Ymm, Beer!

[devildeac]

Prickly Pear Braggot-Widmer

Very interesting and strange brew. A variation of a mead, this is a clear, golden ale brewed with honey, hops, malt and prickly pear juice, which is a fruit produced by Opuntia, a type of cactus. It pours with little head and has a mild syrupy sweetness from the beginning of the taste and throughout. Shortly after this cloying characteristic is tasted, the ethanol sets in and it is a potent one at 10% ABV. Not much in the way of hops to balance the booziness so I'll guess the IBU to be low, probably in the 10-20 range. This would best be served lightly chilled in a wine glass with a plate of fruit, cheese and crackers for an appetizer or dessert. This was part of the Widmer Brothers Brewers Reserve series from the spring and I got the last bomber from Total Wine on Friday and it was reasonably priced at $8.

[devildeac]

Dark Cloud-Mother Earth Brewing

One of the locals. This is a dark lager from about a 2 year old brewery in Kinston. More malt than hops with biscuity flavors and a clean, medium brown color and a small head. I'd guess the IBU to be relatively low as with most lagers, probably 20-30 range. Likewise with the ABV, guessing about 5%. This makes a very nice session brew and would accompany most anything from lighter sandwiches (turkey, ham, roast beef) to BBQ/grilled fare like chicken, ribs or brisket. Not quite sure it would hold up to spicy dishes. Don't think I could ever rank this in any top 10 lists unless I am limited to lagers but definitely worth a taste/bottle or pint on draft if you can find it in central or eastern NC.

[devildeac]

Lucky U IPA-Breckenridge Brewing

This is a rather interesting IPA. It pours a golden amber with a mildly foamy head and has a musty or dank nose and taste. I think the piney/herbal hops edge out the citrus a bit and, after looking at the ingredients, I can understand why. CB&B commented on one of the other reviews I did several months ago about using too many different hops and that kinda applies here. There is a nice balance with some carmel-y sweetness. This would be fine paired with grilled fish with a salsa that has a bit of fire to it. A curry would be a nice main dish, too. Here's the stat sheet from Breckenridge:

Beer Style: American India Pale Ale
Flavor: Nice forefront, hop bitterness with underlying malt character
Yeast: Top Fermented Ale Yeast
Malts: Two Row Pale, Munich, Carmel, Torrified Wheat
Hops: Amarillo, Magnum, Perle, Cascade, Apollo, Fuggle, Goldings
Color: Spun Gold
Bitterness Units: 68
Alcohol By Volume: 6.2%
Alcohol By Weight: 5%

A trader from CB&B. I'd certainly have another one of these.

[devildeac]

Oktoberfest-Schlafly Brewing

Guten Tag meine damen und herren. Das ist ein gut bier. Pretty traditional stuff here with a light amber colored ale with the nose and taste of a medium toasted biscuit with the slightest of hop bites. There is also a bit of caramel here. The Germans are clever folks here as a marzen is usually a spring beer but they manage to sneak it in twice a year in the fall, too for their Tailgate, err drunk, err Oktoberfest, which I think traditionally starts September 1 and goes until about Thanksgiving time. Ya know, they wear some silly ass costumes, too . A fine ale to have with the wurst you can offer. That would be the three brothers, brat, knock and bockwurst. Not a bad brew with grilled/BBQ chicken, burger or schnitzel either. I'd guess the IBU clock in about 20-30 and the ABV about 5%. Sent from Kin-tucky, with love (I think) by Lavabe via ILJ at the uva Brunchgate. Thanks for buying/sharing.

[lawgrad91]

Oktoberfest-Schlafly Brewing

Guten Tag meine damen und herren. Das ist ein gut bier. Pretty traditional stuff here with a light amber colored ale with the nose and taste of a medium toasted biscuit with the slightest of hop bites. There is also a bit of caramel here. The Germans are clever folks here as a marzen is usually a spring beer but they manage to sneak it in twice a year in the fall, too for their Tailgate, err drunk, err Oktoberfest, which I think traditionally starts September 1 and goes until about Thanksgiving time. Ya know, they wear some silly ass costumes, too . A fine ale to have with the wurst you can offer. That would be the three brothers, brat, knock and bockwurst. Not a bad brew with grilled/BBQ chicken, burger or schnitzel either. I'd guess the IBU clock in about 20-30 and the ABV about 5%. Sent from Kin-tucky, with love (I think) by Lavabe via ILJ at the uva Brunchgate. Thanks for buying/sharing.

DD, just how many Oktoberfests have you had, anyway? ;)

BTW, in the varnish zone where I work, Oktoberfest (this year) was Sept. 25. Halloween was in November.

[devildeac]

Oktoberfest-Schlafly Brewing

Guten Tag meine damen und herren. Das ist ein gut bier. Pretty traditional stuff here with a light amber colored ale with the nose and taste of a medium toasted biscuit with the slightest of hop bites. There is also a bit of caramel here. The Germans are clever folks here as a marzen is usually a spring beer but they manage to sneak it in twice a year in the fall, too for their Tailgate, err drunk, err Oktoberfest, which I think traditionally starts September 1 and goes until about Thanksgiving time. Ya know, they wear some silly ass costumes, too . A fine ale to have with the wurst you can offer. That would be the three brothers, brat, knock and bockwurst. Not a bad brew with grilled/BBQ chicken, burger or schnitzel either. I'd guess the IBU clock in about 20-30 and the ABV about 5%. Sent from Kin-tucky, with love (I think) by Lavabe via ILJ at the uva Brunchgate. Thanks for buying/sharing.

DD, just how many Oktoberfests have you had, anyway? ;)

BTW, in the varnish zone where I work, Oktoberfest (this year) was Sept. 25. Halloween was in November.

One. Last night with a Sam Adams Holiday Porter, which will be the next review. I think.

I have two others. One will go to my son this weekend as he visits the area and the other will go to a drug rep next week as a trader. ;)

[devildeac]

Holiday Porter-SA

Nothing special here, just a pretty solid dark brown pour with a nice head and mild tastes of mocha and dark caramel. IBU prolly about 40 and ABV was 5.8%. Not quite as good as the Samuel Smith's Taddy Porter but one of the better ones. Have this with some ribs, brisket, burgers or any BBQ items, even a bowl of chili. This is included in the SA winter 12 pack and was a trader from CB&B. Don't think I have had one for several years and I certainly enjoyed this one.

[bluebeer]

Holiday Porter-SA

Nothing special here, just a pretty solid dark brown pour with a nice head and mild tastes of mocha and dark caramel. IBU prolly about 40 and ABV was 5.8%. Not quite as good as the Samuel Smith's Taddy Porter but one of the better ones. Have this with some ribs, brisket, burgers or any BBQ items, even a bowl of chili. This is included in the SA winter 12 pack and was a trader from CB&B. Don't think I have had one for several years and I certainly enjoyed this one.

I wish they had this and Fezziwig in 6 packs..I hate buying the whole Sams Winter sampler for just a few beers..

[devildeac]

Holiday Porter-SA

Nothing special here, just a pretty solid dark brown pour with a nice head and mild tastes of mocha and dark caramel. IBU prolly about 40 and ABV was 5.8%. Not quite as good as the Samuel Smith's Taddy Porter but one of the better ones. Have this with some ribs, brisket, burgers or any BBQ items, even a bowl of chili. This is included in the SA winter 12 pack and was a trader from CB&B. Don't think I have had one for several years and I certainly enjoyed this one.

I wish they had this and Fezziwig in 6 packs..I hate buying the whole Sams Winter sampler for just a few beers..

I think of the 12 packs as "trading material" when I buy them. Drink one of each and then package the remainder up for a Brunchgate or drug rep and see what you get in return.

great way to pad my post counts, too

[devildeac]

Sch'Wheat-Sweetwater Brewing

Great name. Good beer. Pungent nose of lemon and orange zest from the wheat malt. Orange-yellow in color with a small fizzy head, the pour is surprisingly clear for a wheat ale with just the right amount of bitterness. Guessing about 20 IBU with an ABV of probably 5%. Not quite the right time of year for me for a wheat but I got this as a trader from a drug rep and it was a bit warmer in Raleigh yesterday (about 70) so I figured what the heck. This would be a fine ale for sipping on your porch in the summer, after mowing the lawn or with some light appetizers (melons and berries come to mind) or maybe some simple grilled chicken or tilapia with a fruit compote/salsa.

[August West]

I went to TW this afternoon to pick up some Bass Ale for Brunchgate tomorrow and some others to share.

The first one is New Belgium's "2 Below Ale" 6.6% ABV.

The second one is Eye of the Hawk, "Select Ale", 8% ABV.

We'll find out how good they are tomorrow. AW.

[CameronBornAndBred]

I went to TW this afternoon to pick up some Bass Ale for Brunchgate tomorrow and some others to share.

The first one is New Belgium's "2 Below Ale" 6.6% ABV.

The second one is Eye of the Hawk, "Select Ale", 8% ABV.

We'll find out how good they are tomorrow. AW.

They are both quite good, nice selections!

[devildeac]

I went to TW this afternoon to pick up some Bass Ale for Brunchgate tomorrow and some others to share.

The first one is New Belgium's "2 Below Ale" 6.6% ABV.

The second one is Eye of the Hawk, "Select Ale", 8% ABV.

We'll find out how good they are tomorrow. AW.

They are both quite good, nice selections!

What he said.

[devildeac]

Pumpkin Ale-Schlafly

Ahh, the famous cinnamon, nutmeg and clove fall ale with a hint of pumpkin. This was a medium amber ale with just hints of those spices from the glass and a full taste of them on first sip. It's pumpkin pie in a bottle with a hit of booze as this one notches the ABV mark at 8%, so it's really an imperial pumpkin ale, much like the Clipper City product. I'd guess the IBU at 20-30. As you might expect, this would be a pleasant beverage with a slice of pumpkin pie/bread/muffin, but also with a sweet BBQ sauce and ribs or brisket. I think it would make a nice pair with a cranberry bread or dessert, too. This was a treat delivered from the Land of the Lost by ILJ last weekend at Brunchgate .

[devildeac]

White Ale-SA

A trader from the drug rep who calls on the office. They label this an American version of a Belgian white ale which I think is reasonable but it's not a Hoegaarden. It is a light golden, slightly cloudy ale with probably Saaz hops and light caramel, pale and wheat malts. I'm not sure what the spices are but they are usually orange peel and coriander. IBU probably in the 20-30 range and the ABV is probably about 5%. A crisp, refreshing ale more suited for summer, fresh fruit and mowed lawns. SA products are always worth a try if you've never had one before and worth a repeat for quite a number of their brews.

[devildeac]

Winter Bock-Gordon Biersch

From the web site. I'm too tired to write much at this time of the day/week.

WinterBock is a strong, dark beer that was used by eleventh century Bavarian monks to help sustain themselves during winter fasts. These creamy bocks ensured that the monks would fast frequently. Gordon Biersch WinterBock is a classic dark double bock featuring 4 different types of malt: Munich malt, pilsner malt, dark roasted caramel malt, and black malt. This is a big beer with a lot of body, and is available seasonally from November through January.

Alcohol Volume: 7.5% Bitterness: 26 IBU Residual Sugar: 4.6%
Yeast Strain: Weihenstephan 34/70 Lager Yeast Hops: Hallertau aroma

I like the SA better and they call it an imperial bock instead of a double bock. Definitely worth a single or a trader which is what this was from my almost infamous drug rep now. Serve this slightly chilled as the caramel and milk chocolate flavors won't be obvious at very cold temperatures.

[CameronBornAndBred]

In honor of our first game of the season, I'm drinking a DFH World Wide Stout that I've had in my fridge for over a year. No review...just know that it is really, really, really good. GO DUKE!!!!!!!!

[devildeac]

Oatmeal Stout-Mendocino Brewing

Pretty traditional stuff here with a silky, smooth mouth feel, coffee and dark chocolate on the palate and mild bitterness. I'd guess about 40 on the IBU. It would be a higher guess if it was an imperial stout. The ABV was 6%. DPSlaw brought this and was a nice morning brew with the cranberry and pumpkin breads and some French toast and bacon. Thanks!

[devildeac]

Celebration Ale-Sierra Nevada

Their annual holiday ale which has been a very hoppy IPA about as long as I can remember which dates back more than 10 years. I'd guess the IBU on this golden, foamy pour to be 70-80 and rather piney and herbal. The ABV is always 6.8%. Would match well with spicy, grilled food or curry, neither of which we had at Brunchgate yesterday. But thanks to dpslaw again for the selection. I reviewed a taster I had of this at Tyler's recently and the draught is smoother but the bottled version is worth a try for a winter brew.

[devildeac]

2 Below-I got four outta his 12 brews. I'm happy with that settlement, rmd. Kinda tough to characterize this winter ale. It's a golden color with a modest head and probably reminds me most of their Hoptober. The pale/crystal/caramel malts blend nicely with the floral and grassy hops with a slight hint of pepper. My guess is an IBU of 30-40 and the ABV is 6.6%, IIRC, so it makes a fine brew to have with mildly spicy dishes, medium body cheeses and crackers and even some steaks or pork tenderloin. Plus, you still have room for a dessert brew. This will make a fine addition to a 6er at the final Brunchgate in the AM, too. Are you reading CB&B and ;) ?

DPSlaw brought a 6er of this to the Brunchgate and I'll just say this year's brew is not much different than last year's. A solid fall ale and a nice pair with some cranberry and pumpkin breads, sweet potato muffins and some tasty cinnamon swirl raisin bread.