Ymm, Beer!

[devildeac]

Continuing the reviews of Richmond tasty ales:

Merciless-The Veil Brewing Company

Credit-accfanfrom1970; Thanks!!
Style-IIPA but really resembles a NEIIPA
Format-pint can
Canned on-09/02/19; fresh!!
Stemware-large Ommegang tulip
Appearance-cloudy pineapple-yellow; foamy, egg-white head
Nose-tropical fruit salad blend
Mouthfeel-juicy
Tastes-an explosion of pineapple, grapefruit, papaya, orange and pith
Hops-Citra, Galaxy, Simcoe, and Vic Secret
Adjuncts-raw wheat, malted wheat, oats
IBUs-50ish
ABV-8%
Overall impression-another excellent offering from Veil
Ymm, Beer rating-easily fuse cat 2 but pretty close to a cat 3

[devildeac]

From last PM:

Sex on the Beach Sorcery (draft)-Bond Brothers Beer Company

Drink fresh! Drink local! Drink with friends!

This is another sour from their Sorcery series and consisted of a ten ounce pour into a BBBC snifter for $5. Appearance was pinkish-orange and cloudy with a small pinkish head but without any visible chunk in the elixir or at the bottom of the vessel. Aromas of berries and oranges and tartness. Mild pucker on the palate balanced by some berry sweetness. We didn't compare aromas/tastes but I'll guess cranberries and oranges and maybe peaches based on the cocktail recipe for Sex on the Beach. Bitterness is minimal with the IBUs at 20 on the electronic beer board. ABV was 5.5%. Another winner in this line of sours. Solid Cat 2. Would sip again or, on the next visit, certainly try another Sorcery variant.

[devildeac]

Orbital Tilt IPA-Captain Lawrence Brewing Company

Beer #2 (IIRC) from September's beer club 4 pack.

Canned-08/08/2019
Other numbers on bottom of 12 ounce can-OT1152 MPN 1316 (shrugs)
Appearance-cloudy; pineapple-yellow
Head-fluffy; generous
Aromas-pineapple and grapefruit
Mouthfeel-juicy
Tastes-same as aromas with some orange, rind and pith
Hops-Citra (dry-hopped with a blend of lupulin powder and powder)
IBU-50 (estimated)
ABV-5.9%
Overall impression-solid IPA in a very, very crowded field
Ymm, Beer rating-Fuse Cat 2

[devildeac]

Mattman let me in early for a "preview" on Thursday night.

Ymm, Beer Virtual Pub September 28-Saison Day

Brut Duality of Funk (draft)-Bond Brothers Beer Company

Setting-as above on the patio with friends, always a great way to enjoy a fine beer
Format-10 ounce snifter
Appearance-cloudy, pineapple hue; smallish, foamy head
Nose-Wait, is this an IPA or a saison? Well, it's both so it's pineapple-y and grapefruity along with wet straw, funk, apples and pears
Mouthfeel-pretty smooth with a little hoppy bite; mildly "dry"
Tastes-waves of tropical and tree fruits as above along with some orange and pine
IBU-70 (WTH? That's not a saison, that's an IIPA !)
ABV-8% (WTH? That's an imperial beer whether it's an IIPA or a saison)
Hops-Mosaic and Galaxy (more yummy, fruity, hoppy goodness)
Overall impression-Another winner from BBBC, even better than their Brut IPA which I *think* I tasted before and a well done "hybrid"
Ymm, Beer rating-High fuse cat 2, not quite world class but I'd recommend anyone to try this

[devildeac]

We interrupt this Saison-fest to bring you a DIPA from last PM:

Tomb-The Veil Brewing

Credit-accfanfrom1970; thanks!!
Format-pint can
Stamped on bottom of can-buncha dots; totally indecipherable for any letters and/or numbers
Appearance-cloudy; brilliant yellow
Nose-freshly squeezed pineapple/orange juice
Mouthfeel-almost pulpy
Tastes-cornucopia or pineapple, papaya, mango, orange, juicy bits (not *that* kind of juicy bits ), grapefruit and pine; mild rindy bitterness
IBU-70 (WAG)
ABV-9.9%; might be the highest ABV of any DIPA I've ever had (excluding 120 Minute IPA)
Overall impression-outstanding beverage
Ymm, Beer rating-Fuse cat 3 easily

Youze other guyz who have these should be very impressed.

[devildeac]

Rusted Plow-Haw River Farmhouse Ales

Credit-RJ199; an excellent choice; thanks for the search and delivery!
Style-special variant; foeder aged Farmhouse Saison (aka oak-aged "whiskey sour" with limes)
Format-500 ml bottle (hey, it's Saison day but for you Americanos, that's 16.9 ounces )
Stemware-my lovely Ommegang tulip
Appearance-light amber with a thin, off-white head
Nose-limeade; wood; light bourbon
Mouthfeel-smooth
Tastes-limeade again first, then some pears and apples, wet wood, soft bourbon flavors, finishing with lime zest
IBU-probably 20
ABV-4.8%
Overall impression-another outstanding creation from Haw River
Ymm, Beer rating-Fuse Cat 3; I could drink a couple of these a night; highly recommended

[CathyCA]

OKTOBERFEST - Center of the Universe Brewing - Ashland, Va

I had this beer at Shagbark Restaurant in Richmond on Friday evening. Ymm, Beer!

Center of the Universe is a brewery in Ashland, Virginia, my maternal grandmother's hometown! Oktoberfest is Center of the Universe's nod to the classic Munich fest biers. This beer was slightly sweet, and had a malty flavor, although there was enough bitterness to balance the flavors of the malt. This amber brew was a perfect accompaniment to my Scottish salmon, and I think that it would be a lovely beer to serve at a tailgate on a sunny autumn afternoon. I highly recommend this beer!

Info from their website:
Style: Märzen
SRM: 6
ABV: 5.7%
IBU: 21

This beer is distributed throughout Virginia. I'm not sure that I could locate it here in the swamps of eastern North Carolina, but I'm certainly going to give it a try.

[devildeac]

OKTOBERFEST - Center of the Universe Brewing - Ashland, Va

I had this beer at Shagbark Restaurant in Richmond on Friday evening. Ymm, Beer!

Center of the Universe is a brewery in Ashland, Virginia, my maternal grandmother's hometown! Oktoberfest is Center of the Universe's nod to the classic Munich fest biers. This beer was slightly sweet, and had a malty flavor, although there was enough bitterness to balance the flavors of the malt. This amber brew was a perfect accompaniment to my Scottish salmon, and I think that it would be a lovely beer to serve at a tailgate on a sunny autumn afternoon. I highly recommend this beer!

Info from their website:
Style: Märzen
SRM: 6
ABV: 5.7%
IBU: 21

This beer is distributed throughout Virginia. I'm not sure that I could locate it here in the swamps of eastern North Carolina, but I'm certainly going to give it a try.

Sounds tasty. There are a lot of Oktoberfest biers out there. A. Lot. One of your neighbors, Duck-Rabbit, brews one but they call it Marzen and I'd bet it would compare favorably to the VA brew above.

[devildeac]

From last PM:

Saison Vielle-Brasserie Trois Dames (from Switzerland )

Trader/gift from RJ199. Thanks!!

This is another one of those Saisons that sure smells and tastes like a sour.

RJ199 has a pretty complete review above. I thought (imagined? ) some sour cherries (raspberries?) along with some wet hay/straw from the Brett conditioning along with some cab flavors initially from the wine foudre, finishing with mild sherry tastes from a year of aging in Jerez barrels (I had to research that .). ABV is variable, too, at 7.5% on the front label and 8% on the back label . The cognac barrel-aged "saison" was a tad better but this was still quite good.

[devildeac]

Caramel Popcorn Mother's Milk-Hysteria Brewing Company

"A collaboration we did with Ellicott City shop E.C. Pops, this is our flagship milk stout brewed with their salted caramel popcorn."

Credit-4 pack trader pint cans from my parttime nurse
Packaged on-01 (that's it, really; 01 in whit ink stamped on bottom of can)
Style-flavored milk stout
Stemware-Stella Brew snifter (courtesy of RJ199 )
Appearance-dark, dark brown with a generous, foamy, tan head
Aromas-milk chocolate, dark caramel
Mouthfeel-creamy and smooth (no kernels )
Tastes-chocolate milk with Hershey's syrup added ), caramel, corn/grain; hints of salt
Overall impression-a well done, unique combination, dessert beer
Ymm Beer rating-Fuse cat 2.

[devildeac]

I had a pint can of this last PM-great minds and all that stuff...

IPA X-Ardent Craft Ales

Canned on
07/26/2019 16:12
L1

Poured with vigor into a standard pint glass with a resultant generous, foamy head. Fairly sharp pineapple and grapefruit aromas which preceded a combination of blended tropical juiciness, some orange and papaya (neither added) flavors along with a bit of resin and some rind and pith. I'm amazed the IBUs are only 10-I'd have guessed 50-60 range. ABV was 7.1%. I'm not going to go quite Cat 3 on this but it's very close and I'd certainly order more of this, but, it's likely a one-off, and will certainly continue to trade/pay for whatever accfanfrom1970 places in his shopping cart from Ardent, Veil, Hardywood and Vasen

[devildeac]

Great minds and all that stuff...



IdontwanttoBU!3-The Veil Brewing

Credit-accfanfrom1970; many thanks-again!!
Format-pint can
Canned on-(two adjacent black lines composed of dots on bottom of can so who the hell knows)
Stemware-standard pint glass
Appearance-a pineapple milkshake
Nose-citrus, melons and stone fruits
Mouthfeel-smooth; absolutely agree with the "bite" and "counterbalance" above
Tastes-peaches, tangerines, cantaloupe, orange and pineapple
IBU-accfanfrom1970 thinks this is 0 and he may be correct but feels/tastes more like 30-40, like a NEIPA or milkshake IPA
ABV-6.9%
Overall impression-an outstanding IPA in a very crowded field as TW posted yesterday about another beer, IIRC
Ymm, Beer rating-totally agree with TW above and his Cat 3 designation

[devildeac]

When there are no desserts in the house, there's always beer:

Raspberry Short Kate-Hardywood Park Craft Brewery

"Named in honor of our delightful VP of Operations, Raspberry Short Kate is a raspberry-fruited Milkshake IPA. Brewed with milk sugar and tons of wheat and oats, Raspberry Short Kate is hopped with Cascade and Huell Melon. Soft and pillowy on the palate with tons of body, Raspberry Short Kate is the perfect way to welcome early spring with a fruity treat."

(or autumn...)

Credit-accfanfrom1970; thanks!!
Style-milkshake IPA
Format-pint can with a cute label-I'll try to post picture
Canned on: 090719 12:58 L3
Stemware-standard pint glass
Appearance-moderately cloudy raspberry sherbet; some small light sediment and "seedy" looking stuff
Nose-raspberry frozen dairy dessert
Mouthfeel-a well-blended smoothie; mild bitterness
Tastes-many, many raspberries were (likely) harmed in producing this ale; not overly sweet; mild sugar; vanilla
IBUs-I'll guess 40
ABV-7% (yep, a boozy milkshake)
Overall impression-a fun beer that was better than Gizmo's offering several months ago, which was still very good
Ymm, Beer rating-high Cat 2; would certainly sip again and recommend to others; our daughters, who don't like IPAs, would likely enjoy this but my wife would not

[devildeac]

From 10/18/18:

Yeah Toast! (draft)-Gizmo Brew Works

Drink even more local!

French Toast Brown Ale

Initially, I thought "gimmick beer" but after 8 ounces of this for about $3, I'll echo fuse's comments above.

Pour was a dark brown with a small mocha head and a sweet, maple syrupy nose. Smooth mouth feel with wonderful tastes of brown sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon and bread. Minimal bitterness, guessing IBUs of 30 and the ABV was 5.8% so I could easily pour several ounces of this over pancakes, waffles or French toast and then finish the remainder of the 12 ounce can. Looks like it's at the brewery for $11 for a 6er and I may stop by tomorrow after work and buy a litter and gift one to our tailgate chef who'll be making his famous French toast casserole at tailgate Saturday AM. I'm not sure which one would be better.

From tonight-dessert #1:

Yeah Toast-Gizmo Brew Works

I never pulled the trigger last year on a 6er of this but did this week at Total Wine for about $11.

Poured from a 12 ounce can with vigor into a shaped Dogfish Head pint glass. Foamy, tan head with aromas of, guess what? Yep, French Toast that included maple syrup, brown sugar, cinnamon and vanilla. Smooth mouthfeel with some herbal bitterness but palate-tickling breakfast delights of a liquid French toast, including bread, cinnamon, brown sugar, vanilla a maple syrup. I'll guess IBUs about 30 and the ABV was 5.8% so it'd make a wonderful breakfast beverage. I'll look to trade several of these but it's a solid fuse Cat 2 treat.

[devildeac]

Aventinus-Schneider Weisse Brauerei

Credit-August West; thanks
Format-500 ml bottle
Style-weizen doppelbock
Appearance-dark brown; foamy, tan head; cloudy
Aromas-banana, cloves, bubblegum, caramel
Mouthfeel-delightful
Tastes-orange; banana; dried and dark fruits; bubblegum; dark caramel
IBUs-18
ABV-8.2%
Overall impression-world class; what a way to start our tailgate; if you missed it, go buy one for about $5-6
Ymm, Beer rating-fuse cat 3; this may be the original German weizen doppelbock

[devildeac]

From Friday night-no, not a primer for tailgate :

White Russian Nitro-Left Hand Brewing Company

Credit-Beer #4 from my September beer club 4 pack
Format-13.65 ounce can (no typo )
Style-white stout
Appearance-golden yellow with a typical smooth, frothy head
Nose-coffee, vanilla and white chocolate
Mouthfeel-creamy
Tastes-match the aromas; some light brown sugar/caramel
IBUs-20
ABV-8.9% (deceptive)
Overall impression-a very nice inclusion for a $1.75, the average cost per beer for my $89/year membership for 48ish beers
Ymm, Beer rating-solid Cat 2; worth a taste for the $3 you'd likely pay for a single

[devildeac]

Tonight's dinner beer:

Cardinal Pale Ale-Nebraska Brewing Company

Credit-neighbor from his wife's gift to him of a mail order beer membership
Format-12 ounce aluminum
Style-pale ale
Canned-03/19/19; Drink Local (they stole that from this thread )
Appearance-light copper with a modest, foamy head
Nose-resin and pine; light caramel
Mouthfeel-mild bitterness
Tastes-resin, pine, soap, light brown sugar
IBUs-42
ABV-6%
Overall impression-pretty pedestrian
Ymm, Beer rating-fuse cat 1; actually not bad but I wouldn't place one in my shopping cart

[devildeac]

Back to tailgate:

Framboise-Lindemans

Credit-revlawgrad, aka revmerlindevildog91 (IIRC); many thanks!!
Format-750 ml bottle, capped AND corked (yes, we needed a bottle opener AND a corkscrew to unleash this elixir )
Style-raspberry lambic ale
Appearance-a brilliant, opaque reddish/purple with a bubbly head
Nose-raspberry beret, err, puree
Mouthfeel-tingly
Taste-pure raspberry juice with a bit of a pucker
IBUs-who cares (I'll guess 10)
ABV-2.5% (IIRC)
Overall impression-world class; maybe the original (?); but, I still like the New Glarus Raspberry Tart better
Ymm, Beer rating-easily fuse cat 3; worth seeking out if you've never had this before; they also brew a Kriek (excellent) and Peche (never tasted but maybe GT game?)

An outstanding selection. Thanks again.

[devildeac]

Perhaps nearing the middle of the tailgate order of brews:

Tubby Monk 2015-Lost Province Brewpub

Credit-fuse; thanks!!
Format-corked and caged 750 ml bottle (IIRC)
Style-Belgian style dark ale; ? an imperial dubbel
Appearance-medium brown; clean/clear; no head
Nose-dark, dried fruits; medium brown sugar
Mouthfeel-smooth
Tastes-figs, dates, raisins, cherries; brown sugar; herbal hops
IBUs-20 (?)
ABV-9.4%; dangerously sippable
Overall impression-very good American take on the Belgian style
Ymm, Beer rating-high fuse cat 2; worth a snifter if you visit Boone

[devildeac]

A vertical!

Tubby Monk 2016-Lost Province Brewpub

Credit-fuse; many thanks! a great idea
Format-750 ml; caged and corked
Appearance-perhaps a bit lighter than the 2015; no head
Mouthfeel-smooth
Nose-dark, dried fruits; brown sugar
Tastes-very similar to the 2015; there was some discussion about one or the other being a bit more mellow/softer
IBUs-20ish
ABV-9.4%; dangerous
Overall impression-another very, very good take on the style
Ymm, Beer rating-high fuse cat 2; I couldn't distinguish/favor one over the other; worth a snifter if you can find a more current version