Did you know there are over 1700 breweries in the United States as of 2010? That’s the largest number of breweries since Prohibition. It’s almost difficult to keep up. I’ll admit that when first heard of Nebraska Brewing Company back in October I said, “Who?”

After I had a chance to try some Nebraska beers (in Boston, no less) I quickly said, “When?” Well, that day has arrived. Working from a tweet from Nebraska’s co-owner Paul Kavulak, it looks like Nebraska beer will be in St. Louis soon thanks to Lohr Distributing. Current time frame to getting the beer in the stores should hopefully be 3-4 weeks.

With wins at the Great American Beer Festival and the World Beer Cup, I can assure you that Nebraska is no slouch. I’ve been told that we’ll be seeing both draught and bottles from NBC. Here’s a list of some of the beers they’ve been brewing up:

Black Betty Russian Imperial Stout

Black as night and every bit Imperial, this RIS was originally launched to tremendous accolades. Going further, this Stranahan’s Whiskey barrel aged version meshes the rich chocolates, the coffee-like aromatics with the sweet whiskey nose and drying character of the oak. Slightly behind on the palette are the hops – held in restraint by the wonderfully full mouthfeel and broad flavors brought on by the perfect blend of so many malted barley varieties. Ready to enjoy upon release and perfect for extended cellaring.

9.3% A.B.V. 83 IBU

Chardonnay French Oak Hop God

Contained within this bottle is an artful creation which began with our Hop God Belgian-Style IPA, then enhanced by a 6 month maturation in French Oak Chardonnay Barrels. This version of Hop God is a fascinating, big, bold Belgian-style Tripel hopped in very high amounts to concentrate citrus, grapefruit and floral aromatics in the nose. The addition of Chardonnay barrel aging adds further dimension and oak tannins to an already wonderfully complex Ale – bringing to mind tropical fruits and peach. We know of nothing that compares – enjoy!

10.1% A.B.V. 108 IBU

Chardonnay French Oak Melange A Trois

Our first beer in the Reserve Series, Melange A Trois begins with a wonderfully big Strong Belgian-Style Blonde Ale and moves into the extraordinary category through an additional 6 month French Oak Chardonnay Wine Barrel maturation. The essense of Chardonnay permeates while a subtle sweetness remains from the Ale itself. Oak tannins combine to create a fascinating mesh of dry, sweet, and wine-like character. One of our favorites!

10.0% A.B.V.

Nebraskadian Black Ale

There has been much talk and controversy lately over a fairly new adopted style of beer featuring the blackness of a stout and the hop character of an IPA. We’re bucking both the naming trends of a “Cascadian Dark Ale” and “India Black Ale” and calling our newest Brewer’s Choice beer “Nebraskadian Black Ale”. Perfect for the dead of winter, this beer was made with a unique, seasonally offered malt called Black Prinz which gives the beer plenty of darkness in color but with a very restrained roastiness. We also threw in a generous helping of Simcoe hops that we’ve been carefully hoarding for just the right beer. The result is wonderfully piny and slightly floral to the nose, sweet and fruity at first on the palate and then a bit drier, with hints of chocolate and a finish that balances again towards the hops.

9.0% A.B.V. 88 IBU

EOS Hefeweizen

This medium to full-bodied beer, pale to amber in color, is most accurately described as a Bavarian wheat beer. The aroma and flavor of this unfiltered beer is decidedly fruity and phenolic — a big word for a brew that tastes like cloves, nutmeg or sometimes vanilla with banana-like esters.

4.8% A.B.V. 10 IBU

Hop God

A beautiful golden crossbreed of a Belgian Tripel and a West Coast IPA. A remarkable explosion on the palate with spiciness, tropical fruit, and a firm citrus bitterness that will leave you begging for more!

9.0% A.B.V. 101 IBU

Lohr’s Cory King has said that he’s interested to hear what STL Hoppers would like to see from Nebraska in St. Louis. So, feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments.