Brewery: New Glarus
Color: Amber
Type: Strong Ale
Before you read:
Je suis trés fier d’avoir pu boire cette bière pour deux raisons. Elle nous a été offerte dans l’état du Wisconsin par une amie qui me connaît bien, et la deuxième, cette bière est TRES rare.
En plus, c’est un véritable délice …
Merci Dana …
New Glarus Brewing Co., makers of Spotted Cow, and more of your « Only in Wisconsin » favorites have been brewing for 20 years, and the owners have been married for 30! To celebrate, they’ve released a limited production, special edition Anniversary Strong Ale. Described simply as « alive, robust and complex » this beer will be enjoyable now or could be aged and enjoyed in another few years. See what the guys at BeerAdvocate and ratebeer have to say about it, if you’re looking for more details.
I was lucky enough to get one case in, and have 10 bottles available for sale here at the store. The price is $6.99 + tax for a 500 mL bottle. If you would like one, please email me and let me know! First come, first served. Cheers!
What: A beer that dances over the line between a Belgian Dubbel and a Belgian Strong Dark Ale. It was brewed in celebration of the 20th Anniversary of New Glarus Brewing Co.
Where: Limited supplies are available in Oshkosh at Gardina’s and Festival Foods. It’s being sold in single, 500ml bottles. They won’t be around long.
Why: Because a commemorative beer like this always raises expectations that are difficult to meet, but this one does it easily. It’s fantastic right from the start. It pours a deep, dark amber with a frothy head of large tan bubbles. The aroma is full of bubblegum (especially as it warms) and dark, candied fruit. The fruit character dominates the flavor with rich raisin and fig-like esters. It finishes with a peppery hop flavor that compliments everything that came before it. The ABV isn’t listed on the bottle, but I’m guessing it’s in the plus 9% range. It’ll definitely warm you up. This is a classic and one that could stand some cellering. It would be interesting to pull one of these out a year from now and see where she went.
What Else: Since we’re celebrating 20 years of brewing in New Glarus with this beer, how about a brief recap of where this brewery came from and where it’s headed. The New Glarus Brewing Company was launched in 1993 by husband and wife Dan and Deb Carey. Their first brew system came from Appleton’s defunct Fox Classic Brewery. Their first beer, Edel Pils, was released in October of 1993. In its first full year of operation the brewery produced 2,300 bbls of beer. The brewery’s best selling beer, Spotted Cow, was introduced in 1997. Spotted Cow now makes up more than half of the brewery’s total output and is the best selling craft beer in Wisconsin. In Oshkosh, Spotted Cow ranks second in overall draught beer sales. Despite limiting its distribution to Wisconsin since 2002, production at New Glarus has grown considerably over the last decade. In 2001, New Glarus produced 10,500 bbls of beer. By 2005, output had increased to over 40,000 bbls. Along the way, the brewery and its beers have taken numerous awards including Brewery of the Year awards from the Brewer’s Association in both 2002 and 2005. In 2008, New Glarus opened its new Hilltop Brewery and in 2011 its yearly output went over the 100,000 bbls mark for the first time. The brewery’s 2012 production was approximately 127,000 bbls, making it the largest craft brewery in Wisconsin and the 17th largest craft brewery nationally. Deb Carey has said that New Glarus Brewing has thus far turned down two offers of purchase from Anheuser-Busch. The brewery is currently undergoing another expansion that should bring its total capacity to 250,000 bbls annually.