Ymm, Beer!

[devildeac]

FYI:


http://www.investorplace.com/news-opini ... allow.html

[CameronBornAndBred]

081410145729.jpg

Yes..you read that right..1999. A bit out of my price range for a 12oz..but damn it was tempting.

Upon closer inspection, I realize that these bottles are only 9.3 ounces...for 11 bucks..and 9 bucks. Buck that!

[CameronBornAndBred]

FYI:


http://www.investorplace.com/news-opini ... allow.html

Bleah. I might be brewing out of necessity as opposed to enjoyable hobby.

[devildeac]

081410145729.jpg

Yes..you read that right..1999. A bit out of my price range for a 12oz..but damn it was tempting.

Upon closer inspection, I realize that these bottles are only 9.3 ounces...for 11 bucks..and 9 bucks. Buck that!

Ya shoulda bought a few bottles of the 2004/2005 vintages a couple years ago. I think they were abut $5 or $6 each when I last saw them. Wonder what my 2005 and 2006 Bigfoot and Samichlaus are worth now?

[captmojo]

FYI:


http://www.investorplace.com/news-opini ... allow.html

Does it really matter? Alcoholic beverage sales have a history of success during bad economic times. Folks want to drink away their troubles.

CHEERS!

[devildeac]

Sweet Sixteen-CB&B Brewing

Last bottle and still very respectable. I had a warning from the brewer ( ;) ) that it might be bad as it was very foamy so I poured it slowly but still had to wait a minute or two before decanting the entire contents of the bottle. I did not think mine was spoiled/outdated except for the foaminess. There was no taste of "wet cardboard" that I have detected in the past with bad beers, in fact, I thought this a bit smoother than the prior bottle I had, probably in May or so. I'd still categorize this as a barleywine but agree it had some characteristics of a red ale, but certainly an imperial red ale and not a session-type red ale. I'll send the brewer a note and see if it will be "in the rotation" again next spring ;) .

[CameronBornAndBred]

Sweet Sixteen-CB&B Brewing

Last bottle and still very respectable. I had a warning from the brewer ( ;) ) that it might be bad as it was very foamy so I poured it slowly but still had to wait a minute or two before decanting the entire contents of the bottle. I did not think mine was spoiled/outdated except for the foaminess. There was no taste of "wet cardboard" that I have detected in the past with bad beers, in fact, I thought this a bit smoother than the prior bottle I had, probably in May or so. I'd still categorize this as a barleywine but agree it had some characteristics of a red ale, but certainly an imperial red ale and not a session-type red ale. I'll send the brewer a note and see if it will be "in the rotation" again next spring ;) .

If the team repeats to the Sweet Sixteen...so will I.

[Lavabe]

Sweet Sixteen-CB&B Brewing

Last bottle and still very respectable. I had a warning from the brewer ( ;) ) that it might be bad as it was very foamy so I poured it slowly but still had to wait a minute or two before decanting the entire contents of the bottle. I did not think mine was spoiled/outdated except for the foaminess. There was no taste of "wet cardboard" that I have detected in the past with bad beers, in fact, I thought this a bit smoother than the prior bottle I had, probably in May or so. I'd still categorize this as a barleywine but agree it had some characteristics of a red ale, but certainly an imperial red ale and not a session-type red ale. I'll send the brewer a note and see if it will be "in the rotation" again next spring ;) .

Glad that you had a try of this after my posting the other night. I agree with the foam description, and I absolutely agree that it did not spoil. Foamy YES, but it was nice a few minutes later.

Mine was extremely smooth. You know, I may actually agree with the barleywine description, except that it did not taste very alcohol-ly. If it had a little more carbonation, I might lean more towards a red ale.

Regardless, it was a GREAT brew.

[devildeac]

Sweet Sixteen-CB&B Brewing

Last bottle and still very respectable. I had a warning from the brewer ( ;) ) that it might be bad as it was very foamy so I poured it slowly but still had to wait a minute or two before decanting the entire contents of the bottle. I did not think mine was spoiled/outdated except for the foaminess. There was no taste of "wet cardboard" that I have detected in the past with bad beers, in fact, I thought this a bit smoother than the prior bottle I had, probably in May or so. I'd still categorize this as a barleywine but agree it had some characteristics of a red ale, but certainly an imperial red ale and not a session-type red ale. I'll send the brewer a note and see if it will be "in the rotation" again next spring ;) .

Glad that you had a try of this after my posting the other night. I agree with the foam description, and I absolutely agree that it did not spoil. Foamy YES, but it was nice a few minutes later.

Mine was extremely smooth. You know, I may actually agree with the barleywine description, except that it did not taste very alcohol-ly. If it had a little more carbonation, I might lean more towards a red ale.

Regardless, it was a GREAT brew.

Generally, the high gravity brews have lower carbonation/foam as the the little yeasties tend to die at higher ABV levels, unless champagne yeasts are used. When you encounter brews like this and find them excessively foamy, they are often spoiled. Several years ago, I found one of my favorite all-time brews, Adam, from the Hair of the Dog Brewery in Portland, Oregon. It poured about 1-2 fingers of brew and 3/4 or more of the glass was foam. It tasted liked wet cardboard and, at about $4 per 12 ounce bottles, I for a while after pouring that one. Hard to say what caused it as it is a bottle conditioned brew and shoulda been good for years. Excessive heat? Prolonged exposure to light? Improper bottling? Any/all of the above?

I had planned on keeping the last bottle I had of Sweet Sixteen until the end of FB season but CB&B alerted me about his last bottle being potentially spoiled so I drank my last one last week. Still glad I did as I took no chances and savored the memories and the brew at the same time . I believe he told me the ABV was about 12%, but it really did not taste booze-y therefore the comment that I thought it had "smoothed" a bit in the last 90 days or so. If he brews an imperial porter again ( ;) ), get him to save you a bottle or two. That's another one of his finer creations.

[rockymtn devil]

Mountain Sun is on Pearl Street a block or so off the the pedestrian mall. I had a great BLT and enjoyed the Rasp. Wheat with the meal. It was very hot out and the beer
quenched my thirst. The Colorado Kind Ale I had for dessert was very hoppy and a brew I would buy even though I am not a confirmed hop head.

Boulder Beer Co. was having a private party, so we ate dinner at a place that if memory serves me right was called Lazy Dog and Naked Fish Sports Grill. The wait person suggested Hazed and Infused--another great beer that went well with the pulled pork (not as good as some pulled pork, but good never the less). I can not remember the other breweries close by, but time permitting I will peruse my literature/ maps that I used to find my way around. Somewhere I also had a pomegranate wheat beer, but that may have been in Grand Lake earlier.

The next day we returned to Fort Collins where upon I bought a case of Fat Tire and a 12 pack of Sunshine to bring home--cans are easier to transport.

Mountain Sun is one of the very best Colorado breweries. It's too bad they don't bottle their beer because it is truly only available at their restaurants (Mountain Sun and Southern Sun in Boulder, and the Vine Street Tavern in Denver) and a select few bears around the area. Very good stuff.

[devildeac]

Monk's Uncle-Tripel Ale-Pike Brewing

Another from the 7 brews they have started distributing on the east coast. Pretty typical of the style with a slightly hazy golden-orange color and a bit less fizz than expected but that's not a big deal to me and really shouldn't be. The esters from the 4 malts, organic pale and pils, wheat and aromatic give this a nose of banana and clove and a bit of lemon, apple and pear flavors. The Nugget and Saaz hops lend a tiny bit of pepper and floral notes. The IBU are 38 and the ABV is 9% so I shared this bomber with future SIL last evening. CLD and Mom had no use for this brew (more for the guys ;) ). This would be great with some of the fruity salsas mentioned in the "Salsa: the Condiment" thread and fish or chicken or with a fruit plate as an appetizer or for dessert. This was $4.50 or $5 for the bomber so not cheap but very reasonably priced and worth the cost. CB&B will see its twin in our trading session this weekend .

[devildeac]

Red Sky at Night-Clipper City Brewing Company-the 5th one of their High Seas series I have sampled. And liked. A lot. This is a Belgian farmhouse ale, or saison. Belgian yeast, candi sucre (also known as candy sugar :roll: )) and wheat malt lends notes of honey, saffron and apples to this medium golden, clean, crisp ale. I like the Hennepin (Ommegang) a bit better but this is quite pleasant and the ABV of 7.5% puts it somewhere between a session brew and a night cap. If folks in the northeast have the opportunity to buy a High Seas sampler (I think bluebear mentioned this), buy it as you'd get a nice assortment of their brews without buying a bunch of 6ers.

2010 version. Not much different. Refreshing farmhouse/saison style ale.

[devildeac]

Hey, CB&B! I think you'll like the Tumbler and Schwartzbier. Reviews to follow tomorrow ;) .

[CameronBornAndBred]

Hey, CB&B! I think you'll like the Tumbler and Schwartzbier. Reviews to follow tomorrow ;) .

I've already had a 6 of the Tumbler...good stuff, it's a different brew. Very "earthy". Had my last one tonight.

[devildeac]

Hey, CB&B! I think you'll like the Tumbler and Schwartzbier. Reviews to follow tomorrow ;) .

I've already had a 6 of the Tumbler...good stuff, it's a different brew. Very "earthy". Had my last one tonight.

i'll try to find a substitute before trading then ;) .

[CameronBornAndBred]

Sweet Sixteen-CB&B Brewing

Last bottle and still very respectable. I had a warning from the brewer ( ;) ) that it might be bad as it was very foamy so I poured it slowly but still had to wait a minute or two before decanting the entire contents of the bottle. I did not think mine was spoiled/outdated except for the foaminess. There was no taste of "wet cardboard" that I have detected in the past with bad beers, in fact, I thought this a bit smoother than the prior bottle I had, probably in May or so. I'd still categorize this as a barleywine but agree it had some characteristics of a red ale, but certainly an imperial red ale and not a session-type red ale. I'll send the brewer a note and see if it will be "in the rotation" again next spring ;) .

So I've opened another bottle after keeping it in the fridge for a couple of days. Damn this was one of my best brews. This one had very little foam (compared to the last 2 I opened)..lots of bite, poured cloudy. (Chill haze) High ABV on the nose and in taste, real heavy bodied. I have a few left, so they will make their way to a brunchgate or two for tasting. I've got to get to brewing my next batch of whatever..I'm thinking that might be a good project for Friday night. I've got enough grain and yeast for a couple batches, so I might just do another on Saturday evening or Sunday. That will ensure we'll have something different to drink for Alabama.

[devildeac]

Sweet Sixteen-CB&B Brewing

Last bottle and still very respectable. I had a warning from the brewer ( ;) ) that it might be bad as it was very foamy so I poured it slowly but still had to wait a minute or two before decanting the entire contents of the bottle. I did not think mine was spoiled/outdated except for the foaminess. There was no taste of "wet cardboard" that I have detected in the past with bad beers, in fact, I thought this a bit smoother than the prior bottle I had, probably in May or so. I'd still categorize this as a barleywine but agree it had some characteristics of a red ale, but certainly an imperial red ale and not a session-type red ale. I'll send the brewer a note and see if it will be "in the rotation" again next spring ;) .

So I've opened another bottle after keeping it in the fridge for a couple of days. Damn this was one of my best brews. This one had very little foam (compared to the last 2 I opened)..lots of bite, poured cloudy. (Chill haze) High ABV on the nose and in taste, real heavy bodied. I have a few left, so they will make their way to a brunchgate or two for tasting. I've got to get to brewing my next batch of whatever..I'm thinking that might be a good project for Friday night. I've got enough grain and yeast for a couple batches, so I might just do another on Saturday evening or Sunday. That will ensure we'll have something different to drink for Alabama.

Guess we'll be supporting the commercial brewers for the Elon game.

[CameronBornAndBred]

Hey, CB&B! I think you'll like the Tumbler and Schwartzbier. Reviews to follow tomorrow ;) .

I've already had a 6 of the Tumbler...good stuff, it's a different brew. Very "earthy". Had my last one tonight.

OK..through PM's DD and I both realized that we had each included a Tumbler in each other's trader pack.
We've since removed them and I'm now drinking his beer..which means that I will review it since it is my last one.
Sierra Nevada Tumbler Autumn Brown Ale.
This is just a different brew, and one that I like a lot. It has an "earthy" quality to it that is hard to describe. The aroma and the flavor both come from the freshly roasted malts..they go from the kiln to the mash tun much like a fresh hopped brew's hops go straight from the field to the boil. This quick time turnaround gives the ale a very unique quality. Pours a medium dark color, just below what you would see in a porter, and you get that "earthiness" tone from nose to tongue. It's hard to describe that earthiness other than to note the absence of what usually is in an ale. No citrus tones, no floral tones, very low bitterness, low head, moderate body. I'm looking forward to devildeac's review, maybe he can fill in the blanks for what IS there. Nice thing in this ale is that absence is a good thing, I'll buy a few more sixers before the fall is over. Shouldn't be hard to find, I picked mine up at Harris Teeter.

[devildeac]

Hey, CB&B! I think you'll like the Tumbler and Schwartzbier. Reviews to follow tomorrow ;) .

I've already had a 6 of the Tumbler...good stuff, it's a different brew. Very "earthy". Had my last one tonight.

OK..through PM's DD and I both realized that we had each included a Tumbler in each other's trader pack.
We've since removed them and I'm now drinking his beer..which means that I will review it since it is my last one.
Sierra Nevada Tumbler Autumn Brown Ale.
This is just a different brew, and one that I like a lot. It has an "earthy" quality to it that is hard to describe. The aroma and the flavor both come from the freshly roasted malts..they go from the kiln to the mash tun much like a fresh hopped brew's hops go straight from the field to the boil. This quick time turnaround gives the ale a very unique quality. Pours a medium dark color, just below what you would see in a porter, and you get that "earthiness" tone from nose to tongue. It's hard to describe that earthiness other than to note the absence of what usually is in an ale. No citrus tones, no floral tones, very low bitterness, low head, moderate body. I'm looking forward to devildeac's review, maybe he can fill in the blanks for what IS there. Nice thing in this ale is that absence is a good thing, I'll buy a few more sixers before the fall is over. Shouldn't be hard to find, I picked mine up at Harris Teeter.

I'd add that the "earthiness" that you taste is the freshly roasted malts and the "nuttiness" many brown ales have. This one tastes a bit like roasted almonds to me. Others taste like hazel nuts. (OK, you southerners, no "nuts, hot nuts" references here ) I think there's a bit of herbal flowers here, too, but not much. I'd guess the IBU about 30 and the ABV is 5.5%. I am finishing my 2nd from my 6er tonight and have traded 2 and will bring the others to Brunchgate or donate them to my son's or future SIL's collection.

I wouldn't but another 6er of this but would instead opt for the Brooklyn Brown Ale or the Duck-Rabbit Brown Ale or the Downtown Brown Ale from one of the California breweries if I see it again. I like to rotate my tastings/traders.

[bluebeer]

Port Older Viscosity--I had tried Old Viscosity before which is labelled as a strong ale but is almost an imperial stout..Here is the description from Port.."Code named by our brewers-”The Big Black Nasty,” this is monstrous dark ale is brewed to no particular style. Thick and sludgy like oil from the crankcase of a wheat threshing combine, Old Viscosity blurs the boundaries of Porter, Stout, Old Ale and Barleywines." Very nice beer..

Older Viscosity is a bourbon barrel aged version of its little brother..Pours thick and black from a corked 375ml bottles...lots of milk chocolate and vanilla up front with a bit of coffee bitterness. Bourbon comes in next with some mild oak. There is some booziness but far less pronounced than other bourbon barrel stouts. This was a fantastic beer. A bit sweet but not overwhelming. Smooth, creamy and too easy to drink for 12%...Among the best imperial stouts I've tried..