Ymm, Beer!

[devildeac]

Stone Ruination IIPA: This is a seriously hopped beer that I could smell the moment I opened the bottle. The is all bitter hops, with a lot of pine and a bit of lemon zest. Flavor follows suit with what you'd expect--lots of pine and grassy, floral notes--and also has a serious bite from the hops. Despite this, it's pleasantly drinkable and hides its 7.7% ABV well. This is a beer that you can feel taking out your taste buds. I'd guess the IBUs are near 100. This would be a nice pairing with spicy Thai or Mexican food.

Let's see. I just happen to have the BeerTutor.com list of 100 most bitter beers and coming in just behind the Avery Mephistopheles Stout with 107 IBU is the...

Ruination IPA at 105 IBU. Darn good guess, rmd.

I thought you'd like that one. ;)

[devildeac]

I still don't like beer.

Then go visit the wine thread... :roll: ;)

[CameronBornAndBred]

I still don't like beer.

In honor (or by pure chance) of the flag, I am reviewing Red Sky At Night by Heavy Seas.
It's their saison offering; I picked a single up at TW on the way home. I usually like Heavy Seas alot, and while this is good it's not exemplary. The flavor and aroma are ok, slighty fruity, hint of raison, nice golden color. Unfortunately it's pretty flat. Not so flat the bottle was at fault, I think it's just a low head ale. It's bit on the dull side, so it affects the better traits of the beer. Still a good beer, but it pales in comparison to the other HS offerings I've had.

[devildeac]

ohioguy2 is on-line now. Wonder what he has been sampling in the microbrew world and if he'll share his thoughts with us?

[wilson]

In honor (or by pure chance) of the flag...

Yeah, I think I've decided that the flag is going to be another of my childish, self-indulgent "things," like "off with your/their head" and the like. Whenever someone offers an observation or opinion that I deem (purely subjectively) to be preposterously misguided, I will simply post the flag.
Be forewarned.

[OZZIE4DUKE]

I drank a Bud Light Lime last night. The other option was Miller Chill. Did I make a bad choice? (The bottled green tea was better.)

I did think of Ozzie when I had the Bud Light - I just left the lime off the thought.

I've never had the BL Lime. DukeTaylor has switched to it from BL, so obviously he loves it.

[devildeac]

I drank a Bud Light Lime last night. The other option was Miller Chill. Did I make a bad choice? (The bottled green tea was better.)

I did think of Ozzie when I had the Bud Light - I just left the lime off the thought.

I;ve never had the BL Lime. DukeTaylor has switched to it from BL, so obviously he loves it.

At least he has better tastes in food... :roll:

[devildeac]

DFH 90 Minute IPA-First time I've had this in a while and those memories are so fond. A very smooth IIPA where malt balances the intense hop bitterness very well. The IBU are 90 and the ABV is 9% and this one will kick you in the head. I found this one to be very piney/sprucey with floral hints and little citrus. It pours a clear yellow orange and the head remains briefly. Have this one with some spicy food (see Chinese food thread ). I should have a couple left for the 1st and/or 2nd Brunchgate. How's that for cross referencing other CT threads? ;)

[CathyCA]

It did serve a purpose, however. We needed an empty bottle to play Beersbee.

What is Beersbee?

[DukieInKansas]

It did serve a purpose, however. We needed an empty bottle to play Beersbee.

What is Beersbee?

Put 2 2x2s in the ground 25-40 feet apart. Place empty beer bottles on top. Throw frisbee to try to knock bottles off. You get points for other team not catching the frisbee, hitting the post, and knocking the bottle off. The other team can catch the bottle. See beersbee.org for more complete/official rules.

[devildeac]

DFH 60 Minute IPA-Another really fine session beer. This is a bit grassy and piney but little, if any, hints of cannabis or citrus. A clear yellow pour with a hint of amber. The hops are mild and I'd guess an IBU of 50-60 and the ABV is 6%. A nice summer ale for porch-sitting or to accompany some lighter grilled fare. Needless to say, this one will be part of sampling/trading brews at Brunchgates 1 and 2.

[CameronBornAndBred]

Dogfish Head Festina Peche.
This is gooooood, and unexpected. I was assuming it was going to be just another fruit flavored ale, but this is really a hard peach cider. Obviously brewed with champagne yeast, it's light and fuzzy with a great peach flavor. It has a slight pink tone to the color, so even from a distance it resembles chamapagne. 4.5% alcohol, so you could have a few of these on a hot summer day, it would also be a nice alternative beer for those that usually drink wine.
I wish now I had bought more than the single, but I didn't want to be stuck with something I was leary of. Besides the fruitiness, this has a nice bite to it that hangs sour on the toungue. Not a bad sour, but an enjoyable one like after having a jolly rancher.

[CameronBornAndBred]

I did a search after my post and saw rocky reviewed this beer too, we weren't too far apart in our assessments.

[CameronBornAndBred]

Saranac Imperial IPA.
Oooooh, this is tasty. I'm a Saranac fan, you can't go wrong with their sampler packs. The Imperial IPA is new to me, I picked up a single at TW. This is, according to the bottle, the first in their "High Peaks" series, and I can't wait to try the others. IPA is a bit misleading for the name. While it does have a healthy dose of hops, the malts really do the work here, adding a wonderful sweetness to the beer that deflects the tanginess of the hops well. The color is a nice rich amber toned gold, the aroma gives away that the ABV is on the high side (8.5%). This really is a nice treat. A smooth ale to go well with dinner, or for slow tasting while watching a movie.

[devildeac]

Saranac Imperial IPA.
Oooooh, this is tasty. I'm a Saranac fan, you can't go wrong with their sampler packs. The Imperial IPA is new to me, I picked up a single at TW. This is, according to the bottle, the first in their "High Peaks" series, and I can't wait to try the others. IPA is a bit misleading for the name. While it does have a healthy dose of hops, the malts really do the work here, adding a wonderful sweetness to the beer that deflects the tanginess of the hops well. The color is a nice rich amber toned gold, the aroma gives away that the ABV is on the high side (8.5%). This really is a nice treat. A smooth ale to go well with dinner, or for slow tasting while watching a movie.

I had this for the 1st time last summer. A very impressive ale.

[colchar]

This thread is enough to drive someone to drink ;)

[CameronBornAndBred]

Stoudt's Double IPA-from an old family brewery in central PA comes this hoppy, malty blend with quite a finishing kick. The hops are a variety with a slight predominance of grapefruity/orange peel tastes. The malts are varied, too, and lend a nice, slightly sweet taste to the ale. It is a yellow-golden and fairly clean, crisp and clear with a modest head which does not linger that long. IBU are 70-80, I'd guess and the ABV is 10%. It is bottle-conditioned so buy a 6er now and save a bottle or two for a fall Brunchgate or some winter trading. I had this several years ago and this is the 1st time I have seen it "imported" to NC. Kinda spendy at $14 for the 6er but still cheaper than a budlite on draught. And better/bitter tasting, too. These folks do a good job with their session beers and with their seasonal and specialty ales.

And I think this is #1500...

Tonight I'm having an SA Longshot Double IPA, it would be good to see how the two compare. Your review sounds like it could apply well to this one. The Longshot series is SA's homebrewer's contest winner productions, and I finally got hold of a 6 pack mixer at TW. I've liked all three, and will review the other two soon enough, but I figured I'd start with this one since DD did the review for me. That way I don't have to plageurize. What I will add to THIS beer's review, that might apply to the Stoudt's, is that this is thick like a melted milkshake. Very heavy, but with all the hops, it's expected. I enjoy the sweetness from the malts in this as well, some of the heavy hopped beers don't have that balance of hop tartness / malt sweetness, and it really works well here. An excellent citrus aftertaste makes this a winner too, almost reminscent of a spiced wheat ale. Mike McDole is the guy who's recipe it is; Cheers, Mike, great job!

[devildeac]

Stoudt's Double IPA-from an old family brewery in central PA comes this hoppy, malty blend with quite a finishing kick. The hops are a variety with a slight predominance of grapefruity/orange peel tastes. The malts are varied, too, and lend a nice, slightly sweet taste to the ale. It is a yellow-golden and fairly clean, crisp and clear with a modest head which does not linger that long. IBU are 70-80, I'd guess and the ABV is 10%. It is bottle-conditioned so buy a 6er now and save a bottle or two for a fall Brunchgate or some winter trading. I had this several years ago and this is the 1st time I have seen it "imported" to NC. Kinda spendy at $14 for the 6er but still cheaper than a budlite on draught. And better/bitter tasting, too. These folks do a good job with their session beers and with their seasonal and specialty ales.

And I think this is #1500...

Tonight I'm having an SA Longshot Double IPA, it would be good to see how the two compare. Your review sounds like it could apply well to this one. The Longshot series is SA's homebrewer's contest winner productions, and I finally got hold of a 6 pack mixer at TW. I've liked all three, and will review the other two soon enough, but I figured I'd start with this one since DD did the review for me. That way I don't have to plageurize. What I will add to THIS beer's review, that might apply to the Stoudt's, is that this is thick like a melted milkshake. Very heavy, but with all the hops, it's expected. I enjoy the sweetness from the malts in this as well, some of the heavy hopped beers don't have that balance of hop tartness / malt sweetness, and it really works well here. An excellent citrus aftertaste makes this a winner too, almost reminscent of a spiced wheat ale. Mike McDole is the guy who's recipe it is; Cheers, Mike, great job!

I'll be curious to hear what you think about the other 2 in the 6er which I reviewed several months ago but I can't remember whether it was here or at another site in a galaxy far, far away... :roll:

[bluebeer]

2 new saisons for me...
Victory Helios--I think this is a repackaged version of V-Saison (which I never tried). One of the cheapest big beers out there at $3.50 for a bomber. Pours a hazy straw. Lot of spice with both tart and sweet citrusy notes. There is some yeast (and a decent amount of sediment) but it is fairly understated. This comes off a bit fruitier than similar beers like Hennepin but very enjoyable. Easy drinking and very crisp for a warm summer night..

Harpoon Leviathon Saison Royale--This is about as different from the Helios as two beers in the same general class could be. Also pours a hazy straw. There is some subtle spice and funk tastes but this beer is dominated by a sweetness that is hard to describe. It's not particularly malty but instead reminds me more of a light and mead-ish honey sweetness. Could be partly due to the booze given the 9%. I enjoyed this one as well for very different reasons. It was also very easy drinking though obviously not as crisp as the Helios..

Both are worth checking out..

[devildeac]

2 new saisons for me...
Victory Helios--I think this is a repackaged version of V-Saison (which I never tried). One of the cheapest big beers out there at $3.50 for a bomber. Pours a hazy straw. Lot of spice with both tart and sweet citrusy notes. There is some yeast (and a decent amount of sediment) but it is fairly understated. This comes off a bit fruitier than similar beers like Hennepin but very enjoyable. Easy drinking and very crisp for a warm summer night..

Harpoon Leviathon Saison Royale--This is about as different from the Helios as two beers in the same general class could be. Also pours a hazy straw. There is some subtle spice and funk tastes but this beer is dominated by a sweetness that is hard to describe. It's not particularly malty but instead reminds me more of a light and mead-ish honey sweetness. Could be partly due to the booze given the 9%. I enjoyed this one as well for very different reasons. It was also very easy drinking though obviously not as crisp as the Helios..

Both are worth checking out..

We get some good beers down here but they just don't ship/distribute the variety I see you find on a regular basis.