Ymm, Beer!

[devildeac]

no. 5 -Brewery Bhavana

From their Cellar Door Series/Beer Club, courtesy of a fuse trading session late last year. Many thanks again!

"An imperial stout, which is blended with a bourbon barrel-aged version and aged over cocoa nibs, coffee, and vanilla."

750 ml bottle divided over two nights last week. There's no brewed on/best by dating so I'll guess this was brewed in mid-2018 and released late-2018.

Appearance: dark, dark brown with a generous, frothy tan head
Aromas: chocolate, coffee and fudge
Mouthfeel: as smooth as a JJ Redick three pointer
Tastes: liquid, dark chocolate fudge lightly drizzled with bourbon and sipped with an espresso
IBU: 60-estimated (heavily roasted grains bitterness)
ABV: 11%-frighteningly smooth
Overall impression: Another outstanding creation from BB. The bourbon was pretty subtle, likely a result of the blending and not a 100% BBA imperial stout. Made me think about the 12 ounce bottles of 2018 Curieux which is Allagash's BBA blended tripel which was excellent but had less booziness than the earlier vintage 750 ml bottles.

[devildeac]

Piglette Grissette (draft)-Brewery Bhravana

A pint from last pm as a Father's Day celebration and an early birthday treat.

Belgian table beer. What's that? It's a low bitterness (guessing about 20 IBUs), low potency (ABV is 4.2% on the menu) that is meant to be served with a meal.

This one is actually a sour saison. Pour was a slightly cloudy yellow-straw color with a small, thin head that still had a bit of Belgian lacing on my large tulip about halfway through the ale. Faint aromas of lemons, tart apples and underripe pears with some funk/barnyard on the palate first, followed by some lemongrass, a pinch of black pepper and some apples, pears and lemons at a fairly dry finish. Very pleasant pairing with several outstanding dim sum choices at the restaurant.

Some ore info about the style: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grisette_(beer)

[devildeac]

Hoppy Beerthday to me-from last PM and tonight.

120 Minute IPA-Dogfish Head Craft Brewery

Why am I posting this on Ymm, Beer? Because there is no Ymm, Gasoline thread. Amirite, fuse?

Bottled On

10/20/17 1545

Twelve ounce bottle divided over two nights. If you don't know why already, please keep reading.

Poured somewhat aggressively into a mini-snifter and all I got was a thin rim of foam that disappeared quickly atop a mildly cloudy, orange-amber elixir. Almost thick aromas of orange rind, pine, orange liqueur and booze. This almost tastes like a poor man's Cointreau with the alcohol burn, resin, pine, more orange rind, some grapefruit and wood (not barrel-aged). IBUs are a palate-scorching 120 (d'oh) with the tongue-numbing ABV is quoted on the DFH site as 15-20% and on Untapped at 18%. It is NOT noted on the label. I think this was close to $10 for the bottle after a case discount about 16 months ago, plus state and local taxes. I'll bet I have 15 bottles left as I've shared a couple, gifted a couple and traded a few others. What will be very interesting will be to share and compare this to a 2009 bottle of this I've had in the fridge for several years.

[devildeac]

Oak-Aged Vanilla World Wide Stout-Dogfish Head Craft Brewery

From Monday and Tuesday nights (see below)

Bottled on

07/25/17 2358

The original WWS is one of my favorite all-time beers and I *may* have purchased a case of this during its original release year in 1999 . This is an outstanding variant.

Pour from a 12 ounce bottle into a small snifter was ebony with a thin, tan head. Amazing vanilla nose, followed by rich vanilla extract tastes along with liquid wood, black strap molasses, dark caramel, semi-sweet chocolate and hints of coffee (neither added). IBUs are 70, pretty standard for the imperial stout style. ABV is listed at 16-17.5% () on their website so I divided this a bit unequally () over two nights along with the 120 Minute IPA. The original was >20% (no typo)! I probably have 15 left after trading/gifting/sharing some of the case I bought about 18 months ago for a bit less than $10/bottle.

[devildeac]

From last PM:

Deep Devil-Shipyard Brewing Company

$2 gift bottle from part-time office nurse, also a Duke BSN grad, class of Mrs. dd. What's not to like here?

Stamped on neck of bottle: B.O.01.18.2018 Ruh-roh. Stale beer?

Pour was a dark brown with a thin, tan head. No foam-over! Yay! Aromas were caramel, earthy, herbal hops and nuts. Tastes were almonds and Brazil nuts with some dark caramel, a splash of coffee (not added), a drop of milk chocolate and mild hop bitterness. No stale beer characteristics in the scents or tastes, thankfully. I'll guess IBUs about 30 and the ABV was 5.4%. A decent brown ale that I'd be interested in trying again if it was fresh. Would pair well with brisket or 'cue.

[devildeac]

Nightcap last PM:

Victory at Sea-Ballast Point Brewing Company of Constellation Brands

Imperial porter with coffee and vanilla-no date on label/bottle

Poured a dark brown with a rich, creamy tan head that just missed over-flowing my large Founders snifter. Nose and palate were strong vanilla-infused coffee with milk chocolate and dark caramel flavors, too. Mouthfeel was a bit thin but it's a porter, not a stout but could easily be mistaken for one. I'll guess IBUs about 40 and the ABV was 10%. I think this is their original Victory at Sea with a lot of other flavored variants that are all excellent. No pairing needed unless you're craving a brownie or chocolate chunk cookie.

[devildeac]

Moscow Mule-Southern Pines Brewing Company

Not only an imperial Berliner Weisse but a really high octane one at 12% ABV (no typo) . I have had very few of the imperial versions of this style and never one with this ABV.

A vigorous pour from a pint can into a mug brought forth a golden-yellow elixir with a thin, off-white head. Stuff smelled like ginger ale/beer with lime, or a Moscow Mule cocktail based on the recipes I've read but never made or tasted the original cocktail version. Immediate ginger zing on the palate accompanying some mildly sweet but mostly sour freshly squeezed lime juice. The high ABV is barely perceptible, making this a high dangerous beverage as one could easily belt down a couple of these and not wake up for several hours. IBUs are 5. Another high quality offering from SPBC and worth the ~$18 for the 4 pack that I'm planning to share/trade.

[devildeac]

From 4/5/18:

Blackbeard's Booty-Mother Earth Brewing

More local!

Hoppy blonde ale-an interesting brew.

Another 12 ounce can shared 3 ways last evening. Pour was pale yellow with a small, white head. Nose was not attractive and reminded us of stale, wet bread. Tastes were better but somewhat unusual for a blonde ale and consisted of lightly toasted white bread, flowers, light caramel and herbs. Amarillo and Chinook hops give a moderately bitter finish and I'll guess IBUs about 40 with the ABV at 4.9%. Would make a satisfactory pairing with BLT or grilled cheese and tomato sammiches. A bit disappointing for a Mother Earth Brew.

From last PM:

Blackbeard's Booty-Mother Earth Brewing

Because (almost) everything/one deserves a second chance (lying, cheating "u"nc athletic bastards excepted, of course). Also, because I had little/no choice as this 12 ounce can was gifted to me this week for a birthday treat .

Canned
07/27/18

Oh, my, more (possibly) stale beer .

This was certainly better than last year's tasting with a more attractive bouquet of aromas including some pine and resin. Impressions from the palate were improved, too, with some light orange and grapefruit rind flavors, some juiciness, a bit of pine and resin and hints of sweetness. A rather pleasant warm, spring/summer evening after dinner beer. Perhaps hoppy Belgian blondes are good after all...

[devildeac]

Nightcap last PM:

St. Benedict's Breakfast-Haw River Farmhouse Ales

But, I could have had this for breakfast this AM .

"Coffee & Oatmeal Dubbel; Belgian-style dark ale brewed with coffee and oatmeal (and, on the back of label, organic cocoa nibs and rich dark chocolate)"

Two 8 ounce portions last PM sipped over 45 minutes from an oversized Ommegang tulip. Appearance was dark brown and slightly cloudy with a generous, foamy tan head that left a lot of Belgian lacing at the end of each portion. Coffee appears as the first aroma and is followed by milk chocolate and dark caramel. The flavors made their presence known in about the same order along with dark, dried fruits and enhanced by a smooth/silky mouthfeel and earthy/herbal hops. I'll guess IBUs around 30 with the stated ABV at 7.2%. Another outstanding Haw River product. I'll add this to Burial and Brewery Bhavana as being the leaders in the NC craft beer industry.

[devildeac]

Oarsman Ale-Bell's Brewery

Important code from bottom of can:

(buncha numbers) 04:57
01/25/19 (another buncha numbers)

Shelf life-6 months so *not* a stale beer

Tart wheat ale

Birthday gift from office nurse last week

Poured with vigor from a 12 ounce can into a Sam Adams White Ale glass bought forth a slightly hazy, pale yellow liquid with a generous, fluffy head. Orange juice and tang dominated aromas while some more citrus, rind and mildly tart and sour tastes tantalized the tongue along with a bit of spice (coriander?). I'll guess IBUs about 20 and the ABV is a crushable 4%, suitable for porch-pounding and thirst-quenching after a lawn-mowing yesterday.

[devildeac]

no. 6-Brewery Bhavana

"This two-year old Belgian Strong Ale was fermented in a single Cabernet barrel."

An amazing beer from an amazing friend who was kind enough to collect an extra bottle of the first six Cellar Door release from his beer club membership last year and share/trade.

Many thanks to fuse again!

Format: 750 ml capped bottle
Appearance: cloudy red-brown pour with a modest, fizzy head that lingered a long time
Stemware: Gouden Carolus chalice
Serving size: 375 ml Saturday and Sunday nights
Nose: dark fruits and berry vinegar
Palate: raspberry, lemon, dates, figs, raisins, cherry-apple vinegar and red wine, red, red wine...
IBU: 20 (estimated)
ABV: 10.2%
Pairing: none, but I suppose I'd consider a pasta dish with a homemade marinara gravy
Overall impression: world class Belgian-style strong/dark ale meets cabernet sauvignon-outstanding

[devildeac]

Fresh Catch-Narragansett Brewing Company (Rochester, NY *but* write or visit us at 461 Main Street Pawtucket, RI )

0318 1313:34 (so not really a "Fresh Catch" )

Last beer from my gifted birthday 6er last week. This was a pint can with a bright red lob-stah on the can, obviously an upstate NY variety )

Poured a golden-yellow with faint citrus aromas emanating through/from a foamy head. Writing on the can says "A refreshing golden ale dry hopped with Citra." I guess there are some traces of grapefruit and orange flavors present along with a light caramel sweetness and minimal bitterness. I'll guess 30 IBUs with the stated ABV at 4.2%. Not a stale beer but this likely was somewhat better a year ago. Meh. Happy to have tasted but certainly not search worthy.

[devildeac]

Auto Correct (draft)-Ancillary* Fermentation

Who the heck are these guys? Here ya go:

"A pop-up fermentation experience, and a partnership between a bunch of Raleigh-Durham beer folks, centered on the idea that beer should be more experimental, more experiential, and a hell of a lot weirder. Each month, we host a pop-up taproom and launch a single beer in a different location throughout The Triangle, each centered around a theme, exploring everything from fancy felines to used goods to time itself."

What'd they brew this time?



And my, was it tasty.

Half pint pour that showed up raspberry soda purple-red with a very short-lived pink head. Berries to start, berries in-between and berries to finish. Mild sourness/tartness with some lemon-lime pucker, too. Untappd claims no IBUs but I'd guess 5-10 and the ABV was 6%. I'd happily grab a 4 pack of this if I saw it next week to share/trade.

[devildeac]

Cease to Resist (draft)-New Anthem Beer Project

Almost local (from Wilmington, NC)!

This was a mango-infused Berliner Weisse so it appeared as a cloudy orange yellow pour (8 ounces) with a small, off-white head. Pretty subtle mango/tropical fruity scents followed by a mild tang/twang/pucker with more citrus and tropical juicy flavors. Untappd claims no IBUs *or* ABV but I'll call bovine shenanigans on both with my semi-trained palate sensing 5-10 IBUs and the ABV on the electronic beer board at Bottle Revolution yesterday (June 27, not the new movie ) was 4.6%. Quite the pleasant sipper under a shaded umbrella on the patio last evening. I liked the Auto Correct a bit better.

[devildeac]

Grape and Funk 2017-Raleigh Brewing Company

This is Grape and Grain, their 2016 chardonnay barrel-aged imperial saison that was incarcerated for yet another year in red wine barrels and forced to co-exist with some Brettanomyces yeast characters. I don't think I ever tasted Grape and Grain but I'm pretty sure fuse reviewed it here at some point.

This half pint pour ($4) was a reddish-purple hue with very little head. Nose was quite vinous and tastes were berries, apples, pears, red wine vinegar and some (Uptown) funk/wet straw. I'll guess IBUs about 10-tart/sour but not bitter. ABV was 8.8%, a bit lower than expected as the Grape and Grain is listed at 9% on the bombers I bought today ($9 including tax; I swear it was $15-20 when I saw it in stores 2-3 years ago). I liked this one a lot.

[devildeac]

Prim Looking Stargazer-Hardywood Park Craft Brewery

Singing accfanfrom1970's praises again with a loud shout as he was kind enough to include this 750 ml bottle as one of my possible choices for a trader for the large format $10 Allagash Curieux I delivered to a tailgate last fall. Thanks!

Gin barrel-aged mixed culture saison

I had to do a bit of research about gin barrel-aging and found our there aren't many GBA beers because there apparently aren't many gin barrels readily available as gin is generally not barrel aged. I can recall one other GBA beer I've had before and that was sharing a crowler of Haute Raute, a tripel from New Holland Brewing, with the nearly famous budwom in the fall of 2016 after we returned from our Midwest beer odyssey, err, Duke football trip.

I divided Prim Looking Stargazer over the last 2 nights, each time sipping from a small Allagash tulip, no doubt anticipating/celebrating fuse's delivery of his Maine beer haul yesterday afternoon. Pour was a champagne color with a small, fizzy head that laced the glass marvelously each night. Nose of gin/juniper with fairly strong gin tastes along with wet straw, sour/tart apples, underripe pears and a pinch of black pepper. I'm guessing the "mixed culture" description means it was fermented with yeast and/or bacteria characters named Brettanomyces, Pediococcus and Lactobacillus, but, I have no suspect list from the brewery, nor can I find one on-line. I'll guess 20 IBUs and the ABV is "only" 5% but this tastes/drinks/feels like an 8-9% ale.

This was a highly unusual creation that I greatly enjoyed sampling and publicly thank accfanfrom1970 again who has been patiently inquiring when I'd sample and review this.

[devildeac]

Darling Ruby-Allagash Brewing Company

The first of 26 () new brews from Maine from fuse. Well, there are actually some duplicates there but I will perform magic in a couple weeks and turn six of them into new Ohio beers .

Pour from a 12 ounce bottle into a small Allagash tulip (2 servings after dinner) appeared a light, yellow-gold with a thin fizzy head. I caught hints of apples on the nose but it's almost all grapefruit zest. The Allagash White reference is a good one with hints of orange on the palate, but again, more grapefruity and zesty. I'll guess IBUs about 20 and the ABV was 4.5%. A very pleasant start to a Friday evening. This might be the only beer in the delivery that is available in this area.

The first of many thanks to fuse for sharing his Maine beer haul!

[devildeac]

Tessellation-Lone Pine Brewing Company

Second of a Maine series from fuse. Thanks!!

Pint can of this single hop (Mosaic) IIPA poured last PM with vigor into a pint glass (two 8 ounce servings) last PM.

Mildly hazy, golden-yellow with a creamy/foamy off-white head. Juicy scents of pineapple, grapefruit and orange with tastes of the same with strawberry, guava and melons. I'll guess about 60 IBUs and the ABV was 8.1%. High quality stuff here in a very crowded field.

[devildeac]

Falcon Smash (draft)-Triple Cross Brewing

We're local!

Twelve ounce pour with lunch of their "flagship" IPA. Appearance was hazy yellow with a small, creamy head. Lots of pineapple and grapefruit aromas with some orange, guava, strawberry and melon on the tastebuds. No fruits added and despite its American IPA claim, it tasted more like a NEIPA/West Coast IPA hybrid with some dankness from the Falconer's Flight dry hop brewing and "rotating hop varietals" in the tun, too. I'll guess IBUs about 60 with the stated ABV at 7%. Bartender really liked this brewery and I'd certainly have some of their other brews when visiting again.

[devildeac]

Never Never Found Found (draft)-The Veil Brewing Company

Still local! (from last PM )

Two ounce sample before purchase of a 4 pack of cans.

"Gose with double red papaya and double mango."

Pour was an orange-tinged pineapple-yellow with a small head. A juicy gose () with the above aromas and flavors and a pinch of salt. I'll guess IBUs about 10 and the ABV is listed at 5.1%.

The recipients of the above will have to provide more info after tasting their own pint can...