Ymm, Beer!

[devildeac]

Apple Ale-New Glarus Brewing

I also had the same trepidation in opening this, mine coming from having tasted Redd's apple ale. The New Glarus product is in a totally different universe. We had our first 12 ounce bottle of this last PM, dividing it 3 ways, for our New Glarus fruit beer dessert night. Even Mrs. dd got into the fray, stealing 2-3 sips from my portion. , I mean, .

NG claims a brown ale base but it's a really light brown ale, or, as fuse alludes to above, perhaps a brown ale-cider hybrid. Incredible cidery nose, and I'm not talking a commercial hard cider, I'm talking orchard/farm-pressed fresh apple cider. Same tongue-tickling sensations but bubbly, almost like apple champagne. I'll guess IBUs around 20, if that. ABV probably about 5%-they don't list ABV on any of their products. I could drink this with (for?) breakfast, lunch, dinner and/or dessert. I'll stop there as fuse has a far better description above. Outstanding beer, and I likewise, wish I had another half case or more of this in the "cellar."

[devildeac]

Serendipity-New Glarus Brewing

^^^^

I'll not often "steal" someone's review, but, in this case, everything fits. Perfectly. There was almost a fight at the dd household Friday night as the 3 original tasters added a 4th during the consumption of our 750 ml bottle of this as I found Mrs. dd pouring herself about 4-5 ounces of this and that's never done while fine, hand-crafted ales are being tasted. I think she's sipped 4 ounces of beer in our blessed 38+ year marriage and, yes, it was the Raspberry Tart fuse mentioned above, which she referred to as "raspberry champagne." Serendipity was "not beer" in her words and tasted like a sweet, organic 100% juice blend of cherries and apples with a slight pucker from the Wisconsin cranberries. The Apple Ale (ratebeer 98) was a tough act to follow but this readily and easily surpassed it (ratebeer 100). There's one more bottle remaining and that'll be a Christmas tasting, if I can hide it from her that long .

[devildeac]

Oud Bruin 2016-New Glarus Brewing

I'll put my second and last 12 ounce bottle (or fuse's ) of this up against the world classic Rodenbach Flanders Red Ale or Grand Cru and we'd have a helluva discussion which one was better. But, then again, I'd consider laying this down for a year and re-tasting.

Brewed in the New Glarus beer/wild cave in a coolship and then fermented spontaneously in oak vats/barrels, this poured a gorgeous brown-ruby hue with a small head into an Ommegang tulip. Nose was slightly vinegary/sour, but not spoiled. Tasted amazingly complex with sour/dark cherry-cola sweet, Sour Patch cherry/berry flavors along with some dark toffee. There are no IBUs or ABV listed anywhere I looked so I'll guess 30 and 6%, respectively. I've come to anticipate excellence whenever I taste a NG product and this easily met my very high expectations. This is really an amazing beer.

[devildeac]

On the first day of Christmas/Advent/Hanukkah, my true love/self/dpslaw gave to me:

Our Special Ale-Anchor Brewing Company

42nd annual edition.

Pour was a dark, dark, clear brown with a modest mocha head. Chocolate and caramel are the lead-off hitters with more chocolate, a bit of coffee, some more caramel and a pinch of spruce/pine in the middle of the order and perhaps a bit of cinnamon, nutmeg and pecan at the bottom of the order. I'll guess IBUs of 30 as it stands about halfway between a brown ale and a porter. ABV on bottle is 6.5% which is a bit higher than I recall from past years but I don't think I've tasted this for 2-3 years or more. Pair with a beef brisket, a large amount of onion rings on top of a green bean casserole and a bowl of figgy pudding.

[devildeac]

On the second day of Christmas/Advent/Hanukkah, my true love gave to me:

Imperial Stout-Olde Hickory Brewing

Well, I really didn't drink this tonight as I'm working so I divided it over Wednesday and Thursday nights. And, my true love really didn't give this to me. It was a beer mule named ricks68 and he really didn't give it to me either as the sticker said $12 on the cap so that's what I paid him at Matthewgate, IIRC. On to the beer.

Pour was a dark mahogany with a small, mocha head. Heavily roasted grain scents tickled the nares and some semi-sweet chocolate, burnt toffee, dollop of black strap molasses and a splash of espresso caressed the taste buds. The added honey sweetened the deal a bit and saved this from being a hop monster at 86 IBUs from Columbus, Cluster, Centennial and Cascade hops. A massive grain bill was brewed to an ABV of 10.6% and it felt boozey, even without and barrel aging. Round up the usual chocolate subjects for pairings.

Thanks again to a member of my Asheville delivery service for his selection.

[devildeac]

On the 5th day of Christmas/Advent/Hanukkah, my true love gave to me:

(a couple make-up calls for days 3 and 4 )

Delicieux-Yazoo Brewing

From their Embrace the Funk series started in late 2012 and first released in early 2014.

Drink local! Or at least as local as you can when a fellow beer knurd brings back a very nice assortment of TN (and KY) brews from his recent trip. Thanks, fuse!

Pour was a hazy orange-yellow with a minimal head. Nose of wet hay and funk. Tastes were herbal (rosemary, thyme, oregano and sage), slightly bitter, slightly sour with some unripe apple and pear. It's labeled a Belgian-style pale ale but, to me, it's almost a hybrid pale ale/saison, especially with the fruits and a bit of white pepper in the finish. I'll guess IBUs about 30 and ABV around 6% as neither stat is to be found anywhere on their website. I found this very pleasant this evening paired with a large slice of chicken-spinach quiche Mrs. dd lovingly prepared over the weekend. It also has me highly anticipating 1/2 of a 750 ml bottle of Deux Rouges a bit later this evening.

[OZZIE4DUKE]

The perfect companion to most beers!

[devildeac]

On the 5th day...

Deux Rouges Batch 3-Yazoo Brewing

A Flanders red ale aged in merlot barrels for a year. Oh, my!

What an incredible find, fuse! Many thanks!

Pour was a gorgeous ruby hue with little head. Immediate scents of red wine vinegar and sour cherry soda. Intense Sour Patch wild cherry and raspberry flavors to accompany a rich, vinous presence and finish. Brewed with a wild yeast (likely a species of Brettanomyces) and a souring bacteria (could be Lactobacillus or Pediococcus). I'll guess IBUs of 20 and ABV around 6%. Yazoo doesn't like to print any stats on their bottles . I'll wager this wasn't cheap but I'd likely buy a case of this if I ever see it. It'd be a great evening to side-by-side this with a Rodenbach and a New Glarus Oud Bruin. So, there's a suggestion for fuse if you still have your bottle of this .

[devildeac]

Berliner-Yazoo Brewing

Ich bin ein Berliner. Well, not really, but it sounds kind of cool. Maybe .

Embrace the Funk!

A 12 ounce delivery from fuse after his Nashville tour that is a Berliner-Weisse style ale, meaning basically a sour wheat beer from a souring bacteria (they don't specify on the bottle Lactobacillus or Pediococcus). Poured a cloudy straw-yellow with a rapidly disappearing head. Funky, sour nose and a puckery lemon-orange taste from the added blood oranges. Kinda like a Lemon-Orange Warhead soda. No stated IBUs but I'll guess 10 as it's sour but not bitter, if that makes sense . ABV of this style is typically low, too, so I'll venture 4% here. Not an ideal pairing with my spag and meat sauce, but hey, I was thirsty after work tonight . I like Sue, Delicieux and Deux Rouges better from this brewery but this was a nice replica of the style. Thanks!

[devildeac]

Moo Hoo-Terrapin Beer Company

To borrow a phrase from fuse, a "fun beer."

Great label design, interesting name, tasty style, a gift from August West (thanks!) and More Cowbell printed around the top of the 12 ounce can.

It's a chocolate milk stout and and I can (pun intended) almost taste the milk in it . Pour was a bit thin with a small mocha head. Baker's chocolate aromas permeated the nares and flavors of sweet, dark chocolate milk and cocoa tickled the palate along with just a hint of coffee. They claim IBUs at 30 and ABV is 6% (website) or 6.1% (label). This would be an interesting base for a beer float, either with a scoop of vanilla or coffee ice cream. Ingredients:

Malts: 2-Row Pale, Flaked Oat, Crystal 85,Chocolate, DH Carafa III, Roasted Barley

Hops: Nugget, Willamette

Other: Olive & Sinclair Cocoa Nibs, Cocoa Shells, Lactose

[devildeac]

Holiday Mess (draft)-Big Boss Brewing

I warned ya! Thankfully, not Ycch, Beer.

This was a 2 ounce sample pour prior to my big, big beer.

Color: cloudy yellow-orange
Head: egg white (not Jack White) and modest height
Nose: winter spices
Taste: mostly nutmeg but some vanilla, cinnamon, cloves and rum; like egg nog but without the milk/cream
ABV: 6%
IBUs: 30-40 (est)

I wouldn't buy a litter of these but would share a pint to accompany some figgy pudding with a friend or family member.

[devildeac]

On the 9th day of Christmas/Advent/Hanukkah...

Samichlaus (draft)-Brauerei Schloss Eggenberg

A bit of history:

"Samichlaus is one of the strongest lager beers in the world, at 14% alcohol by volume. The name means Santa Claus in Swiss German. It was originally brewed by the Hürlimann Brewery in Zürich, Switzerland.

Hürlimann's founder Albert Hürlimann was a world leader in the scientific study of yeast, and the brewery has a long history of yeast development. The Samichlaus Christmas beer was first brewed in 1979 for sale in 1980. Production continued annually until 1997, when the brewery closed. In 2000, it returned, this time produced by Schloss Eggenberg in collaboration with the original Hürlimann brewers, using the original Hürlimann Samichlaus recipe. The beer is only brewed once a year, on December 6 (which is the day of Saint Nicholas), which makes it a relatively rare brew. It is in the style of a Bavarian Doppelbock, and undergoes unusually long fermentation by traditional cold lagering over a ten-month period, leaving very little residual sugar in the final beer."

Should have had this 3 days ago to celebrate but just found it tapped at Bottle Revolution yesterday and couldn't imbibe until today.

Enjoyed a half pint today shortly after the office closed. Assured a good nap after I got home and darned happy to have made it safely (see below). Pour was a dark amber with no head. Sweet nose of caramel and maple syrups and tastes of the same with some toffee, cherries, mild chocolate, almost overdone wheat toast and sherry. Flavors even more enticing as it warmed a bit as I was perusing Bottle Rev's new arrivals. I'll guess IBUs of 10-20 as the hop presence is minimal. Boozy? You betcha at its traditional 14% ABV (no typo). I haven't bought a 4 pack of this in several years and will have my last bottle (2009) in early January, 2017 so I can claim I cellared it 8 years . Not sure I'd ever buy another 4 pack at probably $20+ now as there are just too many other delicious ales available. However, I'm happy I sipped this one today as the draft version is completely new to me.

[devildeac]

On the 8th day...

(I'm 2 days late-this is a make-up call, err, beer.)

Best Brown Ale-Bell's Brewery

I'm not too sure about best...

This was a tad disappointing considering the brewery.

This was the last entry in my November beer club 4 pack and poured from a 16 ounce can dated 8/23/16, so I don't think freshness was an issue. Appearance was a bit cloudy with a medium brown color but unfortunately with a small amount of chunks and flecks at the end of the pour. Medium tan head with caramel, bready scents. Tastes were the same with some nuttiness, too, but flavors just a bit "off." Not sour/turned/wet cardboardy but just a bit odd. Bell's doesn't believe in documenting IBUs so I'll guess about 30 and the ABV was 5.8%. I'll likely chalk this up to "bad handling" somewhere along the way and still continue to enjoy their products, looking forward to their Wild Sour Raspberry Ale over the holidays, perhaps with a Raspberry Tart pairing.

[devildeac]

Silent Night 2014-Mother Earth Brewing

In the lead-off position, this black as night BBA RIS poured into my Mother Earth snifter had a little bit of frothy, mocha head. This has smoothed a bit whilst spending a couple years in the bottle in the fuse beer fridge. I thought the bourbon was a bit muted and the dark chocolate notes a bit more prominent than the coffee flavors. I'll guess IBUs around 60 and the ABV was 9%, IIRC. Are you kidding me? For a starter beer? A pleasant surprise after a bit lackluster 2014 draft tasting of this at the Mother Earth Brewery last month for the 2016 Silent Night release party.

[devildeac]

Silent Night 2015-Mother Earth Brewing

Batting second. If put side-by-side with the 2014 version, I'm not sure I could differentiate. Perhaps a bit more bourbon presence and a shade less smooth but quite enjoyable. I've got 2 bottles of this in the "cellar" for winter enjoyment at the dd household.

[devildeac]

Silent Night 2016-Mother Earth Brewing

Hitting third. I like this the best of the 3. Yea, it was a bit rough but I really enjoyed the very prominent bourbon notes, both aromas and tastes. Coffee and dark chocolate tastes were a bit unrefined but strong, both positives for me. I didn't perceive much difference in the IBUs (not listed) and forgot to check the ABV on the '15 and '16 bottles but they've been 9% pretty much every year.

[devildeac]

From 3/9/15:

Midnight Brue-Brueprint Brewing Company

Drink local!

It's listed as a stout but at 8.5% ABV, it's rather imperial. Poured a kind of thin dark, dark brown with a light tan, creamy head. Some dark chocolate scents with dark fruits followed by milk chocolate first on the palate then raisins, dates, figs and molasses with a late coffee finish. No adjuncts listed on the bottle or at their website. IBUs a bit low at 32 for the style but that allowed the dark fruits to stand out. Mattman, our son and our older son-in-law got the other 3 as traders last month. Certainly one I'd re-taste next winter.

From last night after 21 months in the fuse beer fridge:

Bourbon Barrel Aged Midnight Brue 2015-Brueprint Brewing Company

Think Depth Charge cocktail here with a shot of bourbon in the above beverage. The booziness makes the dark fruit flavors a bit less perceptible. A bit "thinner" than the Silent Nights but showed well in the clean-up spot in the batting order last PM. Didn't check the bottle for IBUs but I'd think about the same as the non-BBA version above and I think the ABV was a bit higher at 9%. The conversation is getting more fluid and the memory a bit shady after my fourth four ounce sample of the evening.

[devildeac]

From 1/16/16:

Bourbon Barrel Aged Midnight Brue 2016-Brueprint Brewing Company

Guess who got this bottle for me last month ?

Excellent summary/description, as usual. I didn't think it was so thick and thought the head was a bit thin as was the body and perhaps tasted a bit of dark chocolate, too. Whiskey notes are very smooth, maybe with a bit of vanilla, too. I'll guess IBUs of about 50 and the ABV is 8.5%, drinking a bit more boozey than that but on the low end for the imperial stout style. I think this was $12 for the capped bomber that I sipped over 2 nights. Likely their first effort at barrel-aging for their Bruetopian Series and a very high quality one, too. So much so that I can't wait for ricks68 to return to the area and slip the BBA cherry version of this back into my clutches where it rightfully belongs .

Thanks again to fuse.

From last PM:

BBA Midnight Brue 2016-Brueprint Brewing

After darn near a year in the fuse not-so-overloaded-anymore beer fridge.

Batting in the 5th spot. Same appearance as above but more whiskey-ish aromas and boozier on the palate, along with the expected dark fruits, a bit of coffee and a dollop of molasses. A bit thinner than Silent Night but still highly enjoyable.

And yes, there was a cornucopia of snacks, treats, desserts to accompany the tastings. They included a thick apple-berry relish, candied/spiced almonds, various cheeses and crackers, pistachio bars, salted caramel/chocolate Moravian cookies along with milk chocolate iced and dark chocolate brownies. I know I missed a few other items-those were just the ones I tasted .

[devildeac]

From 3/15/16:

The Miller's Toll (bourbon barrel aged)-Raleigh Brewing Company (2015 version)

Take the above (which was The Miller's Toll), throw in a couple aliquots of bourbon, 1/8 teaspoon of vanilla, some toasted coconut flakes and a drop or two of dark caramel and fudge sauces and you have an even more enormous brew. This was about a $16 bomber that I divided (not evenly) over 3 nights, finishing with a nearly full snifter of a very warming, boozy, port-like concoction that I'm sipping over an hour or so as I post. Heavenly. I may return to the brewer tomorrow to pick up a couple more bottles of this for myself and mattman if they have any left.

From last PM:

The Toll-Raleigh Brewing Company

Fuse said they changed the name due to some copyright/naming issues for the 2016 issue. I'll guess they changed the recipe some, too, as this was a dark chocolate covered caramel bomb, followed by a shot of bourbon. Black in color with semi-sweet chocolate and whiskey greeting you from the snifter. Pretty intense dark caramel, bourbon and Nestle's morsels coated the palate. I'll guess about 60 IBUs and I think I recall 10.5% ABV on the label. Should have taken a few notes . Another excellent selection.

[devildeac]

From 11/4/16:

Speedway Stout (draft)-Alesmith Brewing Company

Almost pitch black, thick/viscous. Coffee and dark chocolate scents. Espresso, toasted pumpernickel, semi-sweet chocolate, dark caramel, dried dark fruits, moderate alcohol burn, oily and chewy flavors and sensations that intensified as my $5 half pint warmed over 20-30 minutes. IBUs 70 and ABV 12%. Forget dessert. Well, maybe a small triple chocolate brownie square would be good with this . I'm glad ricks68 didn't want the second 750 ml corked and caged bottle I bought today in his holiday gift pack .

From last PM:

Speedway Stout (750 ml bottle)-Alesmith Brewing Company

Midnight. Dark, dark roast Vietnamese coffee-almost burnt. Melted Ghirardelli dark chocolate morsels. Alcohol heat. This was ricks68's bottle he didn't want .
I still have another bottle. Thinking it'll be part of a coffee-imperial stout tasting in a couple weeks.