Ymm, Beer!

[devildeac]

It's been almost a week since the last posting in the "ymm beer" thread. Here are the beers sampled in the final home tailgate for the 2013 season.

1. Brother Thelonious - North Coast Brewing, Fort Bragg, CA.
2. The Czar - Avery Brewing, Boulder, CO.
An Imperial Stout ABV 11.1% (stout indeed!)
3. The Dogfather - Laughing Dog Brewing, Ponderay, ID.

Beers 1 and 3 are making repeat appearances from tailgates past and were provided by AW. Beer number 2 was provided by dpslaw. (not sure if it was from Tom or Dave).

1 and 3 have been previously reviewed by DD. I hope we get a bowl with a warm climate for the grand finale tailgate and beer tasting of 2013. AW.

CB&B reviewed it before I did, posting his thoughts in April, 2009, several days after giving birth to CTN .

Avery Czar Imperial Stout
I'm on the second half a bomber, I've been enjoying it while watching the last 3 episodes of Lost. I watched all 3, and still have the majority of my second glass to drink, so obviously it's a sipper. I really have enjoyed this one, very smooth and chocolatey. It reminds me of Hershey's Dark liquified. I tried the first sip with trepidation, assuming that the alchohol notes would jump out, but they are incredibley muted in this ale. This one is my first tasting of the Czar, at 10 bux a bottle, I would always pass it by, but since the specialty store has there going out of business sale, I got it a half off. I'll have to go back and see if they have any left. Excellent taste, by far my favorite Avery yet. Even if I have to get at $10 again, I could see doing it for special occasions now that I know what I'm paying for.

[Turk]

Had a couple of these on tap tonight after the ECU game:

Brooklyn Brewery
Mary's Maple Porter

Here's the website: http://brooklynbrewery.com/brooklyn-bee ... ple-porter

The online description is a fair assessment; it was a nightcap on the way home, so I did not pair with any menu items. Reading the details on the bar menu, I guessed it would be a sweet dessert beer, and it sure looked like a milk stout in the glass. I'm trying to think what I would pair it with, but I'm drawing a blank.

I would drink it again.

[devildeac]

Had a couple of these on tap tonight after the ECU game:

Brooklyn Brewery
Mary's Maple Porter

Here's the website: http://brooklynbrewery.com/brooklyn-bee ... ple-porter

The online description is a fair assessment; it was a nightcap on the way home, so I did not pair with any menu items. Reading the details on the bar menu, I guessed it would be a sweet dessert beer, and it sure looked like a milk stout in the glass. I'm trying to think what I would pair it with, but I'm drawing a blank.

I would drink it again.

Brooklyn Brewing has been producing very good beers for quite a while now. Make sure you get a 4 pack of the Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout if you've never tried it.

[August West]

Just picked up a bottle of Big Bad Baptist #20 from Epic Brewing, Salt Lake City, UT. Looking forward to tasting at a bowl game or some other special event. AW.

[OZZIE4DUKE]

Just picked up a bottle of Big Bad Baptist #20 from Epic Brewing, Salt Lake City, UT. Looking forward to tasting at a bowl game or some other special event. AW.

Hope this doesn't apply to the game tomorrow.....

[devildeac]

Just picked up a bottle of Big Bad Baptist #20 from Epic Brewing, Salt Lake City, UT. Looking forward to tasting at a bowl game or some other special event. AW.

You gonna be in W-S tomorrow?

;)

[August West]

Just picked up a bottle of Big Bad Baptist #20 from Epic Brewing, Salt Lake City, UT. Looking forward to tasting at a bowl game or some other special event. AW.

You gonna be in W-S tomorrow?

;)

I wish I could be but I gotta work tomorrow. AW.

[devildeac]

Just picked up a bottle of Big Bad Baptist #20 from Epic Brewing, Salt Lake City, UT. Looking forward to tasting at a bowl game or some other special event. AW.

You gonna be in W-S tomorrow?

;)

I wish I could be but I gotta work tomorrow. AW.

I've done that before.

[devildeac]

From August, 2011:

Golden Monkey-Victory Brewing

Victory's answer to Duvel. This is a triple style Belgian ale with a yellow, cloudy pour, a bit of white pepper on the palate and a bit of orange peel and coriander, too. IBU are low, guessing 20-30 and the ABV is 9.5%. Serve chilled in a goblet and enjoy with a fruity salsa topping on your chicken or lighter body seafood. I had not enjoyed one of these is a while and bought a 6er for trading purposes and was pleasantly surprised to sample one of these again.

This year's tasting was compliments of duketaylor who left a couple of these at the NCSU tailgate, I got to sip one of these again this week and greatly appreciated that opportunity. Not many different thoughts this year. When you find a winning recipe, keep brewing it. Thanks, Chuck!

[devildeac]

Juniper IPA-Boston Beer Company

http://samueladams.s3.amazonaws.com/...ddb170a022.png

A trader from CB&B today at the tailgate at the Duke-WFU game from their holiday 12 pack sampler he said. I've never seen or heard of this before and we both found it very enjoyable. Grains are two row and honey malts, hops are Columbus and Ahtanum and the special ingredient is juniper berries. Poured a light copper with a modest, foamy head. Nose of pine and caramel and tastes of the same with a bit of sweetness. A bit thin in the IPA category at 5.8% ABV and 50 IBUs but a nice "winter" IPA I'd definitely drink again. Thanks, CB&B!

[devildeac]

Cherry Chocolate Bock-Boston Brewing Company

Perhaps a decade or so ago, Sam Adams released 750 ml bottles of Chocolate Bock, a dark lager brewed with Scharffen Berger chocolate. They priced them at about $15-16 and, for about 5.5% ABV, that was pretty darned spendy. Good brew but I'll guess they didn't sell many of them. They continued this for a few years, I think. Recently, they changed to a less expensive chocolatier and changed their strategy to including a couple of these 12 ounce bottles in their winter 12 pack samplers. I still found the beer very tasty. This year, they changed again and added cherries to their Chocolate Bock recipe but continue to slip them into the winter 12 packs. The review:

Poured a medium reddish-brown with a modest, foamy head. Bouquet of cherries and milk chocolate caramels and tastes to match. Think milk chocolate covered dark cherries with a dab of caramel (bock beers usually have this specific flavor) from a Russell Stover/Whitman chocolate sampler but not as sweet. It's a lager so the IBUs are low at 10 and they have maintained the ABV at 5.8%. This was a trader from CB&B at the Duke-WFU tailgate yesterday and I savored it last PM by itself as a dessert/victory beer after it had warmed on the counter for about 15 minutes. Would also pair nicely with chocolate and/or cherry desserts. Now, if they would only get rid of the @#$% Boston Lager from every @#$% 12 pack sampler they sell and include bluebear's Holiday Porter as he suggested.

Pretty bottle/label, too:
http://samueladams.s3.amazonaws.com/...e55ead4bb9.png

[devildeac]

Some holiday brews:

[devildeac]

Accumulation White IPA-New Belgium Brewing

Thanksgiving was IPA day. Started off with this new seasonal having stared longingly at it in the 'fridge for a couple weeks after carting it home as a leftover after an office meeting a couple weeks ago. Poured a light straw color with a one or two finger foamy head. Tropical bouquet of scents and flavors of the same upon sipping with nuances of pineapple, mango, grapefruit and a bit of orange from the wheat used as the second grain. The wheat also takes some of the edge off the 4 hop blend. Light caramel notes try to balance but this is a moderately bitter brew with IBUs of 70 and an ABV of 6.2%. I'm guessing we won't see Snow Day this year as one of their winter offerings. I liked this and will use my remaining two 12 ounce bottles to barter for another seasonal from fuse, AW or perhaps CB&B .

[devildeac]

Dirt Wolf-Victory Brewing Company

From the brewers:

"Darkly heroic, Humulus Lupulus (hops) have empowered brews with bite and character since the 11th century. DirtWolf is a tribute to these untamed vines which rise from the earth with the voracity of a “wolf among sheep.” Hops have made an assertive comeback in American craft brewing. Revel in the best U.S. varieties of hops, in their natural, whole flower form, as they bring a vital, pungent reality to the soul of a wild element in our dangerously satisfying DirtWolf Double IPA."

(Damn shame the wolf did not devour the sheep last month:(.)

From my lips and fingertips:

This DIPA was courtesy of duketaylor and the NCSU tailgate so I'm figuring out how many trips I need to make to his new brewpub next spring/summer when it opens to make restitution for his brews. Poured a medium straw to yellow hue and had all the expected scents from the 4 hop varieties in the final product: Chinook, Citra, Mosaic and Simcoe. The tastes matched the aromas with tropical fruits (grapefruit, pineapple, mango and papaya), pine and resin. Two-row malt is the only one listed but they must have used tons of it as there is a mild caramel/toffee sweetness to the palate, too. No IBUs given but I'd guess 70+ and the ABV is a "healthy" 8.7%. Would pair nicely with spicy Chinese/Indian fare or with hard, sharp cheeses. Ii believe this makes a fine replacement for their Hop Wallop from years past. Thanks, Chuck! I think I've got 2-3 left, so one for my son and one for fuse. I'm expecting reviews from CB&B and August West, too, as they each got one of these from the 6er I think Chuck left in one of our coolers.

[devildeac]

Sweet Baby Jesus-DuClaw Brewing

Quite the name (though I'd have probably picked another) for this chocolate peanut butter porter. A shout out to fuse for his selection of this as one of his traders last month. It poured a dark, dark brown with a thick, foamy head. Aroma and tastes were Reese's peanut butter cups with a trace of espresso. Six grains and two hop varieties weigh in at an ABV of 6.5% and IBU of 53, both a bit high for the style but very pleasant. Dessert beer all the way. This is worth a 4 pack or 6er to do some bartering as I'm not sure I could drink more than a couple of these during the fall/winter seasons but definitely worth tasting.

[devildeac]

Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout (2010 edition)-The St. Louis Brewery (aka Schlafly's)

Disclaimer #1: I don't remember whether Lavabe brought this a couple years ago for a Christmas gift or whether I bought it on a trip to I Still Hate Laettner Land.

Disclaimer #2: The year on the bottle said 2010. The sticker on the bottom of the bottle said "brewed with love on 4-26-11."

This 750 ml capped bottle was warmed to near room temperature and savored over two evenings. Poured gently into a pint glass each night, the head was a foamy mocha and sat atop a nearly black elixir that had aromas of dark chocolate, a hint of espresso and a shot of bourbon. Tastes were very similar with a bit of vanilla from the barrel aging and a moderately strong boozey finish, both from the Kentucky bourbon barrels in which it was aged in addition to the hefty 10% ABV. The IBUs were a bit low at 40 as most imperial stouts are rather highly hopped and have IBUs around 60-70. This is a cold winter's night beer or a liquid dessert, with or without a chocolate chocolate chip cookie/cake/pie/torte.

[devildeac]

Positive Contact-Dogfish Head Brewing and Dan the Automator of Deltron 3030

I think fuse's review really tempered my excitement about trying this creation as evidenced by the nearly 5 month delay between my post and actual consumption.

Poured a lager-like light straw color with a small head. Smelled like a cider and imperial pilsner cocktail with a few floral notes but lots and lots of apples. I drank this well chilled and tasted the same with a hint of breadiness from the roasted farro (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farro), an herbal touch from the cilantro and a bit of heat from the cayenne pepper in the finish. Tonight, I think I'll let it warm a bit before sipping to see if I have the same thoughts as fuse. It was 79 degrees yesterday for a high in the Triangle and about 70 last PM when I had the first half of the capped 750 ml bottle so it felt almost like a summer evening. I had designs of finishing this in one sitting because it was way to easy to drink at 26 IBUs but, after about 30 minutes, the ABV of 9% was fully appreciated so I decided to stick a wine cork in it and finish the remainder tonight. I'd pair this with a fruit plate or soft cheeses as an aperitif or digestif. Overall, I'd say I liked this a bit better than fuse but would not make it a regular purchase.

[devildeac]

Red Spur (draft only and at the brewery)-Lonerider Brewing

Drink local! Ales for outlaws from a Raleigh brewery. This was basically an imperial red ale. Think Oskar Blues G'Knight. Poured a dark reddish-brown with a foamy head. Guessing I had about a 10 ounce serving from a pitcher. Prominent herbal, earthy and dark caramel tastes and aromas. Moderate bitterness and ABV. The beertender couldn't find her cheat sheet for the IBUs but the ABV was 7.3%. Enjoyed with good company as the brewery serves no comestibles. Good brew.

[devildeac]

Trick Shot (draft only and at the brewery)-Lonerider Brewing

More local! This was a collaboration between Lonerider and Trophy Brewing, a nano/3BBL brewer and pizza maker in downtown Raleigh. It was posted on their beer board as an imperial india wit, so, as you might imagine, it was a hybrid between an imperial IPA and a wit bier. Poured a cloudy, yellow-straw color from a pitcher with a moderate foamy head, there were citrus and pine aromas, followed by orange, grapefruit and piney tastes. Once again, the beertender did not have her stats sheet so I'd estimate IBUs of 50-60 and the ABV was listed at 7.8%. The 10 ounce serving I had of this, along with the Red Spur was plenty of brew until kick-off several hours later.

[devildeac]

Three Philosophers (2012 edition)-Ommegang Brewing

A Belgian style quadruple ale (98%) blended with a cherry lambic (2%) makes a delicious combination for a celebratory brew. I enjoyed 1/2 a 12 ounce bottle of this with my son Saturday night as a pre-dinner beverage. It was a rather cold but, with a bit of warming, the dark, fruity flavors of dates and figs blended exquisitely with the bing cherry flavors of the lambic. There are also notes of dark brown sugar and rum which add to the enjoyment of this excellent ale. The pour was a deep ruby brown with a small head. I'd guess the IBU to be 20-30 with little hop presence and the ABV is a hefty 9.8%. This would also be a fine after dinner or dessert brew and could be served alone or with a plate of dark dried fruits or even with chocolate, making your dessert even more decadent. I have a 750 ml bottle I'll save for a year and celebrate again .

It's now a year and a half later and that 750 ml bottle was shared with my son, daughter and son-in-law last PM, a bit less of a celebration than I thought or hoped it might be as we were losing 14-0 at the time, but a celebration of the event, nonetheless.

I don't think this changed that much with another 18 months of aging except perhaps becoming a bit smoother and was every bit as enjoyable as any other time I have purchased it. Ommegang has a Christmas package now with this, Hennepin and Chocolate Indulgence along with an Ommegang chalice/tulip that you can purchase for your favorite beer lover, even if it's yourself. Cost is about $25 which I think is very reasonable as the Three Philosophers is generally about $9-10, as is the Chocolate Indulgence, which may only be available in this 3 bottle/glass package. I think the Hennepin is about $6-7, so that makes the specialty glass essentially free.