Ymm, Beer!

[devildeac]

From Saturday, near the bottom of the order, but not in terms of quality:

Cold Press Pumking-Southern Tier Brewing

One of their "small" beers .

Credit-this was a DNP/CD from the A&T tailgate courtesy of dpslaw; thanks!
Format-12 ounce bottle
Appearance-orange-amber; clear; smallish head
Aromas-medium roast coffee
Mouthfeel-minimally bitter
Tastes-coffee, coffee and more coffee with some dry pumpkin flavor at the end; no spices
IBU-maybe mid 30s?
ABV-8.6% (IIRC)
Overall impression-there are a lot of pumpkin beers in the aisles and this is a good one but not as good as big brother...
Ymm, Beer rating-solid cat 2
[

[devildeac]

Rum Barrel Aged Pumking-Southern Tier Brewing

Oh. My. Goodness. Add this to the short list of high quality pumpkin beers.

Beer #2 during our warm and comfy man cave event watching tOSU football today in Cuyahoga Falls while the ladies stood outside with temperatures in the low to mid 40s in a barely heated tent wearing jackets and blankets for our DIL's baby shower.

Poured from a 500 ml bottle and shared 3 ways. Clean/clear orange-amber pour with a thin head. This stuff smelled like booze. Good Caribbean aged medium/dark rum. First tasting impression is also aged rum, followed by brown sugar and closing with faint spicing and pumpkin. I'll estimate IBUs around 30 and the ABV was a stunning 13.4%, meaning the bottle August West (?) brought to our shoe-nc tailgate about 4 years ago was the "children's" version, clocking in at "only" about 9.5% .

And, the DH from Saturday:

Rum Barrel Aged Pumking-Southern Tier Brewing

Credit-August West is a fine fellow, a very fine fellow for finding another 500 ml bottle of this; thanks!!
Appearance-above; thin head
Nose-rum and more rum
Mouthfeel-warm, very warm
Tastes-maybe even more rum, followed by dry pumpkin, mild herbal bitterness and brown sugar
IBU-30 is a good guess
ABV-13.4% and feeling every bit of it
Overall impression-despite the boozy "heat," I really liked this concoction. Again
Ymm, Beer rating-sneaks into the cat 3 tier; I'd put this on your "find" list if you've never had it before

[devildeac]

Final entry from tailgate:

La Blonde De Ch'nord-Les Brasseurs de Gayant

Credit-buddy and maybe his friend David; thanks!!
Format-corked and caged 750 ml bottle
Style-French pale ale, aka Bière de Garde
Appearance-medium straw color with a generous, fizzy head
Aromas-apples, pears, wet hay
Mouthfeel-fun; bubbly
Tastes-match the scents along with some simple sugar syrup, floral Euro hops and a bit of yeastiness
IBU-40ish
ABV-7.4%
Overall impression-a very pleasant surprise and completely new ale and brewery to me, especially given the perception that the French are far better known for their wonderful wines.
Ymm, Beer rating-sold cat 2; I'd be delighted to have another glass of this

[devildeac]

Saison Rosé (draft)-Brewery Ommegang (Duvel-Moortgat)

Credit-my Visa card (pun unintended, really )
Style-Saison w/Chardonnay ("A delicate blend of saisons, one aged in oak barrels, the other brewed with hibiscus flowers and co-fermented with chardonnay grape juice. Fruity, tart and dry, this lovely pale ruby ale will arrive just in time for summer and will delight both beer and wine drinkers alike.")
Format-half pint
Appearance-cloudy and pink with a small head
Nose-pears, apples and wine
Mouthfeel-bubbly
Tastes-same as the nose; vinous
Overall impression-another impressive innovation from Ommegang
Ymm, Beer rating-high cat 2; worth a bottle/pint

[devildeac]

Dark and Stormy (draft)-Haw River Farmhouse Ales

Credit-my Visa card is still warm
Style-this is a variant of their Regent's Rye Tripel which has been rum barrel aged with ginger and lime
(anyone interested in reading more ? )
Format-half pint order, full pint pour, half pint price; Bottle Rev owner made a mistake with his pour and charged me half price
Appearance-clear gold with a small, fizzy head
Nose-rum and ginger ale cocktail
Mouthfeel-tingly
Tastes-I've never had a Dark and Stormy cocktail but can imagine this mimics it pretty closely with the ginger, lime and rum flavors
IBU-maybe 30
ABV-8.3%
Overall impression-another home rum, err, run, for Haw River here
Ymm, Beer rating-cat 3; worth a bottle/can, or several of each

For now, this is draft only but, the Bottle Rev Lake Boone Trail owner gets a drop every week and he's not going to be surprised if he sees some pint cans or 500 ml bottle this week or next.

[devildeac]

Ruination Double IPA 2.0 Sans Filtre-Stone Brewing Company

Credit-August West with trader #3 from his mixed 12 pack at the Pitt tailgate; quality stuff; thanks!!
Format-12 ounce bottle
Freshness data-RVA 08/15/19; EJBY 12/13/19
Appearance-slightly cloudy light gold with a skinny head
Nose-lots of rind, pine, grapfruit and dank
Mouthfeel-close to a hop bomb
Tastes-grapefruit juice and rind, pine, resin, dank, orange zest
IBU-Gotta be at least 80 (didn't check)
ABV-8.5%
Overall impression-very good IIPA even though I've been tired of the West Coast style IPAs for a while, this is a quality brew
Ymm, Beer rating-middle/upper tier cat 2; this 12 pack would be worth a shot to try 4 different Stone IPAs and trade for some others

[devildeac]

A Patient Man-The Veil Brewing

Credit-accfanfrom1970; many thanks!!
Format-pint can
Style-IIIPA, aka a triple IPA
Bottom of can-10/01/19; 10:32:46 (accfan musta bought this a day or two after canning; great timing)
Stemware-large Ommegang tulip
Appearance-fuse nailed it
Nose-fuse nailed it again
Mouthfeel-almost pulpy
Tastes-more OJ; maybe some pineapple and peach; the mimosa is a good comp; a screwdriver would be another
IBU-"I don't give a s**t about IBUs" for this beer
ABV-10.5%; I got a bit more booze with this than fuse, I think
Overall impression-another fabulous IPA from The Veil's weaponry; reminds me a lot of We Ded Mon that I had on tap at Veil in early July
Ymm, Beer rating-easy cat 3; I'd get about any IPA/IIPA/IIIPA that these folks brewed when visiting Richmond or have the local beer mule buy in my absence

Hey, RJ199-you really missed out on this one .

[devildeac]

Octoberfest-Boston Beer Company

Credit-trader from Ozzie on Saturday; thanks!!
Format 12 ounce bottle
Style-d'oh!
Stemware-standard pint gloass
Freshness-Best by Feb
Appearance-orange-amber with a pale orange head
Nose-toasted wheat bread
Mouthfeel-soft
Tasted-toasted bread; light brown sugar; mild Euro floral and earthy hops
IBU-16
ABV-5.6%
Overall impression-solid brew for the style
Ymm, Beer rating-cat 2; wouldn't buy a 6er of this but definitely worthy to be included in a taste test of Oktoberfests

[devildeac]

Vengeful Spirit IPA-Stone Brewing

Credit-August West; thanks! a very tasty choice
Format-12 ounce bottle trader from a mixed 12 pack of Stone IPAs
Important dates-RVA 07/24/19; EJBY 11/21/19
Appearance-slightly hazy; tangerine color; modest head
Aromas-pineapple and orange
Mouthful-moderate, pithy bitterness
Tastes-blend of orange and pineapple juices; rind; light caramel
IBU-probably low 60s
ABV-7.3%
Adjuncts-pineapple and mandarin oranges
Overall impression-a quality inclusion in variety pack
Ymm, Beer rating-solid cat 2; I'd have another serving of this

[devildeac]

Way overdue review:

NeverNeverSorrySorry-The Veil Brewing

Credit-accfanfrom1970; an excellent selection in the recent Richmond delivery; huge thanks
Format-pint can
Dates and other numbers-10/01/19; 12:27:22 (must have been bought a day or two after canning
Style-quadruple double fruit gose (IOW, a beer smoothie )
Appearance-
Nose-berries, berries and some more berries with a pinch of salt
Mouthfeel-did I mention smoothie?
Tastes-raspberries, blueberries, raspberries, blueberries; few grains of salt and spice
IBU-you can't be serious
ABV-5.1%
Adjuncts-double apricots, double black currants (I must admit I didn't really taste either); double blueberries and double raspberries
Overall impression-Veil knocks another one out of the park; a brilliant beer both in color and execution
Ymm, Beer rating-easily cat 3; our son didn't like the other Veil gose delivered in July so I might cart this to Ohio next month to give him a second chance

[devildeac]

Another overdue review:

R.I.P. Me-The Veil Brewing

Credit-who else? accfanfrom1970 with another top shelf preview/tasting, selection and delivery; thanks!!
Format-pint can
Style-IIPA
Appearance-hazy pineapple yellow with a billowing head
Nose-tropical fruit salad
Mouthfeel-juicy, pithy
Tastes-papaya, mango, pinapple, guava and orange with a very light fruit juicy sweetness
IBU-probably 60-70 but The Veil has fooled me before with their IdontwanttoBU3 and another low/no IBU offering
ABV-8%
Overall impression-circle the bases again
Ymm, Beer rating-this one just clears the fences as a cat 3 mainly because they've brewed even better IPA/IIPA/IIIPA but this is still really good

[devildeac]

Lords of the Roost-Burial Beer Company collaboration with Altamont Beer Works

Credit-I treated myself last week to fill out a mixed 6er from which I was trading the first 4 selections to August West
Format-pint can
Cost-$5ish
Style-IPA
Appearance-yellow/golden with a generous creamy head
Nose-lots of tropical and stone fruits here
Mouthfeel-pleasantly bitter yet surprisingly smooth (see below)
Tastes-peach, cantaloupe, pineapple, mango, dank OJ, pine
IBU-55
ABV-6.5%
Adjuncts-oats from Epiphany Craft Malt that I'll guess is a local Asheville source/grower
Overall impression-haven't had a Burial Beer for a while so I forgot how good they are
Ymm, Beer rating-high cat 2; I might be as tough as Tripping William on grading IPAs; this is a very good one and totally worth the cost; would sip again

[devildeac]

Pale Ale-Sierra Nevada Brewing

Another trader from August West. Thanks!

I'm thinking I haven't had one of these in a decade or so because there are soooo many good ales brewed to try but the return visit of a good friend is always welcome. I've always thought of this as a PA than drinks like an IPA but no more because this is just a very good pale ale with IBUs of 38 (from memory) and ABV at 5.6% (from the label). Pour was a light copper with a modest head and piney scents and tastes accompanied by a bit of citrus from whole cone Cascade hops and bottle-conditioning (which I had forgotten). Burgers, ribs or brisket would make nice pairings with this.

Always worth re-visiting:

Pale Ale-Sierra Nevada Brewing (family owned, operated and argued over)

Credit-Another August West trader again; thanks!
Birthdate-(on back label) PKGD 07/22/19 1809
Format-12 ounce bottle from a mixed 12 pack
Appearance-above
Nose-above
Mouthfeel-bites above its IBUs
Tastes-orange and pine; light caramel
IBU-38
Overall impression-a classic pale ale (see below)
Ymm, Beer rating-solid cat 2 (name some other better pale ales beside this and DFH Shelter Pale Ale, if its still brewed)

The history:

"Heavy on hops, that was always the brewery plan. So in 1980, we loaded Pale Ale up with Cascade—a new hop at the time named after the mountain range—and the intense aromas of pine and citrus sparked the American craft beer revolution."

[devildeac]

Cowabunga! You're welcome.

Mangotangelo-Casita Cervecería

Credit-I actually bought a beer myself, and it was a 4 pack!
Format-pint can
Birthdate-Canned on 07/25/19 114355
Style-DIPA on can; maybe better described as an imperial fruited NEIPA
Appearance-


Aromas-tropical fruit salad
Mouthfeel-several sips short of a smoothie; Osterized tropical fruit salad
Tastes-RJ199 nailed it; some of the bitterness may be pith/rind/flesh from all the added fruits
Adjuncts-mango, grapefruit and tangerine
IBU-50ish
ABV-8%
Overall impression- a rather creative beer, about what I'd expect from another Casita Cerverceria one-off
Ymm, Beer rating-probably a bit higher than RJ199 so I'll go high cat 2; very good but not outstanding/world class but worth the ~$4.50/16 ounces.

[devildeac]

Flipside Red IPA-Sierra Nevada Brewing Company

Credit-trader #2 from August West; thanks!
Birthdate-PKGD 08/14/19 1655
Format-12 ounce bottle
Appearance-a beautiful dark reddish-amber with a modest, foamy, off white head
Nose-grapefruit rind and juice; resin; orange rind
Mouthfeel-moderate bitterness
Tastes-caramel candy covered grapefruit and orange jellies; pine;
Grains-Two-row Pale, Chocolate, Especial, Wheat
Hops-Centennial, Simcoe, Bravo, Eureka, Idaho 7 (hence more citrus than pine/resin)
IBU-55 (about as expected)
ABV-6.2%
Overall impression-a well executed, unusual IPA presentation
Ymm, Beer rating-solid cat 2; good choice to include in their fall sampler

[devildeac]

9th Anniversary-Fullsteam Brewery

Credit-all mine!
Style-hazy IPA
Format-pint can from a 4 pack; budwom got can#1 at the Pitt tailgate
Freshness-you bet! 09/02/19 MPN 793
Appearance-
Aromas-Dole Orange Mango Pineapple Juice
Mouthfeel-juicy but not pulpy
Tastes-mango, orange, pineapple, pith, rind
Grains-"Locally malted barley (Foundation), Carapils copper malt, Honey malt, Flaked oats"
Hops-"Vic Secret, Citra, Amarillo" (ymm, Vic Secret)
Yeast-"Omega DIPA Ale" (they musta not used *quite* enough yeast as it's not quite a DIPA )
IBU-26
ABV-7.4%
Overall impression-what's not to like about a juicy, hazy IPA with the characters "9" and "F" on the label, even if the "F" is backwards
Ymm, Beer rating-high cat 2; I've got 2 left, any takers?

[devildeac]

Torpedo Extra IPA-Sierra Nevada Brewing Company

Credit-August West; beer # 3 from Pitt game traders; thanks!
Format-12 ounce bottle
Appearance-clear, yellow-bronze; modest head
Nose-pine, resin, grapefruit
Mouthfeel-moderate bitterness
Tastes-pine, resin, grapefruit rind and a bit of caramel
Grains-Two-row Pale, Caramelized malts
Hops-Crystal, Citra, Magnum (really no surprises given the West Coast IPA style)
IBU-65
ABV-7.2%
Overall impression-fairly classic for the style
Ymm, Beer rating-cat 2; a well done beer but I'm pretty tired of the style and prefer the hazy/juicy/fruited/NEIPA variants more now

[devildeac]

American Promise-Fullsteam Brewery

Local!!


Credit-I bought a 4 pack with budwom getting #1 and I sipped #2 last PM so 2 more to go
Canned on-09/buncha dots/19 (I think); another brew for their 9F anniversary
Format-pint can
Style-milkshake IPA
Appearance-pear nectar with a generous, very pale tan head
Nose-paw paws! (d'oh); seriously, aromas were mangoes, banana, vanilla custard
Mouthfeel-mildly pulpy/juicy and thick
Tastes-vanilla, pear (not added), paw paws which reportedly taste like bananas and mangoes; mildly sweet
IBU-37 (source: Untappd)
ABV-7.1% (on the label)
Grains-Locally malted barley (Gold two-row), Locally malted wheat, Carapils, Flaked oats, Two-row brewer's malt
Hops-Vic Secret, El Dorado, Amarillo (Ymm, Vic Secret, RJ199's fav)
Adjuncts-vanilla, lactose, locally foraged paw paws
Overall impression-an excellent example for the style; not too sweet/thick
Ymm, Beer rating-high Cat 2; looking forward to another of these and maybe trading 1 for a ...

[devildeac]

From reeeaaallly early this AM:

One Y-Oscar Blues Brewery

Credit-fuse and the Love Ninja; thanks!
Format-12 ounce can
Style-hazy session IPA
Appearance-hazy pineapple yellow, modest foamy head
Nose-pineapples and grapefruits
Mouthfeel-mild hop bite
Tastes-pineapple grapefruit juice light; rind
Calories-100
Carbs-5 grams
Protein-0 grams ()
Fat-0 grams (yay!)
IBUs-20ish, maybe 30
ABV-4%
Overall impression-quality addition to a growing, crowded field
Ymm, Beer rating-solid cat 2

[devildeac]

Looks like I'm up first with:

Pretty in Pink (draft)-Broomtail Craft Brewery (likely The Sour Barn second location)

Drink local! (sipped at The Peak Taproom and Kitchen in Surf City, NC)

Credit-fuse bought this for me to pair with our personal pizza; thanks!
Format-pint glass
Style-fruited gose
Appearance-cloudy; pink; small head
Nose-salt and strawberries
Mouthfeel-mild pucker
Tastes-berries, salt, spices
Adjuncts-strawberries, hibiscus and sea salt
IBU-10ish
ABV-5%
Overall impression-quality fruited gose
Ymm, Beer-solid cat 2