Ymm, Beer!

[OZZIE4DUKE]

Road trip!
http://www.aviatorbrew.com/

I hope you tasted this one:

Devils Tramping Ground Tripel- 9.2% alc/vol. 21IBU A hearty Tripel Belgian ale. This Tripel ale will grow hair in places you don't want. Our Tripel is a golden colored ale that has a fruity spicy flavor that finishes a bit sweet. The Devil's Tripel is light tasting from the addition of candy sugar. We add just the right amount of hops to balance out the sweetness. If you are from NC you will know where this place is...maps.google.com search on 'devils tramping ground'. Make the pilgrimage to the devils tramping ground..and bring some Tripel with you for the full experience.

I haven't been there yet. I was making a suggestion! The brewery is today's Groupon Deal - 53% off. May have to purchase that one! And stop by this week... I do plan on trying this Devil of a brew!

[devildeac]

Summer Solstice Ale (can)-Anderson Valley Brewing Company

This was a trader from one the drug reps who I have traded with in the past and stopped as he had his territory changed. He is now back on the Raleigh path and, as a "peace" offering today, re-started the trading process with a mixed 6er and this was my 1st selection.

Brand new brew to me. Poured a clear, amber color with a 1 finger, light tan head. Smells like light caramel and tastes like, yes, cream soda. This went down real quickly. Apparently, in the past, this had Cerveza Crema on the label somewhere but the can did not. Minimal hop presence (IBU of 4? Are you kidding me? ) The ABV is 5% so ideal for a session brew or with a plate of fresh fruit as an appetizer. Very pleasant brew.

http://www.avbc.com/main/wp-content/the ... lstice.png

From the brewer:

Summer Solstice Seasonal Ale is not just your average summer seasonal. This unique copper colored ale is smooth, malty, and lightly sweet, with a delicate hint of spice for that oh-so-drinkable, extra velvety flavor.

As with all of our products, Summer Solstice Seasonal Ale is never sterile filtered nor heat pasteurized.

5% ABV
4 IBU

Oh, and the label says "ale with flavor added." I am convinced that flavor is a hint of vanilla. Very smooth.

[Lavabe]

DD,
Just tried a little "Call Your Wife On Her Cell." It's actually pretty good.
Cheers,
Lavabe

P.S. Figured I'd at least get a post count bump for this.

[devildeac]

DD,
Just tried a little "Call Your Wife On Her Cell." It's actually pretty good.
Cheers,
Lavabe

P.S. Figured I'd at least get a post count bump for this.

She was just pulling into your driveway and did not want to talk anymore. Time for another beer and review anyway. Then some drunk dialing .

[Lavabe]

Will be stopping in Atlanta for a few hours tomorrow. Any new brews or bombers from Sweetwater?

Note: She was driving in the neighborhood and didn't want to lose her way with directions.

[devildeac]

Will be stopping in Atlanta for a few hours tomorrow. Any new brews or bombers from Sweetwater?

Note: She was driving in the neighborhood and didn't want to lose her way with directions.

Find some of the Dank Tank series.

[devildeac]

Hoppe-Southern Tier Brewing

Another first here with an imperial extra pale ale, this time a trader from CB&B after his Christmas trip to Blacksburg. This appears to be a fairly simple brew with 2 malts, pale and wheat, and 2 hops, Columbus and Amarillo. So, with the wheat malt, there is a bit of orange/citrus nose and taste with a light caramel body. The hops are more of a citrusy blend, too. It poured a light golden and slightly cloudy. The ABV is given at 8% so I divided the bomber over a couple nights. IBU are not listed but I'd wager 70-80 range so this would be a nice match with spicy dishes. This brewery has quite a number of selections with limited to no availability in this area but I'd certainly try another, especially from their seasonal or high gravity selections.

ST has a lot of availability up here but I never seem to buy their beer for a really stupid reason..I just don't like their labels...It's especially stupid on my part because the few ST beers that I've had have been excellent. I haven't tried Hoppe but Choklat is a phenomenal chocolate imperial stout and their new double IPA-2XIPA--is worth seeking out..

Got a couple ST DIPAs (or 2XIPAs) as traders yesterday so one will be on my "sip list" tomorrow or Friday as I am on call tonight . The other will go to CB&B or my son next month.

[bluebeer]

Hoppe-Southern Tier Brewing

Another first here with an imperial extra pale ale, this time a trader from CB&B after his Christmas trip to Blacksburg. This appears to be a fairly simple brew with 2 malts, pale and wheat, and 2 hops, Columbus and Amarillo. So, with the wheat malt, there is a bit of orange/citrus nose and taste with a light caramel body. The hops are more of a citrusy blend, too. It poured a light golden and slightly cloudy. The ABV is given at 8% so I divided the bomber over a couple nights. IBU are not listed but I'd wager 70-80 range so this would be a nice match with spicy dishes. This brewery has quite a number of selections with limited to no availability in this area but I'd certainly try another, especially from their seasonal or high gravity selections.

ST has a lot of availability up here but I never seem to buy their beer for a really stupid reason..I just don't like their labels...It's especially stupid on my part because the few ST beers that I've had have been excellent. I haven't tried Hoppe but Choklat is a phenomenal chocolate imperial stout and their new double IPA-2XIPA--is worth seeking out..

Got a couple ST DIPAs (or 2XIPAs) as traders yesterday so one will be on my "sip list" tomorrow or Friday as I am on call tonight . The other will go to CB&B or my son next month.

I picked up a six pack of this last week and thought it was an excellent DIPA..looking forward to reading your review..

[devildeac]

Southern Hemisphere Harvest Ale-Sierra Nevada Brewing

Brewer's notes first to explain the product:

Our newest addition to our Harvest family is Southern Hemisphere Harvest. This is the first time we know of that an American brewer has put out a beer with fresh-picked hops from the southern hemisphere. The inaugural ale will debut in late April and will feature fresh Pacific Hallertau, New Zealand Motueka and New Zealand Southern Cross hops, all from New Zealand.

Like our Celebration Ale, the fresh hops in this beer are dried right after being picked then shipped immediately to Chico for brewing so that they retain their peak aromatics and flavors. To ensure the freshest hops possible, we went to the added expense of flying these hops from New Zealand to Chico so we could brew with them the week after they were picked.


alcohol content 6.7% by volume malts Pale & Caramel
beginning gravity 14.7 Plato yeast Top-fermenting Ale Yeast
ending gravity 3.9 Plato bittering hops Pacific Halertau
bitterness units 66 finishing hops New Zealand Motueka & New Zealand Southern Cross

Tasting thoughts:

Basically, this is an IPA, just like their winter offering, Celebration Ale, but a bit smoother. The pour is golden and the head is 1-2 fingers and foamy. The aroma and taste of the hops are resin and pine with a hint of citrus. The balance with the malts is nicely done with a hint of light to medium caramel sweetness. The texture is not oily like a fresh hop ale but crisp and clean. I would enjoy this with anything from BBQ chicken, pork loin, ribs, brisket to curried Indian food. It is packaged in a 24 ounce bottle which is a bit strange so I divided it over two nights earlier this week. IIRC, it was $6 for the bottle which is a reasonable cost for a specialty ale like this. I only bought one so my son and CB&B are SOL with this one .

[devildeac]

ST has a lot of availability up here but I never seem to buy their beer for a really stupid reason..I just don't like their labels...It's especially stupid on my part because the few ST beers that I've had have been excellent. I haven't tried Hoppe but Choklat is a phenomenal chocolate imperial stout and their new double IPA-2XIPA--is worth seeking out..

Got a couple ST DIPAs (or 2XIPAs) as traders yesterday so one will be on my "sip list" tomorrow or Friday as I am on call tonight . The other will go to CB&B or my son next month.

I picked up a six pack of this last week and thought it was an excellent DIPA..looking forward to reading your review..

2XIPA-Southern Tier Brewing

From your fingertips to my lips .

As in the brewer's notes, "not quite an imperial." This is a really fine double IPA but a bit thin on the malt, hops, ABV and IBU for an IIPA. It pours a golden-orange with a bit of citrus and pine aroma and a solid but not boozey backbone. IBU are not given but I'd guess 70-80 range and the ABV is 8.2% so this is not a lightweight. I'd pair with some peppery BBQ meats or a medium hot curry dish. Here's a bit from their web site:

2xipa
“4 types of hops & 3 types of malts”


Not quite an imperial, but certainly not a standard India pale ale. Our double IPA is a hop lovers dream. Citrusy and clean with an incredible finish.
8.2% abv • 9.5ºL • Double India Pale Ale

They have quite a roster and I am impressed enough to purchase other offerings I might find from their list.

[devildeac]

Waterkeeper Hefeweizen-Sweetwater Brewing

This was a bomber sent by Lavabe from his recent trip to Atlanta via my wife' deliver service from her recent trip to Lexington for ILJ's knee rehab. This is supposed to be part of their Dank Tank series but I don't understand why as it appears to be a re-packaged Hummer, which is not a specialty/high gravity/limited release brew. Now, it is a quality brew which is pretty typical for a hefe with a fizzy, cloudy, yellow pour and hints of orange peel and coriander. Bitterness is quite low, guessing 10-20 range for the IBU and about 5% ABV. Fine brew for a hot summer evening and it would be ideal with a plate of fruit before or after dinner. A tip of the pint glass to Lavabe for his choice.

[devildeac]

Newcastle Summer Ale-Caledonian Brewery Company

I saw this in a 6er and a 12 pack recently and thought, "I should try it." as I like their brown ale but figured, "Nope, I am not buying that many." Well, my drug rep trading buddy has had my office returned to his territory and he stopped by last week with one of these as a trader and it proved to be a good summer brew .

It probably is best categorized as a pale ale as it is honey/amber in color with mild grassy and crackery aromas and tastes. There is a nice foamy head, a very mild piney bite and a modest malty backbone. I can't find IBU and ABV anywhere so I'll estimate 30-40 and 5%, respectively. I am glad I did not purchase the whole litter but this new offering if certainly worth a tasting/trading and to be part of a session.

[Lavabe]

Waterkeeper Hefeweizen-Sweetwater Brewing

This was a bomber sent by Lavabe from his recent trip to Atlanta via my wife' deliver service from her recent trip to Lexington for ILJ's knee rehab. This is supposed to be part of their Dank Tank series but I don't understand why as it appears to be a re-packaged Hummer, which is not a specialty/high gravity/limited release brew. Now, it is a quality brew which is pretty typical for a hefe with a fizzy, cloudy, yellow pour and hints of orange peel and coriander. Bitterness is quite low, guessing 10-20 range for the IBU and about 5% ABV. Fine brew for a hot summer evening and it would be ideal with a plate of fruit before or after dinner. A tip of the pint glass to Lavabe for his choice.

Hummer? Hummer is a Belgian White from Sweetwater. My thought was that it was a re-packaged Sch'wheat (which is why I also bought the Sch'wheat, in case you wanted to compare). Note that proceeds of Waterkeeper go to the Waterkeeper's organization.

[devildeac]

Waterkeeper Hefeweizen-Sweetwater Brewing

This was a bomber sent by Lavabe from his recent trip to Atlanta via my wife' deliver service from her recent trip to Lexington for ILJ's knee rehab. This is supposed to be part of their Dank Tank series but I don't understand why as it appears to be a re-packaged Hummer, which is not a specialty/high gravity/limited release brew. Now, it is a quality brew which is pretty typical for a hefe with a fizzy, cloudy, yellow pour and hints of orange peel and coriander. Bitterness is quite low, guessing 10-20 range for the IBU and about 5% ABV. Fine brew for a hot summer evening and it would be ideal with a plate of fruit before or after dinner. A tip of the pint glass to Lavabe for his choice.

Hummer? Hummer is a Belgian White from Sweetwater. My thought was that it was a re-packaged Sch'wheat (which is why I also bought the Sch'wheat, in case you wanted to compare). Note that proceeds of Waterkeeper go to the Waterkeeper's organization.

Completely forgot about having the Sch'weat a year or so ago. Could only remember Hummer. That (Sch'weat) would be a better comparison. I did read the bottle and knew about the organization but it's always nice to have at least a brief description of the beer on the label/bottle, too. On this one, nada.

[OZZIE4DUKE]

Hummer?

I thought Hummers had something to do with BimHo's and Tesla convertibles with lots of head room...

[CathyCA]

Hummer?

I thought Hummers had something to do with BimHo's and Tesla convertibles with lots of head room...

Bwahahahahahaha!

[Lavabe]

Hummer?

I thought Hummers had something to do with BimHo's and Tesla convertibles with lots of head room...

Sweetwater Brewery is known for its suggestive names, some of which have made some moderators OY lose their cool.

[devildeac]

Somersault Ale-New Belgium Brewing

This was another trader from my long-lost drug rep buddy. I am not sure I have ever seen this before this summer and hesitated buying a 6er as I am still trying to finish off the brews Lavabe brought almost 2 months ago. Fortunately, there was a single in my 6er last week. I don't have much to add to the brewer's notes except it is more of a very light brunette than a blonde ( ;) ) and the oats imparted a bit of silky smoothness to the texture. The apricot and ginger are very subtle. Quite the pleasant surprise.

From the New Belgium web site:

Somersault Ale was designed to be a fun roll around on the tongue while requiring only the minimum of palate gymnastics. In other words, this perfect summer lounge around beer is ridiculously fun and easy to drink. Even though the second Somersault goes down as effortlessly the first, our brewer Grady actually has quite a few remarkable notes at play in the nose, flavor and mouthfeel. There is an opening brace of citrus aroma from Centennial hops, a soft apricot fruitiness tucked into the flavor, a fresh snap from a sliver of ginger root, finished with oats in a long cool mash. Color is blonde with a suggestion of cloudiness. Somersaults all around!
Just the facts Ma'am...
ABV - 5.2%
IBU - 28
Calories - 130
Hops - Centennial- Medium intensity with floral and citrus tones. Very balanced hop, sometimes called a super Cascade.
Malts - Pale, Caramel + Oats
OG - 14.7
TG - 2.03
Fruits/Spice - Ginger and Apricot

[devildeac]

Hummer?

I thought Hummers had something to do with BimHo's and Tesla convertibles with lots of head room...

Sweetwater Brewery is known for its suggestive names, some of which have made some moderators OY lose their cool.

I still have a couple Happy Endings I am cellaring for this fall/winter ;) .

[devildeac]

Tune back to this thread tomorrow as I set a CTN game record tonight at a relatively new restaurant in downtown Raleigh called Draft. They feature mostly NC products including produce, cheeses and meats, with, of course 32 NC drafts and 8 or more rotating selections. I had the 4 beer sampler (4 ounces each) for $6 with my fancy salad tonight (plus my wife's salad cost was $0.00 with a grand opening BOGO free coupon ) and came away with 4 dingers in the same game, err, meal.

Spoiler: This was the first sampler-Devils Tramping Ground Tripel- 9.2% alc/vol. 21IBU A hearty Tripel Belgian ale. This Tripel ale will grow hair in places you don't want. Our Tripel is a golden colored ale that has a fruity spicy flavor that finishes a bit sweet. The Devil's Tripel is light tasting from the addition of candy sugar. We add just the right amount of hops to balance out the sweetness. If you are from NC you will know where this place is...maps.google.com search on 'devils tramping ground'. Make the pilgrimage to the devils tramping ground..and bring some Tripel with you for the full experience.

My thoughts tomorrow.