Ymm, Beer!

[devildeac]

Saison De Brüe-Brüeprint Brewing Company

What a pleasant beverage! I bought 4 of these last week from Crafty Beer Shop for about $2 for each 12 ouncer. Poured a light golden hue into a Duke 2011 Hall of Fame induction goblet with a thin, bubbly head which didn't linger long. Attractive aromas of flowers, pears and apples with a bit of dark fruit and sweetness. Tastes were pretty much the same with a hint of white pepper and a mild honey finish. It's brewed with Turkish figs and local wildflower honey, which further endeared itself to my summer palate. I'll guess IBU 10-20 and the ABV is listed at 6.5%. I could sip this any evening this summer or autumn on my porch or with a seafood or chicken dinner with some mango/pineapple salsa/compote or with a bowl of fresh fruit before or after a meal.

[devildeac]

FCA-Railhouse Brewery

Freedom from Corporate America

More indigenous imbibing!

From this relatively new brewery in Aberdeen, NC comes this English-style IPA. A bit more malt forward than the American style, the IBUs are still moderately high at 73 along with a grain bill yielding an ABV of 7.5%. Poured a light amber with a modest, creamy head, the aromas were earthy and herbal with hints of stone fruits. Tastes were toasted whole wheat bread, some more stone fruits and slight caramel sweetness. I procured 4 of these for about $1.90 each after a 2-3 ounce taster at Crafty Beer Store last week during this brewery's tasting night. Worth a comparison with an American-style IPA and a hoppy West Coast style, or to accompany some ribs or a beef roast roast off the grill or out of the oven.

A bit about the brewery:

"Railhouse Brewery was officially founded on Dec. 1, 2010 in the historic town of Aberdeen, North Carolina.

Founded by Brian Evitts of the U.S Navy, and Mike Ratkowski of the U.S Army, the brewery is proudly veteran-owned by 3 branches of the Armed Forces.

Our beers can currently be found across North Carolina, South Carolina and parts of Georgia. Keep an eye out for us as we continute to expand!"

[devildeac]

The Hops You Rode in on-Lonerider Brewing

More local stuff.

This started out nicely with a clean, clear copper color but a bit too much foam originating from a not-too-aggressive pour from my 12 ounce can. Should have thought something might be wrong but the aromas were pleasantly piney with some dark bready scents, too. Initial tastes were resin, a bit of tropical fruit but the finish was metallic, a bit harsh and maybe some early wet cardboard. I've had worse old/spoiled beers so I think this one may have been in its early stages of spoilage. I'm debating a second can tonight to give it another chance. I'm also considering returning the last 3 and asking for trade-ins or trade-ups. Hmm...

[devildeac]

Coffee Hidden Pipe Porter-Raleigh Brewing

Story:

"Great cities have great legends. Here’s one of Raleigh’s: at the Civil War’s end, Thomas Briggs hid his money from Union troops by stuffing it into pipes which he buried underground. He later uncovered his riches and built a thriving hardware store in downtown Raleigh. Now it’s your turn to unearth a treasure trove of aromatics and flavors, including cocoa, creamed coffee, espresso, molasses, and a hint of blackberries. It’s all balanced by a moderately high bitterness. We use Oak City Roaster’s Kabum bean to really drive up the coffee in this beer! 6.5% ABV."


Should have saved this for breakfast in the morning. I think this was a favorite of fuse, the Love Ninja, mattman91 and Amused Cupcake on our jaunt here this past winter. I'm not sure I tasted it then but glad I bought 4 cans last week at Crafty Beer Store for about $1.40 each (no typo). Poured an opaque mahogany with a nose of medium roast coffee and tastes that followed of cocoa, more coffee, but no molasses or blackberries as they described above. Moderate bitterness, guessing IBUs of 40 with a listed ABV of 6.5%, both a bit high for a standard porter. The flavor was enhanced by sharing with our younger daughter and her husband tonight along with a home-made brownie. It'd made a delicious nightcap/dessert by itself but pairing it with chocolate made it even more tasty.

[devildeac]

Raspberry Orange Wheat Ale (draft/bomber)-Bombshell Brewing

More local!

It's always great to share/try new beers with family and/or friends and this was no exception, especially when an unexpected sale is found. I shared a mini-growler of this tonight with our younger daughter and her husband before the Coffee Porter. Quite the light, pleasant intro to our short tasting. Decanted from a $6 mini-growler thanks to the unexpected $2 off this week at Total Wine, it poured a cloudy orange-straw color with a faint pink hue. Nose of berries, banana, orange and a bit of clove with tastes to match. The raspberry flavor imparts a bit of sweetness, the orange peel a bit of bitterness and the wheat ale has its fairly typical banana and clove esters but these are not adjuncts and are rather subdued. IBUs listed at 32 which surprised me a bit as I'd have guessed 20 or less. Very sessionable at 4.6% ABV. It's a nice summer ale and would pair nicely with a fruit plate, soft cheeses or a lemon square or fruit tart after dinner.

[devildeac]

Coffee Is for Closers (draft)-Fullsteam Brewing

Drink local. Drink NC beer. Celebrate Pop the Cap week.

Bought a mini growler of this Sunday evening from Total Wine for $2 off the $10.99 "list" price for enjoyment Monday and Tuesday evenings. Poured a dark, dark brown with a generous beige head the first night with a bit less froth the second evening, as expected. Gorgeous aromas of fresh iced coffee. Delicious tastes of the same with some cocoa nuances, too. My usual response when I enjoy a coffee-flavored brew is "pass the cream and sugar" but this needed no sugar as lactose is added, lending a mild sweetness to the final product. No cream needed either. IBUs listed by TW at 36 and the ABV is 6% from some on-line sources and 6.5% if I'm going to believe the TW chalkboard, so I did have a bit of a beer/coffee buzz after a pint of this each evening. I'd have a very difficult time choosing between the Raleigh Brewing Company Coffee Hidden Pipe Porter I reviewed recently and this highly tasty beverage. I'd lean toward the RBC brew just a bit because of the added cocoa nibs and a bit more chocolate flavor. But, if you like your beer java a bit sweeter, than Coffee Is (indeed) for Closers. Now, if either of these fine NC brewers wanted to age their product in a bourbon barrel for 60-90 days...

[devildeac]

Schöfferhofer-Radeberger Gruppe KG

50% unfiltered hefeweizen and 50% grapefruit drink. Is it a beer cocktail or a shandy or a radler? I'm not sure what the hell the name of the 330 ml beverage I was drinking last PM was technically. All kidding aside (or most of it anyway), this was a rather refreshing concoction on a warm summer evening. Poured a hazy, yellow-orange hue with a fizzy head that dissipated rather quickly. Aromas as expected of bananas and cloves from the wheat beer faction and a Dole/Del Monte grapefruit-orange juice blend from the squeezed fruit brigade. Little bitterness, guessing IBUs of 10-15 with an ABW of "not more than 3.2%" which translates to an ABV of "not more than" 4.054%. Yes, I had to Google that for a numerical translation. This was part of a package deal from fuse last weekend as we swapped Duke, beer and travel stories over a mug of iced nitro/cask-conditioned, non-alcoholic coffee at Brew, a real friendly coffee and beer joint in downtown Raleigh in the Seaboard Station collection of shops and restaurants. Something I'd likely never have purchased or even ventured to taste on my own, but prompted by its inclusion in the beer box, I gladly consumed it rather quickly so I could enjoy another hefe that I'll likely post about tomorrow.

[devildeac]

Red, White and Brüe-Brüeprint Brewing Company

More local imbibery!

Last night was hefe night and this was the second (and final) Brüe of the evening, courtesy of fuse again. This is a bit different being a white wheat ale that is brewed with (hopefully) local/NC blueberries and strawberries. Poured a cloudy yellow that was very slightly pink/purple tinged with subtle aromas, as expected, of clove and banana esters, to accompany a bit of orange and berries. Tastes followed of the same with a shade more strawberry than blueberry, but again, quite subdued. Very gentle on the palate with IBUs of 18 and highly sessionable at 5.6% ABV. This beer doesn't play positions and would be well-received as a starter at the point, complementing a fruit tray or light seafood entree from a wing of your dining/kitchen table or as a catch-and-sip from a picnic table or your porch. I don't think it would bang very much up-front being of moderate alcohol content and certainly wouldn't weigh you down very much like a load of cinder blocks if you wanted to push tempo toward dessert. (And mattman91 accused me of turning any thread/discussion into a Ymm, Beer promotion. Ha! Gose to show you that I'm amphibious and can turn a beer review into a hops, err, hoops, discussion, too.)

Worth seeking out and enjoying/sharing during a hot NC summer evening. Thanks again to fuse.

[devildeac]

Phantom Ship-Heavy Seas Brewing

This is part of their Uncharted Waters series and it's a bourbon barrel aged triple style Belgian ale. Pour from the bomber was a very slightly cloudy golden with a moderate, fizzy head that disappeared somewhat quickly leaving a bit of lace on my Ommegang tulip and on the beer. First up are banana, orange and clove esters. Next are peach and orange tastes with some mango, pineapple, white pepper, candi sugar, vanilla, oak and a hint of bourbon at the finish, but only as it warmed a bit. Hops: Styrian Aurora, Hallertau Mittlefruh. Malts: 2-Row, Munich Malt. No adjuncts listed. IBUs at 37 and 10% ABV on the bottle but it's dangerously deceptive and I could easily down a bomber in an hour or so but am limiting myself to half tonight. I think the Triple Overhead bourbon barrel aged by Mother Earth is better but this is still a very good beverage at $10 for 22 ounces and would accompany a plate of fresh berries very nicely on a warm summer evening.

Prosit!

[devildeac]

Leipiger Gose-Gasthaus & Gosebrauerei Bayerischer Bahnhof


Photo of bottle and brew:

http://whosisbrew.com/wp-content/upl...5/DSC_2185.jpg

Story:

http://www.bayerischer-bahnhof.de/en...hte/index.html

Das bier:


Poured a straw color with a small fizzy head, this old style beer is much different than the Anderson Valley and Westbrook gose that fuse and I have reviewed recently. It's still sour and salty but very subtle in its tastes with barely perceptible salinity and tartness. There's a bit of orange and citrus from the large wheat malt bill but very little bitterness. The coriander flavor is also rather subdued, too. At $11 for the 330 ml bottle (on someone else's restaurant tab), I won't re-visit this but it is an "original" German recipe and style and was quite nicely paired with my Caesar salad before dinner last PM.

Prosit!

[devildeac]

"Hops are a wicked and pernicious weed"
- King Henry VIII, 1519


Pernicious-Wicked Weed Brewing

I've thought for 3 days now whether it was all hype or hops and upon further review, I've decided this was an outstanding IPA and I'd easily put it in the Sculpin, Two Hearted Ale category among my favorites.

I actually bought two 4 packs of the newly available 330 ml bottles (C'mon, Wicked Weed, really?) at Bottle Revolution about 15 minutes after they were unloaded from their truck on Monday and sipped one Tuesday evening. Poured a straw color with a generous, foamy head and gorgeous aromas of pine/resin and mixed tropical and citrus fruits. First sips' impressions were fresh, fresh and fresh wet and almost oily hops with mango, pineapple, tangerine and some more piney notes. Very hop forward in the West Coast IPA style but not over-powering with slight caramel and bready/biscuity tastes for balance. This was delicious by itself and would be at home with a curry or Szechuan entree. I'll guess IBUs in the 70-80 range (WW does not enumerate on their web site or bottles) and the ABV is 7.3%, both on the edge of IIPA territory, but that's why they brewed Freak of Nature, a DIPA, and released it in 500 ml bottles at the same time as Pernicious. At $2.39/bottle Pernicious is worth seeking out and sampling/sharing/trading.

[devildeac]

Spring Hornin'-Anderson Valley Brewing Company

Total Wine summer close out special. $1 for a 12 ounce bottle and a good one, too. Labeled as a spring IPA (I have no idea WTH that means.), the date not printed on the bottle was probably past its prime but I thought it was still a quality IPA. Poured a 14K (maybe 16K) gold color with a mildly foamy head and scents of flowers and herbs with tastes of peach, tangerine and a bit o' honey on a lightly toasted croissant. (You think that's making stuff up? You oughtta read what the brewers and their marketing folks dreamed up about aromas and taste sensations with this one.) IBUs a bit lower than I thought, registering at 55 on the scale (I'd have thought 65-70 range) with an ABV of 6.8%. Here's the ingredients they'll actually admit to: Pale Two-Row malted barley, Crystal (40L), Munich (20L) with Columbus, Golding, Nugget, Northern Brewer hops. I've got 3 left and who knows where they'll go...

[devildeac]

Antigoon-Brouwerij De Musketiers

By Robert Wiedmaier, a (famous?) Belgian chef.

The legend:

Druon Antigoon is a Flemish folkloric character. He was a mythical giant who lived in Antwerp.

Guarding a bridge on the river Scheldt, he exacted a toll from those crossing the river. For those who refused, he severed one of their hands and threw it into the river. Eventually, Antigoon was slain by a young Roman soldier named Brabo, who cut off the giant's own hand and flung it into the river.

According to folklore, and as celebrated by the statue in front of the town hall, this legend is the origin of the name Antwerp: Antwerpen, from Dutch hand werpen—akin to Old English hand and wearpan (= to throw), that has changed to today's warp.


The beer:

Poured from a 33cl bottle into a pint glass, which barely contained the foamy egg-white head. Appeared a slightly hazy copper with aromas of flowers and orange juice with musty tastes of banana, peach and thick, pulpy OJ with a little bit of white pepper. Is this a Belgian pale ale or a blonde ale? I'm not sure. Bitterness is mild, guessing IBUs or 30 with a listed ABV of 6.8%. Bought on a whim at Total Wine two weeks ago for $2 off their $9 price for a 4 pack. I'd serve with soft cheeses and/or a fruit plate or a light seafood entree. Mussels anyone?

[devildeac]

Prometheus Unbound (draft/growler)-Big Boss Brewing

Drink local!

I'll thank Total Wine for printing $2 off coupons in their ad in Sunday's News and Observer, for if they hadn't done this, along with $1.50 off a 4 or 6 pack, I'd have probably not ventured into their North Raleigh store on Thursday evening and made any purchases. This was a fabulous find for $6 for a mini-growler that I shared with our son late last PM.

Poured a dark mahogany with a small, creamy head into a pint glass and sipped over 30-45 minutes. Enticing scents of red wine and dark berries were followed by taste explosions of the same with added bonuses of dark caramel, chocolate, sour patch kids dark fruits, oak and vanilla. Incredibly complex brew. I'd guess IBUs of 20-30 and the ABV is 8%. I wouldn't pair this with anything as the flavors are so rich that it's a stand alone/dessert beer. Worth seeking out today as it's a limited quantity release from their Strange Cargo series (http://bigbossbrewing.com/news.aspx) and won't be around long and might not be released/re-created again.

From last PM (bottle):

The draft was better but the 12 ounce bottle I sipped over 60 minutes last PM from my Ommegang tulip was excellent also. Cost was about $4.50 with my 10% case discount so I bought 4 of these a few weeks ago from the Lafayette Village location of Raleigh's Crafty Beer Shop. This dark ale was aged a year in cabernet barrels which imparted the vinous notes, as expected. Maybe not so much sourness as a fresh draft. I've reconsidered and might pair this with some chocolate/fudge truffles or a slice of Black Forest cake for dessert, but, once again, it is a wonderful, stand-alone liquid dessert.

[devildeac]

3Top3Hop-Boondocks Brewing

Drinking local in West Jefferson, NC!

First up in a 4 beer sampler with lunch today was this orange-amber hued IPA. Aromas from the 5 ounce glass were citrusy, floral and sweet with tastes that followed of orange, tangerine and caramel syrup. Bitterness was subdued and floral and a bit piney. I'll guess 50-60 IBUs. I got off to a potent start, too, with the ABV at 7.5%. Paired nicely with our shared sausage, mozzarella, parmesan, black olives, basil, oregano and portabella mushrooms flatbread and Caesar salad. It was a pleasant surprise as fuse had commented recently that he was disappointed with the beer here. His comments here, always appreciated, and shared again today before choosing my quartet, steered me away from the house brews for the remainder of my sampler.

[devildeac]

Tripel-Blind Squirrel Brewery

Drink your neighbor's local beer!

"Imported" from nearby Avery County in Plumlee, err, Plumtree, NC, this golden Belgian style ale was a deep gold color with the expected scents of candi sugar/syrup, flowers, lightly baked biscuits, some spice and orange. Tastes followed pretty closely to the aromas with a bit of white pepper, banana and clove. This may have been a bit too sweet with its ABV of 9% and IBUs of 34. Another 5 ounce sample that paired well with the above food choices.



Their motto? "We're nuts about beer."

[devildeac]

Decadent-Ska Brewing

Elvis has left the building/town/county/state.

Sipping in the 3rd spot in the line-up today is this monster IIPA with its IBUs of 100 and ABV of 10%, originally brewed to celebrate the 10th anniversary of their Colorado establishment. Pour was an orange-copper, aromas were citrus with a bit of pine and tastes were grapefruit zest/juice and caramel. And bitter, but not over-powering. This may have been a bit much for our entrees but it would certainly match well with Thai, Szechuan or curry dishes.

[devildeac]

And, batting in the clean-up spot for the afternoon:

Insanity-Weyerbacher Brewing

Some old reviews from 2011, 2012 and 2013:

Insanity (2011)-Weyerbacher Brewing

(February, 2012 review) Even smoother than the March, 2011 tasting. And I still have one bottle left to sample next year . Oak/cask/bourbon barrel aging has made most of the barleywines I have tried so much softer on the palate by giving them vanilla, woody and dark fruity flavors in addition to the whiskey tastes.

Here are my 2011 notes:

Insanity-Weyerbacher Brewing

From the brewer: Insanity is made by aging our perfectly balanced Blithering Idiot Barleywine in oak bourbon casks. This incredible combination creates a mélange of flavors from rich malts, raisons, and dates to oak, vanilla, and bourbon. Insanity will be yours this February!

From my lips: This is the style/manner in which most barleywines should be made. I'll guess an IBU about 70-80 but the ABV is 11.5% for an incredible malty backbone and balance. Quite smooth and luscious and even reminding me of another favorite of mine, Dogfish Head's Immort Ale, with some maple syrup notes. Marketed in 4 packs at about $13 for the grouping. The pour is slightly cloudy and deep reddish-brown, the head is modest and it should be served about 55-60 degrees in a snifter/goblet and sipped after ACCT victories

From the last bottle of the 2011 litter from January, 2013:

This just gets better with age. Not much better, but much like Sixteen, I thought this was a bit smoother and richer than my 2012 tasting. I split a 12 ounce bottle with my son-in-law a couple weeks ago and thoroughly enjoyed this nightcap. So, if you see a 4 pack, buy it and set aside one for each of the next three years and enjoy one shortly after your purchase.

And the 2015 edition:

I'm not sure of the age of this 5 ounce taster as it's listed as a winter/spring seasonal, but the draft version sounds/tastes even smoother than the bottled versions I've had in the past. Very little bitterness as I discovered the IBUs are only 34 so this 11.1% ABV barleywine aged in oak bourbon barrels is truly a malt monster. Mildly syrupy/caramely with lots of vanilla and oak tastes and a gentle whiskey finish. Nice way to complete lunch and the sampler which was $7 for 20 ounces of high gravity brews.

[CameronBornAndBred]

115 double IPA's reviewed. Nice to actually see some readily available ones pretty high up on the list. (Such as DFH's 90 Minute)
DD reviewed at least one in the top 10, Lagunitas Sucks. (Which apparently, really doesn't!)

http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2 ... m.html?a=1

[devildeac]

115 double IPA's reviewed. Nice to actually see some readily available ones pretty high up on the list. (Such as DFH's 90 Minute)
DD reviewed at least one in the top 10, Lagunitas Sucks. (Which apparently, really doesn't!)

http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2 ... m.html?a=1

Great find! Ratebeer and beeradvocate have something similar. Here's a review of #5 on the list from our very own Ymm, Beer thread:


Double Jack-Firestone Walker Brewing

First tasting of this high quality IIPA with a tip of the tulip to fuse for trading it last week. Poured a golden-yellow with pungent aromas of grapefruit and tangerine with tastes of the same with a bit of citrus zest, too. Very well balanced with medium caramel/brown sugar flavors, too. The IBUs of 85 should't scare one off as the ABV is 9.5% and it's a nice combination. Malts are Premium Two-Row (Metcalf & Kendall varieties), Munich and Simpson's Light Crystal. Hops include 4+lbs/BBL: Bittering—Warrior, Columbus; Late Kettle—Cascade, Centennial; Dry Hops—Amarillo, Cascade, Centennial, Simcoe. Last 2 bits of info are from the Firestone Walk website. Lots of awards and medal in this beer's history along with a 96 on beeradvocate and a 100 on rate beer. Worth seeking out/purchasing if you can find it, a difficult thing to do on the east coast.