Ymm, Beer!

[lawgrad91]

Those in and around Winston-Salem, there is a cool place on Hawthorne Avenue called Stella Brew. LOTS of beer, and if they don't have it they will order it for you. Really nice guys and lots of stuff available for growlers.

I may just post a review on here whenever I drink my Banana Bread Beer.

[devildeac]

From 8/22/09:

Palo Santo Marron-aged about 6-8 months-I woulda waited a year or more but I got "bluebeared" by this one and couldn't wait. In fact, I had 2 left from this winter and drank them both (on consecutive nights, BTW, as they are 12% ABV ). I believe this is even smoother now. This is an unfiltered brown ale that pours a dark, clear brown and has a modest head that is retained for a bit, unlike many other high gravity brews. It is aged in hand-crafted Palo Santo wooden vessels and has an IBU of 50. There are luscious notes of vanilla, dark chocolate caramel and perhaps some dark rum. It is a tad boozey and that is descriptive and not a drawback. Pull one of these from your 'fridge and let it sit on the counter before decanting into a pint glass or a snifter. This would be a great dessert by itself, with anything chocolate or as a beverage with a dinner of anything spicy or BBQ'd. Rmd mentioned this in the past, but this is now a year round offering so I will ALWAYS have one or two of these in the "cellar" for personal or shared enjoyment.

From 7/2/14:

Palo Santo Marron (2/2/11 edition)-Dogfish Head

Same outstanding pour and even smoother after cellaring for over 3 years. Pretty much an imperial brown ale that has a slightly higher IBU rating than I perceived. It was a DFH kind of week and this is another ale that easily makes it to my top 10 list, maybe even top 5. Just a fabulous beer.

[devildeac]

Those in and around Winston-Salem, there is a cool place on Hawthorne Avenue called Stella Brew. LOTS of beer, and if they don't have it they will order it for you. Really nice guys and lots of stuff available for growlers.

I may just post a review on here whenever I drink my Banana Bread Beer.

Did it taste like this:

Banana Bread Beer-Well's and Young's Brewing, UK

I think Cathy mentioned this a few weeks back or perhaps I did and Cathy said she'd like to taste it. She'll have to settle for the written taste as my son gave me a bottle for Christmas but made me promise not to drink it until he returned for a visit which is this weekend. This was our final beer of the evening tasted at the end of our pork tenderloin dinner. Four of us divided a 500 ml bottle and 2 thought it tasted like a baked banana pudding with the browned meringue on top and the other 2 of us thought it was like sliced banana bread just thawed from the freezer. It had a prominent nose and palate of perfectly ripened bananas with a nutty taste of baked walnuts or pecans. It was a light brown pour, probably an amber ale base, with an IBU in the 20-30 range and the ABV on the bottle is 5.2%. A nice brew with our session and our meal. It would not have been a good beverage with the German chocolate cake we shared for a couple birthday celebrations tonight. After the company departs, I will finish off the 2nd half of the Sweetwater specialty bomber I started last PM and will review that after our game.

[OZZIE4DUKE]

Holy hops! This has the potential to be one of the most insanely delicious 12 pack assortments ever. I might have to buy two (or three) of them.

http://beercamp.sierranevada.com/beer/b ... ng_company

While at Cosco today, instead of buying my regular case of Yuengling, I splurged and went for the Sam Adams Summer Sampler - 4 each of 6 different brewski's. I know I like their regular lager and their summer ale (I've had it on tap at a couple of restaurants), but the blueberry ale? I'll let you know!

[devildeac]

21 Schlafly Single Malt Scottish Style Ale-St Louis Brewing



Bottled with love on 12/7/12. It says so on the label on the bottom of the capped 750 ml bottle I divided over the last 2 nights. Procured at the Liquor Barn in Lexington, Kentucky (no BBQ) last fall, I tried to share this with my older son-in-law the first night but the booze up front turned him off with his first sip, therefore, more for me! This is a somewhat unusual ale as it poured a hazy orange with a splash of amber. Scotch ales usually are brown. This looked more like a Belgian golden/triple style. It's also rather high ABV at 10.2%. Most Scotch ales are 6-7%. I'll estimate the IBUs at 20-30. I guess this is best described as a Belgian golden meets imperial Scotch ale. There was little head and the first, second and third whiffs were booze. So, my SIL was indeed correct. A bit of smoke and medium-to-dark caramel were also on the scent trail. The first, second and third tastes were also booze. The other flavors included a bit of toffee, brown sugar and some dark, dried fruits. Did I mention Scotch whiskey? The single malt was Optic from a farm in Scotland and it blended well with British hops (not named) and a UK yeast with the resultant elixir being aged in recently-emptied Scotch whiskey barrels. I knew that smoky, peaty boozy taste came from somewhere! Overall, I liked this and found it an intriguing brew. I can't remember whether I have another bottle to cellar for another year or whether fuse got my 2nd bottle.

[devildeac]

Holy hops! This has the potential to be one of the most insanely delicious 12 pack assortments ever. I might have to buy two (or three) of them.

http://beercamp.sierranevada.com/beer/b ... ng_company

While at Cosco today, instead of buying my regular case of Yuengling, I splurged and went for the Sam Adams Summer Sampler - 4 each of 6 different brewski's. I know I like their regular lager and their summer ale (I've had it on tap at a couple of restaurants), but the blueberry ale? I'll let you know!

Quality upgrade there . CB&B will take those two of those damned Boston Lagers they load into nearly every 1/2 or full case I've ever seen SA produce.

[OZZIE4DUKE]

For those of you whose beach house in near Wilmington! And a business opportunity for the rest of you!
http://www.bizjournals.com/triad/blog/m ... 1404735965

[devildeac]

Anvil ESB-AleSmith Brewing Company

Draft 2 ounce sample as I completed my purchased of a 6er of local brews to impress our OOT guest from Atlanta. Poured an amber hue with a modest head, considering it was only a small taster. Medium caramel, bready, malty tastes with a nutty aroma and finish. Mildly bitter with IBUs of 30 and an ABV of 5.5%. Would definitely purchase a 12 or 22 ounce bottle of this or have a full pint on draft on my next visit.

[devildeac]

Twisted River Wit-Deep River Brewing Company

This is a relatively new brewery in Clayton, NC (CaryLikeAreaYankeesTryingOutNow), opening maybe a year ago. They state on their cans that they are Johnston County's only legal brewery. This is a Belgian-style wit beer (from beeradvocate: "A Belgian Style ale that's very pale and cloudy in appearance due to it being unfiltered and the high level of wheat, and sometimes oats, that's used in the mash. Always spiced, generally with coriander, orange peel and other oddball spices or herbs in the back ground. The crispness and slight twang comes from the wheat and the lively level of carbonation. This is one style that many brewers in the US have taken a liking to and have done a very good job of staying to style. Sometimes served with a lemon, but if you truly want to enjoy the untainted subtleties of this style you'll ask for yours without one. Often referred to as "white beers" (witbieren) due to the cloudiness / yeast in suspension."). I can't describe it any better than the experts. Poured a slightly cloudy orange-yellow with a fizzy head that dissipated fairly rapidly. Citrusy/orange-y scents with a bit of spice. Not sure whether they use orange peel in the brewing process as a lot of brewers do but the spiciness comes from coriander. Very slight bite with IBUs only at 11 and very refreshing and light with an ABV of 4.5%. This was $2.20 for a 16 ounce can that I shared with my wife's cousin visiting us from Atlanta and I wanted to show-off a local brew that I hadn't tasted before. Would make a nice pairing with a fruit plate before a meal or a light chicken or fish entree with a fruited salsa/compote.

[devildeac]

Hell Yes Ma'am-Raleigh Brewing Company

Story:

The owner, Kristie Nystedt, requested the brewers to produce a strong Belgian ale as this was on of her favorite styles. Their response was, of course, "Hell Yes Ma'am" and the beer was born.

Tasting:

It's a Belgian golden ale or tripel like Duvel from Moortgat or Golden Monkey from Victory Brewing. Poured a light straw color with a hint of banana, a pinch of cloves and some light brown sugar and flowers on the scents. Tastes were similar with a bit of black pepper spiciness and a touch of sweetness from the Belgian yeast and cane sugar respectively. Deceptively and dangerously light with an estimated IBU of 20 from noble hops but a potent ABV of 9.2%. I'd like to taste test this local with Devil's Tramping Ground and a Golden Monkey and Duvel some evening. This was a well done representative of this style of ale.

[devildeac]

War Hawk-Big Boss Brewing

Drink local!

A new brew from the closest brewery to our house in Raleigh. Purchased from the new specialty shop, Crafty Beer which is just over 2 miles from home. This is an American Pale Ale which is higher ABV and more highly hopped than the British counterparts. I shared the 12 ounce bottle with my wife's cousin who is visiting for several days this week. Poured a golden straw with a small head. Pine and resin on the nares and on the palate. No citrus here. Brewed with Cascade, Magnum and Amarillo hops and I'd guess the usual malts of caramel, carapils or two row to add a bit of breadiness to the brew. No IBU rating to be found anywhere but I'd guess 50, somewhat high for the style. The ABV was 6.5% which is also a bit high for a PA or even an APA. Purchased for about $3.25 for the bottle which is rather high. I'd expect about $1.50-$2 for a single. I may complain gently to the owner/boyfriend when I go back next time about this price because I found their other costs to be pretty reasonable. Might get a free sample or two out of the deal.

[Turk]

Another layover in CLT. Beer stand in Gate D. Mediocre beer, airport BBQ, One word: Meh.

http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/natty-gree ... pa/119434/

I firmly believe the environment in which the beer is consumed matters almost as much as the beer itself. If I had the exact same meal on the back porch of a CTN colleague for example, I have no doubt my evaluation would be much more positive and descriptive. On the plus side, I am no longer hungry and thirsty, and the plane is about to board.

I will have to get me some Natty Greene when the Turk clan makes our annual migration to Holden Beach in August to test this hypothesis. in setting up the experiment, I'm thinkng of pairing it with some Kraft mac-n-cheese (a favorite of the young Turks).

[devildeac]

Another layover in CLT. Beer stand in Gate D. Mediocre beer, airport BBQ, One word: Meh.

http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/natty-gree ... pa/119434/

I firmly believe the environment in which the beer is consumed matters almost as much as the beer itself. If I had the exact same meal on the back porch of a CTN colleague for example, I have no doubt my evaluation would be much more positive and descriptive. On the plus side, I am no longer hungry and thirsty, and the plane is about to board.

I will have to get me some Natty Greene when the Turk clan makes our annual migration to Holden Beach in August to test this hypothesis. in setting up the experiment, I'm thinkng of pairing it with some Kraft mac-n-cheese (a favorite of the young Turks).

Skip the Natty Greene's and try some brews from Mother Earth, Duck Rabbit, almost anything from the Derm or Raleigh breweries. Fuse shares that opinion with me OY on the Ymm, Beer thread. Just not that good a product. Send me a PM if you want a list of good NC breweries, or we can pad our post count on this thread .

Gonna make it to the Triangle for a visit?

[devildeac]

Baby Maker-Triple C Brewing (Charlotte)

Bomber trader from fuse a couple months ago that I divided over the last couple nights. Poured a surprising cloudy, amber color with pine and resin scents with tastes of the same with hints of mango and caramel. Foamy head which lingered. Statistically "balanced" DIPA with IBUs of 80 and ABV of 8.5% but not that balanced on the palate as I thought this a bit rough. I suspect this would be a bit smoother on draft and would probably pair well with spicy/hot foods or some ribs. Not one I'd re-visit or seek out. I've got a bomber of Triumphant, the NoDa triple that I'm probably going to enjoy tomorrow/this weekend that I am highy anticipating after I had it on draft at Brewgaloo in Raleigh a couple months ago.

[Turk]

Another layover in CLT. Beer stand in Gate D. Mediocre beer, airport BBQ, One word: Meh.

http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/natty-gree ... pa/119434/

I firmly believe the environment in which the beer is consumed matters almost as much as the beer itself. If I had the exact same meal on the back porch of a CTN colleague for example, I have no doubt my evaluation would be much more positive and descriptive. On the plus side, I am no longer hungry and thirsty, and the plane is about to board.

I will have to get me some Natty Greene when the Turk clan makes our annual migration to Holden Beach in August to test this hypothesis. in setting up the experiment, I'm thinkng of pairing it with some Kraft mac-n-cheese (a favorite of the young Turks).

Skip the Natty Greene's and try some brews from Mother Earth, Duck Rabbit, almost anything from the Derm or Raleigh breweries. Fuse shares that opinion with me OY on the Ymm, Beer thread. Just not that good a product. Send me a PM if you want a list of good NC breweries, or we can pad our post count on this thread .

Gonna make it to the Triangle for a visit?

Selected Duck Rabbit products can be found in my corner of the Philly burbs; will work those into the rotation and of course browsing the respective beer threads is always fun reading. Alas, the selection is not nearly as good in most airports, and the Natty Greene selections were the only locals available. Will make it to the Triangle for a visit, but just not sure which year.

[devildeac]

Another layover in CLT. Beer stand in Gate D. Mediocre beer, airport BBQ, One word: Meh.

http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/natty-gree ... pa/119434/

I firmly believe the environment in which the beer is consumed matters almost as much as the beer itself. If I had the exact same meal on the back porch of a CTN colleague for example, I have no doubt my evaluation would be much more positive and descriptive. On the plus side, I am no longer hungry and thirsty, and the plane is about to board.

I will have to get me some Natty Greene when the Turk clan makes our annual migration to Holden Beach in August to test this hypothesis. in setting up the experiment, I'm thinkng of pairing it with some Kraft mac-n-cheese (a favorite of the young Turks).

Skip the Natty Greene's and try some brews from Mother Earth, Duck Rabbit, almost anything from the Derm or Raleigh breweries. Fuse shares that opinion with me OY on the Ymm, Beer thread. Just not that good a product. Send me a PM if you want a list of good NC breweries, or we can pad our post count on this thread .

Gonna make it to the Triangle for a visit?

Selected Duck Rabbit products can be found in my corner of the Philly burbs; will work those into the rotation and of course browsing the respective beer threads is always fun reading. Alas, the selection is not nearly as good in most airports, and the Natty Greene selections were the only locals available. Will make it to the Triangle for a visit, but just not sure which year.

Good to hear some Duck Rabbit products are available in the Philly area. I can understand about the Natty Greene's/airport selection. I think there's a Gordon Biersch at RDU but I'm never in the airport for brews/a meal.

Here's an NC beer map to help you with your possible selections when you're here. We had a supper at the Front Street Brewery in Wilmington several years ago. The food and beer sampler were not bad and it's a short walk to a waterfront area along the Cape Fear River in Wilmington.

http://www.ncbeer.org/brewery-map/

[devildeac]

Another layover in CLT. Beer stand in Gate D. Mediocre beer, airport BBQ, One word: Meh.

http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/natty-gree ... pa/119434/

I firmly believe the environment in which the beer is consumed matters almost as much as the beer itself. If I had the exact same meal on the back porch of a CTN colleague for example, I have no doubt my evaluation would be much more positive and descriptive. On the plus side, I am no longer hungry and thirsty, and the plane is about to board.

I will have to get me some Natty Greene when the Turk clan makes our annual migration to Holden Beach in August to test this hypothesis. in setting up the experiment, I'm thinkng of pairing it with some Kraft mac-n-cheese (a favorite of the young Turks).

Skip the Natty Greene's and try some brews from Mother Earth, Duck Rabbit, almost anything from the Derm or Raleigh breweries. Fuse shares that opinion with me OY on the Ymm, Beer thread. Just not that good a product. Send me a PM if you want a list of good NC breweries, or we can pad our post count on this thread .

Gonna make it to the Triangle for a visit?

Selected Duck Rabbit products can be found in my corner of the Philly burbs; will work those into the rotation and of course browsing the respective beer threads is always fun reading. Alas, the selection is not nearly as good in most airports, and the Natty Greene selections were the only locals available. Will make it to the Triangle for a visit, but just not sure which year.

Free tour and tasting here:

http://www.frontstreetbrewery.com/fresh_beer/index.php

[devildeac]

Four beer sampler from Big Boss, four ounces each.

Tailwind is their draft only session IPA which seems to be a new brewing trend. Straw-colored with a small head, this evoked thoughts of a weak grapefruit-citrus blend. A bit unbalanced with ABV at 4.5% and IBUs of 60, it had a somewhat dry finish with little caramel sweetness somewhat overpowered by the hop presence. Takes a bit of getting accustomed to but a good pour and style.

[devildeac]

War Hawk is an American style pale ale that I reviewed a week or so ago upthread as a bottled product. See #5814. The draft version was perhaps a bit smoother but not much different except I thought the flavors included a bit of unripe mango/papaya, whereas the bottled version didn't. Shows how much I know. My IBU meter was pretty accurate guessing 50 when the actual on the "board" at the taproom today was 53. $3.50 for a bottle at the taproom versus $3.25 at the package store reflects on the limited production, I guess. Still a bit "spendy" for a middleweight APA but glad I had my 4 ounce sample today as a taste test.

[devildeac]

High Roller was the only one from my sampler that is also available in bottles. This is their standard IPA. Poured a bit more golden than War Hawk with a bit more pronounced citrus nose and distinct orange peel flavor to accompany some grapefruit and other tropical flavors. Good balance with a bit of caramel sweetness. Perhaps a tad low with the stats, showing up at 6.75% ABV and 55 IBUs. Good product that would match spicy/hot dishes or tangy BBQ fare well. A 6er for take out from the taproom woulda been $9.