New for you

The weekend is here, and area brewers have been busy whipping up new concoctions for you to check out:

- Twelve String’s High Note Black IPA (7.5 percent alcohol by volume, 81 International Bitterness Units) was inspired by the big Cascadian dark ale the Spokane Valley brewery did for its second anniversary in 2013, but is both more approachable and more complex, says owner Terry Hackler.

Indeed, the flavors come at you in layers: light roast, a pronounced peppery character from malted rye, and chocolate notes that emerge as it warms. A grab-bag of hops – Nugget, Chinook, Ahtanum, Columbus, Cascade, Centennial and Amarillo – provide piney and citrusy, herbal and spicy accents.

It’s been well-received so far, and “will probably be one that we brew now and then,” Hackler says.

- Hopped Up is dialing it down a bit with Everyday IPA (6, 60). The tamer, lighter-bodied beer has a touch of caramel malt sweetness and a slight smoothness from flaked oats, with some fruity tropical and lemon notes floating over an earthy undercurrent from Magnum, Falconer’s Flight, Cascade and Zeus hops.

“I call it sessionable compared to most of the IPAs out there,” says owner/brewer Steve Ewan, whose standard Mad Hopper hits 7.7 percent ABV. “You can drink a few and not get hurt too bad.”

- While pale ale is getting to be a somewhat overlooked style in these IPA-crazed times, Perry Street Brewing has produced several in its first year of operation.

The newest (picture above) is a golden-amber Extra Pale (5.4, 50) with a dry, rich, biscuity malt body from a combination of Munich and Maris Otter, and a huge, herbal Columbus hop character balanced by just enough Cascade to pull it back from the edge of dankness.

“It’s an all-out, let’s see exactly what Columbus hops are all about,” says owner/brewer Ben Lukes, who’s already planning the next in his series of single-hop pales.

- Slate Creek’s Sidewalk Surfer Pale Ale (5.8, 41) pours a deep golden with a fairly creamy mouthfeel, some light sweetness and citrus up front and a spicy, piney hop finish.

Bittered with Chinook, flavored with Citra and finished with Amarillo, it’s the first in a series of pilot brews being tested for an eventual warm-weather seasonal. “We’re working on a new ‘river beer’ for those hot summer days,” says co-owner/brewer Jason Wing.