Growlers: Lost Forty IPA Series, Flyway Old Glass Eye, Stone's Throw Double Release

Current local beer recommendation: Early Bird IPA (updated recipe) from Flyway Brewing (available at the Flyway taproom on draft and in growlers to go)
Lost Forty’s 2020 IPA experiments continue today at its Freshcut Monday release event. Hoppy New Year pilot batch #2 is a lower ABV ale at 4.2%, but the hop profile suggests it won’t be light on flavor. The brew team poured Chinook, El Dorado and Mosaic hops into this batch for notes of orange and berries with a dry finish. I got to stop in and try the first batch, which was exceptionally clean and easy to drink. As with the first batch, Lost Forty will be taking feedback and working toward a wider release later this year. We don’t yet know how many of these Hoppy New Year pilots will be coming out, but given Lost Forty’s quality it’s worth making a trip to check out anything new the brewery puts out. Hoppy New Year pilot batch #2 hits the tapwall at 4 p.m. today.
Flyway Brewing is bringing back an old favorite under a new name. Old Glass Eye Oaked Ale is a 6.8% ABV brew with just a hint of aging on the finish. It’s really a clean, easy-drinking ale that used to be called Old Decoy. Old Glass Eye is a reference to the fake eyes on a decoy duck used during hunting season. Old Glass Eye is slated to return to Flyway on Wednesday. Flyway is also hosting its regular fly-tying night this evening with Arkansas Fly Fishers and will hold its Bingo night tomorrow at 7 p.m.
Stone’s Throw Brewing is venturing to the hilariously dark side of the force this week with a pair of Space Balls-themed releases for its #NewBrewFriday. First up is The Schwartz! Schwarzbier, a 5% ABV dark lager with a light body and clean finish. It’s very similar to a pilsner but with a rich, black color from the dark malts. Stone’s Throw took some of this batch of The Schwartz! and used it to create Dark Helmet, which is infused with roasted breakfast blend coffee from Guillermo’s. The brew team added the coffee during the final carbonation stage, which allows the flavor to shine through more effectively and reduces the bitterness from the coffee beans. Both The Schwartz! and Dark Helmet go on tap at Stone’s Throw’s MacPark location Friday at 4 p.m.
There’s nothing new coming from Rebel Kettle Brewing Company this week. However, Rebel Kettle last week released a couple of new brews in four-packs that are still available at the taproom. Strawberry Flex is a 5.6% ABV IPA brewed with strawberry puree, pie crusts and lactose for a flavor profile resembling a creamy strawberry pie. Also available is Peach Wheat, a 5% ABV wheat ale brewed with plenty of peach puree. Both of these are newcomers to Rebel Kettle and are available only at the taproom.
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