Ymm, Beer!

[devildeac]

The Crucifix Tripel-Burial Beer Company

Not just any tripel but the second release (Panel II) in their Tryptic series is aged in a blend of red wine barrels, including 40% Syrah, 30% Sangiovese and 30% Malbec. (Hey, it's almost like figuring out MBB minutes per game...). Pour was a 250 ml serving from a 750 ml capped, undipped 750 ml bottle and appeared as a cloudy pink-tinged yellow with a modest, lacy head. Nose of, yep, you guessed it, red wine, in addition to a bit of light brown sugar syrup and floral hops. Immediate vinous tastes followed by some light caramel, dark berries and just a hint of black pepper. 6 Row Pilsner malt and oats listed as the grains along with cane sugar. European aromatic hops for flavor and bitterness, guessing the Saaz variety. IBUs 31 and ABV of 9% so fairly standard for the style. I'm not sure whether I like tripels in bourbon barrels or wine barrels better but both are quite distinctive and flavorful and this would pair well with a fruit plate, soft cheeses or a light creamy seafood dish. Many thanks to ricks 68 for this purchase (and subsequent re-sale, of course).

[devildeac]

Milk and Cookies (draft)-Wicked Weed Brewing

Yesterday after work I had a 16 ounce serving of liquid oatmeal raisin chocolate chocolate chip cookies, no nuts. Bottle Revolution sold out of 10 cases of this in a couple days earlier this week. I can see/taste why. Pour was almost black with a small, tan, creamy head. Imagine the smell in the kitchen after Mom and/or Grandma finished baking this type of cookie and you've got the aromas and tastes to match. There are subtle spice hints of cinnamon and vanilla along with dark, dried fruit flavors, too. Or, imagine eating the cookies and washing them down with a dark chocolate malted. Technically, it's an imperial milk stout and I'll guess about 40 IBUs and the ABV is 8.5%, so if you left a 500 ml bottle for your favorite North Pole delivery fellow, it'd best come with a "Do Not Open Until After Christmas" warning, or, Rudolph will be guiding the sleigh home as Santa will be too Blitzen-ed to pilot the ship.

[devildeac]

From 6/13/14:

Old Curmudgeon Ale (or is it Curmudgeon Old Ale?)-Founders Brewing

This was my last bottle of the 2/2013 brewing and just had to sip it Wednesday night to give it another pouring after not really enjoying my last bottle due to a stale taste. This one was far better, classic for the old ale style and re-affirmed my thoughts that this is really a fabulous beer that got better with 1+ year of aging. Poured a slightly cloudy brown-burgundy with a small head, the scents were brown sugar and vanilla with tastes of dark caramel, dark dried fruits, vanilla, oak and a bit of rum. Was even smoother and more flavorful as it warmed a bit over 30 minutes. Definitely an after dinner/dessert/night cap beer. IBUs were 50 and the ABV was 9.8%. It is listed as being available from April-June so it might be worth a trip to your favorite specialty store to procure a 4 pack.

2015 edition (actually bottle dated 1/13/15 so this bottle was aged 11 months already)

Just as smooth as above. I'm guessing I bought this last month at Total Wine for about $11 for the 4 pack with my buck off coupon. Anytime you see this on the shelf, buy 4 and drink one that night, cellar one for a year and trade the others for some sort of Bastards.

[devildeac]

From 6/18/15:

Chocolatized-Pisgah Brewing

2014 gold medal winner for chocolate beers at the Great American Beer Festival. Amazing beer. I'm glad my birthday yesterday coincided with fuse's and finished with Tripping William's today. I needed 2 days to finish this bomber that ricks68 was kind enough to procure several months ago.

They took the beer formerly known as Vortex II, which I'm guessing was an imperial stout, and added 25 lbs of raw cocoa nibs to each 5 bbl brewing and transformed it into Chocolatized. Poured an almost opaque onyx color with a modest beige head. Smells like a dark, iced chocolate malted and tasted like semi-sweet chocolate covered raisins, dates and figs with a very small splash of whiskey-laced espresso in the finish. Well, maybe there's a bit of black strap molasses here, too. Incredible smooth, silky and almost oily mouthfeel make me think there are some oats in the heavily roasted dark malt grain bill. Hops have a minimal presence here but, considering the style, I'll guess IBUs about 50 with a numbing ABV of over 11%. Flavors are enhanced as I let tonight's serving warm over the hour I sipped it. Decadent liquid dessert, as expected, but I could imagine a small square of a triple chocolate brownie or a sliver of a flourless chocolate torte as an accompaniment to this also. I've got a 2nd bomber but I'm not quite sure what to do with it-save for a tailgate this fall or share it with family later this summer. Hmmm...


From last PM:

Now about that 2nd bomber I mentioned above...

Probably not many different thoughts after cellaring this bomber from March, 2015 until December. Perhaps a bit smoother and more dangerous drinking now. I shared this with our son along with a small sliver of a mini chocolate chess pie. Decadent. Hoping ricks68 was able to purchase another bomber or two of this last month when it was apparently re-released.

[devildeac]

From 12/6/14:

Third Coast Old Ale-Bell's Brewery

Old English ale meets American barleywine. Not quite the beer I remember from probably a decade or so ago when I last purchased this. I thought I'd be sipping a very malty, toffee-like strong ale with minimal hop presence. What I poured was a medium brown ale with a modest tan head and scents of herbal, earthy and piney hops and lots of them. There were the expected toffee/chocolate/dark caramel aromas, too, but not nearly a prominent as expected. The tastes were even more hop forward with a fairly heavy emphasis on pine and resin with some late tastes of the darker malts. I'd guess IBUs of 60 and the ABV was 10.2%. After perusing their website, this appears to be exactly what they intended with their description as follows: "Designed with vintage aging in mind, the malt aspect is matched to a heavy complement of hops. Sharply bitter at first, this will fold into the malt character over time and balance out the maltiness." I fully expect to cellar a bottle or two of this and return to it late next year with great anticipation.

From minutes ago:

Speaking of cellaring a bottle (dated 9/6/14), here it is. They were correct. The piney/herbal/earthy hops have yielded to toffee, brown sugar, caramel and milk chocolate, but haven't disappeared completely as there needs to be some balance to this high gravity ale. There are even some dark, dried fruits in the presentation here. Don't pair this with anything but a pint glass, blanket and a warm fire. No more bottles left to savor in 2016. Guess I'll start shopping again...

[devildeac]

Fearrington Summer India Tea Ale-Fullsteam Brewing

Yea, it's a month or three late but I got the bomber at Total Wine a two months ago for about $6 for the bomber so not a bad purchase. Their interesting twist to a session IPA. Poured a straw color with a moderate, fizzy head. Floral and lemony nose with lemon zest and light herbal and floral flavors from Ahtanum hops and lemon peel. Also brewed with grey tea from a Charleston tea company but I don't smell/taste much, if any of this. Our son and youngest daughter didn't take to this too much and can't say I blame them. Mild to moderate IBU #s at 48 and modest ABV of 4.5% so it fits the definition of a session IPA, which really appear to be pale ales. Not a Ycch, Beer, but not one I'd revisit next summer.

[devildeac]

Snow Storm (draft)-Mother Earth Brewing

Take Snow Flurry and add more wind, moisture and cold, err, hops and grains and you get a Snow Storm. Snow Flurry is their new juniper rye IPA brewed this winter and I have a 6er of that waiting to be shared with fuse tomorrow. This was a brewery only special and brewed in such limited quantities that growler fills were not even allowed. Poured a slightly cloudy yellow-straw color with a moderate lacy head, the aromas were tropical and citrus and the tastes were pineapple, orange, mango and papaya with light brown sugar sweetness. I'm not sure I could detect any juniper and the rye was pretty subdued. The hop menu included Cascade, Centennial and Citra. I'll estimate IBUs of 80 and the ABV was on the menu at 8.8% so clearly in IIPA territory. Paired nicely with my Wilber's BBQ sammich with slaw and some hush puppies. Sure would be nice to see them market this in 4 packs.

[devildeac]

From 5/9/15 and 8/29/15:

Prometheus Unbound (draft/growler)-Big Boss Brewing

Drink local!

I'll thank Total Wine for printing $2 off coupons in their ad in Sunday's News and Observer, for if they hadn't done this, along with $1.50 off a 4 or 6 pack, I'd have probably not ventured into their North Raleigh store on Thursday evening and made any purchases. This was a fabulous find for $6 for a mini-growler that I shared with our son late last PM.

Poured a dark mahogany with a small, creamy head into a pint glass and sipped over 30-45 minutes. Enticing scents of red wine and dark berries were followed by taste explosions of the same with added bonuses of dark caramel, chocolate, sour patch kids dark fruits, oak and vanilla. Incredibly complex brew. I'd guess IBUs of 20-30 and the ABV is 8%. I wouldn't pair this with anything as the flavors are so rich that it's a stand alone/dessert beer. Worth seeking out today as it's a limited quantity release from their Strange Cargo series (http://bigbossbrewing.com/news.aspx) and won't be around long and might not be released/re-created again.


From August 29 (not West) PM (bottle):

The draft was better but the 12 ounce bottle I sipped over 60 minutes last PM from my Ommegang tulip was excellent also. Cost was about $4.50 with my 10% case discount so I bought 4 of these a few weeks ago from the Lafayette Village location of Raleigh's Crafty Beer Shop. This dark ale was aged a year in cabernet barrels which imparted the vinous notes, as expected. Maybe not so much sourness as a fresh draft. I've reconsidered and might pair this with some chocolate/fudge truffles or a slice of Black Forest cake for dessert, but, once again, it is a wonderful, stand-alone liquid dessert.

From last PM:

Prometheus Unbound (2014)-Big Boss Brewing

It's always nice to see/taste what a few more months of aging will do, in addition to allowing some family to arrive and share, something that almost always seems to make a fine ale taste even better. I think the only difference 4 months of additional cellaring did was to make this a bit smoother and more vinous and perhaps impart a few more dark berry-like nose mid-palate and to the finish. Spendy but worth a purchase of several to savor, share and trade.

[devildeac]

Silent Night (2011)-Mother Earth Brewing

Peace, Love and Beer.

Drink local!

This was included in my original trading session with fuse about 3.5 years ago. Last night seemed like a perfect night to have a mini-vertical with the 2012 edition, also included in that trading venture.

Poured from a briefly chilled, corked and caged 750 ml bottle and shared with our son, youngest daughter and her husband. Appearance was onyx with essentially no head. Fabulous aroma of semi-sweet chocolate with gentle waftings of espresso and whiskey. Tastes even more sensuous and decadent with dark chocolate, dried dates, figs and raisins, a drop of Jamaica's finest (beans, not weed) and a soft, gentle finish of bourbon, both the flavor and the burn. It's an imperial stout aged in bourbon barrels and I'll guess IBUs in the 50s and the ABV is 9% but dangerously drinkable. Delicious night cap by its lonesome that would also make a great pairing with candied/spiced nuts or any chocolate/caramel dessert.

I'm not sure I'd ever sipped one of these before but with (many, many) thanks to fuse, this will be an annual purchase, starting with the two 2015 bottles procured directly from the brewery as I caught up with CB&B and completed my Christmas shopping for Mrs dd on Wednesday night.

[devildeac]

Silent Night (2011)-Mother Earth Brewing

Peace, Love and Beer.

Drink local!

This was included in my original trading session with fuse about 3.5 years ago. Last night seemed like a perfect night to have a mini-vertical with the 2012 edition, also included in that trading venture.

Poured from a briefly chilled, corked and caged 750 ml bottle and shared with our son, youngest daughter and her husband. Appearance was onyx with essentially no head. Fabulous aroma of semi-sweet chocolate with gentle waftings of espresso and whiskey. Tastes even more sensuous and decadent with dark chocolate, dried dates, figs and raisins, a drop of Jamaica's finest (beans, not weed) and a soft, gentle finish of bourbon, both the flavor and the burn. It's an imperial stout aged in bourbon barrels and I'll guess IBUs in the 50s and the ABV is 9% but dangerously drinkable. Delicious night cap by its lonesome that would also make a great pairing with candied/spiced nuts or any chocolate/caramel dessert.

I'm not sure I'd ever sipped one of these before but with (many, many) thanks to fuse, this will be an annual purchase, starting with the two 2015 bottles procured directly from the brewery as I caught up with CB&B and completed my Christmas shopping for Mrs dd on Wednesday night.

Silent Night (2012)-Mother Earth Brewing

Thanks again to fuse for including this in our first "getting to know you" trading meet up long, long ago in a parking lot far, far away .

To conclude Christmas eve festivities, we divided (and conquered) the 750 ml bottle from 3 years ago. The only difference I could tell was that this edition had a Counter Culture coffee imprint on the label and the presence of the bean was a bit more prominent in this version. I neglected to mention that I tasted a bit of toasted coconut and vanilla in the 2011 pouring and I think the slightly stronger coffee flavors in the 2012 elixir pushed those flavors to the very edge of perception in our sipping.

My favorite of the 2? Probably the 2011 bottle (but by only a few milliliters) because it had a bit less coffee tastes and was more chocolate/bourbon forward. Looking ahead to my 2016 purchases already for a 2015/16 comparison.

[devildeac]

Quote Originally Posted by fuse:
"Deep River Pumpkin Pie Porter

Strange nose for a fall seasonal.

Almost a sprucey nose, hoppy.
An awful mix of spices on the palate.

Really a candidate for Yechh, beer.

Avoid. Terrible."


Ha! And he included one in our Christmas beer exchange yesterday. (Disclaimer: I was warned but still asked for a can .)

This was somewhere between Ymm and Ycch. I thought it over-spiced, had little pumpkin flavor and had a somewhat metallic/astringent finish. Four out of our five tasters tonight thought it OK but nothing special. The second pumpkin porter of the evening was more palatable...

[devildeac]

Gourd Rocker-Double Barley Brewing

Drink regional!

Well, it's brewed in Smithfield, NC but ricks68 found this in Beer City a couple months ago and included it in his ale package at the Pitt game. Poured a dark brown with a medium-sized, creamy head. Nose of pumpkin spices (beats the sheep out of me if I can tell you which ones) and tastes of the same with vanilla tipping the scale for me in favor of this brew, maybe with the addition of a small handful of milk chocolate chips on top of a slice of Mom's pumpkin pie. Palate pleasing at 27.4 IBUs (yes, it's on their beer page that way) and weighing in at 9.4% ABV so it's an imperial pumpkin porter. Reminds me Southern Tier's Warlock a bit. Serve with (nah, too easy to type pumpkin anything here) something caramel-y or chocolate-y. Or, make it a beer float with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Thanks to ricks68 for his delivery.

[CameronBornAndBred]

Orange Blossom Pilsner 2.
Bought a few years ago, probably during Cut's first or second season.
Overflowing flavors of honey, like the sweetness of victory but with just a tinge of the sting of looming defeat.
Thick, malty, pure golden enjoyment.
So, so, so worth the wait.

(The glass is from LHB, but the message is nice.)

[devildeac]

Floridian-Funky Buddha Brewery

Not much of a name considering some of the gems the marketing departments of breweries across the country come up with but a really fine session beer. Poured a slightly hazy, sunshine yellow-orange with a generous, foamy head, this unfiltered German-style hefeweizen is true to all things expected from the style. Banana, clove and orange messages to the olfactory department with tastes matching the aromas perfectly. Considering it's been in the 70s in NC for what seems like most of December, this made a nice session brew to sip in the afternoon while watching (and cussing at) The Pinstripe Bowl yesterday.

Story: Sometime in October (I think), I found out that windsor had made plans to attend the Pitt tailgate/game and, knowing the rep of a couple outstanding breweries in her zip code, I sheepishly asked her if she'd be a beer mule for fuse and me. I was stunned and humbled when she said what/how much do you want. After I quickly eliminated the thought of "truckload" from my thinking process, I said we'd be pleased with whatever/however many she brought. The final count was four 6ers and two 4 packs which we equally divided last week. I knew was quite an oenophile (and had an excellent wine steward and specialty store a few miles from her home, both of which she greatly trusted) and freely admitted she didn't know much about beer, she went in one day, found him (or the "beer guy") and said she had a couple beer knurds (aka knuckleheads) in NC who wanted some Florida only distribution beverages from excellent breweries (cough, cough: Cigar City and Funky Buddha) and she said he pointed (and pointed) and she bought (and bought) and made her delivery at the Pitt tailgate. If the remaining 5 different selections are of the quality of the first, then it'll be a treasure trove of delights from the Sunshine (and hurricane ) State for which I can only say thank you many times over (and, of course, are you available for another delivery to a 2016 tailgate? ).

(Spoiler: The second one I had from the litter last PM was also very good. More later ;) .)

[devildeac]

Orange Blossom Pilsner 2.
Bought a few years ago, probably during Cut's first or second season.
Overflowing flavors of honey, like the sweetness of victory but with just a tinge of the sting of looming defeat.
Thick, malty, pure golden enjoyment.
So, so, so worth the wait.

(The glass is from LHB, but the message is nice.)

IMG_20151226_202107.jpg

Welcome back to the beer thread. Hope to see you here more often .

[devildeac]

Florida Cracker-Cigar City Brewing

Their description:

"The Cracker Cowboys of Florida were colonial-era
settlers, often of Scots-Irish descent, who arrived
in Florida when Spain traded their territory of La
Florida to the English. The term Cracker in Florida
usage relates to the whip these "cow hunters"
used to herd cattle in Florida's Palmetto Prairies.
Called Quáqueros by the Spanish, these hardy and
hard working Cracker Cowboys helped to shape
the history of Florida, the nation?s oldest cattle
raising state. We brew Florida Cracker White ale
with unmalted wheat, orange peel and coriander
and then ferment it with a French Saison yeast
strain to give it a spicy and dry finish. Perfect for a
warm day on the Palmetto Prairie."

My description:

Poured a cloudy, whitish-yellow-orange with a fizzy head and aromas of citrus, spice and flowers with tastes of orange, banana, coriander, white pepper and a bit of funk from the saison yeast, all giving this Belgian style white (single) ale a traditional presentation. This was a celebratory 12 ounce can packing low IBUs of 18 and a highly sessionable ABV of 5.5% on a warm, late December evening in NC. I'd have enjoyed this with a light seafood or chicken dish on a warm spring day, too. Thanks again to windsor for including this in the delivery last month.

[devildeac]

Maduro-Cigar City Brewing

Another winner from CCB. This time it's a brown ale with a nuance, the addition of flaked oats to the grain bill, adding a bit of smoothness/silkiness to the mouthfeel. Poured a dark, almost opaque brown with perhaps a bit of ruby. The small head disappeared quickly, leaving only a rim of suds. Seductive nose of dark caramel, bakers cocoa, tobacco and espresso with tastes of the same and a hints of smoked almonds and hazlenuts. Rather low on the IBU scale at 25 but not surprising given the style. ABV about as expected, too, at 5.5%. I'd serve this with smoked/grilled meats, game or chicken or a hearty bowl of stew. Thanks to windsor and her "beer guy" for the selection.

[windsor]

I am thrilled you are enjoying the selections.

More good news: Another Tailgate is on the horizon it would be my pleasure to Beer Mule additional (or repeat) selections from the sunshine state.

[devildeac]

Unholy-Coppertail Brewing

Florida beer #4 from windor's delivery service. They label this as an "American Trippel" and mention "sacrilegious American hop character" in their description. Probably the best impression I can conjure up is imperial India pale ale meets Belgian tripel as it resembles the former with a prominent hop presence and the fruitiness of a triple, and yes, I have spelled that 3 ways so far. Poured a slightly hazy yellow-gold with a moderate creamy head. Aromas of pine along with tropical and citrus fruits. Flavor bursts of pineapple, mango, papaya and some citrus pulp and rindiness (probably not even a word). The only comparable beer that comes to mind at the moment is Le Freak from Green Flash Brewing, and that's quite a comparison. In fact, I'll have to go on a beer-hunting excursion soon to see if any local shops have that in stock so I'm able to complete a head-to-head and see if my mind and taste buds agree. No IBU #s can be found but I'll estimate 70-80 and the ABV is 9.5% and both numbers are reflected in the tasting. I've got 2 left and I'd be delighted to trade one but the final one will be saved for the side-by-side as above. Very good product for which windsor and her beer steward get another highly positive endorsement.

[devildeac]

Reef Donkey-Tampa Bay Brewing Company

Their description/explanation/story:

"Dry-hopped American Pale Ale made using a secret selection of hops to give this nice dry beer a lemon/lime aroma and citrus & slight tropical fruit flavor. Although this brew Hits the classification of an APA, it drinks like a session IPA perfect for a day on the boat fishing the reef. Reef Donkey is slang for the Greater Amberjack gamefish which inhabit our coastal wrecks and reefs."


My thoughts:

It's labeled as an American pale ale which kinda puts it in a Twilight Zone "above" a pale ale and session IPA and below a true IPA in terms of IBUs and ABV, at "unknown" (but estimated at 50-something) and 5.5%, respectively. Poured a golden-yellow from a 16 ounce can, lovingly delivered by windsor last month as part of her Pitt tailgate care package. I thought it was more resin-y and piney but there was some citrus juiciness and zestiness upon imbibing. As an APA sitting in sort of a beer no-man's land, I'd pair this confidently with grilled fare or some spicy Indian or Far East dishes. Another fine selection from windsor and her beer advisor.

Addendum: Great American Beer Festival 2014 Bronze Medal Winner