Ymm, Beer!

[CameronBornAndBred]

The only O'Fallon I had was the Smoke I got as a trade at one of the brunchgates, that was good stuff. Hopefully the peach will brought by someone in the fall.

[throatybeard]

O'Fallon's pumpkin ale is faboo.

[Lavabe]

I just called O'Fallon Brewery.

The WHEACH (Peach wheat) is out in the stores in St. Louis.
It's going to be brewed all summer long.

If only Arkie or throaty were on this board... ;)

I have not seen the Peach Wheat in the store I go to, yet.

Though I haven't been in at least a week.

Check this week. I gathered that the first batch was just sent off this week.

I didn't ask which stores to go to, but I would assume Schnuck's would have it. IIRC, Dierberg's might also have it.

[rockymtn devil]

For my first Ymm Beer on the new board, I've cracked open a bottle of Avery Brabant. This is the first in Avery's series of barrel-aged beers and, after the brewing process, sat in zinfandel barrels for 8 months. The name is derived from a breed of Belgian draft horses (very cool). It's labeled as a wild ale (or farmhouse ale, if you prefer). This is a VERY small batch beer (brewed one time only for a total of 694 cases) and I was lucky enough to snatch up 8 bottles when it came out. Two went to my dad and six to my "cellar". After tonight I'll have four remaining, and they won't be touched for quite some time.

Now to the beer! This was bottled on February 10, 2009, so it is exactly two months old. It pours a very dark reddish brown, which surprised me based on my previous wild ale experiences. There is little to no head and the carbonation is not heavy at all. The nose is full of barnyard funk (loads of brett--two strains--for you wine snobs) and jammy fruits (blackberries, especially). In this sense, it comes across very much like a cabernet. The flavor is mildly tart and has the stale funkiness that is present on the nose. Although it still retains some of the fruit flavors, aside from the barnyard, the most dominant flavor is black pepper, which likely comes from the zin barrels. ABV is 8.65%

All in all this is an incredibly delicious and fun beer. If you see it stores (unlikely) buy it. If you see it in a bar (also unlikely, but not out of the question) take the hit and pay whatever it costs. It is very much like a wine-beer hybrid, but it is unquestionably beer. The best recommendation I can give is that my mom (who boasts of not having had a beer in 30 years) asked my dad to pour her glass after we sampled a bottle back in March and she took a sip of his. Given that he only had one bottle remaining, he had to say no.

[CameronBornAndBred]

WOW! That sounds incredible, thanks for sharing your review. I've got a couple special bottles for tonight as well, but niether will top that. Great find. You need to be closer to Brunchgate country

[rockymtn devil]

WOW! That sounds incredible, thanks for sharing your review. I've got a couple special bottles for tonight as well, but niether will top that. Great find. You need to be closer to Brunchgate country

I wish I was, although there is something fun about struggling to find Duke football on the radio every Saturday in the fall. Of course, I'd give that up for the ridiculous beer trades that I hear take place at Brunchgate Are some of your reviews of your beers? Didn't you do a black wheat once? How did that turn out?

Apparently O'Fallon is a brewery to be looking out for. I've never had any of their brews.

[cl15876]

For my first Ymm Beer on the new board, I've cracked open a bottle of Avery Brabant. ....

So where exactly can one find this beer? It does such delicious! I did a quick google search and get hits for Minnesota, but the AveryBrewing company is in Bolder, CO which is closer to your call sign!

[CameronBornAndBred]

I wish I was, although there is something fun about struggling to find Duke football on the radio every Saturday in the fall. Of course, I'd give that up for the ridiculous beer trades that I hear take place at Brunchgate Are some of your reviews of your beers? Didn't you do a black wheat once? How did that turn out?

Apparently O'Fallon is a brewery to be looking out for. I've never had any of their brews.

I did do a dunkelweiss back in the fall from a kit, and I liked it a lot. I believe Devildeac did as well. This weekend I am bottling my latest brew, which is all-grain, but it's a cherry dunkelweiss. I'm pretty excited to taste the results. As far as struggling on the radio goes, I hope it's less of a struggle this year, but there is always the audio feeds available on goduke.com. Pretty cheap, especially when it's the only way to hear Bob.

[rockymtn devil]

For my first Ymm Beer on the new board, I've cracked open a bottle of Avery Brabant. ....

So where exactly can one find this beer? It does such delicious! I did a quick google search and get hits for Minnesota, but the AveryBrewing company is in Bolder, CO which is closer to your call sign!

Avery is in Boulder. You might be able to find some, but it likely depends on whether the stores near you have a relationship with an Avery rep/distributor. I know someone who recently found some in Atlanta, so it did make it east of the Mississippi.

[CameronBornAndBred]

Yup, it makes the trip east well. It's pretty available here in NC, but I doubt it will be easy to find the brew you reviewed tonight. They are always good for an evening drinking a bomber.

[cl15876]

For my first Ymm Beer on the new board, I've cracked open a bottle of Avery Brabant. ....

So where exactly can one find this beer? It does such delicious! I did a quick google search and get hits for Minnesota, but the AveryBrewing company is in Bolder, CO which is closer to your call sign!

Avery is in Boulder. You might be able to find some, but it likely depends on whether the stores near you have a relationship with an Avery rep/distributor. I know someone who recently found some in Atlanta, so it did make it east of the Mississippi.

I'll look for it, here in VA. I saw a picture of it and it reminded me of the variety of beers and colors and tastes in Brussels when I was there many years ago! Thanks for the review and I suspect you are nursing that flavorful brew as we speak!

[rockymtn devil]

So where exactly can one find this beer? It does such delicious! I did a quick google search and get hits for Minnesota, but the AveryBrewing company is in Bolder, CO which is closer to your call sign!

Avery is in Boulder. You might be able to find some, but it likely depends on whether the stores near you have a relationship with an Avery rep/distributor. I know someone who recently found some in Atlanta, so it did make it east of the Mississippi.

I'll look for it, here in VA. I saw a picture of it and it reminded me of the variety of beers and colors and tastes in Brussels when I was there many years ago! Thanks for the review and I suspect you are nursing that flavorful brew as we speak!

I am. I've been making quarter pours into a red wine glass and it's making reading this week's SI (with Psycho T on the cover) a bit more bearable. I will add that the beer funks up a lot as it warms.

[colchar]

All this talk of beer makes me miss London more than ever. Some great beers over there. Oh well, at least I can console myself with rye...

[devildeac]

WOW! That sounds incredible, thanks for sharing your review. I've got a couple special bottles for tonight as well, but niether will top that. Great find. You need to be closer to Brunchgate country

I wish I was, although there is something fun about struggling to find Duke football on the radio every Saturday in the fall. Of course, I'd give that up for the ridiculous beer trades that I hear take place at Brunchgate Are some of your reviews of your beers? Didn't you do a black wheat once? How did that turn out?

Apparently O'Fallon is a brewery to be looking out for. I've never had any of their brews.

Chris has reviewed his own brews as I have whenever he was kind enough to share/trade with me before/during and after Brunchgates. I believe he brewed a dark dunkel in Sept/Oct. and, as usual, it was well done.

[devildeac]

All this talk of beer makes me miss London more than ever. Some great beers over there. Oh well, at least I can console myself with rye...

Several of the regular posters on the "ymm, beer" thread on the "other" board have quite a fondness for a number of the Unibroue (sp?) offerings. .

[devildeac]

WTH?!

No posts here since late this AM?

What have you folks been doing? Gardening? Posting? Watching the Masters?

:oops:

10 PM is celebratory brew time. I expects a flurry of brew reviews shortly thereafter ;) .

[CameronBornAndBred]

10 PM is celebratory brew time. I expects a flurry of brew reviews shortly thereafter ;) .

I am sitting here ready with my bottle opener. And my open bottle....dammit. Well, I'll be ready at 10:00 PM with my NEXT open bottle. Wooohooo!

[devildeac]

Sam Adams Imperial Stout-One of the 3 of the new SA Imperial series, though CB&B will say 4 but I have not seen the Imperial Bock yet ;) . This is nearly black and a bit viscous with an aroma of dark chocolate and a palate to match. Modest hops but the dark malts rule here with a slight hint of coffee and some licorice and molasses, too. I still like the Brooklyn better and have for years but this is quite a brew. ABV is 9.2% so this will be my only brew of the evening.

[CameronBornAndBred]

Sam Adams Imperial Stout-One of the 3 of the new SA Imperial series, though CB&B will say 4 but I have not seen the Imperial Bock yet ;) . This is nearly black and a bit viscous with an aroma of dark chocolate and a palate to match. Modest hops but the dark malts rule here with a slight hint of coffee and some licorice and molasses, too. I still like the Brooklyn better and have for years but this is quite a brew. ABV is 9.2% so this will be my only brew of the evening.

No. CB&B will say 3 but he has knowledge of the Imperial Bock. And the Imperial Stout, and Imperial White....so he wonders what is YOUR number 3 (or 4)? And he wonders why this isn't Ymm, Beerish.

Nevermind, I just re-read that. Your #4 is the bock, you must try. And you too out there in TV land, you must as well.

[cl15876]

10 PM is celebratory brew time. I expects a flurry of brew reviews shortly thereafter ;) .

I am sitting here ready with my bottle opener. And my open bottle....dammit. Well, I'll be ready at 10:00 PM with my NEXT open bottle. Wooohooo!

Okay, I will initially kick this off.

I started a prep test with a Saranac Adirondack Lager. It was not dark, it had an interesting taste and started out okay, but then I wasn't sure if I liked it. I probably would like it after a couple more

So I had to open another now that my palette was somewhat tainted..... and I couldn't keep myself away from Saranac Black Forest beer bottle that was calling my name (CLbunchof numbers - drink ME ME ME)

So I opened it, smelled it, .....OMG........ I had to whip the corner of my lips, as my eyes rolled in the back of my head, I poured a tasting and it was absolutely beautiful! A little bit of head, nice and dark and rich, not much carbonation at all, but SOOO smooth. It reminded me of (well many things.. ...), but it took my mind back to actually being there in the Black Forest of Germany (what a wonderful place) and the beer was just incredible! I eventually had to finish the Adirondack Lager because I wanted to see if my taste buds could convert, but when you've had the honey and sugar, who wants bland and bitter.

It appears Saranac Brewery is out of NY, but the box says the following for the black forest brew:
"A Bavarian Black Beer with Distinctive caramel, malt sweetness and rich creamy trademark head. flavorful, yet smooth it is very drinkable." I think the box said that IT WAS VERY DRINKABLE, I have to concur, did that it WAS VERRRY DRINKABLE!!! It is yummy! This was an experience to taste for me! Here are a little more metrics and info from web site. http://www.saranac.com/page/black-forest

Beer Style: Bavarian black beer
Malt Selections: Two-row & caramel malt
Hop Selections: Mt hood, hallertauer
Color: Dark Brown / Black
Mouthfeel / Body: Medium
Food Companions: Ole' Mexican foods, grilled chicken dishes
Alcohol By Volume: 5.3%
Original Gravity: 13

Now for the 2nd place finisher in my opinion - "Our classic German Lager has a perfect balance of caramel, malt sweetness and hop bitterness. Look for a rich amber color and medium body!" Here are a few more metrics and info from webpage: http://www.saranac.com/page/adirondack-lager

Beer Style: German Amber Lager
Malt Selections: Two-row & Caramel
Hop Selections: Cascade, Mt Hood, German Hallertauer
Color: Golden/Amber
Mouthfeel / Body: Medium
Food Companions: Red Pasta, Sandwiches, BBQ Chicken, Tex-Mex
Alcohol By Volume: 5.5%
Original Gravity: 13