Gravity Head 2014: Bullet Train to Blackout Town ... program, starting lineup and 14th starter voting information.

In keeping with recent content management resolutions, most Gravity Head blurbs have been posted at the NABC web site, and will continue to be. This is my blog, not the company nerve center -- if in fact we have such a thing. I'll be doing daily lineupdates in 2014 at www.newalbanian.com, not here. Following are the three most important links as we approach the 16th liver bruiser.

Vote now for the 14th and final opening day Gravity Head starter.

Gravity Head 2014: The starting lineup.

Gravity Head 2014: The Program.

Gravity Head 2013: The starting lineup.

We have a Gravity Head fan vote winner ... Three Floyds/Mikkeller Risgoop (10.4%) becomes the 14th starter.

(See this J. W. Lees note ... it's here, just packaged differently)

All of the starters (13 here, 1 to be determined by fan vote beginning on Monday, February 18) will be tapped and ready at 7:00 a.m. on Friday, February 22, when the Public House opens for Gravity Head tailgate breakfast. For the .pdf of this year's official Gravity Form, go here, and remember that starting this year, our Daily Gravity Form program is u-print only.

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%

16E. BELGIAN SPECIALTY ALE

Ellezelloise Hercule 9%

19C. AMERICAN BARLEYWINE

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

21A. SPICE, HERB, OR VEGETABLE BEER

Flying Dog Kujo Imperial Coffee Stout (nitro) 8.9%

Great Divide Chocolate Oak Aged Yeti 9.5%

21B. CHRISTMAS/WINTER SPECIALTY SPICED BEER

Haandbryggeriet Bestefar 10%

22C. WOOD-AGED BEER

Against the Grain/De Molen Bo and Luke 14%

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

23. SPECIALTY BEER

Three Floyds/Mikkeller Risgoop 10.4%

Saturnalia MMXII starters and other petty details.

Saturnalia MMXII already has been previewed. This year's liquid paean to the holiday season's thoroughly pagan origins debuts on Plaid Friday at 11:00 a.m. at the NABC Pizzeria & Public House.

The quick link to the Saturnalia program in .pdf format is here, with two minor corrections: Both Anchor Christmas Ale and Struise Tsjeeses Reserva are the 2011 vintage, not 2012.

NABC's Eric Gray, who has done every bit of this heavy organizational lifting apart from my old-school Microsoft Publisher program composition, offers the starting lineup of draft beers. All of them will be on tap on Friday morning, except Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale (already pouring) and NABC Naughty Claus, which begins its seasonal run today (November 21) at both NABC locations.

NABC Naughty Claus
Anchor Christmas 2011
Boulder Never Summer Ale
Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout 2011
Corsendonk Christmas Ale
Great Divide Chocolate Oak Aged Yeti
Great Divide Hibernation
N'Ice Chouffe
Sierra Nevada Celebration (already on tap)
Troubadour Magma
Two Brothers Hop Juice

18 Gravity Head starters named -- vote now for the 19th and final opening day selection.

Once again, as we prepare for the 14th edition of Gravity Head ("It's the end of the world as we know it") we’re allowing you to vote on the beer that will occupy the 19th tap.

That's right: 19th tap. Eric managed to squeeze in a few more beers than usual.

The starting lineup is here: Gravity Head 2012: The starting lineup.

When making your choice, please remember that the beers listed below are the only ones eligible for selection. The list here has been edited to remove the beers already selected to start, ones already designated to appear on specific dates, and those that remain in transit. For the complete Gravity Form program, go here.

Vote just once, and for just one beer, and submit to your choice to me at this e-mail address: istanbul85(at)yahoo(dot)com. Noon on Thursday, February 23, 2012 is the deadline for voting. I personally comprise the voting commission, and my decisions are final.

Fan Vote Eligibility List for Gravity Head 2011

13F RUSSIAN IMPERIAL STOUT
Bell's Expedition Stout 10.5%
Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout (2010) 10%
Stone Imperial Russian Stout (2010) 10.8%
Upland Teddy Bear Kisses Russian Imperial Stout 10.2%

14C IMPERIAL INDIA PALE ALE
Bell’s Hopslam 10%
Mikkeller I Beat yoU 9.75%
NABC/De Struise/LBS B’Urban Trotter 9.2%

15C. WEIZENBOCK
Schneider Aventinus Weizen-Eisbock 12%

16E. BELGIAN SPECIALTY ALE
De Proef Flemish Primitive Wild Ale (Surly Bird) 9%

18C. BELGIAN TRIPEL
NABC Le Diable Blonde (2010) 10.7%

19C. AMERICAN BARLEYWINE
Great Divide Old Ruffian Barley Wine 10.2%
Hair of the Dog Fred 10%
Rogue XS Old Crustacean Barley Wine (2009) Circa 11%
Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barley Wine (2009) 9.6%
Stone Old Guardian Barley Wine (2010) 12%
Three Floyds Behemoth Blonde Barley Wine 12.5%

21B. CHRISTMAS/WINTER SPECIALTY SPICED BEER
Haandbryggeriet Bestefar 10%

22C. WOOD-AGED BEER
BBC (Main & Clay) Bearded Pat’s Bourbon Barrel Aged Barley Wine (2009) 11%
Great Crescent Bourbon’s Barrel Stout 8%
Harviestoun Ola Dubh Old Engine Oil Special Reserve Conditioned in Highland Park 18-Year-Old Scotch Barrels Circa 11%

23. SPECIALTY BEER
Hair of the Dog Adam 10%
Shmaltz He’Brew Jewbelation Fifteen – 15th Anniversary Ale 15%
Sierra Nevada/Dogfish Head Life & Limb (Version 2, 2011) 10.2%
Stone Old Guardian Belgo Barley Wine 12%
Two Brothers Bare Tree (2010) 10%

Gravity Head 2012: The starting lineup.

(Updated at Noon on February 23; final lineup below)

All of the starters will be tapped and ready at 7:00 a.m. on Friday, February 24, when the Public House opens for Gravity Head tailgate breakfast. A final selection will be determined by the vote of fans (see below). For the .pdf of this year's official Gravity Form, go here.

00. NEW HOLLAND – STYLE UNTO ITSELF
New Holland Barrel Aged Charkoota Rye 8.4%
New Holland Blue Sunday “Gravity Head Sour Blend” 8.7%
New Holland Charkoota Rye 8%
New Holland Dragon’s Milk 10%
New Holland Envious Circa 8%
New Holland Golden Mean 8.1%
New Holland Imperial Hatter 9.4%
New Holland Silent Night 11%

5E. EISBOCK
Kulmbacher Eisbock “Bayerisch G’frorns” (2010) 9.2%

13F. RUSSIAN IMPERIAL STOUT
Alvinne Podge Belgian Imperial Stout (cask; 2009) 10.5%
De Molen Cease and Desist (a.k.a. Rasputin, Disputin) 10.7%

16E. BELGIAN SPECIALTY ALE (Fan Vote Winner)
De Proef Flemish Primitive Wild Ale (Surly Bird) 9%

19C. AMERICAN BARLEYWINE
Dogfish Head Olde School Barleywine 15.04%

22C. WOOD-AGED BEER
Left Hand Wake Up Dead (barrel-aged; nitro) 10.20%
NABC IX — Ninth Anniversary Ale (2010) 9%
NABC Oaktimus 10.7%
North Coast Grand Cru 12.9%

23. SPECIALTY BEER
Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron 12%
NABC/O'Fallon/Schlafly C2 Collaboration Ale (2010)(keg) 10.7%

The cask-conditioned, gravity-pour pin of NABC/O'Fallon/Schlafly C2 Collaboration Ale (2010) will be tapped on Friday, March 2.

All of the beers from Founders will constitute the now-traditional third weekend wave, starting on Friday, March 9. The Flat12 Winter Cycle will be tapped that day, too.

The list of beers eligible for the Gravity Head Fan Vote will be released next Monday, February 20, and the voting will commence from that time until Thursday (23rd) at Noon.

Starting lineup for Gravity Head 2011: "A Stacked Deck is Gravity’s Rainbow."

Following are 16 of the 17 Gravity Head 2011 starters, to be tapped on Friday, February 25. The 17th will be chosen by fan vote, which begins on Monday, February 21. Information will be posted on Monday morning.


00. THREE FLOYDS - STYLE UNTO ITSELFThree Floyds Barrel Aged Moloko 2009 (Bourbon Barrel Baltic Milk Stout) 9.5% Three Floyds Behemoth 2010 (American Barleywine) 10.5%
Three Floyds Dreadnaught (Imperial India Pale Ale) 9.5%
Three Floyds Mikkeller Ruggoop (Rye Wine) 9.5%
Three Floyds Moloko (Baltic Milk Stout) 8%
Three Floyds Owd Engwish Bawley Whine (English Barleywine) 10.5%
Three Floyds The Creeper (Doppelbock) 9%

13F RUSSIAN IMPERIAL STOUTNABC Thunderfoot (2010) 10%

18C. BELGIAN TRIPELNABC Le Diable Blonde (2010) 10.7%

18E. BELGIAN DARK STRONG ALEBrooklyn Cuvee Noire 8.7%

19C AMERICAN BARLEYWINENABC Jaxon 11%
Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barley Wine (2001) 9.6%

22C. WOOD-AGED BEERDogfish Head Burton Baton 10+%

23 SPECIALTY BEERBell’s Batch 9000 12.5%
Clipper City Heavy Seas Prosit 9%
NABC/O'Fallon/Schlafly C2 Collaboration Ale 10.7%

Now, read the fine print.

WINNER OF THE ANNUAL FAN VOTE:The annual vote to determine the final Gravity Head starter will begin on Monday, February 21. Choices will be drawn from remaining kegs in stock, with some of these excluded from the fan vote because they’re being saved for pouring at a later date during Gravity Head 2011.

SPECIAL NOTE: UNANNOUNCED BUT POURING ANYWAYAlso on tap at 7:00 a.m. on the 25th will be Founders Canadian Breakfast Stout, not listed among the official 2011 entries, but meant to serve as a pleasant surprise.

In addition to the Three Floyds contingent listed above, two non-gravity Three Floyds will be on tap on the 25th: Alpha King and a 1/6 barrel of Hell’s Black Intelligencer, an Oatmeal Stout infused with coffee.

Later in the evening on Friday, February 25, an unlisted keg of Upland Bourbon Barrel Winter Warmer will be tapped.

On Saturday afternoon, February 26, an unlisted keg of NABC Willett Bourbon Barrel Chocolate Stout will be tapped in honor of the visiting Daytonians, but is not restricted to them by any means.

On tap when Cavalier and John Host from Founders visit on Friday, March 11:Founders Backwoods Bastard 9.2%
Founders Black Biscuit 10.5%
Founders Breakfast Stout (2009) 8.3%
Founders Devil Dancer Triple IPA 12%
Founders KBS Kentucky Breakfast Stout 2010 11.2%

On tap for St. Patrick’s Day on Thursday, March 17:Stone Imperial Russian Stout (2009) 10.8%
Upland Ard Ri Imperial Red 9.3%

Barley Island's Muscles from Brussels, Humbugger and Damien temproarily are reserved pending a decision by the owner and brewers on which date they'll visit.

Here are the starters for Saturnalia MMIX, with many more to come.

Mike and I have selected the starters for Saturnalia MMIX, which kicks off on Friday, December 4 at 11:00 a.m. at the Pizzeria & Public House.

Download the complete program

Dozens of beers are yet to come, and they'll appear as the first wave recedes. Roughly two-thirds of the imports are in transit, and we'll just have to wait and see. Higher gravity latecomers might be shifted to Gravity Head duty. All in all, Saturnalia beers will be occupying guest tap space until January, so you have plenty of time to peruse and enjoy them.

American Saturnalia
Alpha Klaus 2008
Atwater Voodoo Vator Bock
Clipper City Yule Tide
Dogfish Head Punkin Ale
NABC Solidarity
Pyramid Snow Cap
Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale
Thirsty Dog 12 Dogs of Christmas Ale

European Saturnalia
Delirium Noel 08
Dupont Avec Les Bons Voeux
Etienne Dupont Cidre Bouche Brut
WinterCoat Oatmeal (firkin)