Ymm, Beer!

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Needy (draft)-The Veil Brewing

Can’t get more local than at the brewery.

Credit-thirst and my credit card
Style-hazy IPA
Format-from the spigot
Glassware-looked like a Pilsner cylinder to me
Appearance-white grapefruit juice
Nose-citrus
Mouthfeel-juicy
Tastes-fresh squeeze white grapefruit juice with some pith and rind, some melon and tangerine
Hops-Citra, Galaxy and Motueka
IBU-“no IBU” but Won’t Get Fooled Again sez 30s
ABV-6.1% (95ish degrees dictated against high gravity)
Overall impression-a bit of IPA palate fatigue perhaps but still quite juicy
Ymm, Beer rating-low cat 3, a notch below Burial and The Veil DIPAs but still excellent

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Pulp-Brewery Bhavana

Real local
Credit-another shameless steal recently for dog sitting fees for our older daughter
Style-DIPA (they’re misadvertising)
Format-pint can
Ink on bottom of can-{vacant}
Stemware-large wine glass
Appearance-yellowish orange and cloudy without chunk; too much foam
Nose-whole grapefruit food processored juice
Mouthfeel-juicy
Tastes-grapefruit juice with everything included like rind, flesh and seeds; slightly offputting
Hops-Galaxy
IBU-“no IBU” but c’mon folks, get real; I’ll say low 40s
ABV-7%, therefore it is decidedly NOT a DIPA despite labeling your beer as such
Overall impression-disappointing; whether this can was somewhat outdated, or deceit in packaging, or failure to recreate their platform beers or a combo of all 3, this is certainly not the Brewery Bhavana prepandemic and sexual harrassment times
Ymm, Beer rating-upper cat 2; this was probably a low to mid cat 3 in prior releases

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Tourbus-Destihl Brewery

Not. Local.

Credit-dog sitting fee
Style-Read. The. Label.
Format-pint can
Bottom of can data-B1851 11:44 Canned 01/17/22
Stemware-large wine glass
Appearance-more grapefruit juice; modest foaminess
Nose-grapefruit
Mouthfeel-grapefruite
Tastes-lotsa grapefruit, little rind/pith, some honeydew and tangerine
Grains-2 Row, flaked wheat, oats
Hops-On. The. Label
IBU-25 (I’d have guessed low 40s as it was really a palate pleaser
ABV-7.4%
Overall impression-fears assuaged as I feared stale after inspecting dating info; this was quite good; Destihl doesn’t just brew mouth puckering, mother truckering sours
Ymm, Beer rating-low cat 3; might been Burial/NA/Veil good had I pilfered, err, collected it several months ago :smiling_face:

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Battlefield (draft)-Red Oak Brewery

(photo from Untappd)

Can’t get more local than at the brewery!

Credit-hunger and thirst
Format-within seconds after the spigot stopped flowing
Style-dunklebock
Stemware-nonic pint
Appearance-clean/clear but dark brown
Nose-chocolate and caramel
Mouthfeel-soft
Tastes-milk chocolate and dark caramel with hint of coffee and dried cherries
Grains-“proprietary blend of Bavarian malts”
IBU-28 (my guess was 30; even a blind pig finds an acorn every once in a while )
ABV-6.5%
Overall impression-perfect pairing with a slightly spicy bratwurst sandwich with grilled onions, kraut and a drizzle of brown mustard
Ymm, Beer rating-low/mid cat 3 based on execution; as good as Celebrator and/or Salvator; fight me

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Curieux 2018-Allagash Brewing Company

Not local.

Credit-discipline and a $10 price several years ago in Chicago
Style-BBA tripel
Format-750 ml caged and corked bottle, divided, not shared over 2 nights
Stemware-Gouden Carolus chalice
Appearance-clean, light gold; thin head
Nose-floral and lightly boozy
Mouthfeel-bubbly
Tastes-surprising honey and ginger, making me think of Ardent’s BBA Honey Ginger; floral, bourbon, orange liqueur
IBU-27
ABV-11% (danger!!)
Overall impression-I think the flavors have faded a bit with age but it’s still light, delicate, not overpowering and smooth as silk for sipping
Ymm, Beer rating-mid cat 3, not quite top shelf but close

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PurplePurpleMiataMiata-The Veil Brewing

Local? Hell, yea, it’s local, I bought it at he damned brewery/taproom :smiling_face: .

Credit-plastic
Style-DDH IPA
Format-pint can (no canned on info)
Stemware-I really, really like our large wine glasses for these pint servings; now I also know why a bottle of wine only lasts 2 days with Mrs. dd, even though she’s not filling her stemware
Appearance-pineapple OJ; lotsa froth
Nose-more grapefruit and dank to me
Mouthfeel-creamy, smooth and a bit pithy
Tastes-again, more grapefruit than pineapple to me (every palate is different) along with some rind and pith with splashes of OJ, peach and pine
Hops-Vic Secret and Galaxy (I’d have not guessed without reading RJ’s post or looking at Untappd)
IBU-“no IBU” but c’mon Veil, gimme some estimate (ok, I’ll guess mid 30s )
Overall impression-agree with RJ that it’s underrated on Untapped but I liked it a lot
Ymm, Beer rating-low cat 3 and not mid level cat 3, probably based on the hop combination; happy to have traded 2 and now I have 1 remaining

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Solid Gold-Founders Brewing Company

Not even close.

Credit-last of a 3 beer birthday set mid July for a belated birthday treat from our former part time nurse; thanks!
Style-premium lager
Format-12 ounce can
Canned on-oops, didn’t check
Glassware-Dogfish Head nonic pint
Appearance-clean, clear, light bronzish yellow; modest, creamy head
Nose-flowers and corn syrup
Mouthfeel-soft
Tastes-same as the nose with light Euro hops bitterness
IBU-20
ABV-4.4%
Overall impression-decent pairing with some roasted chicken and a fancy kale salad
Ymm, Beer rating-mid cat 2; Red Oak beers are clearly better (d’oh!)

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In the glass:

orangeorangeferrariferrari-The Veil Brewing

I warned y’all; RJ made me drink this tonight

Can’t get more local than at the taproom/brewery

Credit-my card
Style-DDH DIPA
Format-pint can
Stampage on can’s bottom-07/12/22 (bought 11 days after canning)
Stemware-same old large wine glass (nice wide mouth on the glass)
Appearance-lemon orange; lots of creamy topping
Nose-papaya and mango
Mouthfeel-mildly rindy but soft
Tastes-papaya, guava, some fruit skin and rind, splash of tangerine
Hops-Galaxy and Enigma; another quite interesting combination I’m not sure I’ve sipped
IBU-no data but I’ll guess low 40s
ABV-8%
Overall impression-fresh, juicy and pithy and really well done
Ymm, Beer rating-I’ll go with RJ’s first rating of low cat 3 but could change in a week or two after my 2nd can; there’s a bit too much pith/rind for me but it’s still another excellent Veil product

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What If There’s Another World-Burial Beer Company

Asheville via WS=local

Credit-trader from RJ; thanks!!
Style-IPA on can but was a NEIPA in the glass and on the palate
Format-another bizarrely labeled and scripted can
Inky dots-19 JULY 2022 ALIENS MADE ME DO IT
Stemware-large 16 ounce wide mouth wine glass
Appearance-hazy off yellowy; generous foam
Nose-papaya and guava
Mouthfeel-a bit pithy but still juicy
Tastes-papaya, guava, hints of honeydew and chardonnay
Hops-Galaxy, Vic Secret and El Dorado
Grains-“uncanny amount of oats”
IBU-33
ABV-7.2%
Overall impression-another interesting/new combo hop bill; very enjoyable even with little to no citrusy flavors
Ymm, Beer rating-low cat 3; very good quality but the less juicy/citrusy flavors detracted ever so slightly from the pineappley, grapefruity, orangey, mangoey flavors I really have developed an affinity for; I’m very grateful RJ shared 2 from his trader purchases

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First dessert last night:

Tefnut Fluffy Mango Pineapple Trance-The Veil Brewing Company collaboration with Omnipollo

Bought at the brewery; you figure if it’s local

Credit-a Veil beer I actually selected/paid for myself
Style-triple fruited imperial gose, so they claim; well, it’s really not beer…
Format-pint can, shared 3 ways; it woulda been 4 but Mrs. dd’s first sip was her last sip (more for me!)
Stemware-sample Pilsner glasses
Appearance-orange yellow smoothie with a peachy head well after the pour
Nose-mango and pineapple
Mouthfeel-not beer
Tastes-mango puree, pineapple juice, passion fruit, cream, vanilla and absolutely no alcohol
Adjuncts-mango, pineapple, passion fruit, marshmallow, Tahitian vanilla, Thai ginger salt
IBU-5ish
ABV-10% (fake news here, it’s really not beer)
Overall impression-another amazing Veil/Omnipollo collab; coulda sipped the whole pint myself
Ymm, Beer rating-top shelf cat 3; fight me; can’t decide if this, the “creamsicle” one from last summer or the berry/berry one was the best

[devildeac]

Peachy Keen-Hardywood Park Craft Brewery

RVA is like a second home.

Credit-warehouse sale special from wbmcards88; thanks!!
Style-BBA fruited Belgian style quad
Format-750 ml bottle corked and caged, shared 3 ways; Mrs. dd wanted no part of this one
Stemware-cute 5 oz mini snifters
Appearance-dark amber with orange edged; no head
Nose-dark, dried fruits
Mouthfeel-“Take Me Home Tonight”
Tastes-dates, raisins, dark cherries, figs, peach brandy with a warm, bourbon finish
Adjuncts-peaches
Barrels-Old Fitzgerald
IBU-10
ABV-12.5%
Overall impression-another wonderful Hardywood creation; not peach cobbler or schnapps but a fine brandy/bourbon aftertaste
Ymm, beer rating-mid cat 3; looking forward to the other 5 Hardywood blends/dessert brews

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Exiting glass n ow:

Double Steez-New Anthem Beer Project

NC coast? Yep, local.

Credit-another fabulous RJ trader; thanks and thanks again!
Style-can sez IPA but it’s a NEDIPA
Format-pint can
Inkage-22 buncha dots
Stemware-love our large wine glasses
Appearance-grapefruit juice from the juicer; moderate offwhite head
Nose-still grapefruity
Mouthfeel-I’d swear Dole canned this
Tastes-yellow grapefruit juice with hints of rind along with some tangerine and white wine
Grains-pale malt, wheat, oats, Munich
Adjunct-lactose
Hops-Mosaic and Citra
IBU-maybe low 30s?
ABV-8.7%
Overall impression-#fanboinumbertwo
Ymm, Beer rating-easy mid cat 3; I could drink 12 of these

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Glass half empty now:

Vibes of Summer-Hopfly Brewing Company (brewed and canned in Charlotte, NC, not Rocky Mount)

The Queen City is not quite as local as “The Mount”

Credit-trader from RJ via his vivacious delivery agent; thanks!!
Style-TIPA but really it’s a NETIPA
Format-pint can
Freshness stuff-no info
Stemware-large wine glass
Appearance-white grapefruit juice
Nose-grapefruit juice and lychee; RJ’s power of suggestion is correct
Mouthfeel-more juice
Tastes-grapefruit, splash of lemon, lychee and cantaloupe
Hops-Citra and Riwaka ( Riwaka™ Brand - NZ (yakimachief.com)
IBU-maybe mid 30s
ABV-9% (RJ’s right again, it’s pretty well disguised/hidden)
Overall impression-I liked this more than RJ and found the hop combo to be intriguing
Ymm, Beer rating-I’ll respectfully disagree with RJ and call this a low cat 3 beer, a moderate difference of opinion; he’s right that the two Veils, miata and ferrari are better, along with a number of Burials we’ve sipped the last few months (years ?), but I found this pleasant and refreshing and different enough to enjoy and like it and be grateful to have another can

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Beer and pizza summit this evening. Leading off:

Contrition (draft)-Burial Beer Company

From the west to the east; close enough to local.

Credit-device rep’s card; thanks!
Style-Pilsner
Format-freshly drawn
Cupware-8 ounce plastic
Appearance-light, clear, clean goldish yellow; small head
Nose-flowers and cornsyrup
Mouthfeel-slight bite to the softness
Tastes-flowers, corn syrup
Grains-German Pilsner
Hops-Grungeist, Saaz and Hallertau Blanc
IBU-32
ABV-4.8%
Overall impression-wonderful product
Ymm, Beer rating-low cat 3; would be interesting to side by side with Czech, German and some US renditions; this was really good

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Prophetmaker (draft)-Burial Beer Company

Same origin as Contrition

Credit-same rep, same card; thanks
Style-pale ale
Format-from the tap
Drinking vessel-8 ounce designer plastic cup
Appearance-hazy, yellow orange, small, creamy head
Nose-grapefruit and mango
Mouthfeel-almost IPA bitter and fruity
Tastes-grapefruit, mango, papaya with a splash of chardonnay
Grains-barley and oats
Yeast-“west coast”
Hops-DDH Citra, Nelson and Simcoe
IBU-35
ABV-5.3%
Overall impression-wonderful pale ale; better than the classic Sierra Nevada Pale Ale as this was more fruity and less bitter, though I think the IBUs are very close
Ymm, Beer rating-low cat 3; not sexy good but great pairing with pizza with more juice than I expected

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Featured now:

On Cassette El Dorado Variant-New Anthem Beer Project

A few miles east on I40W.

Credit-trader from RJ and his vivacious delivery partner; thanks!!
Style-NEDIPA
Format-pint can o’ goodness
Numbers game-22 193 (translation: brewed on the 193rd day of 2022, aka July 12; thanks, mattman!)
Stemware-boring large wine glass
Appearance-pretty close to the photo; moderate creamy head
Nose-tropical fruit juice blend
Mouthfeel-creamy and juicy
Tastes-cannabis and guava infused overripe pineapple grapefruit juice with a splash of peach
Hops-El Dorado, Citra, Mosaic and Amarillo
IBU-must be a secret but I’ll speculate mid 30s
ABV-8.1%
Overall impression-another NA NEIPA/NEDIPA product, but, I’ll admit, I think I like the prior version better
Ymm, Beer rating-low cat 3, simply because I don’t think I’m able to rave about it like the prior release/review below; still a high quality beverage

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From Thursday night:

Brian’s Barrel Blends 2021 #13-Hardywood Park Craft Brewery

RVA is almost next door to Raleigh.

Credit-wbmcards88, aka The Warehouse Bandit; thanks!!
Style-another blend (see below)
Format-corked and caged 750 ml bottle, shared 3 ways (kinda/sorta)
Stemware-mini snifters
Appearance-inky; minimal bubbles
Nose-rum, dark chocolate and orange
Mouthfeel-lubricious
Tastes-dark rum, semisweet chocolate, orange, apple brandy, dark toffee, wood, dark brown sugar
Beers involved in the mating-wheatwine and imperial milk stout
Barrels involved or how they met-Caribbean dark rum and Laird’s apple brandy
Aging-rum barrels 10 months; apple brandy barrels 11 months (that would be 21 months of aging, amirite @fuse )
IBU-probably mid 40s based on the blends
ABV-13.3% (words fail me)
Overall impression-another outstanding blend from Brian
Ymm, Beer rating-upper cat 3; all 3 of us really savored this one and the combination of the rum and apple brandy along with the wheatwine and imperial milk stout was superb

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From last pm:

Home Brew Hefe-mattman’s bedroom brewing salon

Local to the 336, and the 919, of course

Credit-mattman’s generosity; thanks!!
Style-hefeweizen
Format-undated, unlabeled and secretly packaged 12 ounce brown bottles
Sering glasses-5 ounce tasters
Appearance-crystal clear, pale yellow; smallish head
Nose-clove and banana
Mouthfeel-very soft
Tastes-banana, clove, hints of bubblegum and orange
Hops-can’t remember his description
Grains-can’t remember his description
IBU-low 20s?
ABV-5% estimated
Overall impression-cleanest/clearest looking hefe I’ve ever had; nailed the style
Ymm, Beer rating-low cat 3 and that’s a totally honest, high quality assessment, not blowing smoke up his trousers and/or soliciting his tasting/naming job when he opens his brewery either; it was really good

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Elm Street-Koi Pond Brewing Company

Forty five-ish minutes away is local.

Credit-younger son in law bought in Sneads Ferry and brought back to share; thanks!
Style-Kolsch style ale
Canister-yep, 16 ounces of it, shared almost equally 3 ways
Inkage on bottom-yep, a few meaningless dots
Glassware-yep, 5 oz sample glasses
Appearance-mildly cloudy, pale yellow, small head
Nose-distant apples and pears
Mouthfeel-soft
Tastes-less apples, pears and flowers than expected
IBU-maybe mid 20s
ABV-5.6%
Overall impression-good pairing with spinach, lotsa berries, goat cheese and a raspberry vinaigrette dressing
Ymm, Beer rating-mid cat 2; mattman’s Kolsch Brewing 1.0 was clearly better, no

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2020 Reunion Ale-Hardywood Park Craft Brewery

Local RVA beverage

Credit-wbmcards88’s extra large shopping carts at the 2022 Hardywood Family Tree warehouse sale; thanks!!
Style-another blended ale (see below)
Format-caged and corked 750 ml bottle, divided over two nights and shared fairly equally both tastings
Stemware-those 5 oz mini snifters are great
Appearance-very dark brown, slightly muddy; <10 bubble head
Nose-dark chocolate, coffee, brandy; really complex
Mouthfeel-luscious
Tastes-a vast cornucopia of dark chocolate, dried fruits, coffee, vanilla, brandy and molasses
Base beer-imperial milk stout
Barrels-grape brandy, Caribbean dark rum and Heaven Hill bourbon
Adjuncts-Madagascar bourbon vanilla beans, Italian roast coffee and Peruvian cocoa nibs
Overall impression-night 1 was almost overwhelming at fridge temp and so many flavors; night 2, after warming for 15 to 20 minutes and with knowledge of what to expect was almost totally and delightfully different
Ymm, Beer ratings-night 1 was low cat 3; night 2 was easily mid cat 3 and fascinatingly complex