Ymm, Beer!

[Lavabe]

So our Chemistry department lost a faculty member last spring... to start up his own brewery.
Will keep you posted about it.

[devildeac]

Winter Warmer-Sierra Nevada Brewery

Not quite what I was expecting when "lager" is in small letters on the label but this clean, dark amber/light brown pour with a medium tan head emitted aromas of almonds and earth. The tastes were nutty, over-cooked caramel-y, herbal and toasty. IBUs stand at 29-standard stats-with the ABV at 6.7%, almost in the imperial lager range. Fuse was correct, this is a fine winter brew that would be tasty with ribs, brisket, beef stew or a bread pudding.

[devildeac]

People's BBL Aged Cherry Porter (crowler)-Foothills Brewing

A tip of the tulip to Tripping William for posting on Ymm, Beer that this was available. I likely don't even know this exists w/o his notification.

Crowlered 12/22 at Falls Village Wine and Beer with a 20% discount because I asked the very nice owner if this was on his discount list and he said, "Sure!"

Shared 3 ways last PM. Poured a dark brown with a thin, creamy, tan head. Seductive aromas of chocolate, cherries and bourbons. Even more decadent tastes of the same, including dark milk chocolate, dark cherry juice, a little sweet/a little tart, a splash of coffee (not added), vanilla (not added) and mild, warming bourbon notes. He "Sharpied" 70 for IBUs (seems a bit high) on the label and 6% for the ABV, which tasted about right. Hoping fuse and the Love Ninja enjoy this soon (tonight or tomorrow) and find it equally enjoyable.

[devildeac]

Oak-Aged Vanilla World Wide Stout (bottled 07/26/17)-Dogfish Head Craft Brewery

I believe this is my first bottle of this elixir since buying a case in northern KY just over a year ago. Three of us shared this last PM and you'll see why with the stats.

Poured into snifters and it appeared almost black with a minuscule, tan head. Even more seductive nose than a BBA cherry porter () with dark chocolate, dark caramel, vanilla, toasted coconut (not added) and charred wood with tastes to match along with some black strap molasses (not added), a drop of coffee and a very warming alcohol burn. DFH claims 70 IBUs but I'd have never thought that high as this is one smooth brew. I've seen the ABV quoted at 16-17.5% and it is boozy without any booze barrel-aging. It probably took us 30 minutes to finish our 4 ounce aliquots in the wee hours this AM. $10 a bottle? Totally worth it! This one should age very, very nicely.

[devildeac]

Edge of a Dream-Appalachian Mountain Brewery

500 ml bottle gifted to me for including our son's friend in the GBS: The Complete Set adventure. It was only fair/fitting that fuse share this (peppers or no peppers) as he was the beer mule for the pick-up from accfanfrom1970, even if neither of us really are fans of peppers in beer. This one change my mind significantly.

Darn near everything above is on-target. I'm not sure it's a bourbon barrel-aged beer as I didn't perceive much booze on the palate except for the 9% ABV . The "heat" was a bit more evident as it warmed over 20-30 minutes but never reached the "burn" or "fire" stage. No IBUs quoted so I'll guess 50 based on the imperial stout style. They apparently have several variants of this and both our son and his GBS-sharing friend suggested being on the look-out for them as they've been quite good.

[devildeac]

Super Skim (draft)-Bond Brothers Beer Company

Always a great place/time for a meet-up with fuse who was "worried" because BBBC "only" had 9 beers on their tap list. After previewing, I thought we'd be able to survive.

This was a 10 ounce pour of a double dry-hopped (DDH) milkshake IPA in a snifter. Color was hazy yellow with a small head. Citusy nose with orange, tangerine (added) and pineapple tastes. Guava was also added but I'm not sure I perceived that. I'll guess 40 IBUs and the ABV was 8%, making this an imperial milkshake IPA . Another high quality offering from this very, very good Cary brewery.

Public thank you to fuse, too, for picking up the tab for this AND securing a crowler of Adult Daycare, a 10.5% ABV Belgian-style quad aged on cherries, for family consumption sometime this weekend. He is a very kind fellow.

[devildeac]

Bolo Coconut Brown (08/09/18 stamped on bottom of can)-Burial Beer Company

Twelve ounce (About $2.50) can shared 3 ways last PM during a belated Christmas gift exchange.

Dark brown pour with a modest, foamy, tan head. Nutty and brown sugar aromas followed by dark caramel tastes with mild earthy/herbal bitterness. Coconut presence is subtle and minimal. IBUs at 55 (), rather high for the style but not this bitter on the palate. ABV was 5.6% so we were quickly ready for another flavor...

[devildeac]

...and here we go.

Cocoa Bolo Coconut Brown (smudge on bottom of can)-Burial Beer Company

Another 12 ounce can shared 3 ways. Pretty similar pour and aromas but there's definitely a cocoa presence in this one from the added nibs from French Broad chocolate. Strange that the IBUs are only 28 for this one, thinking they're basically the same base brown ale except for the chocolate. ABV the same at 5.6%. We all enjoyed this better than the original, which, upon further review was rather "meh."

[devildeac]

Moo-Tella (2017 Reserve Series)-Terrapin (MillerCoors) Beer Company

Speaking of sell-outs...

Here's the story:

https://www.ajc.com/business/terrapi...bSNva22m31eAL/

Here's the beer:

Shared 3 ways last PM (in brand new 5 ounce Christmas gift snifters) from a 500 ml bottle from our younger son-in-law.

This is liquid hazelnut chocolate cake.

Dark brown pour with no head. Nutty, chocolate-y nose and smooth, triple layer cake-like tastes as above. IBUs at 30 and ABV was 8.5%. I actually liked the Raspberry Truffle W-n-B and the Tart Cherry W-n-B a bit better from last month but not much better.

[devildeac]

OMQ!-Frankenmuth Brewery (since 1862)

(Oh My Quad!)

A Belgian-style quadrupel ale.

Traded with our next door neighbor this week for a Cowboy Bernie (reviewed quite a bit upthread).

Poured from a bomber into 5 brand new tasting glasses before dinner last PM. Color was dark amber and aromas were pretty typical for the style with caramel butterscotch and earth. Palate-tickling done with medium brown sugar, a bit of milk chocolate (not added), cherries (not added), more caramel, toffee and hints of herbal hops. IBUs were 35 and ABV was 11%. Most family comments (5 tasters) were good and I'm in agreement. There are plenty of better quadruple brews on the market but I was still happy to receive and share with the loved ones.

[devildeac]

And, continuing the lovefest for brews from the "Twin City," here's another gem from last PM:

BBA Coffee-Infused Sexual Chocolate-Foothills Brewing

First, there was Sexual Chocolate, then BBA Sexual Chocolate, then (brewery only) Sexual Chocolate variants, now there is commercially available BBA Coffee-Infused Sexual Chocolate and I am extremely grateful to August West for finding a bomber of this several months ago and purchasing for me, trading $$ for beer at a tailgate. I'm even more grateful not to have met in a suspicious area of that fine city at an equally dubious location to have to obtain this product, without offense to the delivery person (), but more on that later, too.

Three of us shared this last PM and all noted the viscous, almost inky pour with a thin, tan head. Love at first sniff with freshly brewed java, dark chocolate (not added) and bourbon. Palate-coating flavors of the same with dark caramel, molasses and a warming, boozy finish, all enhanced as our samples warmed over 30-45 minutes. IBUs at 75 but not bitter like an IPA, just heavily roasted grains. ABV was 9.6%, about the same as the original Sexual Chocolate. An alcohol-laden, liquid, after dinner drink/dessert/coffee.

[devildeac]

Speaking of...

Dead and Berried-Foothills Brewing

Completing the Winston-Salem brewery "affair" was this bomber that was obtained at the above-mentioned joint .

Pour was even darker that the above review with an even thinner head. Three of us also shared this bomber. There were no coffee aromas but dark chocolate and dark berries were present. Silky/smooth mouthfeel with a hint of coffee (not added) but robust semi-sweet chocolate, black strap molasses and blackberries (added) were quite prominent along with the expected bourbon notes, all of which became more flavorful during our 30 minute sipping. A tad less bitter at 62 IBUs (not a really perceptible difference) with the ABV a bit higher at 10.5%. A liquid blackberry cobbler with fudge sundae topping and a tablespoon of booze drizzled over it?

Many thanks to Tripping William for the delivery/meet-up, risking his reputation *and* life in the process!

[devildeac]

Coffee Stout-Sierra Nevada Brewing

Last review from the 2018 Snow Pack.

Totally unexciting name but SN sure knows how to brew quality beers and this was no exception. The 12 ounce pour was dark brown with creamy, tan head. Java and burnt cereal/grain/toast aromas with lots of coffee (added), dark caramel, milk chocolate and over-toasted pumpernickel bread for tastes. IBUs are 53 and ABV is 6.2%, both appropriate for the style. I enjoyed this with some leftover beef tenderloin (still medium rare), roasted potatoes and a Caesar salad tonight.

I've got one of each variety ready for traders...

[devildeac]

In the better late than never category (I'm looking at you, mattman... ) from Sunday evening:

Dragon's Milk Reserve Banana Coconut-New Holland Brewing Company

They make several variants of this every year and this is the first year I actually purchased any of them.

Twelve ounce bottle ($6 because Total Wine only had 2 left and I generally hate paying single prices as I think this would have been $18/4 pack ) shared 3 ways in almost brand new 5 ounce snifters gifted to me at Christmas. Pour was somewhat viscous and almost black. Banana liqueur aromas first, then semi-sweet chocolate morsels, followed by Coco Lopez and then bourbon. The tastes matched the scents very well. No IBUs quoted so I'll guess 40-50 based on the imperial stout style. ABV was 11%, just like the original Dragon's Milk. Our daughter doesn't like bananas much so guess who (cough) helped her out with her portion ?

[devildeac]

Second beer from Sunday night's tasting:

Dragon's Milk Reserve Cherry Chocolate-New Holland Brewing Company

Another 12 ounce bottle shared 3 ways as our daughter really, really likes cherries and chocolate so she got a larger portion of this one.

Pour was also almost black with ruby highlights and a thin, tan head. What a dark chocolate cherry shake might taste like with a shot of bourbon with all the expected scents and flavors accounted for from the moment of it escaped from the bottle to the last droplet we could extract from our snifters. We also thought it tasted like a Black Forest cake that had been soaked in bourbon before serving. I'll guess about 50 IBUs again based on the imperial stout style/base beer. The ABV was also 11%. This was my winner from the evening.

[devildeac]

Sunday night's third beer:

Sunday Morning Stout-Weyerbacher Brewing Company

Another 12 ounce pour that was shared 3 ways. Appearance was inky black with a moderate, foamy tan head. About as expected smells of morning coffee and dark chocolate. Pretty potent java on the tongue preceding charred wood, vanilla (not added), chocolate caramels and a warming, bourbon-y finish. IBUs are 38 but "showed" more bitter than that. ABV was 12.7% and no alcohol was hidden here. This is a strong BBA imperial stout from all the tasting aspects but I would not call harsh. I think this was $14 for the 4 pack and it'll be interesting to trade 1 or 2 and cellar the remainder for a year.

[devildeac]

From 8/2/18:

From 4/24/18:

High West Barrel Aged Victory at Sea (2017)-Ballast Point (cough, Constellation, cough) Brewing

(No, not August West )

This beer's name is too long .

Highly recommended several months ago by our older son-in-law's father and seen for the first time last week so I bought a $16 four pack of 12 ounce bottles. Nice drop.

It's an imperial porter that has the appearance of an imperial stout, meaning it was a fairly viscous, almost black pour with a generous, medium khaki head. Nose of coffee (added), dark chocolate and booze (aged in bourbon and rye whiskey oak casks). Smooth, almost oily mouthfeel with espresso, semi-sweet chocolate, vanilla (added; also likely intensified by the bourbon/rye/oak whiskey barrel "storage"), burnt caramel and toasted almond flavors. Mildly bitter, likely from both the heavily roasted grains and a modest hop bill, with IBUs at 35. Seductive and dangerous with the ABV at 12%. Sipped from a snifter last PM over an hour and slightly chilled before decanting. Highly recommended.

From last PM:

High West Barrel Aged Victory at Sea (9/2/17 bottling date)-Ballast Point Brewing

I guess it's ok to review after another 3 months "in the cellar." Couldn't wait 6 months like I usually do.

Let's see, what's different?

Perhaps a bit thinner and a tad less booziness with more dark chocolate-covered caramel flavors this time around. Maybe I'll sample/share this in November at a tailgate with the 2018 w00t Stout.

From Sunday night:

High West Barrel Aged Victory at Sea (same litter)-Ballast Point (Constellation Brands) Brewing

Waited almost 4 months to review again after sharing the 12 ounce bottle with our younger daughter and her husband.

Moderately viscous pour with a somewhat thin, tan head. Pretty balanced aromas and tastes of coffee, dark chocolate, chocolate caramels, bourbon and very pleasant vanilla flavor (added). This is an imperial porter, not a stout but I'd likely be unable to discern much difference between this and an imperial stout if tasted side-by-side as the bitterness is comparable (guessing IBUs of 40) and the ABV is a sleep (coma?)-inducing 12%. I've got one left. What to do...

[devildeac]

My last beer of 2018 (at 5 PM last evening):

Old Fashioned-Southern Tier Brewing Company

Fuse and accfanfrom1970 summarized our tasting impressions quite nicely as 3 of us shared the 500 ml bottle during "cocktail hour" before we departed for our evening's events. Fairly generous amounts of bourbon, orange peel, cherry and spices on the nose and palate. I'll guess IBUs about 30 (imperial amber ale? barleywine? old/strong ale?) and the ABV of 16% does indeed burn a bit on its passage. Totally worth the $11 + tax for the bottle. Our younger son-in-law says he can make a better Old Fashioned cocktail and I'll take him up on it next time we visit .

[devildeac]

Heavyweight Champ (9/28/17 stamped on label)-Trophy Brewing

A tardy review for my first beer of 2019 (at 100 AM) in answer to Tripping William's query.

Thankfully, three of us divided the 750 ml bottle darn near equally. Pour was almost black but not as viscous as I imagined for this BBA imperial stout. Little to no head with aromas of dark chocolate and caramels, molasses, a drop or two of coffee (not added but a variant is coffee-infused) and bourbon with the tastes falling in order right behind the scents. Mouthfeel was smooth/silky but not 10W40 oily. I'll guess IBUs around 50 based on the style (heavily roasted, not overly hoppy) and the ABV was a stunning and numbing 14%. And, as I mentioned upthread, this did indeed deliver the knockout punch for the night's and early AM's festivities. Might have to heard to Trophy soon as they have a variant of this available in addition to another BBA imperial stout or two.

[devildeac]

Et Tu? (bottled 12/2018)-Gizmo Brew Works

Drink local Christmas gifts from family!

There are quite a number of brut IPAs on the market by this name, or at least something close to it:

https://www.google.com/search?ei=icU...10.mdT09IQyDZ0

This one was a bomber I sipped on for over an hour Tuesday night.

Pour was a fairly clear/clean light yellow with a smallish head. I thought a pineapple-grapefruit nose and Mrs. dd thought pears . Tastes were all of the preceding with some apples and melons, too. Fairly dry and non-harsh mouthfeel. IBUs were 51 based on Untapped and the 7.1% ABV on the label was confirmed with Untapped, too. A very pleasant style that I will seek more of in the coming months.