Ymm, Beer!

[Lavabe]

Post # 6000: Couldn't tell if I should put this in this thread.
Must find me some of this:
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/590/20014

[devildeac]

Post # 6000: Couldn't tell if I should put this in this thread.
Must find me some of this:
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/590/20014

Nope. Shoulda gone in the "Favorite Snacking Apple" thread.

[bluebeer]

Couple of Christmas brews on the horizon: Bad Elf and Criminally Bad Elf (great names). CB&B will be getting 1 of each of these next week as he passes gas, err, passes through Raleigh next week. I have never had either brew.

Never had either of these either--looking forward to reading the reviews..

[bluebeer]

Adoration-Ommegang

I'd love to taste this brew but, at $14 ( ) for the 750 ml bottle yesterday, I decided to pass.

Ommegang announces our first Strong Winter Ale, named Adoration, becoming available from mid-October through December, all across the US.


Ommegang Adoration, brewed in the authentic style of Belgian winter, or noel beer, is dark, strong, malty and assertively spiced.


At 10% abv Adoration is not a lightweight beer, and is best sipped before a roaring fire, or on a sleigh ride over the hills to Grandma’s house. (But let someone else drive.) It would also be a tasty accompaniment to dark roasts and wild game. Even at the strong abv, the beer is well-balanced and not at all hot or fiery. The dark malts give it lush, malty flavors and aromas, strongly complemented by the five spices, including coriander, cumin, mace, cardamom and grains of paradise. Hopping is modest, as befits such a beer.


Ommegang Adoration is the first in a series of special beers to be released every two months through the end of 2010. Look for Chocolate Indulgence in January-February and then an entirely new group of beers throughout 2010.


Adoration is available on draft and in 750ml bottles only. You’ll need to look for it in your local retailers or taverns, as we have released it all to meet huge demand, and we none left to sell through our stores, either online or at the brewery. Let us know what you think.

Speaking of expensive beers, I was at my local store today and they had:
Brewdog Tactical Nuclear Penguin (32% ABV) at $60 for 12oz
and
Brewdog Sink the Bismarck (41% ABV) for $85 for 12oz...
I can't imagine who would pay those prices though I'm sure someone will..

[CameronBornAndBred]

Speaking of expensive beers, I was at my local store today and they had:
Brewdog Tactical Nuclear Penguin (32% ABV) at $60 for 12oz
and
Brewdog Sink the Bismarck (41% ABV) for $85 for 12oz...
I can't imagine who would pay those prices though I'm sure someone will..

[devildeac]

Adoration-Ommegang

I'd love to taste this brew but, at $14 ( ) for the 750 ml bottle yesterday, I decided to pass.

Ommegang announces our first Strong Winter Ale, named Adoration, becoming available from mid-October through December, all across the US.


Ommegang Adoration, brewed in the authentic style of Belgian winter, or noel beer, is dark, strong, malty and assertively spiced.


At 10% abv Adoration is not a lightweight beer, and is best sipped before a roaring fire, or on a sleigh ride over the hills to Grandma’s house. (But let someone else drive.) It would also be a tasty accompaniment to dark roasts and wild game. Even at the strong abv, the beer is well-balanced and not at all hot or fiery. The dark malts give it lush, malty flavors and aromas, strongly complemented by the five spices, including coriander, cumin, mace, cardamom and grains of paradise. Hopping is modest, as befits such a beer.


Ommegang Adoration is the first in a series of special beers to be released every two months through the end of 2010. Look for Chocolate Indulgence in January-February and then an entirely new group of beers throughout 2010.


Adoration is available on draft and in 750ml bottles only. You’ll need to look for it in your local retailers or taverns, as we have released it all to meet huge demand, and we none left to sell through our stores, either online or at the brewery. Let us know what you think.

Speaking of expensive beers, I was at my local store today and they had:
Brewdog Tactical Nuclear Penguin (32% ABV) at $60 for 12oz
and
Brewdog Sink the Bismarck (41% ABV) for $85 for 12oz...
I can't imagine who would pay those prices though I'm sure someone will..

Incredible. I thought the SA Utopia was the highest ABV and cost brew ever made at ~25-30% ABV and ~$120 for about 25 ounces. Both of these match/exceed that. I think I'd buy 750 ml of a single malt scotch or bourbon before I'd buy "beer" at that price. Like CB&B said:

[devildeac]

Bad Elf-Ridgeway Brewing. England

Haven't had many English brews for a while and this one looked intriguing, if only for its name. Glad I made the purchase and I think CB&B will enjoy his 500 ml bottle next week. It is a winter ale but is golden in color with a copious amount of lighter malts and English Cascade hops which impart a vibrant floral aroma and taste to the brew. The pale malts give this an almost honey-like sweetness. I'd guess the IBU about 40 and the ABV is 6% so you can readily enjoy the whole $6 bottle at one sitting and have just a bit of room leftover to try a few ounces of the Criminally Bad Elf in the same evening . Serve this with some shellfish or a lighter texture fish off the grill.

[devildeac]

Sweetwater Festive Ale-This one was sneaky. This is their winter ale and I had a draft pint last PM at The Biergarten, a nice little restaurant in Asheville, prior to our dancing the nite away, part I. This is a dark brown heavily malted brew (chocolate, caramel and black malts, I'd wager) with a hint of hops bite. What fooled me was the tastes (I thought typical winter ale but it has mace and cinnamon) and ABV (I guessed about 6% but it was 8.6%). I'm glad I only had 1 pint and no high gravity dessert beers to go with my club sammich and dee-licious sweet (potato) fries. Despite the high ABV it obviously did not taste rum-my to me and, the best part, it was their beer special and was only $2.50 for the pint. Usually, these high gravity ales are about $6-7/pint or they serve you 8-10 ounces and charge you $3-4 for the serving. I'd have this one again and any of you folks residing in Atlanta oughta try a bottle/draft of this.

On another note, I am calling EarlHopsandMaltJam out here AND via PM. Sweetwater has their Happy Ending out and I told him I want one. I don't want a Hummer as I can buy one of those here. I also would like a Donkey Punch but figgered I'd get infracted here and over yonder if I mentioned that again.

Festive Ale-Sweetwater-2010 bottled variety

A nice variation on the winter ale theme. Dark brown pour and a small head with a ton of chocolate and black malts and a faint taste of cinnamon. I have no clue what mace should taste like but they say it's in the brew. IBU probably about 40 and the ABV is 8.5% so it's a sipper. Probably would be good with a soft pretzel and some dark brown mustard or some aged cheddar and wheat crackers. CB&B will find one of these in his Christmas stocking, err, trader next week. Here are some brewer's facts:

Winter Coat Season – A strong ale brewed with generous amounts of rich malt, coupled with a taint of cinnamon and mace to keep you warm and toasted all winter long We Double Dog Dare You
Specs- 8.5% ABV and available in six packs, Liter bottles, 15.5 Gallon ½ bbl kegs (US Sankey) and 5 gallon torpedo kegs
Grain – 2 Row, Munich, 40L, 70/80, Carapils, Chocolate, and Black – Hops Centennial, US & UK Golding

Disclaimer: I did not drink this tonight after my Bad Elf. I tasted this over the weekend and forgot about it until tonight.

[devildeac]

Exit 4-Flying Fish Brewing, Cherry Hill, NJ

My exit growing up! This is an American rendition of a Belgian trippel and a bottle conditioned ale. Quite a surprise as the nose is grapefruity, something I'd expect from an IPA or IIPA but not from a trippel. There are also hints of banana and clove but they are very subtle. A bit more hoppy than I'd expect but with some candy sugar sweetness, too. You could have anything from a fresh fruit appetizer to a grilled fish with mango/pineapple salsa with this. You could even have this in a goblet for dessert with or without a fruit tart. I'd guess the IBU about 40 and the ABV is a very sneaky 9.5%. CB&B will find one of these in his Christmas sampler . Here are the brewer's comments/ingredients:

Malts: Malto Franco-Belge Pils Malt, Weyerman Acidulated, White Wheat, Demerara Sugar
Hops: imcoe, Columbus, Palisades, Amarillo (I think the 1st hop variety should be Simcoe)
Yeast: Belgian Abbey
Original Gravity: 21.5 Plato
Alcohol by volume: 9.5%
Formats: 12 oz. bottles, limited draft
Availability: Year round

[DukePA]

Ezzmarellda likes beer although she's drinking red wine tonight !!!

[devildeac]

Bad Elf-Ridgeway Brewing. England

Haven't had many English brews for a while and this one looked intriguing, if only for its name. Glad I made the purchase and I think CB&B will enjoy his 500 ml bottle next week. It is a winter ale but is golden in color with a copious amount of lighter malts and English Cascade hops which impart a vibrant floral aroma and taste to the brew. The pale malts give this an almost honey-like sweetness. I'd guess the IBU about 40 and the ABV is 6% so you can readily enjoy the whole $6 bottle at one sitting and have just a bit of room leftover to try a few ounces of the Criminally Bad Elf in the same evening . Serve this with some shellfish or a lighter texture fish off the grill.

Criminally Bad Elf-Ridgeway

Looked even more intriguing than the Bad Elf and it was. This is a barleywine and fairly unique. Pours a very clean/clear golden-amber color with rummy and medium caramel sweetness but not syrup as some barleywines can be. Some mild bitterness but, also, not over-powering like some barleywines (I'm talking to you, Bigfoot). Enjoyed four 125 ml tastes of this over 4 nights out of a sherry glass (for lack of a better description) and even the 4th night's sample had a small amount of foam left. A bit spendy at $7 for the 50 cl bottle but definitely worth the tasting but not a brew I'd buy every winter. I'll predict CB&B will enjoy this after he gets his bottle next weekend.

[CameronBornAndBred]

I'll predict CB&B will enjoy this after he gets his bottle next weekend.

[devildeac]

Brother David's Tripel Abbey Style Ale-Anderson Valley Brewing

Just about all the features you'd expect from this style with a pale yellow-orange hue, a mild amount of Belgian lace for the head and faint estery aromas of bananas and cloves. Very slightly spicy from the Belgian yeasties with the sweetness of light caramel malts and the addition of Belgian candy sugar to the brewing process. IBUs weigh in at 33 and the ABV is a hefty 10% and it is a bit boozey. This would be fine with a plate of fresh fruits for dessert or in a goblet by itself for dessert. I'll be sipping on the final four (heh-heh, I like that term ) ounces tonight, having enjoyed the early tastings of this bomber from CB&B over the prior two evenings. Thanks for the trader a few weeks ago!

[devildeac]

Sah'tea-DFH

Fascinating brew. Brewer's notes at the end but this is a light orange-yellow brew with little carbonation and lots of little white particles throughout. Brewed with rye malt, black chai tea and juniper berries and the other spices listed below. Tasted a bit like orange peel to me, too. Four of us sampled a 750 ml bottle of this last PM, probably at about 50-55 degrees from sherry glasses. This was fine as a night cap and would be good with pungent cheeses or a plate of apples and pears. IBU low and ABV high. Not sure I'd buy many of these at about $12/bottle but definitely worth a tasting.

A modern update on a 9th century Finnish proto-beer.
Brewed with rye, we caramelize the wort with white hot river rocks, then ferment it with a German Weizen yeast. In addition to juniper berries foraged directly from the Finnish country-side we added a sort of tea made with black tea, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and black pepper.

The spicing is subtle and balanced and Sahtea is a highly-quaffable, truly-unique brew with a full-mouth feel.

[devildeac]

Bigfoot 2006-Sierra Nevada

Just about 5 years old and the next to last one out of the cellar. CB&B gets the last one tomorrow in his trader. If he shows up. Definitely better than in January, 2007 when purchased as it is less rough and take on some sherry-like notes. Cloudy and medium to dark amber with a bit of whiskey and a bit of tobacco with a lot of bitterness in the finish. Not for the faint of palate. Little carbonation and tons of dark caramel malts. The IBU of this generally run about 90 and the ABV is always 9.6%. Lavabe and son of DD and I sipped this with some palate-cleansing pretzel nuggets and a Mac Intosh apple during our tasting tonight.

[devildeac]

Bigfoot 2007-Sierra Nevada

Not much different than the 2006 tasting but is was a bit darker with a bit less hoppiness/bitterness in the finish. Still with a ton of dark caramel malts to offset the resinous hop bitterness with faint notes of tobacco/smoke on the palate. A great pairing with sharp cheddar cheese and a MacIntosh apple. High IBU and ABV as with the 2006. I liked this a tad better than the 2006. I'll report back next Christmas with the last bottle of the 2007 Bigfoot bottling. I think I have 2, so CB&B will get one of these next year, too, assuming he's a good boy .

[CameronBornAndBred]

CB&B gets the last one tomorrow in his trader. If he shows up.

Unless I slide into a tree going down my mom's snow covered driveway of doom, I'll be there.

[devildeac]

Wait until you read what else we sampled tonight. If I tried typing any more, if would look like VDB's handiwork.

Or, a recipe for Jose Cuervo Christmas cookies.

[CathyCA]

Wait until you read what else we sampled tonight. If I tried typing any more, if would look like VDB's handiwork.

Or, a recipe for Jose Cuervo Christmas cookies.

Hey! I like those cookies!

[devildeac]

Bourbon County Stout-Goose Island

One of their reserve, limited release series. Awesome brew. As expected, it starts out as an onyx pour with a small, medium tan head and a bouquet of licorice, molasses and dark chocolate with a hint of deeply roasted espresso. It is an imperial stout and has a moderate amount of bitterness, guessing an IBU of 60-70 but tons of chocolate and other dark malts balance this wonderfully. Smooth and silky and almost oily in texture. As the name describes, it is aged in oak whiskey barrels and this gives the brew a moderate bourbon taste, further enhancing the prominent ABV of 13%. This is no doubt an after dinner drink/dessert beer best served at cellar temperature with or without a small slice of flourless chocolate cake/torte, chocolate pound cake or even a triple chocolate cheesecake. This may become my favorite imperial stout, except for the price of about $20 for the 4 pack . So it may not replace the old standard BBCS which is about $8 for the 4 pack but will certainly become a once or twice a year treat to celebrate special occasions. Like the 2010 National Championship . Yes, I'm still celebrating and will save one for next winter and another for 2012.

Bourbon County Stout 2009-Goose Island

Ditto the above only a bit smoother overall with very little head after aging since bottling on 10/2/09. This was our Christmas night dessert/nightcap and was served slightly chilled in 4 ounce port glasses to son of DD and Lavabe, who had the prescience to bring a large, previous frozen "Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Ever" from his birthday this year. Killer combination with little pieces of the triple chocolate chip cookie and sips of the BCS. That was the last of the litter as my other 2 went to son of DD and CB&B. Lavabe will be looking for this year's brewing when he returns to Kin-tucky this week. What a phenomenal brew!