– Deschutes Brewery continues to experiment with barrel aging, making an imperial stout called The Abyss its latest Reserve Series release (Mirror Mirror, an oak-aged barley wine was the first). The Abyss, 11% abv, is available in wax-dipped 22-ounce bottles and on draft at select establishments.

– Denver-based Flying Dog gives us an early heads up on 2007 releases. These will include will include a new summer seasonal, two Wild Dogs and a new addition to their high gravity series, Double Dog Double Pale Ale. Double Dog, 9.5% abv and 84 IBUs, will be sold in four-packs beginning in April. The first Wild Dog release will be a “whiskey barrel-aged” version of the popular Gonzo Imperial Porter, and is due to hit shelves in the early Spring. The beer has already been brewed and transferred into used whiskey barrels purchased from the neighboring Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey Distiller. Plans are still being put together for the brewery’s other specialty releases to round out 2007.

– Oskar Blues in Lyons, Colo., has made Gordon its third year-round release. The 8.5% Imperial IPA was sold in hand-labeled cans last year. “The hand-labeled cans of Gordon we did last year got a bunch of big beer lovers really excited,” saids Oskar Blues founder Dale Katechis. “So we decided to put it in an official can, and work it into production throughout the year in some small fashion.”

Gordon is brewed in tribute to the late Gordon Knight, who founded several Colorado microbreweries. He lost his life in a 2002 plane crash while fighting a fire outside of Lyons, Colorado. “Gordon was a uniquely ambitious and giving man, and a hero to many of us here in Boulder County,” said Katechis. “He lived a very big life and loved big beer, this beer is our way of honoring him and how he lived.”

A small Belgian brewery won an important victory in its battle to maintain the right to describe its beer in champagne-like terms. De Landtsheer Emmanuel has been selling a beer produced with champagne-making methods under the name “Malheur Brut Reserve,” describing it as the world’s first “Brut” beer and the Veuve-Clicquot of the beer world.

French champagne producer Veuve-Clicquot Ponsardin then took action against De Landtsheer Emmanuel for infringement of trademarks and breach of rules on consumer information and comparative advertising.

Even after De Landtsheer Emmanuel stopped making references to Veuve-Clicquot, the champagne maker wanted to halt Emmanuel’s references to “method traditional,” “brut” and “reserve” in its marketing because they were words associated with champagne. But Advocate-General Paolo Mengozzi said because there are many makers of champagne the marketing did not violate the law.

“Such a reference cannot constitute an implicit identification of a competitor or the products offered by a competitor,” the advocate-general said in a statement.

Landtsheer Emmanuel now uses the champagne method in bottling three of its beers, and a second brewery headquartered in the small town of Buggenhout – Brouwerij Bosteels – produces a “brut” beer. This one, called DeuS, has received considerable attention because of its high price.

New beers – first time releases – to be looking for:

– The “Otter Creek World Tour” Brew Series continues with a stop in Finland- and then Scotland. “Helsinki Gold” is a golden ale is brewed with rye and juniper, and was inspired by the traditional Finnish beer “sahti.” Deliciously refreshing, with subtle undertones of juniper, Helsinki Gold will be available through December. The 6th new beer on the tour, “Otter Kilter,” a Scottish-style Wee Heavy, is set to release early January. The brewery is also handpacking special gift packs of favorite “stops on the tour.” The “Otter’s Selection” package includes four 22-ounce bottles.

– Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant has introduced Iron Hill Reserve. Each handcrafted beer comes in a cork finished, 750 ml bottle and ranges in price from $18.50 to $22.50. Iron Hill Reserve beers are available for sale exclusively at Iron Hill’s six regional locations. “We’re bottled up what our friends have told us are Iron Hill’s best beers,” says Mark Edelson, Director of Brewing Operations. “They are the perfect holiday gift for any beer lover.” For the first bottling, Iron Hill’s head brewers selected their top 10 beers.

– The St. Louis Brewery has released the first two beers in the Schlafly Reserve Series, both packaged in 750 ml silk-screened bottles with a decorative box. The beers are a 10.6% abv Bourbon Barrel Imperial Stout and and Oak-Age Barley Wine (10.2%) , which was aged on new Missouri oak.