New Year = New Beer!
This year I’m on the hunt for new and exciting beers to try as well as my quest for my 2,000th unique beer. As for what makes up my t0-try list for this year so far — It’s starting as a short list that will get longer as the year progresses.
Here’s what I’ll be hunting:
I’ll be the first to admit that spicy food and chipotle flavorings are not typically two of my favorite things. However, over my past three years working with TorchBearer SaucesI’ve learned more and built up a bit of a tolerance for the heat. Chocolate, however, is something I adore.
Get ready to challenge your palate with DuClaw’s upcoming Cocoa Fuego stout brewed with cocoa and chipotle peppers. The sweet and the heat will play off of each other leaving a velvety mouth feel and a tiny tinge of spice finished with the smokey chipotle flavor you know and love.
Flying Dog Mint Chocolate Stout
I’m sure you read a bit about my trip to Flying Dog Brewing in Frederick, Md. and their Brewhouse Rarities series. Keep an eye out for this limited release stout from said series – Mint Chocolate. Available in bottles and on draft, expect to see this beer in February just in time to give to your Valentine and pair with your decadent desserts (hint hint).
Troegs Bourbon Barrel Troegenator
While this isn’t a new brew for Troegs, it may be new to you. Around this time last year Troegs did a secret scratch release of what we all began calling “Bourbonator,” a.k.a. Scratch 87.
Good news to those of you who missed the short-lived tasting room only run last year – it’s coming back very soon in 750 mL bottles at the brewery. There are also rumors that is may be available for distribution in September and it could become a yearly fall release.
Expect to find the flavors you know and love from Trogenator taken to a new level with hints of coconut and oak from the bourbon barrels.
Could this be my new spring beer crush? We’ll just have to find out as Breckenridge releases their new spring seasonal Ophelia. This hoppy pale wheat ale is a nice low 5% ABV making it great for warm days. Expect to find fresh tropical fruit flavors like mango and papaya from the Mosaic and Palisade hops that finishes with a crisp, light flavor you would expect in a wheat beer.
Ophelia can be found in 12oz bottles and on draft now through April.
Terrapin Brewing White Chocolate Moo Hoo
In late December, Al’s of Hampden received the only known local keg of this twist on a Terrapin classic. ”Moo Hoo,” tasting much like you might expect it would given a name similar to Yoo Hoo, is easily one of my favorite chocolate beers on the market. I wasn’t excited to try the white chocolate version, however, because I’m not a fan of white chocolate personally. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this beer when I gave it a chance with an open mind – a little less deep cocoa flavor with a nice vanilla velvety undertone.
Stay tuned — we’ll likely have to wait until November/December of this year for this beer to return, but trust me — it will be worth it.
A version of this post can originally be found here via SaraBozich.com
Stouts and Stilettos 
I want that Cocoa Fuego, too — take me with you! 🙂
i have two beer related new years resolutions, firstly i want to brew a new beer from scratch every month and secondly i want to drink more beers with historical names, that last one is just for fun
Wow that Cocoa Fuego sounds like a good cup of Mexican hot chocolate!