Written by Norman Miller for milforddailynews.com
Massachusetts had one of its best beer years in anyone’s memory in 2011, so it is going to be hard to top in 2012, buts several Bay State breweries have some big plans for the new year. This week, we’ll take a look at what some breweries will be doing in 2012.
The Boston Beer Company, the brewers of Samuel Adams Boston Lager, has many new beers planned and a change for one of its existing beers.
In the spring, Samuel Adams will introduce its new seasonal, Alpine Spring, which is described as an unfiltered lager with “bright floral and citrus notes.†The Noble Pils, which has been the spring seasonal, will become a year-round beer beginning in March.
Also being introduced later this year will be the Whitewater IPA, which is a “fusion’’ style of beer – it has both the attributes of a Belgian-style white ale and an IPA.
The new Brewer’s Choice beer, which was chosen by a vote of Samuel Adams fans, will be the Mighty Oak Ale, which will be available in the new Brewer’s Choice mixed 12-pack.
Finally, Samuel Adams will introduce two new Single Batch series beers. They will be the Dark Depths, which is a Baltic porter, and the Cinder Bock, which is a smoky double bock.
The Cambridge Brewing Company, which started bottling its beers for the first time in 2011, has planned new beers for the new year, including Sgt. Pepper, a farmhouse ale brewed with peppercorns, Weekapuag Gruit, Heather Ale, Mind Left Body and Red God.
Cisco Brewers will introduce two new beers to the Island Reserve Series. They are the Russian Imperial Stout and Tripel Bock.
Clown Shoes has several beers planned for this year. They include the Cocoa Monster, which will be an imperial stout brewed with cocoa. The Miracle will be a 5 percent alcohol by volume IPA. The beer will raise money for charities as party of Clown Shoes new Minor Miracles program.
Other Clown Shoes beers planned include the Let My People Go, which will be a pale ale, the Pimp Shoes Porter, Jah Love, which will be a Belgian witbier, and Fruit Cake, which is planned to be a Belgian quad brewed with the ingredients used in a fruit cake.
Harpoon Brewery also has a lot of plans this year. Rich & Dan’s Rye IPA, which was introduced as part of the 100-Barrel Series last year, will now be available in six packs.
The UFO White will be available in cans for the first time, and at least two new 100-Barrel Series beers are planned, including a White IPA.
In addition, two new Leviathan Series beers are scheduled – the Great Scot and Red Squared.
Jack’s Abby Brewing of Framingham will begin bottling some of its beers this year, possibly as early as March. The beers will be available in four-packs of 16.9-ounce bottles.
New beers from Jack’s will be Hey Diddle Diddle, described as a double India dunkel lager, and a still unnamed Baltic porter.
Somerville Brewing Company, brewer of Slumbrew beers, has at least one new beer in the pipeline, the My Better Half, which will be an imperial cream ale.
Wachusett Brewing Company will introduce a new imperial Black Imperial Pale Ale this month.
Finally, the Wormtown Brewing Company will continue to bottle its beers. Next up will be Dark Day, which is a fantastic black IPA, They will also expand its production of the draft only Red-Headed Bitch.
That’s a lot of good looking beers planned. Next week, I will take a look at new beers planned from breweries throughout the country.
Norman Miller is a Daily News staff writer. For questions, comments, suggestions or recommendations, email nmiller@wickedlocal.com or call 508-626-3823. Check out The Beer Nut blog athttp://blogs.wickedlocal.com/beernut/.