Ymm, Beer!

[devildeac]

Saison De Maison (draft)-NoDa

Another 2 ounce taster. Nice, light pour and body with pear and apple fruitiness with a pinch of black pepper. Beer stewardess didn't know the IBUs but the ABV was listed at 5.3% on the chalkboard so another pleasant spring/summer ale worthy of a pint. Wish NoDa distributed to the Triangle area. And ricks68 found out it's not hauled up to Asheville either. If any one wants it, ya gotta go to the Charlotte area and procure it yourself. Fuse and I wonder if they'd run afoul of the (archaic) 25K barrel law in NC if they delivered it to a larger area, guessing they probably are at their limits with strictly local sales only.

[devildeac]

Good Will Hopping (draft)-NoDa

This paired well with our shared quesadilla and a couple side salads from their food truck last PM. Labeled as a New England IPA (), the pour was straw-colored with a moderate, creamy head. Mostly citrus and tropical fruits for the aromas with matching tastes with very mild caramel sweetness. No IBUs listed and I didn't want to keep bothering the very pleasant beertendtress so I'll guess 60-70 with a stated ABV of 7.4%, making it a fairly well-balanced brew.

Time to move on from NoDa to Heist Brewing...

[devildeac]

Jitterbug (draft)-Heist Brewing

A coffee-infused IPA? Yep. I had a bit of hesitation ordering this without a beer list description/stat sheet but I'm a beer adventurer so I said what the heck and asked for a pint. Clear and golden-yellow with a small head with scents of pine and citrus and upfront tastes of the same. Where's the coffee? That appeared on the back end of the sensations at first as the beer was cold. As it warmed over 15-20 minutes and after a few bites of a shared Margherita flatbread with arugula and a balsamic reduction, the coffee became more assertive but not over-powering. I'll guess IBUs of 50 and ABV of 6-7%. Maybe not the best pairing but certainly worthy of the pint.

And, that will wrap up a very enjoyable Saturday in Charlotte.

[devildeac]

Moon Man-New Glarus Brewing

No Coast Pale Ale. Hey, it says so on the bottle . Poured an orange-yellow with a foamy head and had mild tastes of grapefruit created nicely from five hops and balanced well with caramel and pale malts. Modest IBU guessing 40-50 and an estimated ABV of under 6%. Good spring or cookout brew.

A huge thank you to VDB for carting this back on her recent trip to Wisconsin.

[devildeac]

Edinbrue, Oak Barrel Aged-Brueprint Brewing

Fuse was kind enough to search out several extra bombers of this last month and included 2 in our trading session last week. Thanks!

They previously released 12 ounce bottles of their regular Scotch ale and I very coincidentally () reviewed one on 10/2/14:

Edinbrue-Brueprint Brewing Company (Apex, NC)

Their version of a Scotch ale poured a clear, medium-to-dark amber with a one finger head that rapidly faded. The nose was a bit weak but had the requisite scents of caramel, toffee and a bit of smoke. The tastes and body were a bit thin, too, but matched the aromas with perhaps hints of chocolate and coffee. Hops take a back seat here with IBUs of 19 with the ABV weighing in at 8.2%, both expected numbers. Pair this with just about any BBQ fare. This is worth a single or a trader but not sure I'd visit a 4 pack or 6er of this again and I like Scotch ales in general. Two of my all-time favorites are McEwan's and Sam Adams and I'm not sure I've seen either of them for years. Perhaps the best one I've ever had is Traquair House Ale but that's also about $6-7 for a 33 cl bottle.

This winter, the barrel aged version arrived and I divided one over 2 nights last week. Poured a clean, dark brown with a small, non-retained head. Aromas were similar to the original but the body/mouthfeel was fuller and matched the scents along with some dark cherry, vanilla and a hint of bourbon at the very end though there is no mention of anything other than oak barrels. I'll guess IBUs about the same but the ABV is a bit higher at 8.7%, but didn't think that it was more prominent in my tasting. Pleasant sipper and a good representative of the style with an interesting twist of barrel aging but it won't touch the taste/memory of Hooligan at ~11.5% ABV, the Jack Daniels barrel-aged version of Catawba Brewing Company's Scotch ale tasted in Asheville last year.

[devildeac]

Alpha King-3 Floyds Brewing

Juicy!

The tastes kinda, sorta resemble Yum Yum but are even more pronounced. Wafting out of my 12 ounce serving last night were tangerine and other citrus aromas. Tastes were more tangerine, essence of citrus rinds, mango and pineapple with some light caramel sweetness. The brewers call their flagship ale a pale ale and I guess that fits the definition of an American pale ale but the stats whisper (somewhat loudly) IPA with IBUs at 68 and a very devilish ABV of 6.66%. Another 6er that'll set you back about $15 (a bit spendy for a session ale) but sharing 3 with fuse and figuring out each bottle was only $2.50 and considering the quality, it's pretty reasonable. Pair this with spicy fare.

[devildeac]

Rabbid Rabbit-3 Floyds Brewing

I'm having half a bomber tonight in a SN Summerfest pint glass. Good call on the scents (sweet hay) and appearance (golden hazy) . I'm tasting tart apples, underripe pears and a pinch of white pepper and maybe some coriander in the finish of this Franco-Belgian farmhouse style ale. I'll guess a couple handfuls of Euro hops and a generous amount of Euro and US grains. IBUs are 24 and it's deceptively potent at 7.4% ABV, a bit higher than I'd have guessed for this style. I can envision this with a grilled chicken/shrimp/salmon Caesar salad.

[devildeac]

Caramelized Chocolate Churro Baltic Porter-Moody Tongue Brewing

Thin, fermented, chilled, alcoholic mole sauce without any pepper heat. It reminded me of this from the Ymm, Beer archives:

"Vertical Epic (11-11-11)-Stone Brewing

Hey, what did you expect on 11-11-14, a Brooklyn Monster?

I shared the last bottle of any Vertical Epic I've ever owned with my younger daughter this evening. This beer has kinda/sorta grown on me. My initial tasting/ sharing is re-posted above and I'd like to change my impression a bit. It really more resembles an imperial Belgian dubbel based on the ABV at 9.4% and the mildly sweet, dark, dried fruity tastes. As it warmed a bit in my large Ommegang tulip, the heat from the chilies became a bit more prominent but nothing at all like the fire from the habanero peppers in Mini Dingo, the almost undrinkable Evil Twin imperial stout. Cinnamon is certainly present and balances the heat nicely. In fact, the more I ponder this, the more it resembles mole sauce, including some chocolate/cocoa flavors. Therefore, I think a better pairing might be with some burritos or enchiladas. The bitterness is still rather mild and ABV is rather potent. Very enjoyable brew on a mild fall evening."

Interesting to read the label listing of the additives and then the website which lists Madagascar vanilla, Oaxacan chocolate and Mexican cinnamon as "flavors" but doesn't technically use the word "additives" or "adjuncts." As an example, one of their other beers lists "lemon meringue pie" as a flavor and I'd bet my last World Wide Stout, there was none of that used in the brewing process . They do mention that they used a lager yeast .

Call me crazy, but I'd also pair this with a slice of Turtle cheesecake

[devildeac]

Galaxy High-Madtree Brewing

Drink local! (well, local as in I'm passing through the Covington, KY area and stopped to buy some 3 Floyds and what do you have from the Cincinnati area?)

Pour: hazy orange-yellow
Head: small and creamy
Aromas: mango and papaya
Tastes: mixed tropical fruit juice (mango, papaya, pineapple, rind/resin) and dankness (kind of tough to really describe this)
Grains: 2-Row, Vienna, Caramel 40L, Carapils, Dextrose (scratching my head on this one )
Hops: Topaz, Galaxy (they claim Australian)
IBUs: High (this is actually printed on the 12 ounce can ); 120 (website)
ABV: 10.2%
Style: IIPA
Food pairing: curry, hot and spicy
Overall impression: Pretty well-balanced for a hop monster

[devildeac]

Solstice-Pisgah Brewing Company

Pisgah (Black Mountain, NC) might be one of the better breweries not many folks know about. Thanks to mattman for this trader! This is the ale fka Tripel. Poured a hazy, orange-yellow with lots of fluffy, Belgian lacing and aromas of bananas, orange and spice and tastes of the same with some clove, light brown sugar and a few grains of black pepper. It's a bit on the sweet side with ABV of 9.5% and I'll estimated IBUs of 20 from small amounts of Euro hops, perhaps from the Saaz, Hallertau, Perle and Tettnanger varieties. Pair with fruity seafood dishes.

Here's a review of Tripel from 3/28/15:

Tripel-Pisgah Brewing Company

Another tip of the pint glass to ricks68 for procuring this as he celebrates in Houston today. This was a capped 750 ml bottle divided over 2 nights earlier this week. Pour was a cloudy straw-yellow color with a frothy, Belgian lace head that had to dissipate a few minutes before I could enjoy. Nose of flowers, light brown sugar and a bit of spice. Tastes were as expected for the style with underripe banana, a bit of clove, a hint of orange and a grain or two of black pepper, once again, all that I'd expect from the name and style. The orange flavor I think comes from some wheat malt and the peppery-ness from the Belgian yeast. Frighteningly pleasant on the palate with estimated IBUs of 10-20 and dangerously drinkable at 9% ABV. I'd like to have a tasting of this with Golden Monkey, Allagash Tripel/Triple and any other US produced Belgian golden ales. I think this would rank favorably.

[devildeac]

From 1/1/15:

Crème Brûlée-Southern Tier Brewing Company

Liquid dessert. Decadence in a glass. This was a 12-18 month old imperial milk stout bomber divided 4 ways after Vera Mae left and Valar Morghulis died. Probably served a bit too cold as all the aromas and flavors became even more delectable as we sipped our 5-6 ounce portions over 15-30 minutes. Poured midnight black with little discernible head, the scents were semi-sweet chocolate morsels generously infused with vanilla extract and the silky smooth, almost oily mouthfeel rewarded the palate with equally delightful tastes of the same with perhaps a drop or two of espresso. Two hops are "mentioned" in the STBC description with estimated IBUs of 20-30, but they play little role here among the 4 malts and lactose sugar that impart almost overwhelming sweetness and an ABV of 9.6%. I'm not sure I could even drink half a bomber in a sitting unless dessert time lasted for an hour or more but sharing 22 ounces with several family members was a great way to sample this as a stand alone or perhaps (dangerously) with even more chocolate in the form of truffles, fudge or cakes or with a cinnamon/caramel cake or even Bananas Foster dessert.

From the last 3 nights-4 ounces each night:

Crème Brûlée-Southern Tier Brewing

I'll keep this one simple: thin, liquid vanilla-flavored dark fudge mixed with slightly-charred caramel custard. This imperial milk stout is sweet and rich. I'll guess IBUs a bit higher than above, maybe 40-50 range, and they've raised the ABV to 10%. Thanks to ricks68 for including this 12 ounce bottle in his recent package.

[devildeac]

Lost my tasting notes from last month and they were 3 ounce samples anyway, so they really don't count .

Family Values Imperial Brown Ale-2016 Beer Camp

Brewers: Schell Brewing, Dark Horse Brewing, Half Acre Brewing, Perennial Artisan Ales, Sun King Brewery, and, of course, Sierra Nevada

Hops: Magnum and Michigan-grown Cascade
Malts: Two-row pale, Sierra Nevada Estate, Munich, Chocolate
Other guests: Minnesota wild rice, Missouri oats, Illinois cocoa nibs and Indiana honey
IBUs: 35
ABV: 8.5%

Tasting impressions: Clean, medium to dark brown pour with a small mocha head. Baker's chocolate and dark caramel nose, smooth mouthfeel from the oats, some more (milk) chocolate and some medium brown sugar and caramel finish with a bit of alcohol burn. I have no clue what the rice adds here . Probably my favorite of the 6, but I still have 5 more to re-taste . I'd buy a 6er of this in a New York minute if they choose to release this one in the fall/winter.


https://sierranavada-bcaa-2016-produ...ge_ogQEf6b.png

[lawgrad91]

Frog Level Brewing Company, Frog Level, NC

Raspberry shandy. 5.0% (on tap)

It's raspberry in color and it tastes like raspberries. Frog Level Brewing was recommended by a Duke Div grad named Rick Lebaub, who also suggested the nutty brunette.

[lawgrad91]

Frog Level Brewing Company
Nutty Brunette. 6.3% it's strong and nutty. More strong than nutty.

[devildeac]

Frog Level Brewing Company
Nutty Brunette. 6.3% it's strong and nutty. More strong than nutty.

Avoid the Salamander Slam, which fuse and mattman re-named "Salamander Slime" on Ymm, Beer OY. Truly in the Ycch, Beer category. Nasty stuff.

[devildeac]

Sweet Sunny South Table Beer-Sierra Nevada Beer Camp 2016

Well, I think they brewed a lot more of their 12 packs this year than 2014. Even Harris Teeter had them stacked up for sale instead of hidden in the back of Total Wine with a 1 per customer limit .

Yeast: Saison
Hops: Magnum, Hallertau Blanc, Huell Melon (last 2 are new to me, though Hallertau is a fairly common Euro variety)
Malts: Pilsner, Acidulated, Wheat
Adjuncts: Corn grits, black tea, honeysuckle, peach, papaya, guava and prickly pear
IBU: 23
ABV: 4.9%

Poured a slightly hazy straw hue with a small creamy head. Tasted just like fuse already reported with a little bit of sweet tea. They need to make this a spring/summer offering next year in 6ers and 12 packs. What a light, delicate, delicious seasonal ale.

[devildeac]

Worth repeating from 11/21/12:

A pint enjoyed with JStuart at the DBAP tonight. On his dime, of course! Thanks!

Hoppyum (draft)-Foothills Brewing

If you like hops, you will love this brew. Loaded with pungent citrusy hops, mostly with grapefruit and grapefruit zest aromas and tastes from the Simcoe variety. Poured a clean, clear orange-yellow in a pint glass and sipped with shrimp and grits with tomatoes, 'shrooms and a bit of spice for dinner Saturday night. Just about perfect blend of slightly sweet caramel malts with an ABV of 6.2% to balance the IBU of 70, both fairly standard for an IPA. I'll still take a Bell's Two Hearted Ale on draft but if you are in NC, this is an excellent offering.

[devildeac]

White IPA (draft)-Bull Durham Beer Company

The beer of the Durham Bulls, brewed at the ballpark. (Not sure what they do in the other 6-7 months of the year.)

Interesting draft with the glass being filled from the bottom and when the magnet covering the hole in the bottom of the cup is turned off, a souvenir magnet covers the hole and your beer can't escape.

Pour was a light amber with a generous, foamy head. Pine and resin up front and throughout the pint with some mild caramel sweetness for balance. This was my treat and we paired our pints with some nachos/chips and cheese and jalapenos. I'll guess IBUs of 50-60 with an ABV around 6%. Not a bad brew in a crowded field and a tad overpriced at $7 for the 16 ounces. JStuart has had the amber before but that wasn't available tonight and he thought it was a better offering than this one.

[devildeac]

Live a Rich Life-3 Floyds Brewing Company

Hmm, a Belgian-style IIPA. Interesting concept/brew but not sure what I think of it, even after dividing a bomber over 2 nights earlier this week. Poured a peachy-orange with a generous, creamy, long-lasting head. Nose of resin and pine and tastes of tropical and citrus fruits, vanilla, caramel, toasted marshmallow, a bit of black pepper and some funk. Reasonably balanced with ABV at 9.5% and IBUs of 100 but it's still got a lot of hop bite. The only other beer I can think of that compares to this is Le Freak from Green Flash which they claim is a hybrid Belgian-style triple and American IIPA with IBUs of 101 and ABV of 9.2%.

Their commercial description:

"A collaboration/dedication ale brewed with our friend Urbain from the Belgian brewery De Struise, this intense Belgian-style double IPA was fermented with Urbain’s special yeast and then an amazing amount of hops were added. This beer was brewed in loving memory of a former employee, Rich Sheppard, who recently passed away on 4/12/11, a portion of the proceeds from this beer will go to his family. Try this beer and enjoy the Rich life." (Proof reading from their website, ratebeer and beeradvocate yields a date of death of 4/11/11 so somebody better do some additional checking here .)

Worth a try/share at about $12 for the bomber on a recent trip to Cork N Bottle in Crystal Springs, KY, outside Cincinnati, on the way to Columbus, IN, but not sure I'd re-visit this. Tough to say about a 3 Floyds ale. Will be very curious to read what fuse thinks about it as I think he got a bomber, too.

[devildeac]

Moxee Moron-Sierra Nevada Beer Camp 2016

I finally decanted mine late last night after delightfully dining with CameronBornAndBred, his favorite lady friend and the vivacious (and very tolerant) Mrs. dd, followed by a couple of hours of dancing with the lovely, light-footed Mrs. dd, too. Needed to get re-hydrated .

This is technically an imperial session IPA, not an IIPA, but, I agree with fuse, just call it a @#$% IPA! It was a slightly hazy, pear pulp color with a mild fluffy and creamy head. Aromas? Fuse nailed them. I perceived a bit less bitterness, with the aforementioned orange and grapefruitiness prominent on the palate, along with some papaya and mango, too. Here are the stats:

ABV: 7.5%
IBUs: 70
Hops: Simcoe, Mosaic, Citra, Experimental (not sure if that's the name or they're playing around with a new one )
Grains: Two-row Pale, Pilsner, Munich, Wheat
Adjuncts: None
Brewers: Bale Breaker Brewing Company, Barley Brown's Beer, Black Raven Brewing (thanks to mattman, I know this one!), Melvin Brewing, Odell Brewing Company, and, of course, your Beer Camp hosts, Sierra Nevada Brewing.

Any one ever heard of Bale Breaker, Barley Brown or Melvin Brewing?