Dark, Imperial and Retro: Last Brews of Winter

New Albion Ale

Sampled: Feb. 1, 2013

The return of this beer to the shelves completes a long circle in craft beer. Thanks to a Sam Adams partnership with New Albion brewer Jack McAuliffe, the original craft ale has come to the masses.

From the pretty orange hue, New Albion radiates hints of orange zest, lemon, and a lot of coriander. A little bit of malt sweetness creeps in. Near the finish, there’s an assertive leafy uptick. The Cascade hops are not as bright as one would find in an IPA or dry-hopped ale. But they definitely position New Albion outside the norm for pale ales.

While this follows the original New Albion recipe, I can’t claim to know how close it skews to the original ale. This ale definitely fits the bill of American/West Coast pale ale, but it doesn’t hit the highs of the more extreme variations to emerge in the past three decades. As evidence of where American craft beer began its innovative journey, New Albion provides a clear map of its progress.

Rampant Imperial IPA

Sampled: March 5, 2013

delved a little deeper. Rampant has rich reservoirs of resin, a mild leafy character and a few spruce tips sprinkled throughout. There are notes of lemon and hints of peach, but not the complex yet supple passion fruit I hoped for. I would not call Rampant a bad beer, but any IPA aficionado has quaffed their share of imperial IPAs just like this. It really adds nothing new.  I’ll take a Flathead or a St. Arnold Endeavour – if I had them available. Still, it went surprisingly well with a batch of chili spaghetti.

Santa Fe Black IPA

Sampled: Feb. 15, 2013

Not as pungent as some black IPAs, Santa Fe’s take presents an affable backdrop of pine needles, resin and citrus. None of those flavors reach extremes. The malts have a slightly toasted flavor with hints of tobacco to go along with hopleaf. The pine needle warmth sticks around. Some dry-hopped notes build to a simmering bitterness that never boils over. Subtle yet firmly defined fingers of grapefruit, tangerine and lemon spring up. Stone unleashed the black IPA seven years and scores of inferior black IPAs have since flooded the market. Santa Fe stands above them, and earns extra points for coming in a can.

New Belgium Springboard

Sampled: Feb. 10, 2013

New Belgium has reintroduced some old seasonal beers through its 12-pack mixer. Having missed out on Springboard in past springs, I eagerly awaited the chance. New Belgium blended 3 percent ale with 97 percent ale brewed with Goji berries and Schisandra. The berry acts a soft backdrop, not unlike blackberries. There’s an odd funk to this ale that stems from its super dry hops. Some hints of melon emerge, notably cantaloupe. The finish is strangely medicinal. I like it. I understand New Belgium is gauging interest in retired brews through this mixer packs. I wouldn't mind seeing Springboard pop up around March or April for some superior porch drinking.