GUELPH, ON – Following on popular past installments including Welly Mammoth Imperial Stout and Wellington IPA, Wellington Brewery has announced details of the first release in the Welly One-Off Series for 2012.

Terrestrial India Brown Ale is a 5.9% abv ale that’s described as follows:

This beer has the rich malt complexity of an English brown ale with layers of roasted caramel and earthy characteristics. Terrestrial is more than a traditional brown ale, it has been hopped in the style of an American Cascadian Pale Ale. Amarillo and Sorachi Ace hops dance on the nose while being accompanied by the refreshing citrus bitterness of infused cascade whole leaf hops. This beer will allow your senses to soar and explore while being grounded to terra firma.

Terrestrial India Brown Ale will be released with a launch party at the brewery (950 Woodlawn Road West, Guelph) this Saturday, February 11th from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM . In addition to being served on both cask and draught at the launch, it will be available in 473 ml cans in the brewery store, and will also show up on tap at select bars and restaurants in Ontario.

EDMONTON, AB – Inspired by the success of Red Dragon and Blue Dragon, a pair of double IPAs released last year as part of the Big Bottle series of one-off beers, Alley Kat Brewing has launched a new series dedicated exclusively to double IPAs, kicking it off with Green Dragon Double IPA.

Just as the Red and Blue Dragons were brewed using a single hop variety – Simcoe for Red, Columbus for Blue – Green Dragon is also a single hop ale, brewed using Zythos. It’s described as having an aroma of “bready malt followed by citrus and floral” notes, and a flavour of “malt up front quickly followed by a mouth-numbing blast of citrus and piney hops and a long-lasting bitterness.”

Green Dragon Double IPA is available now in 650 ml bottles at the brewery and in select liquor stores in Alberta. New installments in the series are planned to be released on a bi-monthly basis.

VANKLEEK HILL, ON – The next stage in FeBREWary, a month-long series of beer releases and events from Beau’s All Natural Brewing, takes place this week with the release of Mates With Dates, the latest in the brewery’s Wild Oats series of one-off and experimental beers.

Brewed as a collaboration between Beau’s brewmaster Matthew O’Hara and UK-based master brewer and All Beer founder Alex Barlow, Mates With Dates is described as follows:

Mates with Dates is a truly experimental offering. The base beer is loosely modeled on an English brown ale. After the first fermentation we added crushed dates, cane sugar, more wort and Trappist Ale yeast to get a second fermentation going. The taste of dried fruit and spices are delicate but unmistakable in this luscious brown ale. Fruity to taste, then finishes dry.

To help launch the beer, Alex Barlow will be flying over from the UK for a trio of special events: a tasting night at Ottawa’s Arrow & Loon (99 Fifth Ave.) on February 8th; a Beau’s beer pairing dinner at The Blueberry Hill Bistro in Vankleek Hill on February 9th; and a tasting at WVRST in Toronto on February 10th.

Mates With Dates will be available for sale at the brewery and via Beau’s BYBO delivery service starting on Thursday February 9th.

SQUAMISH, BC – Howe Sound Brewing is bringing back two limited edition releases from the past in new batches this month.

The first, as originally announced back in January, is Total Eclipse of the Hop Imperial IPA, which was reintroduced earlier this week:

A high gravity India Pale Ale brewed with 100% barley, six varieties of hops, water and yeast. Extra barley malt nicely balances the huge volume of hops in this brew. (8% alc/vol & 90 IBUs)

The other is Megastroyer Imperial Licorice Stout, which was originally available in late 2010 as part of the 200th tap list celebration at Vancouver’s Alibi Room, and will be returning on February 15th:

This beer, as the name suggests, is not for the faint-hearted. It is brewed with seven different barley malts, blackstrap molasses, hops, water, yeast, licorice root and star anise. It has an intense depth of roast earthy flavour, with a pleasant licorice aroma. (10% alc/vol & 75 IBUs)

Both beers will be available on draught and in take home bottles at the Howe Sound brewpub, and each will be available via off-site retail as well – Total Eclipse at most BC Liquor Store locations, and Megastroyer at select private liquor stores.

TORONTO, ON – Double Trouble Brewing, a new venture from craft brewing industry veterans Claude Lefebvre and Nathan Dunsmoor, is getting set to unveil its first beer.

Hops & Robbers IPA, which is being contract brewed under the auspices of brewmaster Paul Dickey, is described as follows:

This is a golden IPA with an exceptionally rich and complex character. Fruity aromas of lemon with hints of pineapple combine crisply with toasty caramel flavours and a tasty malt backbone. Late hopping with cascade hops in a hop back, ensures more hop aromatics are retained in the finished beer. Made with pride and panache, Double Trouble Brewing’s flagship brand Hops & Robbers is refreshingly delicious.

Hops & Robbers IPA will be officially launched this weekend at a media event in Toronto, before being rolled out on draught at several bars and pubs including Betty’s on King, C’est What and Dominion on Queen. It’s also been submitted to the LCBO to be considered for retail sales.

VANKLEEK HILL, ON – Today may be Groundhog Day, but the folks at Beau’s All Natural Brewing have another large rodent on their minds as they kick off the FeBREWary series of beer releases and events with the earlier than usual launch of their spring seasonal Beaver River IPA:

Hoppy and delicious, Beaver River marries the typical flavour profiles of the British and American interpretations of an India Pale Ale. Expect a bold yet balanced presentation of hop bitterness, bready malts, fruity esters, and a blend of both citrusy and earthy aroma hops.

Beaver River IPA is available from today until May at the Beau’s brewery store and BYBO delivery service, as well as at select LCBO outlets throughout Ontario.

The release will also be celebrated at the brewery this Saturday, February 4th starting at 12:00 noon with a cask tapping, informal “meet the brewers” sessions, tours and tastings.

FREDERICTON, NB – Picaroons Brewing is teaming up with Fredericton’s Garrison District Ale House to launch a new cask ale program.

The first Picaroons beer to be offered using this traditional serving method is a version of the brewery’s award-winning Yippee IPA which has been dry-hopped with Amarillo and Cascade hops. It will tapped at the Garrison at 4:00 PM today (Thursday, February 2nd).

The same beer will also be available in take-home growlers at the Picaroons Brewtique, conveniently located next door to the Garrison in downtown Fredericton.

HALIFAX, NS – After an extended hiatus through the summer, fall and early winter months, Propeller Brewery has brought back its One-Hit Wonder series of one-off brews, and is relaunching it today with Propeller 2xIPA, a beefed-up IPA similar to the Double IPA released in the series last year, but with a higher alcohol content:

2xIPA is a full bodied, unfiltered Double IPA that is brewed with ample amounts of premium Pacific Northwest Cascade hops and is paired with a rich blend of 2-row Pale and Crystal malts. Following fermentation it has been heavily dry hopped with Centennial hops giving this bold brew a big west coast nose. 2xIPA delivers a huge amount of piney, floral, and citrusy hop aroma and flavor from start to finish that is moderately tempered by a sweet malt backbone. If you are a “hophead”, this one’s for you; big, chewy, resiny and fragrant. At 8.3% alcohol by volume and 85 IBUs, Propeller 2xIPA is not for everyone… It is a TRUE hop bomb, for TRUE hopheads!

Propeller 2xIPA will be available exclusively in growlers at the Prop Shop retail store while supplies last.

The One-Hit Wonder Series will continue with a new beer released around the beginning of each month until the busy summer season begins.

VICTORIA, BC – Phillips Brewing has brought back winter seasonal The Hammer Imperial Stout for another year – and as in 2011, two different versions are available:

Attention beer-drinking Comrades: The Ministry of Beer Quaffability has decreed that the Hammer Imperial Stout will once again be smashing its way back into your local liquor store!

The Party is releasing two variants of the Hammer – the traditional recipe, full of bold roasted flavours and creamy textures, and a bourbon barrel-aged version, somewhat mellower and highlighted with smooth oak and lingering smoke flavours.

650 ml bottles of both versions of The Hammer are available now in select private liquor stores in BC.

OTTAWA, ON – The Ottawa-based Clocktower Brew Pub chain has followed up the limited run Porter with a new winter seasonal, Clocktower IPA.

Put on tap this past weekend, the IPA hasn’t been fully described by the brewery, but a review on RateBeer notes that it is “a classy IPA with biscuitty malts (and) cascade hops.”

Clocktower IPA will remain on tap at all at all four Clocktower locations while supplies last.