Ymm, Beer!

[devildeac]

Holy Moly-Church Street Brewing

Itasca, IL sounds local this week (I did not name this beer )

Credit-trader from younger son in law; thanks!!
Style-Buffalo Trace barrel aged (kinda) imperial milk stout
Format-pint can, not shared
Stemware-large tumbler
Appearance-brown coffee (128 Shades of Brown Color With Names, Hex, RGB, CMYK Codes - Color Meanings); moderate beige head
Nose-bourbon on the rocks with a drizzle of dark chocolate
Mouthfeel-silky
Tastes-bourbon, dark chocolate, wood char, burnt caramel and hints of coconut and 'nilla
Adjunct-lactose
IBU-22 (lower than I’d have guessed)
ABV-7.5% (Dancing with the Devil, aka a near imperial stout)
Overall impression-highly sippable, taking about an hour to imbibe
Ymm, Beer rating-snuck into the low cat 3 zone as it warmed; delighted to sample

[Bob Green]

I drank some hoppy Sierra Nevada beers while watching football yesterday courtesy of BJ. They were enjoyable.

[devildeac]

I drank some hoppy Sierra Nevada beers while watching football yesterday courtesy of BJ. They were enjoyable.

Sierra Nevada makes a large variety of beers from minimally bitter lagers and wheat beers to a bunch IPAs and DIPAs with some porters and stouts at the darker end of the Pantone color spectrum.

[devildeac]

From Sunday night:

"See me, feel, me, touch me…

Heal Me-The Veil Brewing

Local for the purchasing agent.

Credit-nrrrrvous for the buy and delivery; thanks!!
Style-DIPA
Format-pint can
Stemware-snifter
Appearance-foamy, white grapefruit juice
Nose-topical fruit salad
Mouthfeel-pithe
Tastes-fresh grapefruit juice, papaya puree, splash of OJ and a drop of pineapple core
Hops-Citra, Galaxy, Motueka, and BRU-1 ( )
IBU-“no IBU” but I ain’t that dumm and will guess mid 40s
ABV-8.5%
Overall impression-another terrific Veil DIPA
Ymm, Beer rating-mid cat 3; would drink again and again and again

[devildeac]

From 12/18/19:

Photon Sphere-Olde Hickory Brewery

Text message session from last week:

devildeac to son of devildeac: "Is this beer really worth $22 for a 4 pack?"

son of devildeac: "Yep. I think it's awesome!"

Annnnnnd, into the shopping cart it went...

Credit-above
Format-12 ounce bottle
Style-BBA flavored imperial stout
Bottling date-05/30/19
Stemware-snifter, of course
Appearance-dark, dark brown; moderately frothy, tan head
Nose-dark chocolate, cinnamon, vanilla
Mouthfeel-slick
Tastes-in sync with the aromas, plus molasses (not added), coffee (not added), bourbon and ending with a bit of heat (added-see below)
Adjuncts-honey, cinnamon, vanilla, cocoa and habanero peppers ()
IBU-probably about 50; lots of heavily roasted grains here
ABV-11.91% ()
Overall impression-I'm coming around; the heat is mild and only apparent as the beer warms at the end of the last few sips
Ymm, Beer rating-I'm sliding this into cat 3; I think Tripping William and RJ199 would rate higher and fuse a bit lower; I have 3 left if there's any interest...

Photon Sphere-Olde Hickory Brewery
Style- BBA and flavored RIS
Format-12 ounce bottle, no sharing :grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes:
Stemware-snifter
Appearance-very dark brown; impressive tan head
Nose-cinnamon, vanilla and hot pepper
Mouthfeel-spicy and warming
Tastes-cinnamon, vanilla, 75K Scoville Heat Units, bourbon, dark chocolate
Adjuncts-honey (totally overwhelmed here), cinnamon, vanilla, cocoa and habanero pepper
IBU-50ish
ABV-11.91%
Overall impression-the spices certainly mitigate the heat which is mild to moderate; well brewed
Ymm, Beer rating-low cat 3; if you leave out the , this is a mid cat 3 for me

[devildeac]

We interrupt this Septemberfest to bring you:

Down on the West Coast (draft)-Wise Man Brewing

Credit-needed a half pint at Bottle Rev before picking up a couple dinner salads and making Oktoberfest selections
Style-west coast IPA
Format-eight ounce plastic cu[
Appearance-slightly hazy yellow; smallish white head
Nose-citrus and pine
Mouthfeel-mild bitterness
Tastes-grapefruit, OJ, orange rind, pine
Hops-Azacca, Cashmere and Centennial
IBU-probably 50s
ABV-7%
Overall impression-not as flavorful as I anticipated
Ymm, Beer rating-upper cat 2; sold beer but not exciting or at Veil/Burial/Tree House/Trillium level; worth a half pint/full pour or a pint can but not a 4 pack

[devildeac]

Achtung, Baby. It’s VP beer preview time.

Oktoberfest-Privatbrauerei Erdinger Weißbräu Werner Brombach GmbH (aka Erdinger Weißbräu)

Local?

Credit-nrrrrvous’ VP,my credit card so we’ll call it a draw
Style-Weißbier, thereby provoking a DQ from the VP contest
Format-330 ml bottle
Glassware-2014 US Open stein
Appearance-https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/ ... draft1.jpg
Nose-banana, clove and orange
Mouthfeel-wheaty
Tastes-matched the nose
Adjuncts-despite the fact that Reinheitswgebot appears on the label, it ain’t so as this is a wheat bier
IBU-20s?
ABV-5.7%
Overall impression-good wheat bier but there are better
Ymm, Beer rating-mid/upper cat 2 for the style and a cat 0 for printing Oktoberfest on the label

[devildeac]

Oktober Fest-Märzen (draft)-Ayinger Privatbrauerei

Local? kidding, right?

Credit-nrrrrvous called it so I bought it
Style-genuine
Format-330 ml
Glassware-two ounce plastic tasting cup
Appearance-https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/ ... n_2013.JPG
Nose-light caramel and earth
Mouthfeel-slightly sweet
Tastes-light brown sugar syrup, herbal hops, flowers and toasted bread
Adjuncts-none claimed
IBU-probably 25
ABV-5.8%
Overall impression-smooth and tasty
Ymm, Beer rating-upper cat 2 but might upgrade after tasting all the other real Oktoberfesties

[devildeac]

Oktoberfestbier- Staatliches Hofbräuhaus

Not even close.

Credit-another VP selection thanks to nrrrrvous and my plastic card
Style-c’mpn now
Format-330 ml bottle
Stemware-standard pint glass
Appearance-pale gold; modest fizz
Nose-light caramel
Mouthfeel-soft
Tastes-light caramel, earthy hops, light wheat toast
Adjuncts-Reinheitsgebot, dummkopf!!
IBU-low 20s?
ABV-6.3%
Overall impression-a bit lighter than I expected with a tad more ABV
Ymm, Beer rating-mid/upper cat 2; the Ayinger was slightly better

[devildeac]

Buyer beware; do not put this in your 4 pack or 6er tomorrow or Friday

Oktoberfest- Spaten-Franziskaner-Bräu

München ain’t local.

Credit-VP theme; thanks nrrrrvous; my card
Style-you ain’t paying attention
Format-12 ounce green bottle (y’all know what the rest of this review is gonna be)
Stemware-Full Sail pint glass
Appearance-amber; smallish head
Nose-dead skunk
Mouthfeel-spoiled
Tastes-essence of skunk
IBU-don’t matter
ABV-5.9%
Overall impression-pretty much undrinkable
Ymm, Beer rating-low cat 0; c’mon, Spaten, you claim you’ve been brewing since 1397, why dafuq don’t you bottle your beer in brown bottles or update your production to the 21st century and fill those 12 ounce aluminum cans with your brews; this is comparable to the swill in Lowenbrau, Heineken and St. Pauli Girl bottles that’s you’ve shitted, err, shipped to the US for decades

Bottom line, it was my fault for wasting my $2 on this bottle as I shoulda noted it was a green bottle and skipped over it and purchased something else.

[devildeac]

Oktoberfest Märzen-Hacker-Pschorr Bräu GmbH

Munich ain’t local

Credit-nrrrrvous’ VP, my card
Style-pay attention!!
Format-330 ml bottle
Glassware-2014 US Open stein
Appearance-clear/clean amber; moderate fizzy head
Nose-lightly toasted wheat bread and honey
Mouthfeel-smooooth
Tastes-light brown sugar, herbal/earthy hops, toasted wheat bread
Adjuncts-nein!! Das icht Reinheitsgebot!
IBU-20ish
ABV-5.8%
Overall impression-I like this a bit better than the Ayinger, though this brew is beeradvocate #6 and the Ayinger is #4 on this list: Top Rated Beers: Lager - Märzen | BeerAdvocate
Ymm, Beer rating-upper tier cat 2; have one on Saturday!!

[devildeac]

From last PM:

Tiny Bubbles (draft)-Fonta Flora Brewery

Local

Credit-device rep’s expense account; thanks!
Style-flavored Farmhouse ale (aka saison)
Format-tap
Cupware-half pint plastic vessel
Appearance-liquid hay, hazy, slightly foamy
Nose-floral
Mouthfeel-botanical
Tastes-floral, light pears ‘n apples, hay
Adjuncts-chamomile flowers
Hops-aged
IBU-20ish
ABV-3.6% (Whaaaa? I drank a "lite’ beer )
Overall impression-a pleasant, clean, delicate ale
Ymm, Beer rating-high cat 2; not exciting but appreciated for its execution

[devildeac]

Beer #2, last PM:

Local.

Taranaki (draft)-Hopfly Brewing Company

Credit-device rep again; thanks!
Style-New Zealand Pale Ale (it’s listed that way; don’t shoot me )
Format-tapped
Cupware-my half pint plastic container runneth over
Appearance-mild haze, yellow, small head
Nose-citrus rinds
Mouthfeel-rindy
Tastes-orange and grapefruit rinds, splash of both juices, hint of caramel
Hops-NZ varieties??
IBU-40 ish
ABV-7%
Overall impression-interesting style/name; technically, at 7% it should be called an imperial pale ale
Ymm, Beer rating-upper tier cat 2; pleasant pairing with a meat and veggie pizza and no pineapple ; would sip again

[devildeac]

From last PM:

Something So Sincere 2021 (draft)-Casita Brewing Company

Still local.

Credit-same device res, same credit card; even more thanks!!
Style-double pastry imperial stout with no @#$%ing toaster
Format-freshly tapped
Cupathy-more unrecyclable plastic, this time a pint cup
Appearance-dark, dark brown; small latte head
Mouthfeel-gooey
Tastes-semisweet chocolate; coconut, splash of espresso and charred caramel
Adjuncts-coconut, chocolate and pecans (German Chocolate Cake!!)
IBU-maybe 50
ABV-10.5%
Overall impression-decadent
Ymm, Beer rating-still middish cat 3; 6 months in some bourbon barrels would likely vault this to top shelf cat 3 but that’s not a complaint; go look for some this week as it’s deeeelicious

[devildeac]

From last PM, but only a taste but it’s still post-worthy.

Stone 25th Anniversary Triple IPA (draft)-Stone Brewing

Not. Local.

Credit-a kind barkeep; thanks
Style-^^^^
Format-freshly drawn
Cupitude-2 ounce plastic taster
Appearance-orange tannish; foamy
Nose-dank and citrusy
Mouthfeel-bitter, rindy and dank
Tastes-coulda been a little brother to the DFH 120 with bracing bitterness, lots of rind and some OJ and grapefruity juiciness; moderate alcohol burn
IBU-gotta be 90 something
ABV-12.5%; not hidded
Overall impression-a very good choice for a brewery famous for its IPAs/DIPAs
Ymm, Beer rating-low cat 3; a tad too bitter with resemblances to refined petrol products; certainly worth a pint or packaged product to sample this bad boi

[devildeac]

Abraxas (draft)-Perennial Artisan Ales

Not nearby.

Credit-tip from Bottle Rev owner that he had a keg hiding to tap during anniversary #10 this week; my plastic
Style- imperial stout
Cupitude-pint plastic
Appearance-thick and dark brown with a thin tan head
Nose-semisweet chocolate and cinnamon
Mouthfeel-cool but warming
Tastes-dark chocolate, cinnamon, dark caramel, hint of espresso and a bit of warmth
Adjuncts-ancho chilis (Ancho Pepper Scoville Units - Pepperheads For Life), cacao nibs, vanilla beans and cinnamon sticks
Scoville Heat Units-1000 to 2000
IBU-maybe 50
ABV-11.5%
Overall impression-a wonderful tonic sipped slowly while sitting on the Bottle Rev patio today for an hour after work just watching people and the traffic; somewhat less heat than Photon Sphere
Ymm, Beer rating-mid cat 3; ancho chili heat well mitigated by the cinnamon, vanilla, cacao and high ABV, even at the end of the hour after it had warmed from keg temp to near air temp of maybe 75 degrees; there’s a BBA version I’ve never seen but would buy in a heartbeat

[devildeac]

From last PM:

Pinner-Oskar Blues Brewery

Local if it’s a Brevard product.

Credit-trader from August West at tailgate; thanks!
Style-IPA on can, but, at 4.9%, it’s a session IPA
Format-12 ounce can from a mixed 12 pack sampler
Glassware-standard pint glass
Appearance-clean/clear; light bronze; modest foam
Nose-light citrus rind
Mouthfeel-a bit more bite than expected
Tastes-orange/grapefruit juice light with a lot of zest; light caramel
IBU-high 30s?
ABV-4.9%
Overall impression-solid porch pounder/picnic brew
Ymm, Beer rating-mid/upper cat 2; solid, not exciting

[devildeac]

HiWire Lager-Three Ring Brewing Company

Asheville is close enough cuz these folks have a location in Derm, too.

Credit-Ozzie subbed this for a Red Oak instead of an ABT or “free” Costco footlong for something said/did over at crazietalk a couple months ago to help with our tent group; thanks!
Style-ummm…
Format-pint can
Stemware-boring pint glass
Appearance-very light yellow/goldish; moderate head
Nose-Euro flowers and hops
Mouthfeel-soft
Tastes-flowers, light caramel, hint of bitter
Hops-German Tradition (??) and German Tettnang
Grains-light Pilsen malt
IBU-22
ABV-4.6%
Pairing-fried chicken Caesar salad
Overall impression-not exciting but a very good lager/pilsner
Ymm, Beer rating-upper cat 2; not German but a good American showing

[devildeac]

Can O Bliss-Oskar Blues Brewery

Asheville=local

Credit-trader from August West from a 12 pack sampler; thanks!
Style-DIPA
Format-12 ounce can
Stats-Canned 06/24/21 @03:23 143 “You have purpose…make it blissful”
Stemware-snifter
Appearance-yellow, hazy and foamy
Nose-pine, resin and citrus zest
Mouthfeel-zesty and bitter
Tastes-resin, pine, orange rind, grapefruit pith
Hops-Citra
IBU-probably 60s
ABV-8.2%
Overall impression-a bit too west coasty for me and perhaps a month beyond its best by date
Ymm, Beer rating-mid cat 2; would like to sample fresherer and/or on draft; still appreciated

[devildeac]

From last PM:

Session IPA-Edward Teach Beer Company collaboration with Big Kettle Brewing

Near New Anthen=local

Credit-dpslaw from tailgate last Saturday; thanks!
Style-(wrong answers only)
Format-3/4 pint aluminum can
Stemware-shaker pint
Appearance-light yellow/gold with a slight chance of haze; moderate foam
Nose-OJ/grapefruit cocktail
Mouthfeel-fruity
Tastes-matched the nose with a hint of malty sweetness and twist of rind and drop of pine
Hops-“ruthless additions of Centennial and Columbus”
IBU-maybe 30
ABV-4.7%
Overall impression-solid session IPA, pairing well with a Caesar salad last PM
Ymm, Beer rating-upper cat 2; a bit better than the OB one I had Thursday