Ymm, Beer!

[devildeac]

Didn't want bluebeer to miss this from the Milestones thread:


Bells Batch 10,000 Ale-Bells Brewing

I think I read and interpreted the brewer's notes correctly and ascertained that this was made from 100 malts and other fermentables and 60 hop varieties added throughout the brewing process. This was $5 for a 10 ounce sample served in a Bell's snifter with a buffalo chicken sandwich (mild) and an order of Tyler's garlic fries. The ale won. In a landslide. It was a nearly black pour with a 1 finger head and the complexity is really hard to explain. There was a bit of toffee, dark-dried fruits, unsweetened chocolate and dark rum. The hops were dark flowers and herbal. I guess the best characterization would be an imperial stout but it also resembled an old, strong English ale. Not sure it is even available in bottles and was not in the Raleigh-Derm area after calling several shops. I am quite fortunate to have found it on draught at Tyler's Taproom pre-game today. An outstanding brew.

[bluebeer]

Didn't want bluebeer to miss this from the Milestones thread:


Bells Batch 10,000 Ale-Bells Brewing

I think I read and interpreted the brewer's notes correctly and ascertained that this was made from 100 malts and other fermentables and 60 hop varieties added throughout the brewing process. This was $5 for a 10 ounce sample served in a Bell's snifter with a buffalo chicken sandwich (mild) and an order of Tyler's garlic fries. The ale won. In a landslide. It was a nearly black pour with a 1 finger head and the complexity is really hard to explain. There was a bit of toffee, dark-dried fruits, unsweetened chocolate and dark rum. The hops were dark flowers and herbal. I guess the best characterization would be an imperial stout but it also resembled an old, strong English ale. Not sure it is even available in bottles and was not in the Raleigh-Derm area after calling several shops. I am quite fortunate to have found it on draught at Tyler's Taproom pre-game today. An outstanding brew.

Wow..that sounds fantastic...I think the combination of old ale and imperial stout would be my dream style...I was originally planning on having something lighter and hoppy tonight but now I am craving some heavy and dark..

[bluebeer]

Old Horizontal-Victory Brewing (2009)

One of their seasonals, this is a barleywine they have brewed for a decade, I'd guess. Ruby-brown in color and massive amounts of caramel and dark malts with the requisite ton of hops for a potent floral nose and syrupy sweetness. It was a bit cloudy after 2 years of aging which I believe took some of the bitterness away and made is a bit more whiskey-like. The IBU are probably 80-90 as most barleywines are and this one will rock your night at 11% ABV. This is just fine for an entire evening's beverage being sipped from a snifter over an hour or more. One of the more drinkable barleywines, both when released and cellared for 2-3 years or more.

Oh, and BTW, karl hess sucks.

I grabbed a 6 pack of this last week and have already downed a few of them. This has always been one of my favorite barleywines but it's been a few years since I've seen it around..excellent review of an excellent brew..

[bluebeer]

Troegs Nugget Nectar--I may have reviewed this previously but its back in stock around here and had to do a quick plug again. An imperial amber that pours a nice clean orange/red. An incredibly well balanced beer with lots of bitter pine and citrus hops tempered by some sweet caramel malts. Nice dry crisp finish. I haven't quite lost the bug for heavy winter beers but this makes for a nice transition to spring. 7.5% ABV..

[devildeac]

Double Daddy-Speakeasy Ales and Lagers(San Francisco)

This is a brew I have never tasted, nor have I ever heard of the brewers. It arrived in the form of a bomber from CB&B's Christmas trip to Blacksburg. The pour is a cloudy orange-copper with a huge herbal and citrus nose with only a modest malt backbone. There are 4 Pacific Northwest hop varieties with 3 different additions of hops, including dry hopping. It is an IIPA so I'm gonna guess the IBU about 90 and the ABV is on the bottle at 9.5%, so it is a huge brew. I split the bottle over 2 nights and found it fairly similar each night. This would be fine with spicy or hot dishes but was also enjoyable with a few cheddar crackers each night. A and to CB&B for trying something new and sharing his choices with me.

[devildeac]

Weeping Willow Wit-Mother Earth Brewing

This completes my run through the menu from these folks from Kinston. Well, actually, I have not sampled their barrel-aged tripel but I suspect this is a brewery only offering. Pretty traditional stuff here with a light straw-colored wheat beer with a slightly cloudy pour, as expected. It is flavored with orange peel and coriander and the tastes are noticeable, but subdued. Light on the IBU, guessing about 10 with an ABV estimated to be about 5%. We had this as a tasting tonight with marinated and grilled pork tenderloin, smashed potatoes, fresh green beans and a pineapple casserole. This would better during warmer months with light chicken or fish entrees but is a very pleasant brew.

[devildeac]

Avalanche Amber-Breckenridge Brewing

I am surprised this has not been reviewed yet either. More traditional fare with toasty biscuit and light brown sugar flavors in a light brown colored ale. Bitterness is very mild with soft floral notes. IBU about 30 I'd guess with an ABV of about 5%. This was a better dinner pairing with the menu described in the prior post. Solid brew from a solid brewery.

[devildeac]

Banana Bread Beer-Well's and Young's Brewing, UK

I think Cathy mentioned this a few weeks back or perhaps I did and Cathy said she'd like to taste it. She'll have to settle for the written taste as my son gave me a bottle for Christmas but made me promise not to drink it until he returned for a visit which is this weekend. This was our final beer of the evening tasted at the end of our pork tenderloin dinner. Four of us divided a 500 ml bottle and 2 thought it tasted like a baked banana pudding with the browned meringue on top and the other 2 of us thought it was like sliced banana bread just thawed from the freezer. It had a prominent nose and palate of perfectly ripened bananas with a nutty taste of baked walnuts or pecans. It was a light brown pour, probably an amber ale base, with an IBU in the 20-30 range and the ABV on the bottle is 5.2%. A nice brew with our session and our meal. It would not have been a good beverage with the German chocolate cake we shared for a couple birthday celebrations tonight. After the company departs, I will finish off the 2nd half of the Sweetwater specialty bomber I started last PM and will review that after our game.

[CathyCA]

Banana Bread Beer-Well's and Young's Brewing, UK

I think Cathy mentioned this a few weeks back or perhaps I did and Cathy said she'd like to taste it. She'll have to settle for the written taste as my son gave me a bottle for Christmas but made me promise not to drink it until he returned for a visit which is this weekend. This was our final beer of the evening tasted at the end of our pork tenderloin dinner. Four of us divided a 500 ml bottle and 2 thought it tasted like a baked banana pudding with the browned meringue on top and the other 2 of us thought it was like sliced banana bread just thawed from the freezer. It had a prominent nose and palate of perfectly ripened bananas with a nutty taste of baked walnuts or pecans. It was a light brown pour, probably an amber ale base, with an IBU in the 20-30 range and the ABV on the bottle is 5.2%. A nice brew with our session and our meal. It would not have been a good beverage with the German chocolate cake we shared for a couple birthday celebrations tonight. After the company departs, I will finish off the 2nd half of the Sweetwater specialty bomber I started last PM and will review that after our game.

Did I say I would like to try this beer? It sounds like a beer I would like. I love beer, I love bananas, and I love banana bread. It sounds yummy.

[CameronBornAndBred]

Banana Bread Beer-Well's and Young's Brewing, UK

I think Cathy mentioned this a few weeks back or perhaps I did and Cathy said she'd like to taste it. She'll have to settle for the written taste as my son gave me a bottle for Christmas but made me promise not to drink it until he returned for a visit which is this weekend. This was our final beer of the evening tasted at the end of our pork tenderloin dinner. Four of us divided a 500 ml bottle and 2 thought it tasted like a baked banana pudding with the browned meringue on top and the other 2 of us thought it was like sliced banana bread just thawed from the freezer. It had a prominent nose and palate of perfectly ripened bananas with a nutty taste of baked walnuts or pecans. It was a light brown pour, probably an amber ale base, with an IBU in the 20-30 range and the ABV on the bottle is 5.2%. A nice brew with our session and our meal. It would not have been a good beverage with the German chocolate cake we shared for a couple birthday celebrations tonight. After the company departs, I will finish off the 2nd half of the Sweetwater specialty bomber I started last PM and will review that after our game.

Did I say I would like to try this beer? It sounds like a beer I would like. I love beer, I love bananas, and I love banana bread. It sounds yummy.

Wonder if it would be good for cramps....

[devildeac]

Magnum IP-Sweetwater

From the bomber: "At 100 IBUs and 9% ABV, this hairy chested mustache sportin' bikini poppin' Imperial Pilsner is always a hit at the King Kamehameha Club. Medium bodied like Rick and crisp like TC, this IP's short shorts on the sea shore sfit shnug in the 2lbs per barrel of Cascade and Sterling hops shimmied shupon shis shucker-Sheez!"

My thoughts are that this will change your thinking about pilsners. The 100 IBU for this style is almost unheard of, as is the 9% ABV, but that's why it's an imperial pilsner. The nose is like a fresh bouquet of spring flowers and the malty backbone is lightly toasted wheat bread drizzled with a light brown sugar glaze. Poured a hazy golden yellow with a small head and a slightly oily texture. Light enough to pair with simple grilled sea creatures and fowl but hearty enough to stand up to spicy sauces, too. This was about a $7 bomber bought in Asheville last month. Part of their limited release Dank Tank series.

[bluebeer]

Page 2

Port Brewing Mongo--A new year round IPA/IIPA by a great brewery. Pours a somewhat cloudy golden yellow. Huge hop bomb like biting into a grapefruit. Big citrus flavors with also some drier piney hops. A bit of sweeter malts for balance but overall a very hop forward brew. Harsh and lasting bitterness in the finish. This was one of the more bitter hoppy beers I've had in a while. After a winter of drinking stouts and old ales, it made for a refreshing change of pace but it still was a little harsh. I'll probably revisit this one on a warm summer night..ABV of 8.5%

[bluebeer]

Weyerbacher Heresy--It's been a few years since I've had this beer which is a barrel aged version of their Old Heathen Stout. In the past, I've only seen it in bombers but I managed to find a 4 pack of 12oz bottles. Pours black...Body is a bit thin for an imperial stout but still nice and rich. Lots of chocolate and vanilla with an almost fruity/funky note. The bourbon barrel aging adds a bit more sweeter booziness though its less pronounced than some other similar beers (like GI Bourbon County Stout). A really nice beer and a very drinkable 8.0% ABV..Worth trying to track down..I also grabbed a 4 pack of Insanity-their bourbon barrel aged barleywine..

[devildeac]

Weyerbacher Heresy--It's been a few years since I've had this beer which is a barrel aged version of their Old Heathen Stout. In the past, I've only seen it in bombers but I managed to find a 4 pack of 12oz bottles. Pours black...Body is a bit thin for an imperial stout but still nice and rich. Lots of chocolate and vanilla with an almost fruity/funky note. The bourbon barrel aging adds a bit more sweeter booziness though its less pronounced than some other similar beers (like GI Bourbon County Stout). A really nice beer and a very drinkable 8.0% ABV..Worth trying to track down..I also grabbed a 4 pack of Insanity-their bourbon barrel aged barleywine..

I found 4 packs of Quad and Insanity in Asheville about 6 weeks ago. I am on call tonight so I think my sampling will start tomorrow night.

[devildeac]

Bahl Hornin' Nettied Madge Black IPA-Anderson Valley Brewing

These folks have some strange names for brews. This was the featured draft brew at Tyler's Taproom Wednesday night for pint glass night. It was no black IPA but was more of a hybrid between an amber and an IPA. The color was amber with some malty/biscuity aromas and tastes. The hops were sprucey and the bitterness did not linger long. The ABV was 6.2%, a bit high for an amber and low for an IPA. I'd guess the IBU to be about 50-60. It was a good choice with the Reuben. I have enjoyed most AV brews more but this was a fine session brew, plus, I have a Booneville Beer glass in my collection now .

Next up, Old Ruffian.

[devildeac]

Old Ruffian 2009-Great Divide

I am having kind of a barleywine winter. This a December, 2009 release from Great Divide, so I will assume it was aged at the brewery an additional 3-6 months before this. Pretty much the expected roaring hop bitterness of the herbal variety and clocking in at 90 IBU. The balance is tipped toward the dark caramel malty sweetness, stopping just short of syrupy. It was a bit of a reddish-copper cloudy pour, surely originating from the bottle conditioning of the ale. There are also hints of tobacco and medium dark rum on the palate. This brew is just fine served at cellar temperatures from a snifter sitting by a fire, perhaps with a few whole grain wheat crackers and some sharp cheeses. Beware though, the ABV is 10.2% so plan on sharing a bomber of this with someone or cork it and enjoy it over 2 nights.

[devildeac]

[CathyCA]

I despise them.

[devildeac]

Schlafly Reserve Ale Aged on Oak-Barleywine Style Ale-2007 edition

Now this is the way all barleywines ought to be. The oak aging imparts the expected woody flavors (settle down Ozzie) but also really smooths out the rough barleywine edges from the super-abundant amount of hops used for flavoring and bittering of this type of brew. There are soft vanilla and dark fruit notes and the slightest hint of whiskey. The hops are a floral burst and the ton o' malts give the brew a bit of syrupy sweetness. I'll guess the IBU to be about 90 but this is highly quaffable, even at 10.2% ABV. Of course, this was a 750 capped bottle and I sipped it for an hour each of the last 2 nights. Friday's tasting was certainly a lot more pleasant than last evening's . BTW, this was a gift from Lavabe from their 2007 Christmas trip to our house and he/they are welcomed any time, especially with another Schlafly Reserve in hand .

[devildeac]

Schlafly Reserve-Imperial Stout-2007 Edition-Schlafly Brewing

This imperial stout was aged in bourbon barrels and picks up soft notes of vanilla, wood and fairly subtle bourbon notes. It is almost black but not quite as opaque nor as viscous as most imperial stouts. The bitterness is modest, probably in the 70-80 range, and the massive amounts of heavily roasted malts give this monster an ABV of 10.5%. This arrived in December, 2007 with Lavabe and ILJ and amazingly survived this long in its capped 750 ml bottle. Ideal as a dessert or after dinner drink and served at about 50 or even 60 degrees to allow all the aromas and flavors to tempt your senses. Needless to say, it took a couple nights to enjoy this treat.