Ymm, Beer!

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Fat Tire Special Release Belgian White-New Belgium Brewing Company

This ain't your uncle's Fat Tire. In fact, it's not even one of the Fat Tire variants that NB released last year. It's a new brew that replaces a couple they discontinued earlier this year or last year. So, why call it Fat Tire?

Poured from a 12 ounce bottle into a pint glass with a cloudy, straw color and a fizzy head that surprising lingered for a while. Smells like a Belgian white. Tastes like a Belgian white with the requisite orange juice and peel (added) flavors and a bit of spice from the ground coriander. Minimal bitterness with IBUs at 12 and, amazingly, the same ABV (IIRC) of Fat Tire at 5.2%. Another refreshing brew on a warm, late summer evening that was a trader from August West last Saturday. Thanks!

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From 9/7/15:

Ginger Lemon Radler-Boulevard Brewing

If it weren't for this thread, I'd likely have never tried this.

What's a radler?

http://www.germanbeerinstitute.com/Radler.html

Fullsteam Cack-A-Lacky meets lemon soda.

or

Canada Dry meets Simply Lemonade

Poured a hazy yellow with a slightly foamy head which disappeared fairly quickly. Smelled like fresh squeezed lemon,s and lots of them, in a glass of ginger ale. Tastes? No surprise here either with lemon soda infused with ginger. Very pleasant and effervescent. Even the faint of tongue/palate could drink this at 4.1% ABV and 12 IBU. I enjoyed this with a 1/4 rack of ribs, steamed broccoli and a corn and black bean salad with green and red peppers and chopped red onions.

Availability at a tailgate near you. Soon.

From last PM:

Tartastic-New Belgium Brewing Company

Well, it's not the Boulevard Ginger Lemon Radler but it sure made me think a lot about it.

This was a trader from August West last Saturday. Thanks! Pour was a hazy, yellow-straw hue with a fizzy, quickly-disappearing head. Nose, as expected, was lemonade and ginger ale. Tastes were a bit sweet and sour, also as expected. I should have just copied the above review and changed the name of the beer and then submitted it for my final exam grade and taken the rest of the semester off. Oh, sorry, this is the Ymm, Beer thread, not an upper level *nc course for athlete "students." Here are the stats:

ABV: 4.5%
IBU: 3
Hops: Nugget
Malts: Pale, White Wheat
Adjuncts: Lemon, ginger

A very pleasant thirst quencher on a warm, late summer night.

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4 beer. 7 words.

First up:

Peach Tripel-Hardywood Park Craft Brewery

Duketaylor "forgot" this after his early departure from the Northwestern tailgate. Thanks!

Pour was a cloudy, peach-amber (D'oh!). Aromas immediately out of the 750 ml bottle were over-ripe peaches. Fizzy head. Tastes of peach juice, some orange, a bit of fuzzy peach skins and hints of black pepper. IBUs low, as expected, at 25 for the style. ABV pretty standard, too, at 8.2%. Appetizer beer before tailgate yesterday and shared 4-5 ways. I've got one of my own bought in Hooville this summer that I may "cellar" until next spring.

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Second beer:

Dave's Not Here-Terrapin (cough millercoors cough) Beer Company

(Only thing is, one of our tasting tailgaters is named Dave and he was here and brought this beer.) Thanks!

This 500 ml Side Project offering is a DIPA, and, upon further research, is referred to as a dank imperial IPA.

Pour was a cloudy, light amber with a generous, foamy head. Lots of scents here from tropical to piney. Mango, pineapple and pine coat the palate along with some oiliness. We all missed on the IBUs, guessing 50-60 but the research claims 92, making this a fairly well-balanced IIPA as the ABV painted on the bottle is 8.40% but a little sticker claims 9.3%, as does their stat sheet. Made a nice pairing with some giant, loaded cheeseburgers, bacon-ranch potato salad, creamy slaw and some outrageously tasty freshly fried, thickly hand-cut onion rings. Ingredients:

HOPS: Cascade and Chinook

MALTS: 2-Row, Wheat, CaraMalt, Crystal 25, Crystal 45

[devildeac]

From 9/28/15:

#4:

(Originally from 12/25/14)

Tango-Weyerbacher Brewing

Cherry Christmas. Labeled as a dark, strong Belgian ale brewed with a ton of cherries (well, not quite-they only claim 1200 pounds) and poured from a corked and caged 750 ml bottle as a substitute beverage 2 nights ago because my (no longer favorite) craft beer store ran out of mini-growlers and French Toast Stout. Appeared with a mildly frothy light red/tan head and a gorgeous light ruby-brown color in our Allagash tulip glasses. (Rudolph) bright red cherry nose along with some medium brown sugar and caramel aromas to accompany somewhat tart cherry, figgy, date-like tastes and very slight orange-citrus bitterness. Grains and hops listed as Pilsner Malt with Honey Malt, Special B, Aromatic Malt and a touch of Chocolate Malt paired with Apollo hops to balance the bottle-conditioned, warm, boozy ABV of 10.6% with a modest 35 IBUs. This is quite a different beer than the New Glarus Wisconsin Red and more resembles the Ommegang Three Philosophers but falls a tad short in terms of smoothness, creativity and tastes, but a reasonably priced (under $10), very pleasant winter ale from an excellent brewery.

From Saturday (10/2014 version):

Ok, I was a bit less impressed at the tailgate and it was my contribution . I don't know whether it was a bit too much sediment, poor aging or the two better beers that followed this one but it was disappointing, even though this was a $2 off close-out special at Total Wine last month. I'd much rather have an Ommegang Three Philosophers than either of the Belgian or Belgian style krieks that I brought to the tailgate. A tip of the tap to the other participants, especially August West who brought the next two great beers. I need to raise the level of my contributions
.

Tango-Weyerbacher Brewing

Beer #3 yesterday.

Much better this year than my contribution 2 years ago . Thanks to August West for sharing his 750 ml bottle.

I'm guessing this was either purchased recently or last year and reminded me of a cherry cola, C-O-L-A, cola. Fruity nose and tastes, combining dark cherry juice with dark fruits and dark caramel. All of us thought quite comparable to Ommegang Three Philsophers and how interesting it would have been to have a side-by-side. I still like the New Glarus Wisconsin Belgian Red better but totally different styles of beers. Desserts weren't on our tables yet so this was a fine substitute.

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From 4/30/15:

Original tasting/review 6/1/13:

Quad (2013 version)-Weyerbacher Brewing

I am not sure why this is a quadruple. Could be 4 malts, 4 yeasts, 4 hops or 4 fermentations. Or all of the preceding. The style is really similar to a Belgian dubbel but it is a bit lighter in color (medium-light brown) with a small head and a nose rich with dark, dried fruits like raisins, dates and figs and tastes to match. Most ales of this style have candi sugar and this tastes no different with the presence of light brown sugar and rummy notes, too. I'd guess the IBU to be about 30 and the ABV is higher than a dubbel or tripel (but not for a quad) at a stunning 11.8%, so pull out your snifter, let it the brew warm a few minutes on the counter and enjoy as your dessert. I found this as a 4 pack at Total Wine a couple weeks ago for about $3.96, not the usual $14 and even had the price checked at the register and, when verified, returned and added a second 4 pack to my cart. A very good ale to age and quite cheap at $0.99 each so very well worth the purchase.

Last night's tasting:

Last bottle of the litter . This aged well as it remained clean/clear with a very small amount of sediment in the last few drops, most of which I was able to avoid. Enjoyed lightly chilled in a large Ommegang tulip over about an hour, though it was so smooth sipping that it took a lot of discipline to stretch out the time that long. I may make a visit to Total Wine this weekend to see what's on their "last chance" shelf that I might procure at a nice price. Certainly worth a 4 pack with one for now, one to trade and a couple to age for a year or two.

From tailgate yesterday:

Quad (1/7/14)-Weyerbacher Brewing

Yep, 7 words for 4 beers: Peach Tripel, Dave's Not Here, Tango and Quad. All dangerous at 8.2, 9.3, 10.6 and 12% ABV respectively .

Just as good, if not better than it's bottling date in 2014, but perhaps not as good as it would have been on the second date stamped on the bottle neck of 1/7/19.

Many thanks to August West for saving this one for us.

Not sure I have much to add to my 2013 and 2015 tastings. This really is an amazing ale, fresh or cellared for 1-5 years.

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Citra Hopped Live-Southern Tier Brewing Company

Late entry from one of last week's beers.

From Overpack'd, their 15 can pack with 3 each of 5 varieties, this being a pale ale.

Pour was a light bronze with a mildly foamy head. Moderate citrus and tropical scents with mango, pineapple and grapefruity tastes with a hint of pine. No IBUs quoted so I'll guess 40 and with the ABV at 5.5%, this is pretty well balanced. Good ale to session at a tailgate with grilled fare and happy to have traded 5, kept 5 (not all tasted yet) and still have 5 more for trading. $17 for the 15 pack, IIRC.

[devildeac]

Mosaic Promise-Founders Brewing Company

Brewed for ArtPrize 2014, this single hop ale appears to have found a permanent home in the Founders' collection. This single 12 ounce can was a trader from dpslaw on Saturday. Thanks!

Pour was a golden-yellow with a moderate, creamy head. Nose? Tropicana fresh squeezed grapefruit juice. Tastes? The same with a bit of rind/zest and mild caramel/malty sweetness. This falls solidly in the pale ale category (yes, beers do play "positions" ) with IBUs of 50 and ABV at 5.5%. Pairing? Deli sammiches or grilled fare. Another winner from this Grand Rapids (aka Beer City, USA ) brewery.

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Blackbeard's Breakfast (draft)-Heavy Seas Beer Company

Arrgghh!!

This bourbon barrel-aged imperial porter from their Uncharted Waters series is made even more flavorful with the addition of dark Sumatra coffee.

Eight ounce pour was almost black with a thin, tan head. Coffee nose and abundant coffee flavors along with some dark chocolate-covered caramels, roasty bitterness and a warming, bourbon-y finish. No IBUs listed so I'll guess 40-50 and the ABV is somewhat high for the style at 10%. Liquid dessert. Their website also shows bottle availability but only in May and June and likely only in the Baltimore-Washington areas.

A couple more clicks revealed the following:

IBUs are indeed 40.

Hops: Target, East Kent Goldings
Malts: UK Pale, UK Amber, Vienna, Light Crystal, Dark Crystal, Chocolate Malt, Black Malt

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Below Decks (draft)-Heavy Seas Beer Company

One of their de-commissioned brews, this one is a barleywine aged in red wine barrels for a year.

Two ounce sample after my "breakfast." Pour was a dark amber with a small head. Nose of (almost) turned/sour red wine, making me think more a sour beer than wine barrel aging. Tastes of leather, tobacco, some caramel but predominantly red wine with a bit of vinegar/lactic acid. I've had very few barleywines in the last several years but barrel aging may make them a bit more attractive/palatable. Could be a dessert beer, could accompany grilled, smokey items. IBUs 60, less than a typical barleywine but the ABV is 12.2% which is 2-3% higher than the usual for the style. More info:

Hops: Target, Fuggle, Goldings
Malts: Marris Otter, Vienna, Crystal

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Clawhammer-Highland Brewing Company

Nothing pirate-y here but still pretty tasty for my first Oktoberfest in several years.

True to form as a Marzen style lager, this 2 ounce sample was a light orange-amber with a modest head. Aromas of wheat toast and light brown sugar, followed by similar tastes with very mild herbal, earthy bitterness. IBUs are 25 and ABV is 5% and a bottle of this would be quite pleasant with BBQ chicken, beef or pork.

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From 5/21/17:

Enigma-New Glarus Brewing

I can certainly see why. The Ommegang tulip from which I'm very slowly sipping 12 ounces of this outstanding nectar is being cradled as if it contained liquid gold.

Pour was a ruby-brown with a small head. Nose if cherry-cola-toffee. Mouthfeel is tingle-y and tastes are incredibly complex with Sour Patch kids cherry, Gummi Colas, toffee, cherry cider vinegar, vanilla and oak. I don't want this glass to be empty, but, I do have one more bottle for a later date, not sure whether it'll be another celebration beer in the next week or two or I'll cellar it for 6-12 months. This rivals any true Belgian sour red/brown ale I've ever tasted. But, I'd also be willing to have a taste-testing discussion, too .

Apologies to fuse for not including his recent review (damn search feature), several high fives to tbyers for his suggestion and major accolades to younger daughter and her husband for their trip to Kenosha from Chicago several weeks ago to seek this out and fill my order.

From tonight:

Enigma-New Glarus Brewing

It didn't make it 12 months, let alone 6.

Just as praiseworthy as it was 4 months ago. Superb beer. Not sure when/if we'll ever see/taste this again. <wipes tear from cheek>

[devildeac]

pper (draft)-Waterman Brewing Company

Drink local!

A pint after dinner in Wilmington, NC. Couldn't bring myself to drive to another nearby joint as I was too full after a 2 item seafood platter.

This was a session IPA that fell about halfway between a pale ale and an IPA with an ABV of 5% but IBUs of 65. Pour was a light, clear, gold-yellow with a small head. Pretty much as advertised on the menu with aromas of grapefruit and tangelo with the same tastes and some dankness and pine/oil at the finish but not unpleasantly so. There were also hints of light caramel. This would have been nice with my dinner.

[devildeac]

Howl-Magic Hat Brewing Company

A trader from August West last Saturday that is included in their Night of the Living Dead variety pack. Thanks!

Labeled as a black lager and matches up pretty well with what one would expect with a dark, dark brown pour with a small head. Espresso, dark chocolate and smokey aromas. First tastes are charred wood followed by more coffee, dark caramel and chocolate and it finishes with more smokiness. Stats fit the style/description with IBUs of 32 and ABV at 4.6%. Ribs, brisket or game would pair well with this. It's likely been 15 years or more since I've had any Magic Hat brews and this was a pleasant surprise.

[devildeac]

Tropical Lightning (draft)-Wilmington Brewing Company

Drink local!

A west coast IPA.

Had a post-conference pear, bleu cheese and arugula salad at the Wilminton location of Blackfinn Ameripub this evening and they had a smattering of local brews and this sounded intriguing and ended up being a fine selection. I suspected it was an IPA with the name and the server made sure I knew it was piney and bitter but my taste buds ascertained tropical and citrus flavors, including grapefruit, mango and pineapple with a similar nose. There was a bit of caramel sweetness for a very reasonable balance. No IBUs listed but I'd estimate 70 and the ABV was 7.4%. I think it overpowered the salad a bit but was quite an enjoyable "fruity" IPA.

[devildeac]

Lucky Kat-Magic Hat Brewing Company

"Beer, kitty, kitty."

An amber IPA.

Thanks to August West for this 12 ounce trader last weekend.

Poured a light, golden-amber into a pint glass. Modest head and mild piney and grapefruity aromas. More grapefruit than pine on the palate (thankfully) with some watermelon rind and a bit of caramel sweetness. IBUs at 58 and ABV of 5.8% so reasonably balanced. Sipped last PM without any foods but would make a nice pairing with grilled fare or mildly spicy Asian cuisine.

[devildeac]

Jinx-Magic Hat Brewing Company

A Scotch ale.

The 3rd installment from August West. Thanks!

Pour was a medium amber hue with a small to medium head. Toasted, bready nose and milk chocolate, medium caramel, minimally bitter/earthy hops and smoked/toasted cereal on the tasting front. IBUs 20, about as expected from the style with an ABV of 6.9%. There aren't many Scotch ales on the market and this is a good one. Would pair with ribs, brisket and grilled fare. Ingredients:

"Brewed with English Pale, Cara, Crystal, Peat Smoked Malt Malts; Apollo, CTZ Hops; English Ale Yeast."

I'd have another couple of these as it's a good example of a style I've liked for many years.

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Heart of Darkness-Magic Hat Brewing Comapny

The last of the litter from August West. Thanks again!

As one might expect from the name, it's a stout. Deep dark brown pour with a small, short-lived head. Espresso and burnt almond aromas with bittersweet chocolate, dark roast coffee and slightly blackened whole grain toast taste sensations, all about what I'd expect from the style. Mouthfeel was a bit thin but it's not a thick, chewy imperial stout. IBUs on the web site at 30, perhaps a bit low for the style and the ABV is 5.7%, pretty standard. Not quite a dessert beer but this would match nicely with smokey, grilled offerings or shredded beef tacos or quesadillas

[devildeac]

Revision IPA-Revision Brewing Company

Re-imagined India pale ale.

New brew and brewery from my September beer club 4 pack.

Poured an orange-yellow with a moderate creamy heady. Tropicana grapefruit juiciness (Simcoe hops featured) immediately followed by more grapefruit, a bit of rind, orange, mango and a hint of pine. Pleasantly bitter at 50 IBUs and judiciously balanced at 6.5% ABV. I'd pair with sweet and sour chicken/pork/shrimp. At $3.29/12 ounce bottle for a standard IPA, I wouldn't buy many of these but happy to have included in my monthly 4 pack.

[devildeac]

Kiwi's Playhouse (draft)-Brooklyn Brewery

Soured/blended ale aged on kiwis in red wine barrels.

Two ounce sample of this at Bottle Revolution.

Appearance was a light red-yellow with a funky nose and Sour Patch kids mixed fruit on first sip. There are berries, cherries, wine and more sour/lactic acid throughout my small sample. I'll guess 10 IBUs-it's sour, not bitter. ABV was 8.1%. Pairings? Berry cobblers? Fresh fruit plates? Here is the ingredient list:

Malts: 2-row, Pale, Wheat Malt
Additions: Our proprietary Lactobacillus strain for souring, fresh ripe kiwis
Hops: Willamette, Perle, Simcoe, Amarillo

Apparently very limited bottling in 750 ml vessels.