Our latest newsletter:  Autumn 2009

Follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/cracked_kettle 

January 31rd 2010: We are proud to offer a selection of high-quality Australian wines in our webshop: from the producer Schild Estate, located in the Barossa valley, we have a stunning 2005 Shiraz for sale, one of the best Shiraz expressions we have ever tasted: full-bodied, with impressive length and an caleidoscopic taste profile with flavors of ripe cherry, vanilla, rich spices and licorice. Awarded with 93 points in the Wine Spectator. Coonawarra-based producer Reschke made a Cabernet Sauvignon called "Bos" with very low grape yields from old vines in 2002, and briefly aged it in 90% tight-grained French barrique and 10% first use American hogsheads. The result is a incredibly concentrated wine, dark colored and with strong Cabernet Sauvignon flavors. We highly recommend this wine but we only have a small amount of bottles available. From Parri Estate, a small producer in the Southern Fleurieu, we offer another potent red wine, a Shiraz/Viognier blend from 2005 which is decidely more fruity and has less oak-character than the previous two wines. Intense flavors of red berries end with soft, rounded tannins on the finish.

January 30th 2010: Our selection of British beers has expanded greatly: have a look in the British sections of our webshop. Especially interesting is the rare new series of Scottish brewery Harviestoun's whisky-barrel aged ales. Harviestoun have aged an 8%ABV dark ale (brewed in what is their intrepetation of pre-20th century imperial stout/porter recipes) in several different barrels that were once used to age Highland Park whisky: one barrel that was used to make the 12 year-old HP, one 18 year-old and a 30 year-old. Harviestoun's series consists of three different bottles, each aged in one of those barrels. Tasting them side by side is highly recommended! Also, fellow Scottish brewery Brewdog's Paradox imperial stouts, another couple of impressive whisky-barrel aged dark strong ales, are back in stock, although in limited quantities.

January 24th 2010: A couple of bottles of the classic USA imperial stout Old Rasputin from North Coast Brewing are for sale in our shop. We also have a small amount of Dogfish Head 90 Minutes IPA available again.

January 24th 2010: We have added a few bottles of the Quebecois cult-brewery Dieu du Ciel's Aphrodisiaque stout to our webshop. The bottles are between one and two years old and have black plastic wrapping around their caps. Aphrodisiaque is an impressive ale with aromas and flavours of vanilla, dark chocolate, bourbon and roasted malt. The vanilla and cocoa marry nicely, without out-competing each other, to produce a surprisingly well balanced beer. This beer is mildly hoppy, but the cocoa introduces a touch of bitterness. Brewed with organic fair-trade cocoa and first rate vanilla beans. Awesome stuff but in very limited supplies. Also available are just a few bottles of the critically acclaimed Péché Mortel, but be quick as we expect them to sell out rapidly..

January 3rd 2009: A new Russian River beer is for sale, in limited quanities: Blind Pig, a fantastic IPA that is thoroughly hoppy but has a modest alcohol content (6%ABV). Definitely one of the best IPA's available at the moment, highly recommended!

December 16th 2009: We have just fixed a problem with our European pallet service charging twice the price for shipping! Now if you want larger orders you can check the price of the pallet service by clicking "estimate shipping" to see the proper price. It's a fast service and is quite inexpensive. Also, a lot of new American beers have arrived including the breakfast stout from Founders (one of our favorites) and the Centennial IPA. We also have more beers from Southern Tier including Horny Devil, Krampus and others as well as Great Divides barel aged Yeti. There are also many new beers from de Molen being added to the site over the next couple of days so stay tuned.

December 14th 2009: We have expanded our selection of beers from highly acclaimed "pico-brewery" Alvinne, based in Belgium since 2003. We now stock all three of their "Three Wise Men" ales, consisting of the incredibly hoppy 9%ABV Gaspar (115 EBU), the strong amber Balthazar (9%) that has a very pleasant malty & spicy flavor profile, and the huge 11%ABV Melchior, a hoppy barleywine with a unique herbal character (mustard seeds were used in this one).

Apart from these three strong ales, we also offer their "Extra Restyled", one of those modern "Belgian IPAs"; a moderate alcohol content of 7%ABV, a lot of hops, obvious use of dry-hopping, and a strong yeast character. Great! Alvinne's "Tripel" is a solid tripel-style ale brewed with vanilla and, true to their "house style", a healthy amount of hops. The result is a strong blond ale, full-bodied and creamy. The final Alvinne ale that has been added to our selection is the "Lexke", a 6% blond ale with a fruity and slightly tart character, made in very limited quantity for the cafe "Huis van Rechten" in Leuven, Belgium.

December 14th 2009: Eight different Belgian geuze-producers contributed their lambics to one enormous blend in October 2008, during the "Toer de Geuze 2009". This blend contains lambics up to 3 years old and was bottled on the 16th of October. Named "Horal's Oude Geuze Mega Blend", the blend contains geuzes from 3 Fonteinen, Boon, Timmermans, Oud Beersel, Lindemans, De Troch, De Cam and Hanssens. A unique product, available in small quantity in our shop. Bottled in 75cl corked bottles.

November 29h 2009: A brand new & very rare beer from Brouwerij De Molen is available in our webshop: Lood & Oud Ijzer, a blend of 50% barrel-aged Rasputin and 50% barrel-aged Amarillo.  The blend comes in at 10.4%ABV. Just one single batch was made for the occasion of the Pig's Ear Beer festival, held by CAMRA in London from the 1st to the 3rd of December. In total, there were only 120 bottles of 75cl produced. Here is a chance to obtain one of these De Molen rarities, but be quick as we expect them to sell out rapidly!

November 15th 2009: It is the height of the bock-beer season and this year's selection again includes some very fine beers. SNAB's Ijsbok is impressive as usual this year, strong and intensely malty. Christoffel's Winterbok is a fantastic bottom-fermented bock with a less overwhelming character than SNAB's Ijsbok, convincing with more subtle flavors instead, and a crisp hoppiness that is so typical of Christoffel's beers. The Leutebok is a slighty unusual bock beer with a lot of character: spicy, with strong flavors of nutmeg and similar spices. Einbecker's Ur-Bock is a solid & reliable bock-beer, made in the German town of Einbeck, where bock-beer originated; malty with a slightly sweet edge, the "gold standard" in bock-beers perhaps. Amsterdam-based Brouwerij 't IJ's Biobok has been selling rapidly but is still available (although likely not for too long): a typically IJ-style take on the bock-style, more tart and yeast-oriented than most other bocks and definitely a unique experience. Perhaps one of the most impressive Dutch bocks this year is Jopen's Herfstbok, a beautifully balanced strong bock with enough flavor to stay interesting & enough lightness to stay drinkable and, due to its crisp and minty hop-flavors on the finish, even surprisingly refreshing.

November 8th 2009: Tiny Dutch brewery Emelisse's Double IPA is back in stock. As usual, they've produced a small amount, so we can only offer a small quantity of their beer. The Double IPA is hoppy and high in alcohol, as expected, but what sets it apart from other strong IPAs is its unique malt character and balance. Recommended!

October 11th 2009: A few bottles of Oerbier Reserva from De Dolle Brouwers are for sale! The Oerbier Reserva is oak-aged Oerbier of 13%ABV. You'll find more tart flavors than in the original Oerbier, subtle wood flavors from the aging, and an incredibly long finish. One of the finest, most spectacular, and well-made Oud Bruin style ales available at the moment. 2008 version, bottled in 2009. We offer 33cl and 75cl bottles. Very limited.

August 27th 2009: We just received bottles of Westvleteren 12 from various vintages including 1989, 1993, 1996, 2001, 2003, 2004 and 2006. We also have a bottle of Westvleteren 6 (red cap) and a few bottles of Westvleteren Extra (the 8) from 1990. In addition we found bottles of Westmalle Extra, a beer brewed exclusively for the monks consumption at the Abbey.
 

August 27th 2009: We now stock five of Danish brewery Indslev's beers. Among the beers from this tiny brewery are several wheat-based beers, including a "wheat stout", plus a quite unique bock-beer made with four different types of grains. All are unfiltered, and come in 50cl bottles.

August 9th 2009: De Struise Brouwers' Cuvée Delphine is back in stock! One of the most spectacular stouts ever made in Belgium, this is a must try for maltheads. The base for this beer was De Struise Brouwers' Black Albert imperial stout, which was then aged in Four Roses (bourbon) barrels. 13%ABV, 25cl

July 12th 2009: More beers from Lakewood-based brewery Southern Tier are now available in our shop: Jah-Va, a 11% coffee stout made with Jamaican coffee-beans, Mokah, a 11% stout made with both coffee and chocolate, Iniquity, a dark-colored IPA (!) of 9%ABV with strong Cascade-hop flavors, Hoppe, a fantastic (Double) IPA with a complex malt-backbone, Uber-Sun, a strong (8%ABV) wheat beer, and the second version of their premium oak-aged ale: Cuvee Two. All of them are strong, well-hopped and have plenty of character - highly recommended!

 June 14th 2009: A new, massive USA imperial stout has appeared on our shelves: Surly Darkness. This critically acclaimed 9.6%ABV stout is up there with the best of them in terms of intensity and complexity. Extremely rare!

June 7th 2009: The fantastic Beer Geek Brunch Weasel by Mikkeller is back in stock! Coffee stout aficionado's take note! Limited quantities available.

May 31th 2009: A number of Michigan-based brewery Jolly Pumpkin's ales are now for sale in our shop: Bam Biere, a 4.5%ABV saison, La Roja, a 7.2%ABV Vlaams bruin, E.S.Bam, a spontaneously fermented, hoppy blond ale, Calabaza Blanca, a witbier, Oro De Calabaza, an oak-aged 8%ABV blonde ale and Bam Noire, a unique saison made with dark malts. The ales are bottled in high-quality 75cl bottles. Recommended, especially to those who enjoy the crisp and lively flavors of wild yeast and spontaneous fermentation! 

May 10th 2009: A new beer from Brouwerij De Molen has been added to our selection: Eiken Hel & Verdoemenis, an oak-aged version of the fantastic 12%ABV imperial stout Hel & Verdoemenis. The subtle oak aging brings even more complexity to Hel & Verdoemenis, resulting in a very impressive and intense imperial stout. 33cl bottles.


May 3rd 2009: Back in stock: De Struise Brouwers' Black Damnation and Three Floyds Dark Lord 2009! Small amounts of Lost Abbey Angel's Share, Bell's Expedition Stout, Kalamazoo Stout and Third Coast Beer, as well as The Bruery's Saison De Lente and Saison Rue, plus Dogfish Head's 120 / 90 / 60 Minute IPA are also available.

April 19th 2009: A new batch of Scandinavian beer has arrived! We now offer nearly the full range of Norwegian brewery Nøgne Ø's beers, plus a good amount of Danish Amager's and Norwegian Haandbryggeriet's beers.

Many of the Nøgne Ø beers we had for sale in the past (the Saison, Wit, Pale Ale, IPA, Bitter, Porter and the outstanding Imperial Stout) are back in stock, in addition to the following all-new beers:

Dugges Sahti, a rather unorthodox interpretation of the traditional Finnish "Sahti" style. This blonde-colored sahti contains a hefty 11%ABV and an adventerous mixture of juniper twigs, Telemark honey, sea-wormwood, rye and wheat. The honey is very obvious on the nose, but gives way to complex and enticing aroma's after a short while. On the palate, this is certainly very unusual, slightly sweet and uniquely spicy, but absolutely well-balanced and a stunning dessert beer.

#100, a very hoppy 10% "Double IPA", quite malty and balanced for the style. Next to the huge grapefruit and pine flavors you'll find chocolate, blackberry and caramel flavors. Exceedingly rich on the palate, with a fine-bubbled carbonation that just keeps it from being top-heavy. A refreshingly different Double IPA.

Underligs Jul, a heavily spiced dark Christmas-ale with very strong notes of cloves and cinnamon. Rich maltiness and cloves dominate, resulting in a concentrated and very flavorsome winter-warmer. Related is God Jul, another Christmas-ale, similarily rich and malty but with a different spice mixture.

Havrestout, a full-bodied 4.5%ABV oatmeal stout. Thick oatmeal and chocolate flavors in this one. Unusually rich and flavorsome considering its strength!

God Paske, a crisp blond Easter-seasonal, hoppy and refreshing. The Belgian yeast gives a very characteristic quality to the aroma, slightly spicy and peppery with a small hint of tartness.

Haandbryggeriet's amazing Norwegian Wood is back in stock, and we recommend anyone who enjoys an adventerous smoked beer to try it out! Haandbryggeriet's following ales are also available now:

Odin's Tipple, a 11%ABV imperial stout with a slight acidic twang that comes from a wild yeast strain, as well as fantastic complexity from the malts. All the familiar stout flavors are there, chocolate, coffee, etc, but in a very drinkable and even refreshing form due to the hint of acidity.

Aqua Vitae Porter, a porter that was aged for 10 months on Akkevit barrels (!). This exceptionally long period of barrel-aging introduces strong acidic flavors akin to a oak-aged Flemish Red, but the porter flavors shine through and create a profoundly weird mixture. Intensely acidic like a Rodenbach, but with a rich malty base at the same time. A must-try!

Nissefar, a dark ale brewed to a very old recipe. Subtle spicing and low carbonation make for a complex and malty sipping ale. Slightly sweet with plummy dark fruit flavors.

Norse Porter, a classic porter with strong roasted flavors and a nice hop-presence to balance out the roasty maltiness. A solid porter.

Dobbel Dose, a lovely "Double IPA" with an unusually large amount of European hops! Saaz-like flavors a-plenty here, very grassy and herbal as opposed to the pine-y and grapefruity USA hops.

From the Danish Amager brewery we now stock the impressive Hr Frederiksen, a 10.5%ABV imperial stout with everything you can expect from a stout of this caliber. It is leaning slightly to the sweet side (despite its considerable 80+ IBU!), so those who like their imperial stouts really hop-heavy and filled with roasted bitterness could opt for Amager's other imperial stout, which is simply titled Imperial Stout. Although scorchingly bitter at 140+IBU, the Imperial Stout shows impressive complexity in its malt-profile.  

If that sounds like too much of a good thing, then the Fru Frederiksen could be considered. Very similar in flavor to the Hr, this is just 7%ABV with a more subdued roastiness.

But perhaps the most spectacular offering from Amager is the Barrel-Aged Old Man's Ale. A malty 14%ABV dark ale was aged on calvados-barrels from famous France calvados-producer Louis Dupont for four months. Incredibly rich and concentrated, with layer upon layer of maltiness and oak. A light use of Chinook hops tightens it out and brings balance. One of the boldest barleywines in our assortment, and a must-try for those who enjoy the style.

 

April 4th 2009: Our selection of American beers is growing rapidly: today we have added a variety of interesting and rare beers to our assortment, most of which haven't been for sale outside of America before!

We now offer two new heavy-hitters from Port Brewing, the 10%ABV imperial stout Santa's Little Helper 2008 and the Shark Attack, a 9%ABV variation on a "double" IPA; two new ales from Lost Abbey, the farmhouse-style saison Red Barn Ale and the huge 11%ABV imperial stout Serpent Stout; more bottles of Three Floyd's Behemoth and Oatgoop (made in collaboration with Danish brewer Mikkeller) at reduced prices; Southern Tier's Cuvee One, a wonderfully complex oak-aged ale, Porter, a pitch-black hoppy porter, Gemini, a blend of two of their best "double" IPAs, IPA, a nice straightforward grapefruity IPA, Back Burner, a rich 10%ABV barleywine, and Phin & Matt's Extraordinary Ale, a crisp American-style pale ale.

March 22th 2009: Various Catalonian beers are now for sale in our all-new Spanish section! Available are beers from the small, independent breweries Birrart, Ales Agullons, La Gardenia, Les Clandestines and Llupols I Llevats. All of them are relatively low on alcohol, most of them are bottle-conditioned and many of them are bottom-fermented. Beers such as Ales Agullons' Runa or Birrart's Moska Torrada are great spring/summertime beers with a floral, crisp hoppiness combined with a subtle malt-profile, and come highly recommended!

 

March 8th 2009: We have a handful of new beers from Danish brewery Mikkeller for sale, including the exceptional oatmeal-stout Beer Geek Brunch Weasel (brewed with very rare Vietnamese "ca phe chon" coffee which is made from beans found in weasel's droppings) and the "wheatwine" Hvedegoop (made in collaboration with USA brewer Three Floyds). Also for sale are the Cascade Single Hop IPA (an IPA hopped exclusively with Cascade-hops), the X-mas special Santa's Little Helper (a well-spiced and crisp christmas ale of 11%ABV) and the Belgian-style Monks Brew (a rich quadrupel-style ale).

 



February 26th 2009: A variety of American beers has been added to our assortment, including a handful of rare and highly sought-after beers. Many of these beers have never been for sale outside America before! Now for sale are..

Russian River's Pliny the Elder, the quintessential IPA, extremely hoppy and resinous with flavors of grapefruit and pine, but still in perfect balance thanks to the malt-backbone.


Three Floyds Dark Lord, a legendary 13% imperial stout that's brewed only once a year (on "Dark Lord Day") and has a huge cult following. Incredibly thick and viscous, one of the richest imperial stouts out there.

Three Floyds Wipeout IPA, an IPA in "San Diego style", brewed with five different hop-strains: crisp and refreshing, yet with a hop-profile that's complex enough for serious tasting also.

Three Floyds Dreadnaught, perhaps the most famous Double IPA ever, a true hop bomb at 9.5%. Enormous hop flavors, kept in balance by enormous malt flavors. Huge.

Three Floyds Behemoth, a rich barleywine, spicy and full-bodied, with an impressively complex malt-profile.

Three Floyds / Mikkeller Oatgoop, a collaboration project between Three Floyds and experimental Danish brewery Mikkeller: an barleywine brewed with oats (oatwine).


Dogfish Head 120 Minutes IPA, an experiment in hoppiness. Brewed to 45 degrees Plato this is one of the thickest beers ever made. Unreal amounts of hop added make for a spectacular treat for the hophead. 21% ABV.

Dogfish Head Theobroma, a spiced ale brewed to an ancient recipe. Contains cacao, honey and a variety of other spices.

Victory Hop Wallop, a strong IPA with plenty of resinous hoppiness. No-nonsense solid IPA.

Bells Expedition Stout, one of the most critically acclaimed imperial stouts of the
USA. Incredibly complex, with all sorts of roasted malty flavors and a subtle hop presence.

Bells Eccentric Ale, an 11% heavily spiced ale. Bittersweet, with flavors of berries and fruits. One of a kind!

Bells Third Coast Ale, a strong and rich barleywine with Bells' attention to detail: rounded, complex yet balancsed. Perhaps more comparable with English barleywines in style than the (often very hoppy)
USA barleywines.

Bells Hopslam, a monstrous Double IPA of 10%ABV. Incredibly crisp, hoppy and resinous.

Terrapin Wake-N-Bake Coffee Oatmeal Imperial Stout, perhaps as much as a mouthful as its name would imply, this is a succulent imperial stout brewed with high quality coffee beans and oatmeal. Bittersweet and roasted, very rich.

Founders Breakfast Stout, another oatmeal/coffee stout of amazing richness and density. Bring a spoon!

Lagunitas IPA & Maximus, two clean and crisp IPA's by Lagunitas. The Maximus is the stronger, more concentrated version of the regular IPA.

Brooklyn Local 1, a strong spicy ale by Brooklyn Brewing. A very special yeast gives a characteristic flavor to this beer, slightly peppery with lemon and coriander flavors. 9%.

Lost Abbey Inferno Ale, a dry and spicy Belgian-style 8.5% ale.

Lost Abbey Angel's Share, a barleywine aged for six months on ex-bourbon casks. A rich and malty ale with nicely integrated oak characteristics.

Lost Abbey Judgement Day, a Quadrupel-style ale brewed with raisins. Fruity and spicy.

Stone/Nogne O/Jolly Pumpkin Special Holiday Ale, a collaboration project between three high-quality, experimental brewers. Spiced with chestnuts, juniper berry, white sage and caraway seeds.

 

 

Featured Products

Surly Darkness 65cl, 9.6%ABV
Surly Darkness 65cl, 9.6%ABV
€69.97  €52.48
Save: 25% off

Monthly Specials For February

Rogue Juniper Pale Ale 65cl, 5.2%ABV
Rogue Juniper Pale Ale 65cl, 5.2%ABV
€6.95  €5.21
Save: 25% off
Rogue Dead Guy Ale 65cl, 6.5%ABV
Rogue Dead Guy Ale 65cl, 6.5%ABV
€7.45  €5.59
Save: 25% off
Rogue Mocha Porter 65cl, 5.3%ABV
Rogue Mocha Porter 65cl, 5.3%ABV
€6.94  €5.20
Save: 25% off

Rogue Chocolate Stout 65cl, 6.3%ABV
Rogue Chocolate Stout 65cl, 6.3%ABV
€7.45  €5.59
Save: 25% off
Surly Darkness 65cl, 9.6%ABV
Surly Darkness 65cl, 9.6%ABV
€69.97  €52.48
Save: 25% off
Rogue Dead Guy Ale 35.5cl, 6.5%ABV
Rogue Dead Guy Ale 35.5cl, 6.5%ABV
€3.00  €2.25
Save: 25% off

Westvleteren 12 - 1989
Westvleteren 12 - 1989
€49.98  €39.98
Save: 20% off

Copyright © 2010 Cracked Kettle. Powered by Zen Cart