The mystery Founders ale for Gravity Head is Bolt Cutter.

Reader Caleb reminded me that I forgot to reveal the identity of the Founders "mystery" ale for Gravity Head 2013, although everyone seemed to have guessed it, anyway.

22C. WOOD-AGED BEER

A harmonious blend of the base beer style with characteristics from aging in contact with wood (including any alcoholic products previously in contact with the wood). The best examples will be smooth, flavorful, well-balanced and well-aged.

Founders Bolt Cutter (15th Anniversary)

Founders Brewing Company

Grand Rapids MI

Base style: American Barleywine

Hops: A “mountain” of Cascades for dry-hopping

Bitterness: IBUs

Original Gravity:

Alcohol by volume: 15%

www.foundersbrewing.com

Gravity Head Twist: The Founders Backstage Series presents this 15^th anniversary Barleywine, with portions of it barrel aged (bourbon barrels and maple syrup-bourbon barrels), and blended with portions non-barrel aged. Named for the bolt cutter acquired by a Founders founder more than ten years ago when foreclosure seemed likely. But success was just around the corner.

Here are the 62 Gravity Head beers for 2013.

It's a day early, but let's roll with it.

We've added the Sun King and Flat12 contingents, as well as two each from People's Brewing and Upland. There have been a handful of cuts; another year's aging for them. Listed selections for Gravity Head 2013 are organized by style category, not national origin, as defined by the Beer Judge Certification Program: www.bjcp.org

Links to detailed listings: Sun King (Tapped Feb. 22); Founders, Flat12 and NABC (tapped March 8)  

Vintage dates are given only for those beers we can certify to be at least a year old by 2/22/13, and anywhere from 12 to 18 listed beers will be on tap at any given time after Gravity Head gets under way on Friday, February 22. We try our best to inform you, but know that taps can change suddenly.

In the coming days, we'll be releasing as much of the program information as possible here, and there'll be a .pdf of the Daily Gravity Form posted on-line for your convenience in printing. I'm telling you this because owing to prohibitive expense, it is unlikely that we'll be physically printing the Daily Gravity Form this year, although the format is unchanged, and you're free to use your own paper and toner. It may be just the impetus we need to get an app under way.

Following are the 62 (don't remind me that I swore we'd have only 50) strong beers being acquired for Gravity Head 2013: The Return of the Living Gravity Dead. This isn't a costume ... it's a way of life.

00. SUN KING – STYLE UNTO ITSELF

Sun King Batch 666: Sympathy for the Devil 11%

Sun King Batch 777: Touched By An Angel 10%

Sun King Big Iron 10%

Sun King Dominator 8%

Sun King Timmie 10%

Sun King Wee Muckle 8%

5E. EISBOCK

Kulmbacher Eisbock “Bayerisch G’frorns” (2010) 9.2%

9E STRONG SCOTCH ALE (WEE HEAVY)

Big Dawg Claymore 180 Shilling Scotch Ale 12%

Dark Horse Scotty Karate 9.75%

13F RUSSIAN IMPERIAL STOUT
BBC (Shelbyville Road) Tsar Bomba 12.5%

Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout (2011) 10%

Flat12 Pinko Russian Imperial Stout 10.3%

Founders Imperial Stout (2011) 10.5%

Great Divide Yeti (2011) 9.5%

Stone Imperial Russian Stout (2011) 10.8%

Victory Storm King (2011) 9.1%

14C IMPERIAL INDIA PALE ALE

Bell’s Hopslam 10%

Flat12 Highway to Hops 10%

Flat12 Winter Cycle 9.3%

NABC/De Struise/LBS B’Urban Trotter (2011) 9.2%

People’s Space Cowboy 9%

Upland Double Dragonfly 9.1%

16E. BELGIAN SPECIALTY ALE

Ellezelloise Hercule 9%

Urthel Samaranth Quadrium 11.5%

18C. BELGIAN TRIPEL

Schlafly Tripel 10%

19A. OLD ALE

Founders Curmudgeon Old Ale 9.8%

19B. ENGLISH BARLEYWINE

Harpoon Barleywine (Leviathan Series) (2011) 10%

North Coast Old Stock Ale 11.9%

Upland Winter Warmer 8.5%

19C. AMERICAN BARLEYWINE

Bell’s Third Coast Old Ale (2011) 10.2%

Rogue XS Old Crustacean Barley Wine (2011) Circa 11%

Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barley Wine (2006) 9.6%.

Stone Old Guardian Barley Wine (2012) 12%

21A. SPICE, HERB, OR VEGETABLE BEER

Flying Dog Kujo Imperial Coffee Stout (nitro) 8.9%

Founders Breakfast Stout (2011) 8.3%

Great Divide Chocolate Oak Aged Yeti 9.5%

Great Divide Espresso Oak Aged Yeti (2011) 9.5%

Southern Tier Jah-va 10.6%

21B. CHRISTMAS/WINTER SPECIALTY SPICED BEER

Haandbryggeriet Bestefar 10%

22C. WOOD-AGED BEER

Against the Grain/De Molen Bo and Luke 14%

Flat12 Bourbon Barrel Winter Cycle Double IPA (2012) 9.4%

Flat12 Pinko RIS KGBaylor (Pappy Van Winkle) 11%

Flat12 Pinko RIS Nitro (Pappy Van Winkle) 10.5%

Founders Backwoods Bastard (2012) 10.2%

Founders Bolt Cutter (15^th Anniversary) 15%

Great Divide Oak Aged Yeti (2011) 9.5%

J. W. Lees Vintage Harvest Ale … Lagavulin Scotch (Islay) barrel-conditioned (2011; cask-conditioned) Circa 11.5%

NABC IX — Ninth Anniversary Ale (2010) Circa 9%

NABC Bourbondaddy (2012) 9.5%

Schlafly Oak Aged Barleywine (2010) 10.2%

Southern Tier “Oak-Aged Imperial” Back Burner 9.6%

23. SPECIALTY BEER

Bell’s This One Goes to 11 11.4%

Brooklyn Brewmaster’s Reserve: The Companion Ale (2011) 10%

Harpoon Triticus Ale (Leviathan Series) (2011) 11.5%

NABC/O'Fallon/Schlafly C2 Collaboration Ale (2010) 10.7%

NABC Stumble Bus (2012) 11.2%

NABC Turbo Hog (2012) 9.5%

Samichlaus Bier (2010) 14%

Stone Double Bastard Ale (2011) 10%

Three Floyds/Mikkeller Boogoop II 10.4%

Three Floyds/Mikkeller Risgoop 10.4%

Upland Ard Ri Imperial Red 9.3%

26B. BRAGGOT

People’s Ardelle Christmas Ale 8.5%

Gravity Head 2013: Sun King's opening half-dozen and program listing.

01/31 Update: Full program listing included.

When Gravity Head opens on Friday, February 22, these selections from Sun King (Indianapolis IN) will lead the way.

00. SUN KING – STYLE UNTO ITSELF

Sun King Brewing Company

Indianapolis IN

www.sunkingbrewing.com

Gravity Head Twist: For Gravity Head 2013, our friends from Sun King in Indianapolis are in a category by themselves, as they’ve been in so many ways since the brewery first opened in 2009. Sun King has been a Hoosier brewing pioneer in numerous ways, from achieving critical mass through self-distribution to large-scale canning, and from tap room layout

to community partnerships. From start-up to institution in four short years, Sun King is helping cement Indiana’s expanding craft brewing reputation. Cheers to Clay, Dave and all the people at Sun King, and welcome to Gravity Head 2013.

These Sun King beers will

be on tap on Friday, February 22, when Gravity Head’s

15th bacchanal begins.

Sun King Batch 666:

Sympathy for the Devil

(16E) Belgian Black Ale

Bitterness: 34 IBUs

Alcohol by volume: 11%

Brewery says: “It was fermented with a blend of 7 different Belgian yeasts and (was) cellared in a 30 barrel bright tank … A melding of classic Belgian esters with a rich, roasty malt backbone. ” 

Sun King Batch 777:

Touched By An Angel

(18C) Belgian Tripel

Bitterness: 24 IBUs

Alcohol by volume: 10%

Brewery says: “Our yet to be released Belgian-style Tripel. Available at 2013 Indiana Winterfest for the first time ever.” 

Sun King Big Iron

(19B) English Barleywine

Alcohol by volume: 10%

Clay Robinson (owner): “A handful of beers, we come up with a really good name and then design a beer backwards to fit the name. We just brewed a barleywine that’s called Big Iron that’s going to be a really fun beer that we’re going to cellar for awhile before we let out. We’ll brew that this summer (2012) and probably release it later in the winter.”  

Sun King Dominator

(5C) Doppelbock

Bitterness: 23 IBUs

Alcohol by volume: 8%

Brewery says: “Exudes the aromas of brown sugar and molasses to go with hints of gingerbread and sun-dried raisins. A full flavored beer that finishes crisp and dry.”

Sun King Timmie

(22C) Oak Aged Russian Imperial Stout

Bitterness: 70 IBUs

Alcohol by volume: 10%

Brewery says: “A flavor packed RIS with hints of gingerbread, dark brown sugar and vanilla. Enjoy with caution!”

Sun King Wee Muckle
(9E) Strong Scotch Ale (Wee Heavy)

Bitterness: 30 IBUs

Alcohol by volume: 8%

Brewery says: “A large, malt-balanced ale with huge toffee flavors and hints of port-like character.” Wee Muckle won a Gold Medal at the 2011 Great American Beer Festival in the Scotch Ale division.

Gravity Head 2013: The poster.

As always, kudos to Tony Beard.

Flat12's six beers for Gravity Head 2013.

01/31 Update: Full program listings included.

The ever helpful Josh Hambright of Flat12 Bierwerks in Indianapolis has submitted the brewery's beer list for Gravity Head 2013. These will be featured alongside NABC's and Founders' beers on Gravity Head's third weekend (Friday, March 8).

13F RUSSIAN IMPERIAL STOUT

Flat12 Pinko Russian Imperial Stout

Flat12 Bierwerks

Indianapolis IN

Bitterness: 86.3 IBUs

Alcohol by volume: 10.3%

http://flat12.me/

Gravity Head Twist: Brewery says: “Brewed to age. Brewed for barrels. Hoppy, roasty and pure evil. In Soviet Russia, you don't drink Imperial Stouts, Imperial Stouts drink you.”

14C IMPERIAL INDIA PALE ALE

Flat12 Highway to Hops

Flat12 Bierwerks

Indianapolis IN

Hops: 100% New Zealand, Australian

Bitterness: Yes

Alcohol by volume: 10%

http://flat12.me/

Gravity Head Twist: The hops say it all. Here’s your Southern Hemisphere.

Flat12 Winter Cycle

Flat12 Bierwerks

Indianapolis IN

Hops: “6 different hops from 3 continents”

Bitterness: 107 IBUs

Alcohol by volume: 9.3%

http://flat12.me/

Gravity Head Twist: Described as Half Cycle IPA’s “pissed off Viking cousin.” Keep it up, guys.

22C. WOOD-AGED BEER

Flat12 Bourbon Barrel Winter Cycle Double IPA (2012)

Flat12 Bierwerks

Indianapolis IN

Alcohol by volume: 9.4%

http://flat12.me/

Gravity Head Twist: It’s what happens when your “pissed off Viking cousin” visits Kentucky. Aged 13 months. See pg 6 for the full Winter Cycle listing.

Flat12 Pinko RIS KGBaylor (Pappy Van Winkle)

Flat12 Bierwerks

Indianapolis IN

Alcohol by volume: 11%

http://flat12.me/

Gravity Head Twist: About Pinko RIS (page 5), Flat12 says, “Brewed to age. Brewed for barrels.” In this case, Pappy Van Winkle 23-yr-old barrels, with a nod to the Publican.

Flat12 Pinko RIS Nitro (Pappy Van Winkle)

Flat12 Bierwerks

Indianapolis IN

Alcohol by volume: 10.5%

http://flat12.me/

Gravity Head Twist: As above; aged five months in Pappy Van Winkle 10-yr-old barrels, and kegged for nitro delivery. Smooth.