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City Star Brewing

City Star Releases Biggest Beer Yet

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For Immediate Release:
City Star Brewing Releases Biggest Beer yet: Outlaw Whisky Barrel Aged Imperial Stout, weighing in at 14% abv.

The latest in the City Star Zoller Barrel Aged Series will be released in the City Star taproom Saturday, February 2nd, Outlaw. The 2019 vintage of this imperial stout was aged 1 year in Spirit Hound Distillers whisky oak barrels and weighs in at a whopping 14% abv. Flavors of rich chocolate, toffee, dark dried fruit, oak, vanilla and of course American whiskey. A rich and creamy mouthfeel leaves you lingering for another pour.

A limited supply of orange and vanilla Outlaw variants will be available in bottles for purchase and sampling on Saturday only. Heirloom navel oranges were zested and soaked in Gran Marnier to infuse Outlaw for about 100 bottles. The vanilla variant features a brewhouse made tincture of Madagascar vanilla beans to feature in about 100 bottles.

Outlaw: $18/22oz bottle, $9/10oz on draft, $3.50/4oz tasters (tax included in prices)
Outlaw + Orange: $20/22oz bottle (6 bottle limit), Saturday only: $10/10oz and $4/4oz
Outlaw + Vanilla: $20/22oz bottle (6 bottle limit), Saturday only: $10/10oz and $4/4oz

Catch a glimpse of City Star’s labor intensive bottling process in action early in the day during the release. Interested in 2017 Outlaw? There will be a few bottles in the taproom for some vertical tasting fun!

Scratch and Sniff – Homegrown Fresh Hop IPA Release

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Homegrown Fresh Hop IPA release today at 2pm (growlers welcome)! We know many of you are just as excited as we are to taste one of our beers featuring our homegrown Centennial hops. There’s something special about watching these bines (not a type-o!) grow through summer and then literally enjoying the fruits of their labor. John pulled hops before last weekend’s snow to wet hop two American IPA kegs for release in the taproom only. That’s under an hour from bine to beer! Definitely a dream of John’s. We are excited to share this special beer!

What are hops and who is Harley?

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City Star Brewing Gears up for its 6th Annual Hops and Harley Festival
Hops and Harley will take place on Saturday, June 23rd in downtown Berthoud’s Fickel Park, just 3 blocks west of City Star Brewing. It’s free to attend, and there is fun for the whole family!

What are hops and who is Harley?
Harley’s story is one of rags to riches. Harley spent 10 years suffering abuse in a small cage in a puppy mill, never knowing the touch of a kind hand … until he was rescued and found a loving home. During his 5 years of freedom, this tiny Chihuahua raised more than $1,000,000 to set-free and care for puppy mill dogs. He educated and inspired people world-wide, teaching them that they, too, can make a difference. Harley’s Dream was established in 2016 to create awareness and educate the public about the commercial dog breeding industry, also known as puppy mills. They believe that a grassroots approach by large groups of concerned citizens is the most effective way to bring about change. Their focus is to encourage advocacy by providing the tools necessary to educate children and adults alike.

Hops are one of the main ingredients in beer. As you’ll find across the world, many craft breweries love to find a local cause they can get behind. For City Star Brewing, helping Harley’s cause was a no brainer. City Star hosts this major event in Berthoud which not only raises awareness about puppy mills, but also offers folks a great time.

What to expect at Hops & Harley
Dog-loving people, live music, craft beer, and more! The Wendy Woo Band and South to Cedars will be performing on stage, and other events throughout the day include a grain sack race and other contests, Shoes and Brews Dog Jog, Mile High Harley-Davidson “Hogs for Hops and Harley” ride, ceramics and paint studio with Glass of Art, Wildfire Community Arts Center kids area, a wide offering of food trucks, activities for children and dogs, photo booth, puppy mill education, and of course…. great craft beer! City Star Brewing will be pouring a variety of beers including Harley’s Honey Wheat, and Spirit Hound Distillers from Lyons will have cocktails crafted with their award-winning spirits. There are several components coming together for a great cause. The music, beer, food, and family fun will make for a wonderful event. Hope to see you there! More information about Hops and Harley can be found at: www.hopsandharley.com

City Star Brewing to Release “Palomino” Barrel Aged Saison

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Palomino Bottle Release

The next release in City Star’s Zoller Barrel Aged Series is Palomino.

This Belgian saison aged 11 months in chardonnay barrels and 2 months with tangerine and soursop. Palomino has a light body and dances with gold color. A zesty fruit profile from the tangerine and soursop are present, while a slight tartness and wild funky flavor balances the beer. The finish is pleasantly sweet and dry.

Curbed Hunger food truck has also prepared a special duck confit sandwich pairing for the release. City Star will be opening all of their other bottles of barrel aged beers during the day on Saturday also.

Taste the Rainbow at City Star Brewing this St. Patrick’s Day

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City Star Brewing is releasing 5 magically delicious beers this Saturday, March 17th for St. Patrick’s Day. Guests can Taste the Rainbow for $10/flight.

In this craft beer climate where brewers are pushing envelopes of styles and what can go in beers, the City Star brewhouse dove into the task of crafting a line-up of outlandish brews that Lucky the Leprechaun would enjoy.  Adjuncts range from hibiscus, oak, cucumber, soursop and even a bit o’ glitter. A handful of breweries across the country have recently made a splash with this edible food grade adjunct. Beer purists have no need to worry, sparkle won’t turn up regularly in City Star beers.

“More traditional approachable beers are at the core of our mainstay line-up, but experimenting and pushing boundaries with specialties and special event infusions is just fun” says co-owner Whitney Way.

Summit Tacos will be out front at 3pm serving a special St. Patrick’s Day menu, and Longmont duo The Prairie Scholars will perform at 7pm. Lucky Charms flights will be available to enjoy Saturday and Sunday while beers last. City Star won’t be filling growlers of the Lucky Charms beers, but full pours may be enjoyed in addition to the beer flights.

City Star and Grimm Brothers Ladies Brew Together for International Womens Day

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Today the women of City Star Brewing (Berthoud, CO) and Grimm Brothers Brewhouse (Loveland, CO) come together to craft a special collaboration brew under the guidance of Grimm Brothers head brewer Laura Pilato. The group consists of women who regularly sling beer, crunch numbers, answer emails, and of course brew beer…. but today all are brewers. These gals will brew in solidarity with hundreds of women across the world for Pink Boots Collaboration Brew Day, coinciding with International Women’s Day.

Together Laura Pilato of Grimm Brothers Brewhouse and Whitney Way of City Star Brewing crafted an American Pale Ale recipe brewed with the Pink Boots hop blend, pomelo zest and pink peppercorn. The hop blend from YCH hops features Palisade, Simcoe, Mosaic, Citra and Loral hops. The collaboration brew will be named Calamity Jane, to continue with the tradition of City Star’s annual ladies brew.

City Star Brewing began participating in International Womens Brew Day in 2015, brewing a unique beer each year. In 2016 and 2017 the gals from Spirit Hound Distillers (Lyons, Co) joined in the brew and heightened the level of collaboration by distilling one barrel of each year’s finished beer. In fact the final keg of 2017 Calamity Jane and subsequent Pearl Pistol Spirit, distilled from Calamity Jane, will be featured in a special event tonight, March 8th at Lyons Fork (Lyons, Co).

“I think I speak for all the ladies at City Star Brewing in saying we are very excited to brew at Grimm Brothers Brewhouse… to work in a different and larger brewhouse under Laura’s guidance. In an industry where female head brewers are unique, we are fortunate to get to partner with Grimm for this special project.” – Whitney Way, co-owner and jill of all trades at City Star Brewing.

After today’s hard work 2018 Calamity Jane will ferment away at Grimm Brothers and be packaged for release on draft in both breweries’ taprooms on Saturday, March 31st. Colorado Craft Beer Week kicks off the same day… more than one great reason to enjoy a pint!

About Pink Boots Collaboration Brew Day:
Pink Boots Collaboration Brew Day was born from our members’ desire to take part in International Women’s Day (IWD) March 8th by raising the profile of women’s roles in the beer industry. Chapters and members of Pink Boots Society across the world get together along with supporting breweries and individuals, put on their pink boots and brew their version of the selected beer style. Pink Boots Society receives proceeds from sales of this collaboration brew, which it applies to educational scholarships for its members.

A Perfect Valentine at City Star Brewing: Sour Barrel Aged Stout finished with Cherries

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The latest in the City Star Zoller Barrel Aged Series will be released in the taproom on Wednesday, February 14th: Scarlet is a sour stout aged 9 months in oak barrels finished with cherries. She rings in at 7% ABV.

We absolutely love this darling! Soured with both lactobacillus and pediococcus bacteria as well as brettanomyces yeast (big words for excellent souring agents!). A blend of  Bing, Lambert, Van, and Royal Anne sweet cherries were added to this beer… approximately 50lbs of cherry per barrel. The beer has a velvety smooth mouthfeel. Luscious waves of cocoa roll along the tongue, and the cherry sweetness rounds out the sour flavor profile. Bottles will be for sale in the City Star taproom, and on tap for sampling. Each bottle is dipped in wax and hand stamped with the City Star Brewing seal.

City Star will also be hosting their 6th annual Chocolate & Beer Pairing for Valentine’s Day that evening. If you are interested in reserving a pairing, you can do so at citystarbrewing.com/chocolate-beer

Scarlet Bottle Release

City Star’s Darkest Beer for the Darkest Day of the Year

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As the sun hangs lower in the sky each day City Star head brewer John Way tracks how far it shines inside through the taproom’s new huge south facing windows. Solar noon is celebrated daily and well known by all those who work in the brew house mid-day with John. Fascinated by the Winter Solstice John Way originally crafted Widow Maker, his darkest beer of the year, with the darkest day of the year in mind. The sun won’t be shining tomorrow during the Winter Solstice (yay snow!) but Widow Maker will be as it flows from the taps. At 2pm Widow Maker Imperial Stout will be released on draft and in 22oz bottles, side by side with French Roast Widow Maker and Vanilla Bean Widow Maker. Bottles will be for sale at $12-15/bottle with a 1 case limit per person of each beer. 10oz pours, tasters, and flights of all three imperial stouts will be available to enjoy in the taproom.

More about the beers…
Widow Maker is a colossal Imperial Stout. This nod to the Winter Solstice boasts a big, bold and complex flavor profile of dark roasted malt, chocolate and dark fruit. Smooth, rich and ready to sip and savor.

The French Roast variant of Widow Maker Imperial Stout is infused with Denver based Dazbog’s French Roast coffee. Two pounds of coarse ground coffee per barrel are added to the conditioned beer for a robust 24 hour cold brew. Bold coffee mingles with the imperial stout’s dark roasted malt, chocolate and dark fruit flavors. Not for the faint hearted. Caffeine included.

The Vanilla Bean variant of Widow Maker Imperial Stout is infused with organic Bourbon vanilla beans from Madagascar. The conditioned beer is dosed with a tincture made in house of the scraped vanilla pods and tiny seeds. Sweet, dark roasted malt, chocolate and dark fruit notes showcase the delicate vanilla flavor and aroma.

To date City Star Brewing has only bottled barrel aged beers. The bottle release of Widow Maker is the brewery’s first non-barrel aged beer to be packaged. As supply is very limited bottles of Widow Maker and variants will only be sold out of the downtown Berthoud taproom. More specialty bottle releases can be expected in 2018.

Cheers to darker beers and longer days!

City Star Releases Second Round of Buccaneer in Bottles

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Buccaneer Bottle ReleaseAhoy:  Buccaneer has crashed ashore in land locked Berthoud, Colorado. Buccaneer is the next release in City Star Brewing’s Zoller Barrel Aged Series and will be available at the City Star taproom in Berthoud, Colorado on Saturday, December 9th at noon.

The 2017 vintage of Buccaneer is an American Strong Ale brewed with wildflower honey and aged 20 months in rum oak barrels. The alcohol by volume for Buccaneer finished at 12.7% with a flavor profile that is malt forward with notes of caramel, toffee, raisin, vanilla, and of course honey. This strong ale goes down pleasantly smooth in contrast to its abrasive name and will steal away your worries and make your stress

walk the plank at the end of a hard day. (Is that too many pirate references?)

Bottles will be available for sale at $18/22oz bottle and Buccaneer will be on draft for sampling. City Star will also have a limited supply of 2015 Buccaneer bottles available for a side by side vertical tasting during the December 9th release.

New in brew: A stout worth saving article in Boulder Weekly

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City Star releases the 2017 Outlaw Imperial Stout in bottles

By Michael J. Casey – November 2, 2017
Most savvy beer drinkers will tell you the same thing: The fresher the better. While true for the vast majority of American lagers and ales, some beers do benefit from a pit stop in a barrel and a little lag time in the bottle. It takes a little patience and some experimentation, but Whitney Way, co-owner of City Star Brewery, says she is enjoying “digging into the barrel-aged side of craft beer.”

Located in Berthoud and operating with a 3.5-barrel brewing system, City Star began playing around with barrel-aged beers in 2012 — it was a raspberry brown ale aged in a cabernet sauvignon barrel. It soon started bottling barrel-aged concoctions, starting with Outlaw, an imperial stout aged in whiskey barrels from Breckenridge Distillery.

“The response was overwhelming,” Way says. “Since then, we’ve been releasing a barrel-aged beer in bottles ever two to three months.”

If the response was overwhelming for the 2015 Outlaw, then City Star’s latest bottling, the 2017 Outlaw Imperial Stout, ought to garner even more enthusiastic acclaim. Aged in Heaven Hill Kentucky Bourbon barrels for 14–18 months, the Outlaw is loaded with dark chocolate, dried red fruit, black strap molasses, vanilla and plenty of boozy bourbon. It’s thick and rich, but drink it slow; at 12.75 percent alcohol by volume (ABV), the Outlaw packs one hell of a wallop.

“It was brewed to be a high-ABV imperial stout, brewed for those barrels,” Way explains. “In barrels, there is a little bit of evaporation that occurs, especially when you’re keeping beer in there for over a year.”

Not too mention the residual liquor absorbed by the barrels.

“We like to use barrels that are still pretty wet,” Way continues. “We really like the flavor [it] provides.”

The aroma of bourbon whiskey greets you once you chip through the black wax sealing Outlaw’s bottle cap and pry the beast open. It’ll come out swinging, but give it a minute or five to open up in the glass and let the air smooth out those edges — a solid indication the brew will only improve over time.

“This particular beer will definitely age well,” Way says. “We’ve had several different people who had a 2015 [Outlaw] and are drinking them side-by-side with the 2017 now. [They say] right now is the sweet spot for 2015.”

Do an Outlaw side-by-side comparison and you’ll taste what can be achieved by cellaring: the aggressiveness and heat diminish while the flavors deepen into a mellow, nuanced taste.

“That’s kind of the beauty of aging those big imperial stouts,” Way says. “A lot of those key flavors hang out and the beers just improve over time.”

Twenty-two-ounce bottles of 2017 Outlaw Imperial Stout can be acquired at City Star for $18. Grab one for the holidays and one for the cellar; 2019 will be here before you know it.

Original article source: http://www.boulderweekly.com/cuisine/new-brew-stout-worth-saving/