Ymm, Beer!

[August West]

http://www.wdbj7.com/news/local/new-bre ... index.html

Something new for AW to try when he visits the inlaws, though he may have to travel a bit north.

My SIL and her husband live in Callaway. Might have to visit them more often. ;) AW.

[lawgrad91]

http://www.wdbj7.com/news/local/new-bre ... index.html

Something new for AW to try when he visits the inlaws, though he may have to travel a bit north.

My SIL and her husband live in Callaway. Might have to visit them more often. ;) AW.

Maybe just before home football games?

[CathyCA]

Oh.my.goodness! That pie was decadent. I was so glad I had the calories to spare from the week so that I could enjoy it. Chocolate cake (pie?), chocolate chunks on top, chocolate ganache filling, chocolate syrup, nuts and caramel. There was nothing light about this dessert at all, and I enjoyed every single calorie-laden fat-building bite of it.

Would it make a good candle? AW.

I don't know. I would eat it before I could light it.

[devildeac]

Brew It Forward-Lonerider Brewing Company

This was their 2013 homebrew winner and it is a schwartzbier, or a black lager. Poured a thin onyx color from a bomber with a small light beige head, the aromas were cocoa and coffee but not over-powering. Tastes matched the scents with some mildly bitter, slightly burnt flavors. Little hop presence, guessing the IBUs were 10-20 and I think the ABV was 5.4% but I still divided the 22 ounce bottle over two nights. This was rather spendy, even directly from the brewery, at about $12 for the bomber so it was worth a taste but not something I'd revisit unless it was about 1/2 that price.

[devildeac]

Cocoa Loco-Arcadia Brewing

Promoted as a triple chocolate stout, I'd have to take a bit of the contrarian position to this. Perhaps a chocolate stout 1.5 or semi-imperial stout but I can see their point also as they say it's made with "3 different chocolate malts, cacao nibs and 63 percent semi-sweet chocolate." It borders on being a luscious beverage pouring a viscous, almost black color with a modest beige head and wonderful aromas of dark chocolate and freshly brewed cocoa. The addition of blackstrap molasses lends some additional sweetness and smoothness to the lactose, making this also a milk stout. IBUs and ABV a bit low, at 39 and 7% respectively, to truly label this an imperial stout. Best served at probably 60-65 degrees in a goblet with any chocolate and/or caramel baked goods or, by itself as dessert in a glass. Sold as a 4 pack, I'll save one more for myself and gift/trade the other two with a small tear running down my cheek.

[CathyCA]

Purple Haze - Abita Brewing Company

Jon and I had an early dinner at Winslow's Tavern. I had a hometown burger (includes a scoop of pimiento cheese on it, bacon and jalapeno peppers) with a fruit cup on the side. Our beertender recommended that I try one of the specials on tap with my meal. I had a glass of Purple Haze, a lager that has raspberry added to it. Supposedly, the raspberries give the beer a purple color, and thus the name, "Purple Haze." It is brewed with pilsner and wheat malts and Vanguard hops. This beer tasted very good with my burger. According to the Abita website, this beer has an ABV of 4.2 and an IBU of 13 (whatever that means).

I would order this one again. I also tasted Gaelic Ale (meh) and 420 Beer from a brewery in Atlanta. I would order a glass of 420 the next time I'm in there.

Thus endeth my beer review.

[devildeac]

Purple Haze - Abita Brewing Company

Jon and I had an early dinner at Winslow's Tavern. I had a hometown burger (includes a scoop of pimiento cheese on it, bacon and jalapeno peppers) with a fruit cup on the side. Our beertender recommended that I try one of the specials on tap with my meal. I had a glass of Purple Haze, a lager that has raspberry added to it. Supposedly, the raspberries give the beer a purple color, and thus the name, "Purple Haze." It is brewed with pilsner and wheat malts and Vanguard hops. This beer tasted very good with my burger. According to the Abita website, this beer has an ABV of 4.2 and an IBU of 13 (whatever that means).

I would order this one again. I also tasted Gaelic Ale (meh) and 420 Beer from a brewery in Atlanta. I would order a glass of 420 the next time I'm in there.

Thus endeth my beer review.

You are becoming a regular visitor to this thread . Please stop by more often .

IBU is an abbreviation for International Bitterness Units. The lower the number, the less bitter the beer. Lagers/pilsners generally have IBUs of 10-20, along with wheat beers like Purple Haze. That would be why you like the kolsch style that Mother Earth brews. Pale ales have ratings in the 30-50 range and IPAs, barleywines and imperial stouts will have IBUs in the 60+ range.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beer_measurement

[CathyCA]

Purple Haze - Abita Brewing Company

Jon and I had an early dinner at Winslow's Tavern. I had a hometown burger (includes a scoop of pimiento cheese on it, bacon and jalapeno peppers) with a fruit cup on the side. Our beertender recommended that I try one of the specials on tap with my meal. I had a glass of Purple Haze, a lager that has raspberry added to it. Supposedly, the raspberries give the beer a purple color, and thus the name, "Purple Haze." It is brewed with pilsner and wheat malts and Vanguard hops. This beer tasted very good with my burger. According to the Abita website, this beer has an ABV of 4.2 and an IBU of 13 (whatever that means).

I would order this one again. I also tasted Gaelic Ale (meh) and 420 Beer from a brewery in Atlanta. I would order a glass of 420 the next time I'm in there.

Thus endeth my beer review.

You are becoming a regular visitor to this thread . Please stop by more often .

IBU is an abbreviation for International Bitterness Units. The lower the number, the less bitter the beer. Lagers/pilsners generally have IBUs of 10-20, along with wheat beers like Purple Haze. That would be why you like the kolsch style that Mother Earth brews. Pale ales have ratings in the 30-50 range and IPAs, barleywines and imperial stouts will have IBUs in the 60+ range.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beer_measurement

Thank you for the lesson in IBUs. Typically, I ask for the lighter colored beers when I'm trying something new because I already know that I might like it. That's why the beertender explained the somewhat darker "purple" color of Purple Haze to me. The color had been added.

This is fun. I may try more tasting.

[devildeac]

Now in stores (and cellars ) near you:

http://www.sierra30.com/#/jack-and-ken-s-ale

I have two of them, as a matter of fact.

I have no idea what I did with my first bottle but here's a review of a 4 year old bottle:

Jack and Ken's Ale (aka Sierra Nevada's 30th Anniversary Ale-2010)-Sierra Nevada Brewing

Yep, this black barleywine is about 4 years old and I divided the contents of the caged and corked 750 ml bottle over two nights. Poured a dark, dark mahogany color with a moderately foamy head. Nose of dark caramel, tobacco and whiskey and tastes to match with some chocolate and a lot of dark fruits, too. I can't find my first review anywhere but usually this style is highly hopped and quite bitter when first tasted. This was incredibly smooth on the palate and made a nice nightcap but would also make a fine dessert beer. I'll guess the IBUs to be 60-70 and the ABV was 10.2%. These are the types of beers you buy a couple of and enjoy one when purchased and then save the second bottle for a special occasion a year or three later to see how they mellow/mature/smooth out over time.

[CameronBornAndBred]

Black Boss-Browar Witnica

Every once in a while, you find/receive a brew and wonder whether you should sample it or not. CB&B gave this to me Friday and I uncapped it last PM and found an absolute gem of a porter, well, a Baltic porter from Poland to be exact. It's style common to that geographic region and the only other Baltic porter I ever tasted was Baltic Thunder from Victory Brewing a couple years ago and really enjoyed it. Think imperial porter. Poured a nearly onyx hue with a moderate, lingering head. Nose of unsweetened chocolate, coffee, licorice and molasses with tastes to match along with a bit of booze, figs and dark plums. Warming about 10-15 degrees from refrigerator temperatures helped bring out all the flavors. I'd guess about 30 IBUs and the ABV was 9.4% so I was happy it was only an 11.2 ounce bottle . Price on the bottle was $2.20 from Beer Army in Jacksonville. I'd buy several at that price for sharing, trading and sipping another night or two this winter. Thanks, CB&B!

I really like that one, I bought it at our local craft brew shop. I don't go there often because their prices are too high, but they are good about getting some beers that I have not seen before. I might open my last one of those tonight to enjoy as we give the D to the Deamon Deacons.

[devildeac]

Christmas Ale- Brouwerij Corsendonk

I'd like to sample this along with their Pater or Bruin, the two names I've seen with the dubbel style. I'm not so sure they are much different beers. Poured a dark brown with a sweet caramel and floral nose and tastes to match, along with the expected dark fruits, raisins, dates and figs. Modest head with little hop presence and sweet, cloying tastes. Served best lightly chilled in a goblet or snifter with bread pudding or blondies, or by itself for your liquid dessert.

[devildeac]

Life and Limb (circa 2011)-Sierra Nevada and Dogfish Head

Another beer from the cellar. This was a corked and caged 750 ml bottle divided over 2 nights and is probably best described as an American strong ale. Imperial brown ale might be another good way to think about this. Poured a dark, cloudy brown with aromas of dark fruits, rum, brown sugar and caramel with tastes to match, perhaps with a bit of chocolate and coffee, too. I was surprised to read the IBUs were 50 as this is loaded with 7 malts, including wheat and there was litter hop bitterness. It was a bit boozey at 10.2% ABV but incredibly smooth to sip. Forget about eating anything with this. It is dessert. This shows why high gravity brews like this or others are worth aging for a while.

http://www.life-limb.com/

[devildeac]

Sexual Chocolate (draft)-Foothills Brewing

Annual review here. Still love this beer. I wouldn't drive to Winston-Salem to stand in line for 10-12 hours to buy it at $15/bomber, but it made a marvelous beverage to pair with the Cuban sandwich and Moravian Slaw on a Sunday afternoon a couple weeks ago at the brewery with my wife, son and his wife. Poured an almost pitch black with a small head and served a bit too cold but they gotta keep if fresh. Much richer and more flavorful as it warmed over our 60 minute meal, so it was an appetizer, main course and dessert. Nose of dark, unsweetened chocolate with tastes to match, along with a splash of whiskey (not a barrel aged brew). Large quantities of heavily roasted dark malts impart a mild bitterness but the ABV wins here at about 10% with an estimated IBU rating of 50-60. This was a 10-12 ounce draft for $5 and it will have to keep me satisfied until early February, 2015.

[devildeac]

Dale's Pale Ale-Oskar Blues Brewery (Brevard edition this time)

(Re-cycled from June, 2009)

Once again, this would be a non-purchase were it not for the reviews of rmd and bluebear. It's a canned beer, for crying out loud. Another good offering from these folks, though I might quibble a bit as it has more of a nose and taste of an IPA. There's some grapefruitiness and grassiness to the scent and taste. "A voluminously hopped mutha of a pale ale" or something like that on the can. True dat. Golden pour with a well-maintained head. I'd guess the IBU on this are in the 70 range and the ABV is 6.5%. Good summer brew with some mildly spicy grill fare. You guys keep suggesting all this good stuff and I can't get around to buying some of the Founders brews you have talked about.

I've been sick two out of the last three weeks for the most part with strep throat Valentine's week, a kinda-sorta recovered week and then sinusitis the last 7-8 days so most of the last 21 days have been on antibiotics and they've left an odd, metallic taste in my mouth so I've had no new purchases and only a few leftovers and, even then, in small quantities. I've even had some Syrah thinking the anti-oxidants would be even higher than in a glass of my favorite malted, hand-crafted beverages.

I did find a can of Dale's in the 'fridge from a group meeting a couple months back and sipped that last PM so I re-cycled the above review.

[OZZIE4DUKE]

I thought this might be of future interest to y'all!
http://www.bizjournals.com/triad/blog/m ... triad_rdup

DD, have you stopped at the Double Barrel Brewery on US 70 between Wilson Mills and Selma yet on your trips to/from the beach yet?

[devildeac]

I thought this might be of future interest to y'all!
http://www.bizjournals.com/triad/blog/m ... triad_rdup

DD, have you stopped at the Double Barrel Brewery on US 70 between Wilson Mills and Selma yet on your trips to/from the beach yet?

Nice tip on the Stone Brewery to Greensboro, Ozzie.

I've not stopped at the DB Brewery yet. Perhaps next trip.

[devildeac]

Choklat-Southern Tier Brewing

Ok, we started our mini-tasting with the darkest, strongest beer first. I didn't ask why, I just sipped. Went to visit a Syracuse grad/friend Saturday just before tip-off with a late 60th birthday gift, a 750 ml bottle of Triple Overhead BBA from Mother Earth Brewing with the intent of dropping off the brew and going about our business. He then proceeded to tell me he had received a crapton of brews for his birthday last month and would I like to taste one or three. Being the weak-willed beer knurd that I am, I readily agreed. Three of us shared this bomber that poured an incredibly dark brown and had scents of dark chocolate with hints of vanilla and dark caramel. Modest tan head with a slightly burned first taste which evolved into semi-sweet dark chocolate heaven. Some of the aromas appeared on the palate, too, along with a bit of booze, especially considering it was 10% ABV. Mildly bitter from the roasting and two hop varieties. Served at room temperature from a snifter, this was a wonderful late afternoon liquid dessert.

[devildeac]

From 12/23/11:

Lagunitas Sucks Holiday Ale-Lagunitas Brewing

The story behind the brew:

This sad holiday season we didn’t have the brewing capacity to make our favorite seasonal brew, the widely feared BrownShugga’ Ale. You see we had a couple of really good years (thank you very much) and so heading into this season while we are awaiting the January delivery of a new brewhouse we are jammin’ along brewing 80 barrels of IPA and PILS and such every 3 hours. A couple of months back we realized that since we can only brew a mere 60 barrels of Shugga’ every 5 hours, that we were seriously screwed. For every case of Shugga’ brewed, we’d short 3 cases of our favorite daily beers. It’s a drag. This year, we brewed something that we think is also cool and brews more like our daily brews. The new brewhouse will help insure this kind of failure never happens again. It’s a mess that we can not brew our BrownShugga’ this year and we suck for not doing it. There is nothing cool about screwing this up this badly and we know it. Maybe we can sue our own sorry selves. There is no joy in our hearts this holiday and the best we can hope for is a quick and merciful end. F*@& us. This totally blows. Whatever. We freaking munch moldy donkey butt and we just want it to be all over...
So this substitute beer is a ‘Cereal Medley’ of Barley, Rye, Wheat, and Oats…. Full of complexishness from the 4 grains, and weighing in at 7.85% abv, Then joyously dry-hopped for that big aroma and resinous hop flavor.

The brew:

Interesting take/variation of a winter IPA. The rye gives this a bit of mustiness, the wheat imparts a bit of orange taste and aroma and the oats lend their usual silkiness/smoothness to the mouth feel here. I tasted Ozzie's draft at Tyler's Taproom in Derm before the UNCG game and the aroma and tastes are mostly grapefruity but they are well balanced by the large amounts of grains that give this the IBU of 63 and the ABV of 7.85%. Not quite IIPA levels but in the range for you typical IPA. Generous, foamy head and the flavors paired well with my Buffalo chicken sammich though Oz did not like the brew quite as much as I did and he had a Newcastle as his second brew. My 10% ABV Brooklyn Companion was all I could handle.


Part 2 of an mixed up tasting before the Cuse-UVa game.

I split a 12 ounce bottle with my Cuse buddy Saurday and don't think they've changed the recipe much. Lots of citrus and lots of caramel tastes with some extra smoothness from the oats and a bit of mustiness from the rye. Right on the border between an IPA and DIPA. Certainly worth a sip or two, a full pint or a 6er and trading/sharing a few with friends and/or neighbors.

[Bob Green]

My wife bought me one of those Sam Adams Variety Packs and I thoroughly enjoyed the Maple Pecan Porter.

[devildeac]

My wife bought me one of those Sam Adams Variety Packs and I thoroughly enjoyed the Maple Pecan Porter.

What about the other 5-6 varieties?