Ymm, Beer!

[devildeac]

Spring Bock (draft)-c*rolina Brewing Company

From the borough of Holly Springs, NC comes this amber colored lager with floral scents and tastes of slightly burned Kraft caramel squares and toasted croissants. They were not as prominent when first served as it was too cold, but the flavors were better as the beer warmed over 30-45 minutes. This was a $2.50 pint from the MacGregor Draft House in Cary, NC last PM with fuse as we talked about brews, Duke sports, more brews and a bit of academics. It made a nice match with my grilled Reuben and slaw. I'd guess the IBU about 20 and the ABV was 6.5% so pretty standard for the style.

[devildeac]

Pumpkin Hard Cider-Woodchuck Cidery

Well, I guess if a brewery brews beers, a cidery ferments ciders. This was a gift from fuse as he cleaned out the 'fridges, cellars, basements, closets, briefcases, suitcases and whatever other storage locations he has (had?) for his fermented beverages. Thanks again! I'll be reviewing for quite a while with the products he bestowed on me Monday evening as we mused about brews, hoops and many other Duke things.

Didn't feel like starting a Ymm, Cider thread, either. Not sure how far that one would go. One or two posts most likely.

This was just too easy to drink. It's apple juice and I can drain a large glass of Mott's in 5-10 minutes at breakfast any morning of the week. Poured a dark amber with a very small, briefly retained head. Sweet apples all the way with a hint of dry pumpkin at the end. No spices though a bit of cinnamon/nutmeg/allspice/cloves might make this a bit more interesting. I've had one pear cider that I got as a trader last year, I think, and distant memory says that was a bit lighter but this product makes for pleasant sipping on a warm day if chilled well. But, don't drink too many of these as the ABV is 6.9%, much higher than I would have thought. No hops so no IBU rating.

Ok, back to your regularly scheduled malts and hops thread.

[devildeac]

A ten beer (sampler) lunch today!

#1

Bold Rock Virginia Draft Cider-Blue Mountain Brewery

Well, OK, it's really a cider but they brewed/fermented it and put it on the tray and I paid for it and drank it so I'll post about it. Looked like a pale apple juice with a thin body and tasted like it, too. Rather sweet with little carbonation. A pleasant start to the sampler and lunch today. No IBU (there are no hops in cider) and ABV is 4.7%.

[devildeac]

#2

Classic Lager-Blue Mountain Brewery

Light straw color with a small head and a floral nose, just what I'd expect from a European style pilsner. Slight breadiness with very mild bitterness. IBU rated at 22 with the ABV of 5.3%.

[devildeac]

#3

Rockfish Wheat-Blue Mountain Brewery

They stole this hefeweizen from the Germans. Slightly cloudy yellow-orange pour with orange, banana and clove aromas and flavors. IBU at 16 and ABV 5.3%. Nice starter beer. I'm still waiting for my food at this time after three samples of 2.5 ounces each in very cute miniature pilsner glasses.

[devildeac]

#4

Sour Cherry Lager-Blue Mountain Brewery

My food just arrived as I finished this sour mash experimental lager. My wife has already confiscated the car keys, in fact, she did this after the words "10 beer sampler" escaped my lips within moments after our server arrived at the table. Looked like a pink zinfandel but smelled like a fruity Euro pils and had mild sour cherry tastes. Very little hop presence here with an IBU of 16 and the ABV was 5%. This would make another good starter beer or serve with some fresh summer fruits.

[devildeac]

#5

Now, we have some serious brew and a Virginia BBQ sammich and a generous side salad to accompany the remainder of the sampler.

Maggie Maibock-Blue Mountain Brewery

One of two seasonals on the menu and pretty true to style. A lighter version of the traditional bock that was pale yellow in color with very light grassy hops and bready/malty sweetness. It's a lager so IBU low at 22 but the grains win here with an ABV of 6.6%. Nice pairing with the 'cue. Available in 6ers, too.

[devildeac]

#9 (not Magic Hat)

Double IPA-Blue Mountain Brewing

Grapefruit, papaya and mango tastes/aromas from five hops that included Amarillo, Simcoe, Citra, Sorachi Ace and Cascade for a pleasant balancing act. Might be all pale malt but in generous quantities to achieve an ABV of 8.1% with IBU of 65. Both of these are a bit low for the style but this yellow-golden pour with a bit of foam for the head was a rather smooth imperial IPA.

[devildeac]

#10

Dark Hollow-Blue Mountain Brewing

The crown of the Blue Ridge Mountains (and lunch, too). This bourbon barrel aged Russian Imperial stout just oozed dark chocolate, vanilla, oak/cedar and booze in a nearly black pour with a modest tan head. Pretty standard IBU at 70 and ABV of 10% made this a fine liquid dessert for lunch. Available in corked and caged 375 and 750 ml bottles. Wouldn't hesitate for a moment to buy another bottle or three of this brew.

[devildeac]

Festina Peche-Dogfish Head Brewing

Every once in a while, I find a brewer's notes to be far better than my impressions and this is one of them. Not only do they give you tasting thoughts but they include a description and history of the beer. So, here are the DFH words:

"A refreshing neo-Berliner Weisse, Festina Peche is available in 4-packs and on draft during the sweaty months.
Sadly, there are only a few breweries left in Berlin still brewing the Berliner Weisse style, which is characterized by its intense tartness (some say sour). There were once over 70 breweries in Berlin alone making this beer!
In addition to fermentation with an ale yeast, Berliner Weisse is traditionally fermented with lactic cultures to produce its acidic (or green apple-like) character. Served as an apertif or summertime quencher, Festina is delicately hopped and has a pale straw color. To soften the intense sourness, Berliner Weisse is traditionally served with a dash of essence of woodruff or raspberry syrup.
In Festina Peche, since the natural peach sugars are eaten by the yeast, the fruit complexity is woven into both the aroma and the taste of the beer so there is no need to doctor it with woodruff or raspberry syrup. Just open and enjoy!"

Shout out to fuse for including this in a recent trading session. I'm not sure I've ever tasted this before and found it very refreshing and not too "peachy." ABV was 4.5% (here's another nominee for the "good brews under 5% ABV" from our upthread discussion) and IBU an incredibly low 8 (no typo).

[Lavabe]

More beer and archaeology news:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/18/us/fo ... share&_r=0

[devildeac]

More beer and archaeology news:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/18/us/fo ... share&_r=0

[devildeac]

Full Nelson IPA-Iron Hill Brewery

No relation to the IPA I had at Blue Mountain Brewery in Nelson County, Virginia, and only a one ounce sample. Slightly cloudy, medium straw color with a small head and made with 100% Nelson Sauvin hops so this had almost grapeskin and winey tastes and aromas. Mild bitterness, guessing about 50 and the ABV was 7.2%, but neither matter with such a small samples. Kind of like there are no fat grams or calories in broken cookie or brownie pieces.

[devildeac]

Honey Do It/Cask Conditioned Double Wit-Iron Hill Brewing

Don't find many of these on beer menus anywhere. I guess they could also call this an imperial wheat ale. This was my four ounce dessert beer Friday night and is an unfiltered Belgian style double wheat beer aged in a cask with honey, ginger and orange peel. Low IBU (likely 10-20) but extra ABV as you might expect with the "double" name, clocking in at 7%. Wheat ales are typically in the 4-5% range. Cask conditioning imparts a smoothness to the usual citrus "bite." This would be nice with a lemon pound cake or any fruit tart.

[devildeac]

Biere de Garde-Iron Hill Brewing

Not to be confused with Iron City, this is listed as a classic French farmhouse ale. Probably another good way to describe it as saison meets amber ale. It's brewed with lager yeast at elevated temperatures (lagers are usually brewed at cooler temperatures and ales at higher ones) and the malty notes of caramel and butterscotch balance well with some flowery and fruity hoppiness. I'm thinking a Belgian yeast is used as there are faint black pepper tastes, too. I'd guess IBU about 30 and the ABV was 6% and the pint was a good choice with two slabs of very good meatloaf, smashed potatoes, haricot verts and grilled peppers and onions.

[devildeac]

Singel (draft)-Hardywood Brewing

Had the pleasure of tilting a (plastic) pint of this with duketaylor last Sunday at the 1st Annual Hardywood Brewing Keg and Oyster Fest/Roast in Richmond. Highly quaffable Belgian blonde ale style brew with a generous fizzy/lacy head and a cloudy, medium straw colored pour that had floral aromas up front and at the finish with hints of bananas and cloves (not added) throughout. IBU at 30 and ABV of 6.2% so a nice pairing with the fried oysters and lump crab meat crab cakes from the Rappahannock Oyster Company, one of the food "trucks" present at the Father's Day gathering at the brewery.

[devildeac]

Pipers-Sprecher Brewing

New brewery to me, thanks to fuse again from a recent trading session. This is a Scotch style ale from their Premium Reserve series and it was a reddish-brown pour with a modest head. Hallertau and Golding hops impart earthy and floral aromas and the 5 malts give this brew tastes of milk chocolate, dark caramel and a smoky palate, too. IBU of 21 and ABV of 8.27% so this might be a "one and done" brew. It would match nicely with BBQ fare or make a pleasant liquid dessert with or without some oatmeal raisin/butterscotch cookies.

[Lavabe]

Traveling to Pittsburgh this week (college tour for Legacy Lady)... any MUST HAVEs from Pittsburgh?

[devildeac]

Bourbon Cru (draft)-Hardywood Brewing

From about a 2-3 year old brewery in Richmond comes this outstanding bourbon barrel aged pinnacle of Belgian style quadruple ales. This was about a $5 pint on a warm Sunday afternoon and sipped with a sausage sammich with pimento cheese from the Sausage Craft food truck parked at the brewery during their Father's Day Keg and Oyster roast. Most of the brew was savored as it warmed, long after the last crumbs of roll and particles of sausage had been consumed. Pour was a slightly cloudy medium brown with a small head. Aromas were of dark, dried fruits and whiskey and the tastes were the same with perhaps some vanilla, oak, cherry, rum and dark brown sugar notes, too. Booze was prominent but not overpowering. IBU weighed in at 18 and ABV was 10.2%, a bit low for a typical quad. Well, loonngg before I drained and licked the last few delicious molecules from my cup, my wife had the car keys and we were making departure plans. I've got two caged and corked 750 bottles of this 2012 release and will enjoy one this fall or winter and trade the other. This is really an outstanding creation.

[devildeac]

Saison Rustica-Hardywood Brewing

I had a small sample of this along with the other two brews above. It was a cloudy, medium straw colored brew with scents of the lemongrass, peppercorns and the anise with which it was brewed. All the flavors match the aromas but the licorice is barely perceptible. IBU of 20 and ABV of 4.5% so it was light enough to be enjoyed on a warm spring afternoon. Not sure I'd buy or sample again but worth a taste or sharing.