Brewmaster Reserve

Brewers are kinda like mad scientists. We’re always tinkering away with some new recipe in our lab (insert maniacal laugh here). We’ve let our own mad scientist brewers unleash their brewing chops on the public. The result: our rotating selection of Brewmaster Reserve beers releasing roughly every 10 weeks. From barleywines to super-hopped bitters to crispy light lagers, it’s all about the love of good beer.

Past favorites have included Sunspot, Wreck the Halls, Slipknot, and Hopocity. And our perennial favorite, Old Boardhead Barleywine, comes out every December. But we never really know what the brewmaster has up his sleeve next. And that’s half the fun of it. Look for our latest offering on draft at select taverns and bars, and in 22 oz. bottles at retail.

2010 Brewmaster Reserve Line-up

Slipknot Imperial IPA - Available January to mid-March

As the name implies, every aspect of this American style IPA is amplified - from the upfront hop aroma and bitterness to the big malt body. This year we pumped up the American citrus-fruity hop character with Warrior, Summit, and Brewer’s Gold hops. Pale, crystal and Munich malts add the punch of malt and mouth feel to balance the hops. The golden-orange hue glows like the late winter Available in 22oz. bottles and draught. ABV 7.8% IBU 80

Top Sail Bourbon Imperial Porter - Available February until it's gone!

After its initial release in February 2009, Top Sail was aged for about 10 months in bourbon casks from Kentucky. This extended aging presents aromas of oak, coconut and bourbon. Deep chocolate flavors warm to a full-bodied beer. Deep black in color, Top Sail Bourbon Aged Imperial Porter has a roasty malt flavor that is immensely drinkable and smooth. Very limited availability in 22oz. bottles and draught. ABV 9.85% IBU 65

Full Sail Imperial Stout - Available March to April

A hearty brew that is black as night with a strong roasted malt character and a full body that should satisfy any stout cravings. Chocolate and caramel nuances blend with the hops for a smooth Imperial Stout. Half the batch will be racked in bourbon casks, after a year of aging it will be released as Black Gold Bourbon Barrel Stout in February 2011. It’s a stellar cellar beer, so make sure you put a few bottles away this year to compare it to next year’s bourbon barrel batch. Available in 22oz. bottles and draught. ABV 8% IBU 65

Hop Pursuit Extra Pale - Available March to June

As the sun rises earlier and stays out longer, we celebrate the coming of spring and the sprouting of this year’s hop crop with a new beer in our Brewmaster Reserve line-up. Hop Pursuit is a crisp, orange blonde extra pale ale with a medium malt body that’s chased by a ton of hop flavor and zing of bitterness. We brewed it with the less aggressive, old school craft brewing hops– Cascade, Willamette, and Mt. Hood– to celebrate more of the hop flavor and less of the hop bitterness. These give the beer a nice and fresh citrus herbal character without a lot of intensity; instead it has a softly flavorful character with touches of orange and lemon. We dry hopped for two weeks to amplify these delicate hop flavors. Available in 22oz. bottles and draught. ABV 6% IBU 55

Spotless IPA - Available June to September

Continuing our summer sun series, Spotless is named to honor our sun that has been spotless for over a year. This aggressive IPA has a rich golden color with a fruity finish. The beer is well hopped to 70 with Willamette and Zeus hops, lending the beer a bright bitterness and a rich hop flavor. Available in 22oz. bottles and draught. ABV 6.5% IBU 70

Sanctuary Belgian Style Dubbel - Available Mid-August to November

Rich malt aromas fill the nose. Flavors of biscuit and roast are rounded by a rich sweet malt character. This Dubbel is lightly hopped and finishes with Belgian yeast spice notes and a chewy finish. Available in 22oz. bottles and draught. ABV 7% IBU 20

Old Boardhead Barleywine Ale - Reserve 09 Released October 2009; Reserve 10 Coming October 2010

A deliciously rich barleywine that has spectacular depth and delicacy of flavor that is deep and robust. Its strong, sweet body is balanced with Centennial and Crystal hops for a pleasant hoppiness and finish. Makes a great cellar beer. Available in 22oz. bottles and draught year round. ABV 9% IBU 91

Lupulin Fresh Hop Ale - Available Mid-September to November

A veritable hops lovers' delight. Lupulin is brewed with fresh hops straight from the harvest. This beer has a bold hop aroma of citrus and spice and a nice caramel flavor with a pronounced citrus character. Available on draught only. ABV 5.8% IBU 70

Wreck the Halls - Available November to Mid-January

This annual favorite is a sublime hybrid of an American style IPA and a winter warmer. The result is a bold brew that celebrates the holidays with an intriguing blend of Centennial hops providing elegant citrus notes balanced by a backdrop of a rich caramel malt body. Dry hopped to amplify the aromas and flavor. Available in 22oz. bottles and draught. ABV 6.5% IBU 68

Brewmaster Line-up (pdf - 162kb)