Ymm, Beer!

[devildeac]

Hot Rod Red-Aviator

Drink local!

Again, more fresh stuff.

This is a twist on the traditional Irish red ale. The appearance was about as expected with a copper-red hue and a moderate, fluffy head. Generous hopping with earthy and piney, resinous palatal sensations after the initial scents of light caramel and a floral bouquet. IBUs a bit higher than standard for the style at 48 with ABV a bit high also at 6.1%. Another ale worth a pint or 12 ounce can.

Malts: 2 Row Pale, Crystal, Munich, wheat and roasted barley (don't ask me to 'splain this one)
Hops: Cascade, Centennial and East Kent Goldings

[devildeac]

We went to a wedding tonight, and the groom and his best man micro-brew, but I don't have a clue the name of their operation. I can say I liked the Ball and Chain Chocolate Cherry, and the Happy Ever After IPA was better than I expected.

The groomsmen had corsages that contained hops instead of flowers, and the father of the groom had hops leaves as part of his corsage. Hops leaves look for all the world like small . Apparently he and the groom's mother live in Colorado. Coincidence????

Here's an explanation. Sort of.

http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2 ... lated-hops

[lawgrad91]

We went to a wedding tonight, and the groom and his best man micro-brew, but I don't have a clue the name of their operation. I can say I liked the Ball and Chain Chocolate Cherry, and the Happy Ever After IPA was better than I expected.

The groomsmen had corsages that contained hops instead of flowers, and the father of the groom had hops leaves as part of his corsage. Hops leaves look for all the world like small . Apparently he and the groom's mother live in Colorado. Coincidence????

Awesome about the home brew served at the wedding, the hop "flowers" for corsages and that you liked an IPA . Seriously.

Hops and cannabis are related plants/flowers. I'm not a botanist so I don't know how close this phylum or family realationship is.

The IPA was very herby. We brought home a bottle of homebrew pumpkin ale.

The best man told us that hops and marijuana were in the same family, but he didn't have any leaves on his corsage.

[devildeac]

Hibiscus Gose-Boulevard Brewing Company

Part of their Backroads Beers series, this is an interesting concoction on a style new to me, although I think I reviewed the Anderson Valley Gose upthread somewhere and fuse may have sampled this a month or so ago. Here's what the PR department folks say about this:


"Our version of an unusual, yet resurgent, beer style. It pays tribute to the pleasantly sour, slightly salty wheat beers that originated in Goslar and became popular in Leipzig, Germany around the late 1800’s. A great introductory sour beer, Hibiscus Gose receives coriander and sea salt during boiling, then we steep dried hibiscus flowers at the end to create a vibrant pink hue (really, though, it’s pink!). The result is a tangy, sweet and sour ale with a refreshing citrus character."

Taught me a few new things. Poured a cloudy, light strawberry color (they aren't kidding!) with a sour cherry nose. The salt tastes are barely discernible here but there are distinct floral (d'oh!) tastes along with moderate sour fruit flavors of tart cherries and somewhat underripe strawberries. I'm not sure I appreciate the coriander. Despite its puckery-ness, I found it rather easy drinking at 11 IBUs and 4.2% ABV. This would complement soft cheeses or a fresh fruit tray nicely. Well worth the $1.65 for each of the four 12 ounce bottles I bought last week to sip, trade and gift to our son as part of his 30 beers for 30 years party in 2 weeks.

[devildeac]

Saison-Stone Brewing

WTH? Stone Brewing, among the hopmeisters of the world, brewing a farmhouse ale? Yep, and a very interesting one, too. Poured a light golden with a fluffy, creamy, lingering Belgian lace head. This is brewed with products from their 19 acre "garden" associated with their World Bistro Garden and Restaurants. Lemon zest, lemon thyme and lavender are listed among the ingredients and they all impart different aromas and flavors. As expected, the nose is herbal, floral and lemon-y from the lemon zest , lemon thyme and lavender. It really did smell like freshly grated and squeezed lemons along with crushed thyme and flowers. Tastes mirrored this with a dry first taste and finish and more herbal, black pepper and dried lemon peel in between. And, if you twisted my arm a couple times, I could probably be convinced to add apples and pears to the perceived tastes. It's a bit more bitter (bitter-er?) than I might have thought with IBUs of 45 and the ABV was as expected at 6%. It would be appropriate to serve this with herbal chicken entrees or perhaps a shrimp or salmon Caesar salad. This was also $1.65/12 ounce bottle and I have 3 "leftovers" to trade/share/provide as a 30th birthday beer sampler.

[devildeac]

Hazelnut Brown Nectar-Rogue Beers

Purchase inspired by dakekay1971, brewed by Rogue Nation. It's likely been 10, maybe 15 years since I've had this beer and I still like it. The ingredients are a bit strange as they list coffee as one of them, which I can believe, but omit hazelnut extract/flavor from that list, yet it's noted on the bottle. Poured a medium to dark brown with a latte-colored, finger and a half head, the aromas were nutty, espresso and chocolate (none added, I think) with tastes of the same. Kinda like a thin, hazelnut coffee stirred with a spoon made of milk chocolate. Little bitterness here with IBUs of 33 from Rogue Revolution and Independent hops. Plato of 14 which approximates an ABV of about 5.5%. Purchased 4 of these 12 ounce bottles at about $1.90 each, so they were a bit spendy, but certainly cheaper than $6 or $7 for a bomber. Would be great with a brisket or pork loin with a bit of sweet BBQ sauce applied sparingly. I've got 3 more to share/trade...

[devildeac]

Punkin Ale-Dogfish Head Brewing

Liquid pumpkin pie. The spices actually are more prominent than the pumpkin but are not overpowering. Very pleasant bouquet of cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice (I had to look at the label.) Pumpkin appears on the palate with the same spices and a mild sweetness from the brown sugar. Pour was golden-amber with a smallish head which didn't linger. Smooth mouthfeel with IBUs of 28 and ABV of 7% so you could taste-test this with another pumpkin ale or three in an evening. Totally worth the ~$1.90/12 ounce bottle when purchased in a 4 pack.

[devildeac]

Monk's Blood-21st Amendment Brewing Company

Good enough to buy and taste again. Poured a ruby-brown color with a small head. It's a Belgian dark ale so the expected aromas of dark dried fruits are there but so are the spices/flavors/fruits that are used to create this elixir, including cinnamon, vanilla and the dried Black Mission figs. It's oak aged so that enhances the vanilla scents. Tastes match the above with perhaps a bit of woodiness/earthiness. Amarillo, Magnum and Centennial hops are responsible for the IBUs of 34, making this quite easy on the palate. Malts include European Pilsner, Vienna, Caramunich, Aromatic, Special B, Flaked Oats and Flaked Wheat. Dark Belgian candi sugar completes the list of adjuncts added, helping it achieve the ABV of 8.3%. This was just under $6 for the 4 pack of 12 ounce cans which is a great deal considering I paid about $9 for my last 4 pack over 2 years ago. I wonder if it was scanned correctly but I'm not going back to inquire.

[devildeac]

Always worth re-visiting:

Olde School Barleywine (2009 bottling)-Dogfish Head

I divided this five year old, 12 ounce bottle over 3 cooler nights last week and sipped from a cordial glass. Poured an almost syrup-y, medium amber with basically no head. Nose is booze, syrup and dried fruit, which is no surprise as it's fermented with dates and figs. It really tastes like a dark fruit syrup with a bit of caramel or brown sugar added. The ABV of 15% (no typo ) masks the high IBUs of 85, which I would have never guessed. Should be served slightly chilled. I wonder what this would be like with a small slice of Black Forest Cake or Turtle Cheesecake (scratched chin). I think I have one bottle left which I'll try to forget about until next fall...

[devildeac]

Moon Glow-Victory Brewing

An unfiltered, Bavarian-style wheat ale, this is a pretty traditional weizenbock brewed with 50% wheat as one of the grains and also includes 2 row German malts. Nose of bananas, cloves and oranges with the same tastes to accompany the aromas but no additives. Poured a hazy. medium amber with a fluffy, tan head with very little bitterness, guessing IBUs of 20, perhaps less. ABV is a hefty 8.7% so this is really a double bock style. There may be even hints of a dark cider here. Think Aventinus, probably the world classic weizenbock. This makes a fine competitor and was delectable by itself tonight but I could also sip this with a slice of deep dish apple pie with a generous drizzle of caramel syrup on it or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Might even be good with a fried Bananas Foster (http://www.wral.com/deep-fried-bbq-r...oods/14073243/). See NC State Fair thread for a cross reference.

(no pumpkins were harmed/consumed in the production/consumption of this brew)

[devildeac]

Detour-Uinta Brewing

I believe this is their second entrant into the IIPA sweepstakes with Dubhe, an imperial black IPA, being their first. Poured a copper color with a frothy head, the first scents are earthy, herbal hops (perhaps a bit of cannabis), followed by tastes of the same with some caramel/butterscotch and mango notes showing up late. This is a hop monster at 95 IBUs. You might think it would be well balanced with a correspondingly high ABV at 9.5% but I didn't perceive it to be all that balanced. I'll repeat, it's a hop monster. It would pair well with hot/spicy fare and was worth the $1.40/12 ounce bottle I shelled out for the 4 pack as I'll include one in our son's 30 beers for 30 years gift this weekend and most likely trade the other two.

[devildeac]

Dark Truth-Boulevard Brewing

Worth revisiting.

The players:

Malt: Pale Malt, Amber 50, Cara 120, Cara 300, Chocolate, Roasted Barley, Chocolate Rye, Malted Rye, Malted Wheat, Honey Naked Oats, Flaked Oats
Adjuncts: Brown Sugar, Dark Brown Sugar
Hops: Magnum, Zeus, Citra, Perle

I gotta admit, a few of those fooled me, especially the ryes and the sugars, as I really didn't perceive any funkiness to the scents or the tastes, which is what rye usually imparts. I'm vaguely familiar with Zeus hops and not sure I've ever heard/tasted the Perle variety.

The stats:

IBUs-60
ABV-9.7%
Color (EBC-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_B ... onvention-)-225 (aka SRM-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard_Reference_Method)-Suffice it to say, 225 is dark. Real, real dark.

The thoughts:

Poured an almost inky black with a splash of ruby with a latte-like head. Nose of dark plums and semi-sweet chocolate with the same tastes and a small splash of espresso. The oats make this almost silky and oily on the tongue and the finish is boozy without barrel aging. A couple years ago, I spent $10 for a 4 pack and earlier this month I spent about $9 for the litter of 4. Worth every penny. Serve lightly chilled in a snifter with or without a chocolate d

[devildeac]

Gotta be better for your health than deep-fried Twinkies or Rice Krispie treats ;) :

http://www.newsobserver.com/2014/10/17/ ... /100/&rh=1

[devildeac]

Worth re-posting from January, 2011:

Fireside Chat-21st Amendment Brewing

This is a mahogany-hued complex winter ale with a ton of malts (I think I counted 6 on the website but you can count for yourself below ) and a very mild hop bite. Rich, foamy head topping a brew modestly spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice (all guesses here, folks). The ingredient I would not have guessed is the cocoa nibs as the darker malts lend the chocolate-y tastes to the ale. This is tasty by itself but would also pair nicely with a spiced bread/cake, oatmeal raisin cookies or lighter chocolate desserts. The IBU are 45 and the ABV is 7.9%.

Note: this is a canned brew and is brewed in Cold Spring, Minnesota.

Here are the brewer's stats/musings:



Like FDR's Depression-era radio addresses, which were like a kick in the butt and a hug at the same time, our Fireside Chat is a subtle twist on the traditional seasonal brew. We begin with a rich, dark, English-style ale and then we improvise with spices until we know we have a beer worth sharing with the nation.

Fireside Chat is our early winter seasonal brew available from October through December in six pack cans and on draft. Brewed like a classic, warming Strong Ale but with a subtle blend of hand-selected spices for just the right festive flair.

[devildeac]

Oktoberfest-Olde Hickory Brewing

I had a small sample from this bomber that my daughter and son-in-law brought to Brunchgate yesterday. Poured a medium amber with a modest head and tastes of slightly over-toasted biscuits and dark honey. Scents matched the flavors. I'll guess IBUs about 20 as it's a Marzen-style lager. ABV 6% on the bottle IIRC. Nice pairing with all our breads, pastries and breakfast casseroles.

[devildeac]

Pumpkin Beer-Merlindevildog91's husband's friends' home brew

Also had a small pour of this brown ale that was lightly spiced and had very mild tastes of pumpkin. I'll guess IBUs of 30 and ABV of 5% here. This also was tasty with our Brunchgate fare.

[devildeac]

Pumking-Southern Tier Brewing

Oh, wait a minute, this was an incomplete pass as August West dropped this very easy to handle, err, sip, pass, I mean brew, from the cooler to the table. Had me reaching for my straw...

Maybe next tailgate .

[devildeac]

Fat Jack-Boston Beer Brewing (aka Sam Adams, brewer and patriot)

This fits in probably my second tier of pumpkin brews, below Weyerbacher, DFH and Southern Tier (see above), but above most (all?) of the rest. Served from a rather shapely bomber, it poured a medium brown with the expected baked pumpkin pie/bread aromas and tastes. Not overly sweet/pumpkin-y and not too heavily spiced with all the usual suspects. I'll guess IBUs around 30 and the ABV was 8.5% so it's an imperial pumpkin product. Nice combination with our Brunchgate fare and would have been nice to compare to the ST product except for our unintended sacrifice to the beer gods.

[devildeac]

St. Lenny-Schmaltz Brewing Company and Cathedral Square Brewery

The Immaculate Collaboration 2 uses grains including Specialty 2-Row, Rye Ale Malt, Torrified Rye, Crystal Rye 75, Crystal Malt 80, Wheat, Kiln Amber and CaraMunich 60 and hops named Warrior, Cascade, Simcoe, Crystal, Chinook and Centennial. This results in a Belgian style double rye IPA that has quite the potpourri of aromas and flavors like mustiness, barnyard funkiness, peppery spiciness, a bit of caramel combined with some piney and citrus-y characteristics. Overall, I think this is a brew in which the rye is overkill and takes away from an otherwise intriguing blend of a Belgian-influenced triple and the traditional IIPA. Green Flash's Le Freak comes to mind as a brew that succeeds with this marriage, without the rye. Poured a cloudy orange-yellow with a moderate, foamy head, it is quite bitter, guessing IBUs in the 80-90 range with an ABV of 10% which just doesn't provide he balance expected from a high gravity ale of this style. Might make a reasonable pairing with some spicy fare but not one I'd re-visit. However, I am happy that August West brought the bomber to share among the 4-5 of us tasting yesterday.

[devildeac]

Bloktoberfest-Atwater Brewery

There should be an umlaut over the first "o" according to the label. I shared my daughter and son-in-law's 12 ounce bottle which poured a medium brown with a foamy head and it washed down a brat and a wiener. Nice combination. Pretty typical for the style with a somewhat sweet, malty nose and medium to dark caramel and toasted dark bread tastes. Minimal bitterness with IBUs of 30 and medium ABV at 6.4%. Not a bad brew but not memorable either. In other words, not quite tasty enough to enjoy several of them, don some lederhosen and polka around the neighborhood. This was also in the Märzen style (Ha, remembered the umlaut this time).