Ymm, Beer!

[bluebeer]

Stone Highway 78 Scotch Ale--Another Scotch Ale..this one a collaboration between Stone, Green Flash, and Port Brewing. Pours a thin but deep reddish brown. Some typically sweet caramel malts and molasses up front which quickly give way to a nice smokey bite. Dark chocolate, roasted coffee, and some bitterness in the finish. ABV is 8.8 but very little booziness. More complex than other scotch ales I've had though not my favorite for the style. I had this one a few days before but i think I liked the Sam Adams one better. Still worth checking out..

[bluebeer]

Firestone Walker Abacus--Firestone Walker typically hasn't distributed in this area though they have brought a few of their special beers into MA for a big beerfest up here. Several were priced higher than I was willing to pay but I did manage to grab their double IPA (Double Jack) which I've yet to try and Abacus which is their barrel aged barleywine. Nice presentation with a boxed bomber that pours a very deep reddish brown. No head and almost no sign of carbonation. Huge bourbon punch up front with sweet malts, toffee, dark fruits, and vanilla. Very boozy which I really like in a barleywine. Some hop bite and dryness in the finish though this is definitely more of an english style barleywine compared to bigfoot or other west coast versions. ABV is a big 13% and I spread the bomber out over 3 nights as a pre-bed sipper. One of the best barleywines, I've ever had..

[devildeac]

Samichlaus-2004-Castle Brewery Eggenberg

I can't believe I still had a bottle of this. It ended up being all I expected and more. It most closely resembles a double bock but really should be called an imperial double bock with its higher octane. The pour is slightly cloudy (it has been in a bottle for 6-7 years) with very little head and prominent sherry and brown sugar notes. Bitterness is pretty mild, guessing 30-40 IBU and the ABV is a stunning 14% and has been every since I can remember. This is a dessert beer so sip and savor after dinner over an hour or so. Well worth the wait.

This really goes for both this review and the monster review..7 years of aging is very impressive..

Thank you very kindly. I truly value your insight (and palate ;) ) on this thread also. CB&B is no slouch either but he hasn't brewed or reviewed much recently.

[devildeac]

Black Raven IPA-Olde Hickory Brewing Company

This was the 3rd (and final!) six ounce sampler from Sir Edmond Halley's pub (Miles' favorite joint) from Friday night. A surprising and rare black IPA with lots of darkly roasted malts to balance the generous floral hop profile. I'd guess the IBU to be about 70 and the ABV is 7% so this was a nice pairing with the shared jerk chicken and black bean nachos appetizer and my blackened salmon wrap with slaw. The brewery is in Hickory, NC, so look for this on draft and bombers if you are in central and western NC anytime.

[devildeac]

Firestone Walker Abacus--Firestone Walker typically hasn't distributed in this area though they have brought a few of their special beers into MA for a big beerfest up here. Several were priced higher than I was willing to pay but I did manage to grab their double IPA (Double Jack) which I've yet to try and Abacus which is their barrel aged barleywine. Nice presentation with a boxed bomber that pours a very deep reddish brown. No head and almost no sign of carbonation. Huge bourbon punch up front with sweet malts, toffee, dark fruits, and vanilla. Very boozy which I really like in a barleywine. Some hop bite and dryness in the finish though this is definitely more of an english style barleywine compared to bigfoot or other west coast versions. ABV is a big 13% and I spread the bomber out over 3 nights as a pre-bed sipper. One of the best barleywines, I've ever had..

Sounds like a really nice trifecta with the SA, Stone and Firestone Walker brews. I am thinking it's just about time for a walk through the aisles at the two nearby Total Wine stores nearby to pick up some winter brews that may still be hanging around and look for the ones bluebeer reviewed.

[devildeac]

Milk Stout-Duck Rabbit Brewing

Pretty standard stuff here with a dark brown pour, medium tan head and mild espresso and dark chocolate flavors. IBU about 40 and ABV probably 6%. The lactose sugars give it a slightly sweet taste so it would be good with any chocolate desserts or with stews, chili and smoked pork or beef meats. I got 2 of these today from a patient so I guess I take care of my folks pretty well . I think my son will see the 2nd one when he visits next month.

[devildeac]

Black and Blue: 2009 Edition-Dogfish Head


They start with a Belgian golden ale style and add a bunch of black raspberry (according to my bottle; the web site says blackberries) and blueberry purees to give it a cloudy golden blue color. There is a bit of citrus as I believe this type ale is usually brewed with some wheat malt. Also, Belgian candy sugar is typically used for a bit of sweetness. The IBU are 25 and the ABV is 10% but it is not really boozey. I split this bomber over a couple nights last weekend so it was more enjoyable then. This would be fine in 4-6 ounce portions with a fruit plate appetizer or in a snifter with a fruit assortment, compote or cobbler with dessert. Heck, it was quite a treat by itself, too.

[devildeac]

Pangaea-Dogfish Head Brewing


Brewer's notes:

Pangaea

Availability: Limited
Brewed with ingredients from each and every continent, this is slightly spicy ale, with a mouthful of rich flavors. Pangaea is a great food beer.

Our list of worldly ingredients includes:

Crystallized ginger from Australia

Water from Antarctica

Basmati rice from Asia

Muscavado sugar from Africa

South American quinoa

European yeast

and North American maize.

Pangaea is released annually in the fall and is bottled in 750ml bottles.

In the video below, Sam talks about the inspiration behind the Pangaea project (while also managing to mention 'poop' and 'dinosaurs'). While we do realize that trying to bring the world together via ingredients in a beer bottle may not result in immediate and lasting world peace - we've gotta have goals!


My thoughts: The pour is a cloudy golden and the nose and tastes are both mainly ginger. There is also a bit of light brown sugar sweetness. Hop presence is floral but fairly light at 28 IBU and the ABV is 7%. This could be served with lighter, fruity fish or chicken dishes or easily as part of a tasting session. The price is fairly reasonable at $8 for the 750 ml bottle.

[Lavabe]

Pangaea-Dogfish Head Brewing


Brewer's notes:

Pangaea

Availability: Limited
Brewed with ingredients from each and every continent, this is slightly spicy ale, with a mouthful of rich flavors. Pangaea is a great food beer.

Our list of worldly ingredients includes:

Crystallized ginger from Australia

Water from Antarctica

Basmati rice from Asia

Muscavado sugar from Africa

South American quinoa

European yeast

and North American maize.

Pangaea is released annually in the fall and is bottled in 750ml bottles.

In the video below, Sam talks about the inspiration behind the Pangaea project (while also managing to mention 'poop' and 'dinosaurs'). While we do realize that trying to bring the world together via ingredients in a beer bottle may not result in immediate and lasting world peace - we've gotta have goals!


My thoughts: The pour is a cloudy golden and the nose and tastes are both mainly ginger. There is also a bit of light brown sugar sweetness. Hop presence is floral but fairly light at 28 IBU and the ABV is 7%. This could be served with lighter, fruity fish or chicken dishes or easily as part of a tasting session. The price is fairly reasonable at $8 for the 750 ml bottle.

Umm, what video below?

[devildeac]

Hoppyum IPA-Foothills Brewing

Yum is right. Ozzie got this and the next one (Baltic Porter) at the brewery about a month ago and specified I bring them to Brunchgate along with the duplicates he bought for CB&B. So, I obliged yesterday and brought CB&B's bombers to the Spring Game Brunchgate where we proceeded to dring his brews, leaving the duplicates in my "cellar." Just kidding, man. Next time we get together, you will get your bombers. Unopened.

On to the review. Typical golden-yellow pour and foamy 2 finger head with a blend of 4 hops: Simcoe, Centennial, Cascade and Columbia. This yielded a mixture of piney/herbal and citrus notes. IBU=70, which is moderately bitter, but, due to a strong malt backbone, not as bitter as your palate might imagine. Even Ozzie's tender taste buds were not overwhelmed by this amount of hops ;) . The ABV is 6.3%, so we had the chance to savor the 2nd bomber, the Baltic Porter,too. We had chips, dips, veggies, chili, slaw and no mayo potato salad with our all beef hot dogs and ground chuck burgers, with or without bacon cheddar cheese slices (thanks to Cowboy Devil for this topping and his grilling skills!).

[devildeac]

Baltic Porter-Foothills Brewing


This was another bomber due to CB&B that he was nice enough to "share" from Ozzie that 3 of us divided at Brunchgate yesterday. Best think of this one as an Imperial Porter as it was 9% ABV and had an IBU of 51.7, though I swear it tasted closer to 53 . It poured a deep brown with a moderate head and had a hint of mocha and a distinct black licorice aroma and taste. Ozzie does not like licorice so he had CB&B finish his last 2-3 ounces, though I would have been happy to do that also . CB&B and I both found it intriguing and complex and thought it was a good choice for the 45 degree temperature we had to accompany our all beef hot dogs, burgers, chili, slaw, veggies and chips and dips. I have his bombers of this and the Hoppyum so the next time we meet, I promise he will get the full, unopened 22 ouncers .

[devildeac]

So Fresh and So Green, Green (bottle)-Terrapin Brewing

This is another of the fresh/wet hop ales that have become popular/trendy in the last couple years, and rightfully so. Fresh or "wet" hops are used in the brewing process. Not dried hops or hop pellets. Please feel free to correct this, CB&B. In this brew, they flew in hundreds of pounds of Amarillo hops from the Yakima Valley (I'm looking at you, Bob Green.) to their brewery in Athens, Georgia, and used these almost-just-off-the-vine fresh hops for the aroma and bittering aspects of the brew. What it results in is a little fresher brew with a a bit more resin/pine with this particular variety and a lightly "oily" mouth feel. The IBU are listed at 50+ (kinda strange there but I would not disagree with that) so this resembles a pale ale more than an IPA. The ABV was 6.6% so I was able to enjoy half of this bomber with a small portion of the DFH 120 Minute IPA also. The pour was light golden, head modest and there was also a bit of a floral aroma with a very light caramel malt sweetness to the body. I prefer the Sierra Nevada and Great Divide products a bit more but this is certainly worth a taste at about $7 for the bomber.

[bluebeer]

Sierra Nevada/Ovila Abbey Ale..Very cool project..Here is the description with my review below..

"Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. announced a partnership with the Trappist-Cistercian Abbey of New Clairvaux to create the only authentic Trappist-style Abbey ales in A
In 2011, Sierra Nevada and the Trappist-Cistercian Abbey of New Clairvaux are working to bring this centuries-old tradition to America with Ovila-the nation's only authentic Trappist-style Abbey Ale.

This series of three Belgian -style Abbey ales is made in accordance with the centuries-old tradition of the monks. Each beer will be only be available for a limited time and will rotate through the seasons. The first beer in the series, scheduled for release in March, will be a Belgian-style Dubbel brewed with authentic Trappist yeast. The second beer in the series, scheduled for release in July, will be a Saison, the traditional Belgian-style farmhouse ale made in honor of the Monk's dedication to labor in the fields surrounding their abbey. The third will be released in time for the holidays. It will be a Trappist-style Quadrupel rich with dark fruit flavors and the unique wine-like characters of these strong Abbey ales.

Proceeds from this project will benefit the monks of the Abbey of New Clairvaux in their efforts to rebuild an architectural marvel-a 12th century, early-gothic Cistercian chapter house-on their grounds in Vina, California a few miles north of Sierra Nevada's home in Chico. The medieval chapterhouse-Santa Maria de Ovila-was begun in 1190, near the village of Trillo, Spain. Cistercian monks lived, prayed, and worked there for nearly 800 years. In 1931, California newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst purchased the abbey and shipped it to Northern California. Hearst's plans were never realized, and the stones fell into disrepair. In 1994, the Trappist-Cistercian monks of the Abbey of New Clairvaux, gained possession of the ruins, and began the painstaking stone-by-stone reconstruction of the historic abbey.

Located in Vina, California, the Abbey of New Clairvaux is a Cistercian Abbey of Strict Observance (Trappist). The abbey was founded in 1955 on 590 acres of Leland Stanford's famed Vina Ranch. The monks follow the Rule of St. Benedict-Ora est Labora (Prayer and Work) and spend their days in prayer, meditation, and tending to the labor of the working farm located at the abbey."


Abbey Ale--750ml corked/caged bottle. Pours a dark brown amber with a frothy head. A nice tasting dubbel with sweet candy-bready malts and lots of dark fruit all nicely balanced by a strong belgian yeast kick. A bit more spiciness than is typical of the style but still very subtle. Fairly thin in body but still very flavorful. ABV is not listed but must be between 7-8. This is one of the better american brewed dubbels that I've had. I still give a slight edge to Ommegang which is a bit more complex but this is extremely well done. Can't wait to try the other 2, especially the quad next fall/winter..

[bluebeer]

This troubles me greatly
http://chicagobreakingbusiness.com/2011 ... um=twitter
I don't drink a ton of Goose Island products but Bourbon County Stout is in my top 3 if not number 1 on my list or favorite beers..While I guess the optimist would argue that this will allow more people to drink GI beers, I fear an erosion of quality..Sad to see a great craft brewer sell to AB..

[devildeac]

This troubles me greatly
http://chicagobreakingbusiness.com/2011 ... um=twitter
I don't drink a ton of Goose Island products but Bourbon County Stout is in my top 3 if not number 1 on my list or favorite beers..While I guess the optimist would argue that this will allow more people to drink GI beers, I fear an erosion of quality..Sad to see a great craft brewer sell to AB..

That is distressing news.

Good find on the Sierra Nevada collaboration project.

Barleywine-Duck Rabbit

No fancy name, no aging, just this year's release of one of their high gravity ales and they knocked one out of the park again. This leans toward the English style barleywine with a truck load of malts and just enough hops to keep this from being too sweet. The pour is a medium brown, the head small to modest and the aromas and tastes are those of dark rum and fruits with brown sugar and maple, though no maple syrup is used. I'd guess the IBU to be 50-60, just to keep all the caramel and chocolate malts honest but there is really little bite to this. The ABV is 11% with little booziness. Served at cellar temperature in a wide mouth glass, this is frighteningly smooth and dangerously easy to drink. I'll save 2 or 3 for a few years but I can't imagine this gem could get much better or more drinkable with aging.

[Lavabe]

[devildeac]

I believe I will consume and review several "anniversary" beers over the next several days to celebrate CTN's Anniversary Week. I have 2 pending from the last couple nights, 2007 120 Minute IPA and 2007 Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout. Spoilers: they were both very, very good .

[CameronBornAndBred]

I believe I will consume and review several "anniversary" beers over the next several days to celebrate CTN's Anniversary Week. I have 2 pending from the last couple nights, 2007 120 Minute IPA and 2007 Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout. Spoilers: they were both very, very good .

I have one Sweet Sixteen left. I am drinking it tomorrow.

[devildeac]

Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout 2007 release-Brooklyn Brewing

Just as good if not a bit smoother and richer than when it was first released in 2007. It has aged well with its typical semi-sweet/dark chocolate flavor and a bit of booziness throughout the 12 ounce portion. Modest bitterness, deeply and darkly roasted malts and a nearly pitch black pour with a small head which surprisingly lingers through most of the hour or so I spent savoring this gem. For the last 2 years, this has been sold in 4 packs for about $8 and that is quite a reasonable price for a classic high gravity brew. I'd guess the IBU at 70-80, pretty standard for a RIS and the ABV from 2007 was 10.6%.

[captmojo]

Just right for April.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0GBS2kOMEg