Ymm, Beer!

[devildeac]

Speaking of:

Obfuscate-Bond Brothers Beer Company

Dedicated to lying, illegitimate, cheating vermin everywhere. Yep, t*rh**s, this one's for you.

Ten ounce snifter for $3 enjoyed whilst chatting politics, education, kids, fine hand-crafted ales and, of course Duke sports with fellow beer nerd/knurd, fuse.

Pour was a hazy, yellow-orange with a small head. Juicy Fruit gum scents and tastes. Really, this tasted like pineapple-grapefruit-orange juice with a few droplets of rind juice/oil. I'd have guessed lower IBUs than the 70 stated on their draft list. ABV stated on the menu at 6.5%, so fairly nicely balanced with a lean toward the sweet side. No pairing except a warm and not-too-humid NC summer evening on their patio and pleasant conversation.

[devildeac]

Local-Bond Brothers Brewing Company (aka B3C)

Pretty cool description from their draft list:

"An IPA for the Locals with rotating hops in every batch!"

I failed to take notes but there were 2 (presumed) hop varieties listed, neither of which were recognized by the esteemed fuse or his half/dim/nit/slow-witted drinking accomplice this evening .

Draft carefully decanted into a 10 ounce snifter was a hazy orange-yellow with a small head. Yes, it looked like Obfuscate to me . This was on the menu as a West Coast IPA and they were correct. Nose was piney and bite was pretty strong and typical/expected for the style. Interestingly, IBUs listed on their draft sheet at 70, the same as Obfuscate but the hop presence was much more prominent to me. Goes (gose?) back to Bells principle and what fuse has stated before that hops/IBUs are on the palate of the taster. ABV was 6.9%. I thought there was little malt/grain/caramel sweetness here despite the ABV being a bit higher. I liked Obfuscate better as I've gravitated toward/prefer fruitier IPAs, with or without the addition of the actual fruits. This was a good IPA and further confirms that B3C is a very good brewery.

[devildeac]

Ginger Reaper Variant (draft)-Bond Brothers Brewing Company

This was a 2 ounce taster of what I guess is their standard imperial stout but brewed with ginger and c*rolina reapers (Don't Fear).

What's a c*rolina reaper?

Here ya go:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carolina_Reaper

After reading this, I'm amazed I made it through my sample:

"Bred in a Rock Hill, South Carolina greenhouse by "Smokin" Ed Currie, proprietor of the PuckerButt Pepper Company in Fort Mill, the Carolina Reaper has been certified as the world's hottest chili pepper by Guinness World Records since August 7, 2013. The original crossbreed was between a Bhut jolokia (a former world record holder) and a red habanero, and is named 'Reaper' due to the shape of its tail. The official Guinness World Record heat level is 1,569,300 Scoville Heat Units (SHU), according to tests conducted by Winthrop University in South Carolina. The figure is an average for the tested batch; the hottest individual pepper was measured at 2.2 million SHU.

Holy !

I'm fortunate the (almost) omniscient fuse was with me so I could ask what it was and when I was edjumacated, at least I had the sense to ask for a taste before the purchase, which, of course, never occurred.

That's a lot of bloviating for a 2 ounce sample which was dark brown, slightly foamy and had aromas of chocolate, heavily toasted grains and a bit of coffee. Tastes were pretty similar with hints of ginger and a moderate heat/burn from the peppers. Not as fiery as the Evil Twin Mini Dingo, but warm enough to say no thanks to a 10 ounce snifter for $4.

[devildeac]

Big Ballard-Red (32% InBev) Hook Brewing

A grand opening celebratory brew kindly provided by CameronBornAndBred at his new art gallery late this afternoon. Thanks!

Pour was a gold-yellow with a moderate, creamy head. Very fruity nose and pleasant juicy, tropical and citrus tastes. I gotta admit, this beer surprised me as I haven't had a Red Hook brew in a decade or more, I'd bet. Mild to moderately sweet, too. I'd have guessed IBUs around 60 for this IIPA as the bitterness was rather mild and well-balanced with the ABV at 8.6%. Here's their stat sheet/ingredient list:

MALT: Pale, Munich, Carmel 40
HOPS: Alchemy, Chinook, Cascade, HBC-431, Centennial, Mosaic, Eureka
ABV: 8.6%
IBU: 66

[devildeac]

Spoaty Oaty-Appalachian Mountain Brewery

An American pale ale. What's that mean? I'm not quite sure any more. Maybe a pale ale that drinks like an IPA? A less bitter IPA? A lower ABV IPA? A session IPA?



After decanting from a 16 ounce can delivered by fuse Thursday night, I looked at a modest, creamy head. Citrus-light aromas and tastes with hints of pine, mild caramel and a smooth mouthfeel from the oats added to the mix. IBUs of 48 and ABV of 5.4 so a nice buddy to sip with some mild BBQ fare and a very enjoyable and appreciated inclusion in the delivery. Thanks!

[devildeac]

Key Lime Gose-Westbrook Brewing

Read no more. say no more.

I'll quibble with 2 items:

1. I got a reasonable head which lingered for 30-45 seconds.
2. This may be my favorite gose.

I also like the original Westbrook Gose and the Victory Kirsch Gose.

Worth seeking out and buying a 4 pack or more of this one.

Many thanks to fuse for relinquishing a couple to me last week.

[devildeac]

White Dot-Appalachian Mountain Brewing

Session IPA

This style is growing on me a bit more with each portion consumed. Pour from a 16 ounce can was a hazy gold with a small, foamy head. There are nice, citrusy aromas and tastes of Dole pineapple-grapefruit-orange juice with a drop of honey. Very mild bitterness with IBUs of 42 and a quickly sippable ABV of 4.8%. Grill me a chicken breast or a small salmon filet and top with a thin layer of mango salsa, please.

A gracious thank you to fuse for including this in his delivery box last week!

[devildeac]

From 7/28/17:

Tropicpale (draft)-Booneshine Brewing Company

On fuse's erudite suggestion, I politely requested a small sample of this at Boondocks (guest tap; they like each other) after I finished my flight.

Mildly cloudy yellow-orange American Pale Ale with a moderately foamy head. Featured hops are Australian Galaxy and impart stone fruit, orange, pineapple and mango scents and tastes. Gentle on the palate at 42 IBUs and top end of the ABV scale for pale ales at 6%. Pair with fruited fish/chicken dishes.

From tonight:

Tropicpale-Booneshine Brewing Company

A tip of the pint glass to fuse for hauling a 4 pack of these 16 ounce cans back from the mountains last week and sharing a couple with me.

Pour was a hazy, light orange-bronze with a creamy, moderate head. Enticing aromas of mango, pineapple and peach with palate-pleasing tastes to match. Stats as above. Featured ingredients on the can include Pale Malt, Crystal Malt, Cascade and Ekuanot (there's that name again, same as we had at Bond Brothers last week) and "rare and expensive tropical hops." (Their words, not mine .) I would partake of another refreshing draft or can of this anytime. Thanks!

[devildeac]

Calypso Eclipso-Appalachian Mountain Brewing

A Belgian IPA

Here's their brief description:

"In preparation for the coming Eclipse coming to NC in August, we decided to make a beer for the rare blackout. Brewed with our house Belgian yeast, and light malts we blended the fruity trio Calypso, Hull Melon and Enigma hops that are out of this world."

Whaddaya get? You get a 16 ounce can, lovingly procured and delivered by fuse last week directly from the brewery. Pour was a cloudy copper with a small, foamy head. Tropical fruity nose first, then a bit of sour, a pinch of black pepper and a moderate amount of pineapple (with core), papaya, melon (with rind), pine and a small dollop of caramelized brown sugar. Nicely balanced with IBUs at 60 and ABV of 6.8% on the can and 6.7% on their website. I'll take some jerk chicken, a scoop of saffron rice and some grilled plantains with this one, mon.

Thanks!

[devildeac]

From 3/9/16:

From 1/22/15:

Skillet Donut Stout-Burial Beer Company

Dark fudge coffee. Or maybe coffee infused dark chocolate fudge. I divided this 750 ml capped bottle that ricks68 kindly delivered last week over the last couple nights. Poured a slightly thin, almost black hue with a huge coffee nose from the 50/50 blend of cold pressed Hologram and Big Trouble coffees from Counter Culture Coffee (as stated on Burial's website). Bottle says 9 malts, website says 6-row Pale malt, along with Nugget hops, oats, milk sugar (lactose), molasses, and surprisingly, no chocolate. But this sure tastes like semi-sweet dark chocolate morsels with a handful of raisins. I think they serve this at the brewery with a chocolate donut hole. It'd also be delicious with any other chocolate or caramel dessert or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Liquid dessert also works. Comparable to Founder's Breakfast Stout but not quite in the same league as their KBS, but you never know what a few months of bourbon barrel aging might do to this ale. IBUs stated as 60 and ABV at 8% and served at about 50-55 degrees as suggested on the bottle. They claim this will be canned in early 2015 so I can imagine the demand for this may be rather high.

Skillet Donut Stout (can)-Burial Beer Company

Tonight's beverage. Well, they finally canned it sometime late in 2015 or even early this year .

Not sure it's much different from an aluminum vessel. Still makes me think of dark chocolate fudge coffee. Decadent stuff and another big thanks to ricks68 for selecting and delivering this 16 ounce serving for about $3.50.

From minutes ago tonight:

Skillet Donut Stout (can)-Burial Beer Company

Worth a repeat. This time with a salute to fuse for searching this out at Peabody's in Boone a couple weeks ago. The price has increased to $5.50/16 ounce can and still worth the drop for half his 4 pack. Thanks!

I hope sipping this entire can after 1100 tonight doesn't keep me awake. Maybe I should have saved this for breakfast tailgate for the Northwestern game next weekend . The only thing missing is the chocolate-dipped or chocolate cake donut. Outstanding imperial milk stout.

[devildeac]

X 11-DuClaw Brewing Company

Starter beer at tailgate this afternoon.

A mesquite-smoked brown ale. One of our chefs called bull stuffing on the mesquite labeling but did agree it tasted a bit smoky.

Poured from a $6 bomber by August West (thanks!) to accompany our feast of pulled pork, slaw, bacon-ranch potato salad, foot longs and spicy baked beans. Medium brown color with a tan, modest-sized head with faint, smoky aromas and toasted, grainy tastes, along with a bit of smoke and medium brown sugar. IBUs of 25 and ABV of 6% so a nice palate-pleaser shared 6 ways. Ingredients below:

HOP VARIETY: Galena

GRAINS: Pale, Crystal, Chocolate, Wheat, and Mesquite-smoked malts

[devildeac]

From 4/16/17:

If Matches hadn't posted this, I'm not sure I'd have tried this. Thanks for the idea/suggestion!

Thick Mint-Southern Tier Brewing

We ran out of raspberry porters and stouts last PM () and there just happened to be a bomber of this chilled in the beer fridge so onto the counter it came for 15 minutes to warm up before decanting.

Almost black pour with a small rim of a mocha-colored head. Andes Mints, anyone? Girl Scout cookies? Dark chocolate dipped after dinner mints? They're all there , both on the nose and on the tongue. IBUs of 60 and a potent 10% ABV so this bomber signified an end to our dessert hour, or was it an hour and a half? Looks like it's available in 4 packs, too, as a bomber of just about any of Southern Tier dessert beer is too sweet to consume in a single sitting and are much better shared with friends and/or family, with or without any baked goods.

From tailgate today:

Thick Mint-Southern Tier Brewing

We consumed this out of the traditional order of beer-tasting as its contributor, dpslaw, insisted we have dessert during dinner .

Pretty much as above, even though it was "only" a 12 ounce serving divided 5 ways.

Thanks!

[devildeac]

DKML-Founders Brewing Company

Booze bomb alert.

This is their 4th barrel-aged beer of 2017 with Backwoods Bastard to follow in October and a TBA in November or December. The Founders sales rep I chatted with a couple months ago is hoping #6 will be CBS. (Day-umm, I just looked this up and it will indeed be their 6th BA release for 2017, representing a re-release of the 2011 version in bombers and a keg-only release in 2014. Sign me up! http://tenemu.com/news/founders-rere...series/08/2017)

A bourbon barrel-aged malt liquor? WTH? Not sure I've ever heard of that before and I can't recall the last time I had a malt liquor, though I think some states require that on the labels of beers that exceed a certain ABV, likely varying from state to state.

August West kindly contributed this capped bomber as the "finishing" beer of the tailgate, and, at 14.2% (no typo), we were indeed finished. Pour was a honey-straw color with a small head. Nose? Booze, specifically, corn liquor. Tastes? Vanilla, butterscotch, wood, caramel and more liquor. I'll estimate IBUs in the 20 range and didn't I mention the ABV is a stunning 14.2%? I <think> I did already. They're marketing this in 4 packs and bombers and, if you pick up a 22 ounce bottle, be prepared to cork the bottle tightly if you can't finish it in a single sitting (say, 1-2 hours) or share with friends. I got a litter of 4 from Total Wine yesterday AM rather coincidentally and will sure lay 2 of them down for a year or two in order to see what the alcohol burn will be like after some cellaring.

[devildeac]

(out of order posting)


1516 Heller Bock-Red Oak Brewery

A limited release from this Whitsett, NC brewery.

Several of us shared a 12 ounce bottle of this from August West at tailgate yesterday. Thanks! Pour was a medium straw color with a mild, creamy head. Lightly toasted, grainy nose and very mild floral hop bitterness with medium caramel and honey flavors. No stats listed on their website or on the bottle so I'll guess IBUs about 20 (it's a lager) and ABV around 6% which would be standard for the style. It paired nicely with our mildly spiced pulled pork, slaw, potato salad and fancy baked beans. I'm looking forward to the 12 ounce bottle I was promised that "disappeared" just before we departed after the game.

[devildeac]

(more out of order posting)

Rye on Rye (2015)-Boulevard Brewing


CameronBornAndBred took a chance on this corked and caged 750 ml bottle a couple weeks ago while vacationing and delivered to tailgate yesterday. A fine, fine selection. Pour was a slightly cloudy dark amber with a small head. Caramel/brown sugar readily apparent aromas along with a bit of mustiness. Palate-pleasing sensations of toffee, syrup, vanilla, coconut, wood with a warming, boozy finish followed. It's a rye ale but I'm not really sure what type but an old or stock ale would be the closest matches, so I'll guess IBUs are 30 as this is a malt/grain/booze forward beverage. It was then aged in rye whiskey barrels, perhaps a year. ABV is 12% and quite smooth. Very nice pairing with our finger-licking, pig-picking tailgate feast. Thanks!

[devildeac]

Saloon Style Pilsner-Lonerider Brewing Company

Drink local!

Part of a traders package with August West yesterday after tailgate. He purchased a mixed 12 pack of cans from Lonerider and I picked up a 15 pack of cans from Southern Tier.

Pretty standard stuff here until the added lemon peel works its way to your olfactory lobe and palate. There are some light floral aromas emanating from the pale, yellow pour with a lingering, creamy head. It really tastes more like some lemon juice, a drop of honey and some lemon zest was added to the recipe, but not quite like a shandy. I'll guess IBUs around 20 and the ABV is a crushable 4.2% and would pair nicely with some honey-roasted turkey, cheddar, lettuce and tomato on toasted wheat bread or perhaps some chicken salad.

[devildeac]

Sundance-Lonerider Brewing Company

More local!

Can #2 last PM from August West's traders, this one a grapefruit saison.

Interesting combination of the added fruit and a farmhouse ale/saison. Pour was a light orange-amber with a thin head. Mild grapefruit (D'oh!) aromas and then the typical saison tastes of apples and pears with the citrus kick, which was not overpowering, and a bit of rind/zest. Maybe a hint of black pepper/spiciness, too. IBUs? I dunno, maybe 20? ABV printed on the 12 ounce temporary storage unit was 6%. Rather pleasant, refreshing ale to finish the day yesterday. Pairings? Sweet and sour shrimp/scallops? Broiled fish with a mildly spicy/fruity compote?

I haven't had many Lonerider brews in the last several years but I soundly endorse the two I sipped yesterday and look forward to the other two later this week.

[YmoBeThere]

Umm, how many beers did you have on Saturday?

[devildeac]

Umm, how many beers did you have on Saturday?

Five or six of us, depending on who was interested in each sample and/or brought something to share, consumed 96.8 ounces of beer. (22+12+12+25.4+25.4)

[devildeac]

Blackberry Daze-Anchor (<cough> Japan’s Sapporo Holdings Ltd. <cough>) Brewing Company

Shout out to dpslaw for a very tasty and unique trader on Saturday, a new,year-round release that's a blackberry IPA. Thanks!

Pour was a hazy, pinkish-purplish-light orange with a small head that lingered through my 12 ounce bottle serving. Citrusy nose with orange-y, piney tastes and a mildly sweet berry finish. No IBUs to be found so I'll venture 60 and the ABV is 6.5% and reasonably balanced. Would easily pair with fruity salsa-topped grilled fish.