

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Ballast Point Brewing | Fathom IPA

Ballast Point made a fantastic decision in opening their East Coast location in southwest Virginia. Daleville is near rolling mountains outside of Roanoke and has a cluster of outposts from well-known breweries, like Deschutes, Starr Hill and soon, Three Notch’d. Ballast Point’s production brewery, tasting room and restaurant opened in 2017 and has floor-to-ceiling windows to take in the landscape.

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Watch the Braves in the Playoffs with Terrapin Brewing CJ10

With the baseball playoffs at-hand, one can now toast both the Atlanta Braves’ division crown and newly inducted Hall of Fame Braves player Chipper Jones with CJ10, a beer conceived by the prolific switch hitter and the folks at Terrapin Beer Company.

CJ10, an easy-drinking Kölsch-style ale, emerged from Terrapin’s unique ATL Brew Lab found at SunTrust Park in Atlanta during the summer. And, what better way to honor a switch hitter than with a beer that’s made with ale yeast, but is fermented like a lager?

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Fort George Brewery | City of Dreams

Does anyone else feel like mere mortals when walking into an iconic brewery? We put these places on pedestals because it’s more than beer; it’s an art and art should be praised and marveled. Fort George Brewery is one of those places in the Pacific Northwest, having created an epic name for themselves in the town of Astoria, Oregon. A lovely way to celebrate the brewery and its home city is with its City of Dreams New England Style Pale Ale.

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Middle Brow Beer Co. | Robyn

The revered Belgian brewing tradition has long inspired American brewers to recreate, adapt and riff on Belgian styles and Chicago breweries are no exception. Middle Brow Beer Co. is one of those breweries experimenting with classic European styles not to imitate, but to craft a beer entirely of its own making. Robyn, one of Middle Brow’s flagship brews, pays homage to the yeast-driven character of Belgian beer in a cross between a farmhouse, abbey and blonde ale.

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Rhinegeist Brewing | Knowledge Imperial IPA

Autumn can be a very glorious yet polarizing time of year as the cool air begins to creep in and push out the warmth of summertime. For some, it marks the return of football season (yay, sports!), for others, it points to the return of the PSL (Pumpkin Spice Latte ala Starbucks), and still, for other hopefuls, it could mean getting to fret over your Major League Baseball team for the next month. The latter is what led me to this bold beer, Knowledge, an Imperial IPA by Rhinegeist Brewing.

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Last Minute Liquor Store Luck Leads to GABF Gold for Ska Brewing

It’s a week later, and if you’re still recovering from the Great American Beer Festival and its peripheral festivities, you’re in good company. But with so many Oktoberfest events coming this weekend, there’s most certainly no rest for the wicked. On the other end of the spectrum, the breweries that went home with gold, silver and bronze hardware are still basking in the warm glow of victory.

For every medal, there’s a story, and the last-minute drama that accompanied Ska Brewing and their gold medal win for Oktoberfest in the Vienna-Style Lager category this year is definitely no exception.

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