Ymm, Beer!

[devildeac]

Heavy Melon (draft)-New Belgium Brewing

No, this isn't the name of some aging metal band from the 80s . But, it is a new seasonal offering from NB. Poured a light gold with a medium, creamy head which lingered throughout the pint, accompanied by a burger at Beer Army Burgers that was slathered with pimento cheese, grilled onions and 3 strips of bacon. Other partners in crime, err, dining, included CameronBornAndBred, his lovely lady friend and the drop-jawed Mrs. dd who couldn't believe I ordered and fully consumed such a monsterpiece with (shared) seasoned fries and a (mostly healthy salad except for the shredded cheddar topping and bleu cheese dressing ). Back to the beer. Floral nose with hints of light brown sugar and fresh melons. The melon tastes were surprisingly not like the Jolly Rancher watermelon sensations I got from the 21st Amendment Hell or High Watermelon or the Double D's Watermelon Lager from the Deep River Brewing folks. I thought the fruit was a bit more nuanced and only slightly sweet. There was a bit of a rind taste along with some bready/doughy light caramel notes. I probably coulda/shoulda paired an ale with a bit more body/hops with the burger but it was still a nice, lighter summer seasonal. Some stats:

ABV: 5%
IBU: 14
Hops: Nugget
Grains: Pale and Caramel 80
Adjuncts: Watermelon (D'oh!) and lime peel

[devildeac]

Pat-rye-ot: Sierra Nevada Beer Camp 2016

A revolutionary pale ale made with rye and apples, ingredients our founding fathers used in their brewings. Yes, the SN folks had fun naming their components of this year's litter of ales . Appeared a straw-yellow in my pint glass tonight as I nibbled on our 4 seafood meal tonight, along with a baked potato, grilled broccoli and freshly baked sourdough bread. Modest head with musty, grainy notes and hints of apple cider vinegar. Tastes upfront were lightly toasted rye bread, a bit of light brown sugar and again, more vinegar. As it warmed, the tastes became more cider-y and less vinegar-y. It actually made a nice pairing with my platter. Info from their website:

ABV: 5.6%
IBUs: 55
Hops: Cluster and Experimental
Malts: Two-row Pale, Rye and Crystal
Adjuncts: Delaware and Vermont apple cider
Brewers: Devil's Backbone Brewing Company (what's not to like there ;) ), Dogfish Head Craft Brewed Ales (hence the somewhat strange combination of rye and apples ), Lawson's Finest Liquids, Stoudt's Brewing Company, Trillium Brewing Company and Sierra Nevada. All located in the original 13 colonies!

Give me liberty or give me ale! Or something like that .

[devildeac]

Stout of the Union-Sierra Nevada Beer Camp 2016

Robust stout indeed! The marketing department for this Beer Camp earned their money . Poured a gorgeous mahogany color with a creamy mocha head. Nose with coffee, baker's chocolate and over-roasted grains. Tastes of espresso, cocoa powder, toasted pumpernickel bread and chicory. This reminded me of DFH Chicory Stout but a tad more bitter and about 1.5X the ABV. Here are the stats:

ABV: 7.3%
IBUs: 64
Hops: Magnum and Equinox
Grains: Maris Otter, Munich, Oats, Crystal, Chocolate, Roasted Barley
Adjuncts: None


Pair with a beef brisket, baked beans and some German potato salad.

[devildeac]

Fat Hoppy Ale-New Belgium and Firestone Walker

For their 25th anniversary, NB decided to partner with 5 other brewers by giving them their Fat Tire recipe and having them create their variations on the original. What a surprise () that Firestone Walker chose to hopify their version and turn it into an west coast IPAmber with Mosaic, Citra and Mandarina Bavaria hops. The pour was a light copper with a medium head that is still lingering and lacing a bit halfway through my 12 ounce portion in my pint glass. Nose is tangerine, grapefruit and the tastes are also tangerine and grapefruit with a bit of pine and resin and some light caramel sweetness. No IBUs stated anywhere but it's a Firestone Walker product so I'll estimate 60 and the ABV is confirmed at 6%. This would be tasty with sweet and/or spicy BBQ fare or some curry. I'd almost consider this 12 pack a steal on sale for Harris Teeter VIC customers at $10 for 5 pairs of Fat Tire iterations and 2 of the original version.

[devildeac]

Fat Pale Ale-Rheingeist Brewery and New Belgium

Cincinnati brewery posts! Part 2 of my Tour de Fat or trip through the New Belgium Fat Tire and Friends Collabeeration 12 pack, the second half of which I'll likely share with our younger daughter and her husband.

This is described on the bottle and website as an XPA, which I take to mean an extra pale amber, considering it's the Fat Tire recipe which has been hopified by Rheingeist into an herbal and earthy smelling and spicy and caramel-y tasting golden elixir with some notes of a pink zinfandel, too. Small creamy head atop a mildly bitter ale. No IBUs posted anywhere but I'd guess 50 and the ABV is listed at 6%. Pair this with some grilled chicken or shrimp scampi.

More Rheingeist on deck...

[devildeac]

Mastodon-Rheingeist Brewery

This is indeed a beast of an ale. Labeled as a Belgian style dark ale, it matches the description rather nicely. I divided the bomber over 3 nights (at 9.8% ABV, it's way too much to consume in a single sitting ), finishing it tonight from an Allagash tulip. Pour was a clean, dark amber with perhaps a bit of a ruby tinge. Head was small and tan and the bouquet was enticing with the expected dark fruits and chocolate-caramel scents. I don't get the pepper and apricot tastes they're trying to sell but I do get some Bananas Foster with a splash of Bacardi 151/dark rum along with raisins, dates, figs, plums and, I'm not kidding here, stewed/spiced prunes. Think Belgian dubbel or quad style ales here. IBUs are 28 which makes for a very smooth, soft palate with a modest amount of booziness. This is liquid dessert but I'd be happy with a snifter of this and a slice of Turtle Cheesecake, too. I think it was $12 for the bomber and fuse may have gotten the bourbon barrel-aged version of this, and, if he did, I'll put him on the spot this week or next with his tasting impressions .

[devildeac]

Fat Funk Ale-Allagash and New Belgium Brewing

This has been a very interesting 12 pack so far-a very nice purchase. Again, this is the Fat Tire recipe "loaned" to 5 other brewers for their own interpretation/brewing adventure. Allagash took the recipe, added a Belgian yeast and then bottle-conditioned it with Brettanomyces Allagagensis. The yeast adds even more than the expected black pepper finish, it also adds banana and citrus to the nose and makes it taste like a Dole banana-pineapple juice with a bit of booze added. There is a bit of a peppery finish and a hint of funk and sourness to the palate from the Brett. I'll guess IBUs around 30 or less and the ABV is on the bottle at 5.6%. A plate of sweet and sour something is screaming for this as the dinner beverage.

[devildeac]

Wilmington Ale Trail-The Walking Tour

Rye Pale Ale (draft)-Flytrap Brewing

Pint pour with a mildly creamy, off-white head. Piney, musty nose with a wet rye bread. resin-y taste and a bit of light sweetness. Beertender didn't know the IBUs for certain, guessing 60-something. I'd guess a bit less, perhaps around 50. This would be good with a deli sammich or a burger. I tasted the Dubbel and our older son-in-law's saison, both being better than the rye PA.

[devildeac]

Stop #2 was a sampler:

Shipwrecked (draft)-Ironclad Brewery

This was a Belgian-style tripel and the four ounce pour was cloudy with a creamy, lacy head and had the expected aromas of banana, orange and some clove. Tastes of the same with some Belgian sugar sweetness. Minimal hop presence, guessing IBUs of 20 and the ABV was listed at 8.1%. Pairing? Sweet and sour dishes or a plate of fruit.

[devildeac]

Indian Brown Ale (draft)-Ironclad Brewery

No peaches . But still good. Basically, an imperial brown ale, likely with lots of English hops and a ton of caramel, chocolate and black malts as it was a dark brown color with a small tan head and a nose of milk chocolate and nuts and tastes of dark caramel, cocoa, almonds and hazelnuts with earthy and herbal hops. Estimated IBUs of 30 and ABV on the chalkboard was 8.5%. Pair with ribs, brisket or a chocolate-caramel dessert.

[devildeac]

Final stop:

The Wallace (draft)-Waterline Brewing Company

Set kinda/sorta under the the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge, they operate in a rehabilitated section of an old hardware warehouse. Their website claimed this offering (Small Batch Wee Heavy v1.1) was still in fermenter, but it must be a very recent release, just in time for their July 4 weekend celebrations as they closed their parking lot, set up a bunch picnic tables outside and are having food trucks and bands most of the day today and tomorrow. It was a 10 ounce pour at 9% ABV with approximate IBUs of 30 and was a rather strong, flavorful Scotch-style ale. Color was dark brown, head was small and flavors were chocolate-covered caramels, dark, dried fruits and booze without barrel aging. Not quite decadent and would make a nice sipping ale on a cool evening or with some oatmeal-raisin-chocolate chip cookies, though the tray of fresh NC blueberries, strawberries and assorted cheeses were a nice touch.

Duration of tour: About 4.5 hours
Number of steps: 6800
Distance covered: A shade over 2.6 miles
Ounces of ales: [redacted]
Bottles/pints of water consumed: 5

A fun way to spend a Saturday afternoon with our older son-in-law who is developing some nice tastes in hand-crafted ales.

[devildeac]

Forgot this one from Friday night, or, more correctly, the early, early hours of Saturday AM:

Hop 'Em High-Lonerider Brewing

Drink local! Ales for outlaws.

This was a canine delivery/sitting fee for our 40 kg (give or take a couple kg) yellow lab grand doggie. Poured a yellow-orange-amber with a moderate, creamy head. Plenty of pine and resin here up front but nicely balanced with some pineapple and grapefruit scents and tastes and a ton of grains for a bit of light caramel sweetness, too. No IBUs listed but I'll guess 80 for this IIPA, along with the stated ABV of 8.5%. I'd like this with some Chipotle-rubbed ribs or brisket in addition to the usual hot/spicy curry or Chinese entrees.

[devildeac]

Gose-Hiwire Brewing

Drink regional.

That's it. Gose. Nothing clever like Gose Gone Wild, What Gose Around, Gose to Show You, Here Gose Nothing or anything else creative. Gose. You'd think all those brewers and their marketing department could do better than that.

Not even listed on their website but certainly available in canned 6ers at Total Wine, and, even better, with a buck off with my coupon . Our older son-in-law and I shared the 12 ounces which poured a light, hazy straw color with a rapidly non-existent head. Smells like salt. Why? It's brewed with Pink Himalayan sea salt. Also smells like coriander/spice. There's a bit of orange wafting out of the glass from the glass from the heavy wheat presence. Tastes are a hint of sour from the Lactobacillus bacteria used in fermenting, a splash of orange juice, a bit of spice and maybe a little pear and sour apple. Nowhere near as sour as the Westbrook offering. Estimated IBUs are really low, let's guess 10 or less, with the ABV a highly sessionable 4.2%. We had this with a dinner of sauteed shrimp, (lump meat) crab cakes, roasted potatoes and sweet potatoes and a mixed green salad (aka weeds) topped with Feta, slivered almonds, NC blueberries, foreign strawberries, Craisins and some balsamic vinaigrette. I've even got room tonight as we watch fireworks to sip on another Fat Tire variation or two.

[devildeac]

Festina Peche-Dogfish Head Craft Brewed Ales

I think this ended up setting me back $8 for a 4 pack after my buck off coupon at Total Wine late last week. I'm a bit late to the party with this review as I think fuse has described it each of the last 2 years (maybe more ). It's a neo-Berliner Weisse, meaning it's a re-creation of a style from centuries ago that almost became extinct but has been revived to a limited degree in Germany and by several US brewers. Poured a light straw color with faint aromas of orange, from the copious amount of wheat, and hints of peach from the juice added in the fermentation process. Essentially no head but a reasonable amount of carbonation. Mildly tart/sour tastes along with some orange, peach and pear. IBUs are 8 (no typo) and the ABV is a gentle 4.5%. Pair this with some fresh fruits or a light seafood dish.

[devildeac]

Fat Sour Apple Ale-Hopworks Urban Brewery (HUB) and New Belgium Brewing

Maybe this belongs in the Ymm, Cider thread .

This is the 4th bottle I've had (IIRC) from the collabeeration Fat Tire and Friends 12 pack I bought a couple weeks ago. I think the Avery Fat Wild Ale remains untasted and I think it's highly unlikely I'll review Fat Tire . This one is pretty much Fat Tire and apple cider with the twist of Lactobacillus fermentation, rendering a slightly tart/sour concoction. Pour was light amber with little head. Nose was cider and toasted Kaiser rolls. Tastes were tart apples, light brown sugar and wheat bread. I'll guess IBUs of 20, much like the original Fat Tire, and ABV is 5.9%. Pair with caramel-drizzled Blondies or some butterscotch-raisin-oatmeal cookies.

Y'all know NB. Here's the website for HUB (Never heard of these folks):

http://hopworksbeer.com/drink/cider/

They brew a crap ton of beer/styles.

[devildeac]

Fat Wild Ale-Avery Brewing and New Belgium Brewing

Fat Tire amber ale + Brettanomyces Bruxellensis Drie = pineapple funk. Gold-amber pour with a mildly fluffy head and a bouquet of tropical fruits, mostly pineapple and mango, wafting through the kitchen. Tropical fruit punch taste with a little bubblegum and slightly funky, sour notes. I'll guess IBUs in the Fat Tire range again around 20 and the ABV is 6.2%. Think this would be pretty tasty with a Cuban sammich and some plantains.

I believe that'll complete my TdF (aka Tour de Fat). Five new, fascinating takes on a very pedestrian but very serviceable standard amber ale.

[devildeac]

Golden Ale-New Belgium Brewing and Hof ten Dormall Brouwerij (http://hoftendormaal.com/beers/index.html)

Simple name, delicious ale from their Lips of Faith series. Not in the sour/barrel-aged/high ABV/hop bomb categories but a very pleasant, sippable summer seasonal.

Poured a very light amber color (no, it's not another Fat Tire collabeeration) with a small head and a nose filled with pineapple, banana, bubblegum, pear and stone fruit with the same cornucopia of flavors with a splash of mango and a very small pinch of black pepper. Not a golden ale in the tripel sense however.

Hops: Mosaic and Saaz
Malts: Pale, Spelt and sunflower seeds
Adjuncts: Wild carrot herbs
Yeast: Ale yeast with bottle conditioning
IBU: 20
ABV: 7%


No, I don't taste any carrots or sunflower seeds .

This set me back about $10 for a 4 pack after my buck off Total Wine coupon. Worth every penny.

[devildeac]

Cage Radler-Victory Brewing Company

Simply Lemonade meets Pilsner Urquell. Or something like that. I joined the Bottle Revolution Beer Club yesterday so for $89 for the year, I got the Victory Summer Variety 4 pack for my July beer o' the month and a non-Teku glass of my choice. They promise something cool and interesting every month: might be a 4 pack, might be a 6er, might be a bomber. Plus, advance notice of new and hard to get arrivals and other special events. We'll see. I figure for about $7.50/month, it's worth a trial.

Poured a cloudy, lemon-straw color and smelled like my wife's Simply Lemonade. Tasted very slightly tart/sour but mostly like lemonade candy with essentially no bitterness. I'll guess IBUs of 10 or less and the ABV is 3%. WTH? I don't think I've an ABV this low since I was in Utah 15 years ago before their beer laws changed . It's actually quite refreshing and I'd guess I could crush a couple of these easily after some summer yard work. Malt is pilsner, hops are Tettnang and Mittlefruh. It appears this is packaged as a 12 pack with 3 bottles of each of 4 offerings, but I think Bottle Revolution disassembled their 12 packs and re-packaged them as 4 packs as mine came in a Storm King carrier .

[devildeac]

Vital IPA-Victory Brewing Company

Second member of my beer club 4 pack. Decanted from a 12 ounce bottle into a Full Sail pint glass with a clear, light gold hue and enticing aromas of nectarine, peach and pineapple. There's a bit of pine/resin on the palate but tropical flavor abound to match the scents with perhaps a bit of mango and papaya, too. No IBUs given but I'll guess 50-60 and the ABV is 6.5%, so it's solidly in IPA territory but not quite in the pale ale or session IPA realm. Pilsner and CaraPils malts are listed, giving it a bit of Euro flavoring and the hops are Citra, Chinook and Simcoe, explaining the above flavor thoughts/perceptions.

[devildeac]

Frische Weisse-Victory Brewing Company

Yes, they really named this beverage fresh white. But it sounds so much sexier auf Deutsch because who's going to buy a beer called Fresh White ? This is my 3rd bottle from my introductory month of Bottle Revolution's beer club. Pour was a darn near clean and clear yellow-straw with a slightly fizzy head which didn't persist long. Nose was a bit tart, sour and acidic and tastes were the same, right on the mark for the style, a Berliner weisse. Pilsner and unmalted wheat are the grains and Hallertau is listed twice for the hops so somebody's not doing their proof-reading in marketing, with additional evidence of sloppy website writing/reading as the introductory description paragraph is just about the same as the flavor paragraph . I'll guess IBUs around 10 (more tartness/sourness than bitterness) and the ABV is 5.2% so I'll be ready for a serving of Summer Love in about 30 minutes .