Ymm, Beer!

[devildeac]

Wobble (draft)-Two Brothers Artisan Brewing

Finally, done with the Two Brothers sampler.

Bronze-yellow pour with a tiny head. Perhaps a bit more pine/resin than Outlaw 2.0 above but still quite pleasing to the olfactory and gustatory regions. Maybe some mango aromas and some papaya tastes. IBUs of 69 and ABV of 6.3%, both solidly IPA stats.

[devildeac]

Wobble (draft)-Two Brothers Artisan Brewing

Finally, done with the Two Brothers sampler.

Bronze-yellow pour with a tiny head. Perhaps a bit more pine/resin than Outlaw 2.0 above but still quite pleasing to the olfactory and gustatory regions. Maybe some mango aromas and some papaya tastes. IBUs of 69 and ABV of 6.3%, both solidly IPA stats.

I lied .

Pahoehoe (draft)-Two Brothers Artisan Brewing

Two ounce taster before I bought a 6er to go for sharing/trading.

Hazy, fizzy and light golden-amber in color with a moderate head. Seductive coconut scents with creamy, coconut flavors but not on the same scale/texture as Coco Lopez. There are hint of vanilla and minimal bitterness. IBUs at 16.1 () and ABV was 5.1%. Light and pleasant concoction.

[devildeac]

Oops. Thought of one more:

In the Flesh (draft)-Two Brothers Artisan Brewing

Final one. Promise.

Two ounce taster to decide which 6er to purchase.

This is one of their sour series to which they added guava and didn't make it a buncha chunky stuff like Taxman did with their guava version of La Maison, IIRC.

Pour was a cloudy yellow with a fizzy head that lasted 5-10 seconds. Mild vinegary nose with lemon-lime and guava tastes with a modest pucker factor. IBUs or 7 and ABV is 4.1%. I wanted this one for take-out but our daughter threatened our free lodging agreement so she won and I purchased the Pahoehoe 6er .

[devildeac]

"...Hey, now it's time for you and me
Got a Revolution (got to Revolution)..."

(bolded mine)

Round 1 was five 5 ounce samples shared 3 ways:

El Hefe Loco (draft)-Revolution Brewing

A very well brewed German-style hefeweizen with the expected scents of banana and clove with tastes of the same with some lemon and orange. Appearance was a hazy yellow-orange. IBUs at 18 and ABV of 4.5% on the website and 5% on the beer menu at the brewery/taproom so we ordered the 5% version (). Had to get a bit lubricated after our victory and before our tour.

[devildeac]

Beer #2:

Loganberry (draft)-Revolution Brewing

Another wh*at beer but with the delicious twist obviously being the addition of loganberries which gave it a light reddish-purple hue while remaining clear/clean and crisp in appearance. There were hints of orange and clove, typical for the style but the berry flavors and scents were the main actors here. IBUs of 20 and ABV at 5.1%.

[devildeac]

Beer #3:

Tropic Hero (draft)-Revolution Brewing


A tropical American IPA? Yes, please.

Pour was a yellow-gold with a small head. Piña colada here? Well, not quite but the aromas made me consider it. Juicy tastes of pineapple, coconut, grapefruit and some light brown sugar. Moderate bite with IBUs at 70 and balanced well with ABV at 7%. Worth a full pint or a 6er. High quality IPA.

[devildeac]

Pahoehoe (can)-Two Brothers Artisan Brewing

Strangely, I liked the canned version a bit better than the draft. Perhaps the draft sample wasn't enough to appreciate fully. Imagining this with some curry or a sweet and sour entree.

[devildeac]

From 6/18/18:

From 9/23/16:

BA ReDANKulous (draft)-Founders Brewing

Another brewery-only special and I'm very glad I saved this to sip after my brat and German potato salad were consumed. They threw some of this (ReDANKulous):


"This bold, 9.5% imperial red IPA pours a pleasing burnt amber color. Caramalt and roasted barley introduce a subtle sweetness, but the hops are the true headliner in this big IPA. The spicy, piney and tropical complexities of Chinook, Mosaic and Simcoe hops hit you right away with their dank aroma – and they stick around. It’s not just ridiculous. It’s reDANKulous."

And turned it into this:

"*B.A. Redankulous is the last test batch of Redankulous before it became a Backstage beer in 2015, and won that nifty gold medal, and then aged in Oak Bourbon Barrels for 485 days. It gained a delightful bump up in ABV and pours a tad darker shade of reddish brown. Enjoy this Big ol’ B.A. Beauty!"

Damn, this was delightful. Nose of dark fruits and booze before a ruby-brown pour with no head. Tastes of dark, dried fruits, tart cherries, candied grapefruit slices and toasted, dark, wheat bread and a lot of bourbon. IBUs quoted by our server at 85 and the ABV on this is a stunning 12.5%. Forget food with this and send them an email to brew it again and put it into some 4 packs.

From about 10 days ago:

Dank Wood (brewed on 4/10/18)-Founders (cough, heineken, cough) Brewing Company

I thought this looked/sounded familiar when I passed it over the first time I saw it for about $17 for a 4 pack. I was sucked in the second time at $15 for the litter.

Searching out the review from our midwest beer-cation, err, Duke Football journey, about 18 months ago I discovered the above old review/s. Amazing prescience on my part (I wish I had actually sent the email and could take an ounce of credit for it. )

Three of us shared a 12 ounce bottle of this one evening as a nightcap. I think this is very close to the brew from 2016 WRT the color, aromas, mouthfeel and alcohol burn. This would also make a wonderful dessert beer, maybe with some bread pudding. Worth seeking out and buying a 4 pack with one for now and one every 6 months until the carrier is empty.

From last PM:

Dank Wood-Founders(30% heineken) Brewing Company

A bourbon barrel-aged imperial red ale.

From same litter as above so I managed to wait another 90 days to sip again.

It only took 2 of us to knock out this bottle last PM.

Slightly cloudy, dark amber pour with a moderate head. Nose of toffee and caramel with a sticky mouthfeel and toffee-caramel tastes with herbal, earthy hop bitterness. Untapped quotes 65 IBUs and the ABV is 12.2% and dangerously deceptive. Two remain. I'm going to try to keep my hands off for 6 months next time.

[devildeac]

From 5/1/18:

Saber Tooth Tiger-Rheingeist Brewery

More local! (well, maybe about 90 minutes away from local on Saturday night in Columbus, OH)

A limited, annual release, this was their first IIPA in 2013.

Poured from a 12 ounce can and shared with our son, it appeared a golden-yellow with a medium, foamy head. Waves of tropical fruit waft from our snifters and blasts of pineapple, mango, guava and grapefruit trample our taste buds. Really high IBUs at 95 but the moderate bitterness is fairly fruity/rind-y and reasonably well balanced with the ABV at 8.5%. I like this better than their year-round IIPA, Knowledge. Here are the ingredients:

MALTS: 2-row, Pilsner, Flaked Rye (I didn't perceive much, if any, of the mustiness one would expect from this)

HOPS: Amarillo, Simcoe, Citra

(and yes, several of these made it back to NC last PM...)

From last PM:

Saber Tooth Tiger (date on bottom of can was 3/18/18)-Rheingeist Brewing

From our son's beer cellar last PM. Just made it before that 6 month "expiration" date .\

Pretty similar tasting impressions compared to 4 months ago except perhaps a bit musty yesterday but not foamy and no stale aromas or tastes. Lesson is still: drink your IPAs and IIPAs fresh.

[devildeac]

Shower Beer-Champion Brewing Company

Drink regional!

Beer #3 from my August beer club 4 pack and this one was a Czech style pilsner.

What's that mean? Well, the pour was a clean/clear, light golden-yellow with almost a 2 fingered head. Floral bouquet, as expected, tantalized the nostrils. Tastes were on target, too, with mildly bitter, flowery 100% Saaz hops with some light caramel sweetness and a hint of lemon (not added). IBUs were 35 and the ABV was 4.8%, both also pretty standard for the style. GABF gold medal winner in 2015 in the Bohemian style pilsner category. Nice pairing tonight with a garden salad topped with roasted chicken, garden tomatoes and various other healthy items.

[devildeac]

Carnaval-D9 Brewing

Drink local! (sort of-this brewery is in Cornelius, NC)

Sour ale with passion fruit (printed on label). Intriguing.

Additional label info:

Sour: 4 (1-5 scale)

Tamed microflora ()

Foedered

Even more intriguing.

Last member of my August beer club 4 pack.

D9's ideas for a 4 pack: one for now, one for later, two to share

Poured from a 12 ounce bottle into a large Ommegang tulip. Color was straw with a thin, fizzy, short-lived head. Nose was sweet fruit juice (maybe passion fruit? ). Tastes were bubbly and moderately sour but nothing in the Destihl Flanders Red league of sour. In addition to the main actor, grapes, peaches and a lemon-lime club soda come to mind. I'll guess IBUs 10 or less and the ABV was 5.5%. If I had another of these, I'd pair with a fruit plate.

[devildeac]

Time to work on the Revolution some more.

Ghost Ride (draft)-Revolution Brewing

Shared a 5 ounce pour with our younger daughter on Saturday after the Duke-NU game. Fortunately, no ghost peppers were harmed in the construction of this Kölsch-style ale. Yellow-tan color with a small head. Effervescent/bubble/tingly on the palate after a floral bouquet of aromas tickled my nose. Tastes were light with pears and apples, very mild flowery hop bitterness and a hint of sweetness. IBUs might be a bit high for the style at 27 but the ABV is in order at 4.7%.

[devildeac]

Freedom of Press (draft)-Revolution Brewing

Local stuff!

Our younger daughter and her husband are not real fond of sours so I was *forced* to sip most of this 5 ounce sample myself Saturday evening .

Pour was a clear/clean dark berry color with no head. Very mildly acetic nose and probably 2.5 on the sour scale of 5 so very palate friendly. Minimal bitterness with a mixture of tart berries (Sour Patch berry blend?) and 7 Up flavors and bubbles. IBUs were 10 and ABV was 3.6% so a nice "palate cleanser" prior to our Revolution Brewing tour. Another nice celebratory brew.

[devildeac]

From 6/26/18:

Anti Hero (filled on 4/25/18)-Revolution Brewing

Buy local! (drink when you return home )

Twelve pack of 12 ounce cans bought earlier this month visiting younger daughter and her husband on the south side of Chicago. Never made it to the brewery at either location. Maybe in September.

Pour was a light copper with a small, foamy head. Interesting aromas with a mixture of orange rind, pine and some tangerine. Tasting scale is tipped toward bitterness with some resin/oil along with more orange rind and tangerine. IBUs are 67 and the ABV is 6.5%. I'd pair this with a Chicago/Italian beef sandwich with a small side of giardiniera. From their website:

"Our flagship IPA is supremely aromatic, crisp, and drinkable. This iconic ale features a blend of Citra, Crystal, Centennial, and Chinook to create a crisp clean bitterness and imparts massive floral and citrus aromas."

I perceive more Crystal, Centennial and Chinook hops (IOW, bitterness) than the Citra variety but am looking forward to the single hop Citra version tomorrow night.

It's September .

From 9/8/18:

Anti Hero (filled 9/4/18)-Revolution Brewing

Drink local! Celebrate local!

Brewery tour beer.

Only reviewed now because our brewery tour guide Saturday evening "assigned" a 12 ounce can to each of us and pointed out this was their freshest beer in-house except for any kegs they may have tapped in the last 2-3 days. I think it made the tour and my impression better than my June review which is the main reason I'm reviewing a beer in less than 3 months after the initial review.

Appearance and pour were the same but I thought the aromas and tastes were a bit cleaner and fresher with less resin and more citrus (grapefruit?) and tropical (pineapple? mango?) fruity flavors. Solid and enjoyable IPA.

[devildeac]

Berliner Weisse (2/28/18)-Mother Earth Brewing

Drink local!

This can was a 12 ounce trader with our older son-in-law a couple weeks ago.

I must admit, I had a few doubts about this one after Blackbeard's Booty, their hoppy blonde ale, plus the almost 6 month old date stamped on the bottom of the can.

Count me pleasantly surprised. Very surprised.

Pour into a Sam Adams White Ale tall pilsner glass was a fizzy, pale sunshine yellow with a small, quickly invisible head. Mildly sour nose and a bit fruity. WTH? A fruity Berliner Weisse? Yes, indeed. Bubbly mouthfeel with lemon-lime, orange zest and hints of grapefruit and mango. WTH again? Their twist is the "heavy dose of Mosaic and Citra hops" that make you think "IPA," but the tartness solidly places this in the proper category. No IBUs listed so I'll guess 20-30, a bit high for the style but these hops lend just enough flavor and bitterness to this mostly wh*at ale that really catches your attention. ABV a bit high, too, at 5.2%. Perhaps not worth a 6er but I'd easily order/sip/trade for another one or two of these.

[devildeac]

From 7/27/18:

From 4/6/18:

King of Boggle-Trophy Brewing Company

Beer #3 from the winning bracket pool . Hazy juice!

This was a 16 ounce can labeled as a NE IPA and divided among 3 tasters Wednesday night. Appearance was a cloudy orange-yellow with a generous, foamy head. Oh, my, what a juicy, grapefruity nose with perfectly matching tastes. There may have been a bit of mango and hints of rind/zest, too. Very mild caramel-y sweetness. Even our younger daughter, not an IPA fan at all, found this very tasty. No IBUs quoted so I'll guess 50. ABV on their tap list and on the label was 7.3%. I'd buy a pint of this at the taproom/brewery if available or a 4 pack of this if I see it so sip/trade and share, even at about $3.50/pint can. Highly recommended, especially to mattman if he can find it at Bruisin' Ales or Tasty Beverage in his home zip code.

From last PM:

King of Boggle (brewed on 6/8/18)-Trophy Brewing Company

Yep, found and bought a 4 pack last week. Price this time was $4.50+tax/16 ounce can without any 4 pack discount. Sometimes I wonder why I buy any additional beer beyond my monthly beer club 4 pack and some drafts at Bottle Rev . Might appear as a trader sometime soon...

Pretty similar tasting impressions with perhaps some pineapple and papaya flavors with this release. I'd anticipate a draft pint of this would be fabulous at the brewery or one of the local beer shops.

From my pint glass tonight:

King of Boggle (same 4 pack)-Trophy Brewing Company

Still smelled/tasted pretty fresh despite it being beyond the "magic" 90 day "limit" for IPAs/IIPAs and I guess now NEIPAs. One of the better NEIPAs I've tasted (and consistently good, too). Would certainly buy again.

[devildeac]

From fuse on 8/6/18:

"Foothills Tangled Vine Berry Rose

Well named as it looks as beautiful as any true (grape based) rose I’ve had the pleasure of seeing in a wine glass.

No head.

Smells faintly sour and vinegary.

Delightful. If not for the mildest of bitterness, you might have convinced me this was a sparkling rose wine.

Very effervescent. Clean, not sugary sweet or fruit forward.

4.5% ABV- an easy sipper.

The label says it is a mix of cranberry, sour cherry and strawberries to produce a tart fruit ale that’s dry, bubbly, and eminently drinkable.

The description is apt. Couldn’t have said it better myself

Really glad I picked up the six pack. It won’t survive the month.

Well worth seeking out and enjoying it for what it is."

You guys are good. Really good. I traded 3 of these recently (family and tailgate) and enjoyed my first one last PM.

Tangle Vine Berry Rosé Ale-Foothills Brewing Company

Fuse described it eloquently above so I'll simply add that Mrs. dd took a sip from her champagne flute and said, "This doesn't taste anything like a New Glarus fruit beer. It just tastes like beer. You can finish my serving." At least now, I won't have to worry what to do with my 2 remaining bottles . This was a steal at Harris Teeter a few weeks ago when I bought my 6er for $8.

[devildeac]

A couple overdue Revolution Brewing reviews:

Working Mom (draft)-Revolution Brewing

Yep, it's local time again.

This was a brewery only release and not canned/bottled/growlered and four of us shared 9 ounces of this and the next brew as we also traded sips of the Crispen Blackberry Pear cider. So, I guess we had fruited, boozy desserts.

Their imperial brown ale that they aged in Woodford Reserve barrels for 9 months. The $9 serving () was a dark brown with a thin, tan head. Seductive aromas of chocolate, caramel, dark fruits and booze. Pretty smooth, luxurious mouthfeel, followed by tastes of dark, dried fruits, a drop of coffee, rich milk chocolate, dark caramel with a very warming, bourbon finish. Amazingly complex. 70 IBUs are reported and I'd have never guessed that high. The ABV is 12.2% and dangerously drinkable. An outstanding creation and probably the best brown ale I've ever tasted. If they had 4 packs or large formats of this, I'd have bought a couple.

It gets better...

[devildeac]

Jamo Nilla (draft)-Revolution Brewing

The final stop on the Purple Line of the "L" (well, not really but it was a *local* train).

Style: imperial milk stout
Color: dark, dark brown
Delivery: nitro
Appearance: dark chocolate malted
Serving: 9 ounces
Cost: $10 (Duke won. I treated. Worth every cent.)
Head: One finger; creamy; tan
Aromas: chocolate, dark fruits, whiskey
Mouthfeel: silky smooth, creamy
Tastes: dark chocolate-covered cherries, vanilla, whiskey, coffee, hints of smoke
Aging: Jameson Irish Whiskey barrels
Malts: dark chocolate, smoked, de-bittered black
Adjuncts: oats, lactose, vanilla beans
IBU: 0 (no, really, that's what their tap list quotes ); but I'll estimate 50-60 based on the style
ABV: 13.2%
ABV: 13.2% (worth repeating)


Final impressions: This was an outstanding ale and made the Chicago visit, football victory, meal, fellowship, family, friends gathering even more enjoyable. Not canned/bottled/growlered or I'd have brought back several servings of this.

Looking forward to the devildeac delivery service providing some more of Revolution's seasonal offerings during the Christmas holiday season.

[devildeac]

From 8/25/18:

I've got more Hubris than fuse :

Hubris (draft)-Lynnwood Brewing Concern

I ordered this based on fuse's visit there, his notification/suggestion it was on draft and he liked it and remotely hearing about this beer in years past and this week. Plus, this was a secret treat from his company (), I guess as their afternoon beer consultant . Thanks!!

Pour into a lovely LBC snifter (13 ounces for $7) was clean and golden-yellow with a small, creamy head. Seductive aromas of tropical, citrus and stone fruits. Mouthfeel was oily and fresh, guessing this beer was released this week. Tastes were quite complex and included pineapple, grapefruit, peaches and nectarines, light caramel/honey sweetness and a hint of resin/oil. IBUs on the fact sheet at the bar stated 70 but, as fuse comments above, incredibly balanced with the ABV of 8.7%. Totally a sipper, this one lasting about an hour and ultimately, felt more boozy than the stated ABV. Good enough to inquire about packaging and then splurging and buying a 4 pack of pint cans for $22 + tax, so rather spendy (compared to Outta This Galaxy from Trophy and Barrel Aged Mezcal Exemption from Taxman at $18/4 pack of pint cans ).

This was an amazing gem of a IIPA and I consider myself very fortunate to have tasted on draft and walk away with a 4 pack, as apparently it sells out fast and rarely makes it outside of Raleigh. This will most certainly go on my August beer calendar for years to come.

From last PM:

Hubris (canned on 8/21/18)-Lynnwood Brewing Concern

Drink local and drink fresh! Well, not as fresh as at the brewery ~2 days after it was kegged but still <30 days old.

Pretty similar impressions to the draft version with perhaps some more tropical fruit flavors like mango and papaya from the 16 ounce can serving sipped from a standard pint glass. "Agressively (yes, Ymm, Beer fans, it's spelled incorrectly on the label) dry hopped with Amarillo, Citra, Simcoe & Mosaic hops" for all the above flavors and no grains named and no adjuncts implied. Quite an outstanding IIPA and I'm anxiously awaiting decanting my 2 remaining pint cans. Our son enjoyed his immensely last week, too.