Bell’s Sparkleberry was initially brewed in 2013 to celebrate Kalamazoo Pride, and this year it was finally canned and distributed again, to commemorate 2018 Kalamazoo Pride. Sparkleberry is a American inspired Belgian Trippel with raspberry and it clocks in at 9%. Distribution is said to be June, but I’m sure you’ll be able to find this on shelves all throughout July as it’s just starting to hit it’s stride in stores.
I’ve got a double feature here today, both from HOMES brewery in Ann Arbor, Michigan! HOMES Drones double IPA and Straspberry Sherbet were released a few weeks back, just before their first inaugural Nucleate festival. Drones is a DDH DIPA with Vic Secret and Cryo Citra hops, and Straspberry Sherbet is a kettle sour brewed with lactose, and blended with Strawberries and Raspberries. HOMES continues to churn out phenomenal beer, and these are just two more examples of that.
Barrel Runner is the 4th of Founder’s Barrel Aged series of beers in 2018, and this time it’s not a stout (KBS), a scotch ale (Backwoods Bastard), or a Red IPA (Dank Wood), but it is another IPA – and it’s not bourbon barrel aged either. This time they went all out with a mosaic hopped IPA aged in rum barrels to give it a bit of a tropical, spiced taste. Will Barrel Runner make you want to hide your treasure? Is the eye patch included with the 4 pack or bomber? Watch and see!
This Head 2 Head is something I’ve wanted to do for a while now. When I tried the BBA Huma Lupa Licious against the regular version, it got me thinking. Could Huma Lupa Licious be my favorite malty Michigan IPA? Is it really better than Bell’s Two Hearted? What if we threw Blackrocks 51K IPA in there too? Well, on today’s video I do just that – I put them all to the test in my new “Head 2 Head” series.
Which other beers would you like to see go Head 2 Head?
I took a look in my fridge and realized that I had two different batches of Old Nation Brewing’s Double New England Style IPA – Boss Tweed. That got me thinking… does freshness in an NE IPA really matter? Both were sitting in my fridge since they were purchased, one was just newer than the other. How much difference could it really make, and would I be able to notice a difference if I tried them side by side?