Ymm, Beer!

[devildeac]

IPA of the Month-February, 2014-Foothills Brewing

From the name of the beer, you can probably figure out these folks are brewing a different IPA each month. Poured a light orange-yellow with a modest, foamy head. Glacier, Amarillo and Chinook hops impart a citrusy/grapefuity nose and the same tastes plus a bit of pine. Pretty well-balanced with a bit of malty, bready, caramel-y sweetness. Stats are IBUs at 60, so in the range for the style and not a hop bomb. ABV at 7.5% places this on the edge of a DIPA. This would be pleasant with spicy sammiches, curry or Szechuan style dishes. Not sure what their March brew was as my son didn't invite me up to Winston-Salem to buy him lunch and a pint in the last several weeks..

[devildeac]

Samichlaus (2006 edition)-Castle Brewery Eggenberg

No typo. I really saved another beer 8 years and it was worth the wait. It was semi(Ojeleye)-intentional as I re-discovered this rotating/consolidating stock in the cellar, err, garage this winter. I did not think I had any prior to 2007 but found this gem and "forced" myself to sip this over an hour in one sitting last PM. It is technically a double bock but really most resembles a sherry. Brown sugar and dark caramel sweet with dark cherry and very winey, sherry-like flavors. Tough to believe this is beer as it has little head but remained rather clear over eight years. Best served in a snifter or wine glass at cellar temperature and only as a dessert beer. Recommended to sip and savor over an hour or so as the ABV is 14% (no typo here either) and I'd guess the IBU 20-30 as it is technically a lager. I don't think they brewed this in 2005 as the Hurlichman (sp?) sold out to Eggenberg, IIRC, and almost stopped producing this. It is about $20 for a 4 pack now I think and truly one of the better "beers" in the world. There are a lot more competitors in the very high gravity market now but I still enjoy tasting one or two of these (on different nights, of course) every winter/spring, much as one enjoys seeing an old friend every year or two.

Tonight, the 2007 version.

[devildeac]

Pistols at Dawn-Lonerider Brewing Company

Drink local! Is there an outlaw in you?

I bought this somewhat over-priced bomber ($11-12, IIRC) at the brewery during a diaper party in December for my older son-in-law and just getting around to sipping it over the last couple nights. It's basically an (almost) imperial milk stout brewed with cocoa nibs from Escazu Artisan Chocolates and coffee from Joe Van Gogh, both local merchants. Lactose gives it an even sweeter taste than most imperial stouts and the addition of oatmeal as another grain imparts a velvety smoothness and mouthfeel to the brew. Poured an almost black with a small mocha head, the bouquet was chocolate and coffee with matching tastes along with a few Nestle's semi-sweet chocolate morsels. Mild to moderate on the bitterness scale but not sure whether this is from the darkly/heavily roasted grains, extra hops or both. I'd guess the IBUs about 50 and the ABV is 7.5%, both a bit on the low end to truly be considered of the "imperial" style. I probably wouldn't buy another whole bomber of this, unless it was to arrive at a tailgate for sharing purposes with a bunch of other fancy brews, but would certainly buy a $5-6 pint on draft if I saw it at a local watering hole.

[devildeac]

Old Curmudgeon Ale (2009 edition)-Founders Brewing

Original review (February, 2010):

Another complex winter brew-I bought a 4 pack of this so there just might be a leftover or two for future consideration. This is my 1st time ever tasting this concoction which is a slightly reddish-brown old ale with a heavy malt emphasis. I believe it is bottle-conditioned so it is slightly cloudy. They brew this with molasses but I wouldn't think a black molasses style as the flavors are more like dark brown sugar. The oak aging give is a bit of vanilla, wood and whiskey-ish tastes and they are all very pleasant. Frighteningly smooth at a mere 50 IBU and highly potent at 9.8% ABV. I decided to divide one of the bottles over 3 nights and sipped it at very slightly chilled temps out of a larger cordial glass. This is a dessert beer and I was happy with my 4 ounce pour by itself but could imagine serving this with a Granny Smith apple or a large fancy arse pear also.

2011 Update:

Aging does very interesting things with beers. In most cases, it makes them smoother and more port or sherry-like in their characteristics and this concoction is no exception. Almost 2 years later, Old Curmudgeon has also mellowed a bit and is even more sherri-esque (?) on the palate. I divided a bottle over three nights again and thoroughly savored it, perhaps even more than the first tasting. I believe I still have 2 bottles from my original purchase in 2009 and have started looking for another occasion to celebrate .

And I still look like the guy on the label.

Curmudgeon Old Ale-vintage unknown.

I believe the proper name of this beverage is as posted immediately above but I like to call it Old Curmudgeon Ale as I resemble that remark.

The bottle I had last PM may have overstayed its welcome in the bottle as it was not quite like I remembered it or described it in my 2009-2010-2011 reviews. There was no date on the bottle and there is a 2013 date on another bottle I have so that one will be consumed a lot sooner than 4-5 years later than its brewing date.

Last night's serving was just a bit "off." By that, I mean, there was a slight cardboard taste to it. No big, foamy head, no rotten/spoiled smells or tastes, just kind of stale tasting. Still had some sherry, dark brown sugar and oaky/woody notes, but not as rich and smooth as I recalled other vintages. Hope my 5 year old Nemesis and KBS are still good,

[devildeac]

Mosaic Session IPA-Blue Point Brewing Company

Interesting concept and product. Poured a light straw hue with a modest foamy head. Fresh citrus bouquet with a piney and tropical palate, mixed with a bit of cannabis. Minimal grain sweetness with a dry finish. Stats check in a bit low for the style with IBUs at 45 and ABV of 4.8% as most IPAs are at 50+ IBUs and ABV of 6%. This was a leftover from an office meeting a couple weeks ago and I was pleased to grab from the 'fridge over the weekend to help "clean up." Worth a single to try or a sixer to trade/share.

[devildeac]

Shadow of a Doubt-Russian River Brewing

Brewed and bottled on 7-13-13 and carted back to NC last summer from the brewery in August, 2013 and shared last PM after the Brainless reviewed above with our son from a 510 ml bottle. Poured dark brown with a small beige head after chilling for about 15 minutes. Pretty classic (imperial) porter stuff here with a slightly smokey nose and a mocha-like palate. I don't think there are any additives. Bitterness mild to moderate, mostly from the heavily roasted grains, I'd bet. Estimated IBUs of 40-50 with a potent ABV of 10%. Could be a liquid dessert or served with any chocolate/cinnamon/nut cakes/pastries to further its decadent flavor. Would have been nice to compare to the Full Sail Brewers Series Imperial Porter 2012 edition that I have cellared but we ran out of time, taste buds and liver and brain cells last PM. We also each had a couple ounces of an old, old World Wide Stout to complete the evening.

[devildeac]

Brainless Raspberries Release #2-Epic Brewing

Bomber bought March 2013, shortly after its release, and shared with our son last PM. Poured a light golden pink (odd phrasing there) with a small head that did not linger. The base is a Belgian golden style ale with pilsner, Maris Otter, carapils, flaked oats and wheat malts along with Premiant, Tettnang and Saaz hops for a rather light-bodied base ale along with light candy sugar and raspberry puree added. This is no lightweight on the ABV scale, clocking in at 9.7% with minimal alcohol burn. I'd guess the IBUs in the 20-30 range. This is Jolly Rancher raspberry bubble gum-like tasting with a mild floral nose and slightest hints of black pepper from the Belgian yeast. Served chilled in pint glasses as an after dinner drink by itself, but would be pleasant with assorted fruits and soft cheeses before or after a meal for a dessert beverage, too.

[devildeac]

Bigfoot 2007 version-Sierra Nevada Brewing

You'd think a 7 year old barleywine might have smoothed out and mellowed a bit after that much time cellaring and this one has but not nearly as much as I'd have expected. Poured a dark reddish-brown with no head, even with a vigorous pour. Skipped the last 10 ml when I started seeing sediment in the pour. Some sherry, whiskey and smoke notes up front and tobacco in the finish but just not as mellow as I'd have expected. I don't think they change the recipe much, if any, from year to year. Pretty hop forward, recalling IBUs in the 90 range and the ABV is always 9.6-9.8% and I don't think this year's edition is much different. I suppose one could enjoy this with a fine cigar after dinner but, not being a smoker, I'm not sure I really enjoy this brew with anything anymore and haven't bought it for the last 3 years I think.

[devildeac]

Bigfoot 2008 version-Sierra Nevada Brewing

Somehow, I found this a bit more palatable than the 2007 bottle. Poured the same color with a modest, foamy head which lingered throughout the tasting. Perhaps a bit smoother and whisky-ish but with the same nose and tastes. Still pretty brutal with the high IBUs barely balanced with the ABV of 9.6%. Still sipping my way through my collection of cellared ales. Not sure what tonight's selection will be. Last evening's/night's mini-vertical was enough for a while.

[devildeac]

Chillwave Double IPA-Great Lakes Brewing

May not be the best beer I've ever had like one of fuse's friends claims but this is an excellent DIPA. I'd love to taste test this with DFH 90 Minute and Lake Erie Monster. Poured a golden-straw color with a modest head and upfront aromas of fresh grapefruit and honey and tastes to match. Three hops and three malts, both in massive quantities, as the IBUs are 80 and the ABV is 9.4%. There's a bit of mango and papaya both on the olfactory and gustatory scales which makes for a very well balanced brew. Serve with spicy fare as this brew will stand up to about anything, or, sip for a nightcap by itself or with some hard, aged cheeses. If I see a 4 pack, I'd buy it, or gladly accept one or two from my son next month if he doesn't drink his extras up before we see him again.

Read all about it here:

https://www.greatlakesbrewing.com/up...eet%202014.pdf

[devildeac]

Breakfast Stout-Founders Brewing

Pass the cream and sugar!

This was another leftover from an office meeting I missed last week. Found it in the back of the 'fridge behind the budlite no one wants.

Poured darn near black with a creamy beige head. Coffee, coffee and more coffee up front with semi-sweet chocolate and espresso throughout the tasting with a modestly bitter backbone due to the heavily roasted grains and moderate hop presence. IBUs are 60 and the ABV is 8.3% so this is in the imperial stout family. It's labeled as a double chocolate oatmeal stout and the flaked oats lend some smoothness to the typical bitter flavors you ascertain from the darkly roasted coffee. This is a liquid dessert you could enjoy by itself or sip briefly chilled with almost any chocolate or even cinnamon pastry/cake. Always a treat to enjoy one of these. Great label to be found in the link.

http://cdn.foundersbrewing.com/wp-co...le-256x790.png

[devildeac]

World Wide Stout (circa 1999)-Dogfish Head


I think this was my last bottle of this from a case I bought about 15 years ago. I say that because no date was on the bottle, only a ©1999 on the label.
IIRC, this was about $7/12 ounce bottle and worth every penny. The elixir was pitch black with essentially no head and no sediment. I shared half the bottle with our son one night last week and finished the bottle myself over the next two nights. Served in a dessert wine glass at near room temperature, this ale pretty much defies description as a grain beverage and really resembles a port. Aromas of unsweetened chocolate, espresso, raisins, figs and dates are present with a vinous fragrance, too. Tastes match the scents quite closely. IBUs are 70 and the ABV is not listed but I think was 18-20%. I think I have a couple more bottles from 2007 or 2008 and, if I see it again, would readily purchase another few bottles which are likely ~$9 by now. Exquisite beverage.

[devildeac]

Brewgaloo. Downtown Raleigh. 4/26. 2-10 PM. 46 breweries. 30 food trucks. No cover. Tempting. $5 pints or $5 for a card good for five-3 oz tasters. Free unbreakable pint glass.

http://www.shoplocalraleigh.org/care-2/brewgaloo/

Tempting. Very, very tempting.

[devildeac]

Matilda 2013-Goose Island Brewing

Don't ask me to explain this one as I didn't like Rayon Vert from Green Flash a bit but really enjoyed this Belgian style pale ale. Maybe it was the aging for about 15 months. Poured a foamy and cloudy orange-yellow with a modest head that lingered throughout the ~382.5 ml serving which represented half of the odd sized 765 ml foiled and capped bottle. Aromas of flowers, apples and pears with tastes to match, supplemented with a bit of black pepper and barnyard funk/mustiness from the Brettanomyces yeast. Very complex brew that would pair nicely with simple, fruity or spicy grilled fare. IBUs are 26 and the ABV is 7%.

This was not a beer from Brewgaloo yesterday but was purchased last year at the Liquor Barn in Lexington, KY.

[devildeac]

Brewgaloo beer tour starts here:

Rickshaw Rye IPA-Crank Arm Brewing (downtown Raleigh)

Orange-yellow pour with a small head. Musty, tropical fruity nose and tastes. Modestly bitter with Zythos and Nugget hops and 24% rye in the grain bill but well-balanced with IBUs at 54 and ABV of 7.2%. Off to a tasty but somewhat unusual start.

[devildeac]

Death by Hops-Olde Hickory Brewing

From their web site cuz this is too complicated for me to 'splain myself:

Alex Buerckholtz, owner of Hops & Vines in Asheville, NC, was the winner of the First Olde Hickory Pro Am competition with this very fine beer. Our brew master says:
"71lbs of high alpha hops were used to make this beer. That’s just over 20 grams of hops used for each pint! DBH was brewed with 2 row barley, Carapils and Crisp Crystal 45 malts and fermented to 7% alc/vol. DBH was hopped with 5 different West Coast hops: Chinook, Columbus, Simcoe, Centennial and Cascade. Additionally, DBH was twice dry hopped with different combinations of these hops. The net result is an amazing aroma of ripe juicy fruit mixed in with a bouquet of spring flowers. DBH was brewed to a level of bitterness of 108 IBU’s, and leaves a lingering bitterness; it is, after all, a double IPA!"

So, it's a home brew they make commercially now. Poured a light orange-yellow with a modest head with a multi-scented nose of citrus and pine and tastes of the same with a bit of caramel sweetness. Not well balanced at 108 IBUs and "only" 7% ABV. So, it's a DIPA by IBUs criteria but not quite by ABV standards. Probably shouldn't have had this second as the taste buds were altered for the rest of the evening.

I think AW brought a bomber of this to a tailgate last year or in 2012.

[devildeac]

Palisade Wasp IPA-Gizmo Brew Works (Raleigh)

From the manufacturer again:

Gizmo Brew Works’ first IPA offering derives its name from a song by folk singer Sufjan Stevens and Palisade hops, the main flavor and aroma hop in the brew. Bred in the northwest US in Yakima Valley, Palisade hops typically function as complementary hops, but this IPA emphasizes their unique flavor profile. The Palisade Wasp IPA conveys a strong floral aroma with a hint of tangerine. Its complex flavor imparts apricots, flowers, and an earthy, grassy bitterness, accentuated by a clean, dry finish.
Malt: 2 Row, Light Munich, Carapils, Crystal-40
Hops: Palisade, Zeus, Falconer’s Flight 7C’s, Magnum
ABV: 6.8%
SRM: 7
IBU: 82

My thoughts, continuing the IPA trend:

Poured a light orange-straw color with a mixed nose as most multi-hopped IPAs possess. Mild sweetness from a modest grain bill. A bit more balanced with a slightly lower IBUs rating than Death by Hops. Worth revisiting as a pint or bottle.

[devildeac]

Oxbow IPA-Deep River Brewing (Clayton, NC)

This was just a couple sips from my son-in-law's sample as he got a generous 3 ounces and didn't like it that much. Light yellow-straw color with a piney/resinous nose and a few more hops (bitterness) than malts(sweetness), thinking it was 4.8% ABV and 60 IBUs.

[devildeac]

Backcountry Black IPA-Deep River

My own 3 ounce sample from a keg just tapped. I like this style and their dark brown pour with a foamy head did not disappoint. Darkly roast grains giving hints of licorice and coffee flavors to a modestly bitter DIPA at 7.9% ABV and estimated IBUs of 70. The back of my tongue bitter taste buds are taking a beating by this point.

[devildeac]

Post #4000 in this thread I think.

Bed of Nails-HiWire Brewing (Ashville)

Changing gears here with a brown ale, mostly because these folks only brought 2 styles and were out of the Hi-Pitch IPA when we got to their taps. So, my string of a buncha IPAs was broken with this tasting. Poured a medium to dark brown with a small head with nutty and toffee aromas and matching tastes. My son-in-law didn't like this that much as it had hints of coffee tastes, too. I agree with his perception but liked my sample.