Dustin Brau, eldest of the Brau Brothers three, sent an email this week detailing the upcoming releases for Brau beer. Below are some of the highlights.

• Brau Bros will be featured on KSTP’s 10pm news this Sunday night.  Jason Davis, from “On the Road with Jason Davis” was in Lucan doing a segment about the brewery and the town.  It should be re-aired Monday during the 11-12 noon news, and Tuesday during Twin Cities Live.

• Rainwater Oak-Aged Stout is still in the works.  They are very impatiently awaiting final label approval from the TTB.  When they get word, they’ll ship.  Dustin is hoping it happens within a week’s time.

• Elisha’s Olde Ale was brewed on Dec 5, and it is progressing nicely.  Done as a group brew, with help from South Dakota’s very knowledgeable home brewers and some Minnesota volunteers as well, they’re anxiously waiting for this one.  It’ll get a few weeks on oak and possibly get a late-winter release. Dustin hypothesizes most of this will go to South Dakota, as Elisha, the homebrewer who won the contest, is a SoDak resident.

• The Braus shipped their first kegs of Cream Stout Nitro.  This is something new for the holidays, and it layers perfectly on Sheephead.  They call it a Black Sheep.  Dustin tells us to ask for it wherever you see a cool looking stout faucet.

• Finally, if you’re in the area or passing through on the way to Grandmother’s house over the holidays, stop in and visit the Brau Brothers!  Call or shoot him an email to set up a tour.  City folk are always welcome and as always, plenty of free parking!

In recent months, Shawn and I have been trying to learn about homebrewing with our friends and via the web. I must say that Twitter has been awesome to do some quick crowd-sourcing to get some different perspectives on a question I had. One source of help has been homebrewer and gent Stephen Freshnock, a.k.a. @slovakbrewer on Twitter.

Shawn was able to meet up with Stephen when he made his trip to Chicago earlier this year. Then, sometime this fall, Shawn was also able to score a few bottles of Stephen’s homebrew. This week we’re releasing a Happy Hour episode in which Shawn and I were able to get together and share one of those homebrews: an Imperial Brown Ale. I asked Stephen to share a little back story on his beer to offer context for myself, Shawn and you (the reader/listener). Feel free to read his commentary now, but definitely make sure to come back after you hear the show. Thanks Stephen for letting us try your homebrew and discuss it here on our show; I look forward to future tastings and learning more as both Shawn and I begin our foray into homebrewing. read more…

This fall was one of the most true “autumn” seasons I have been able to experience in many years. Although I was able to enjoy several pumpkin beers–my archetypal fall brew–there were several other amazing beers I had this fall, detailed below.

La Folie by New Belgium Brewing – This barrel-aged sour was the second American sour I had ever tried, (the first being Avery’s Brabant), coincidentally at the same bar (The Muddy Pig, Saint Paul). Albeit I enjoyed these two brews on different occasions, this Fort Collins, Colorado brew delivered an amazingly flavorful and tart beast of a spontaneous beer. Vinegar and cherry nose followed by tart woody notes with pleasant residual funk. A superb, sessionable sour.     –    4.5/5

Nor’Easter by Captain Lawrence Brewing- I hadn’t heard of these guys until the weekend of Darkness Day, when I met up with fabled beer traders Uncle Jedi and Purple Hat Joan, of Huntsville, Alabama. After enjoying dinner with these two, Leslie and I visited their hotel room, where I was fortunate to sample this barrel-aged winter warmer, complete with prominent fruity notes from the elderberries used in the beer. This was definitely a winter “warmer” ringing in at 12% ABV, with the sweet bourbon notes present in the mouthfeel.    -   4.5/5 read more…

This episode is an oldie, but a goodie. My friend Jason (one of the many here at The Beer Genome Project) and I got together to primarily try out Schlafly’s Pumpkin Ale, and decided to throw on a few other beers that we haven’t yet had a chance to try.  Unfortunately Schlafly is not a brewery that we have access to here in Iowa, and it might take another road trip to Missouri before I can taste another. Additionally, Jason and I tried the Grand Cru from Schlafly as well as the Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout from Great Divide Brewing Company. Buckle in folks, this Happy Hour episode is true to its name in length. Cheers! read more…

The weather lately has been rather fair, and there still isn’t any snow on the ground. This means there is still time for me to make some final remarks on beers I’ve come across this Fall.

Oktoberfest by August Schell Brewing – a rich auburn color and creamy head. smells of grain and the taste is toffee like with a light body. I really like how the beer finishes with a sweet crispness. 3.5/5

Dogtoberfest Märzen by Flying Dog Brewery - a dark amber color with a thick foamy head that dissipates quickly. smells of caramel and spice. a medium body with the flavor falling to the back of the tongue. the thickness comes from a mix of roasted malts and spice. 3/5

Pumpkin Ale by Buffalo Bill’s Brewery – surprisingly more true pumpkin flavor than I had believed it would be. I had built this beer up in mind as being the liquid pumpkin pie of beers, but this was not the case. It’s a true pumpkin flavor that comes through on this beer and it’s low on the spice. 3.5/5 read more…