Ymm, Beer!

[devildeac]

Hefe-Weisse Dunkel-Arcobrau Brewing-This brew had 2 strikes against it before opening: green bottle and a best enjoyed by date of 8-30-2008. Upon opening, the umpire said, "Yer out." Think St. Pauli Girl/Lowenbrau/Heineken here: skunky. There was a faint remnant of caramel malt and toastiness but this one was long past its prime. One of CB&B's few misses in our traders in the last 18 months or so. I wanna refund on this one. Horse Piss Beer might be better.

Rut-roh Elroy...I haven't opened mine yet. Now I'm scared.

I'd be VERY scared...

[rockymtn devil]

Ok folks, I've been promising some reviews for a few weeks now and, it pains me to say, tonight will not have them (Old Horizontal and Duck Rabbit Wee Heavy.) I just moved and the notepad that I jot reviews on is in a box somewhere (that same notepad has a list of case citations that I took down during an ill-advised late night research session and needed today...oops )

Nonetheless, tonight I do have a review of Green Flash West Coast IPA. Great brewery that does not make beer for those turned off by hops. This beer is 95 IBUs (I actually would've guessed more) and 7.3% ABV. I'm good for one--maybe two--of these a night, and I'm someone who can take down a bomber of Maharaja no problem. The nose is everything you want from a good IPA: grapefruit, pine, cannabis, and fresh cut grass. The flavor attacks the taste buds--literally, you can feel it sear your tongue. While it may be over the top on bitterness, there is a touch of caramel malt in the background that gives this a drinkable balance. Because of the bitterness, this beer needs to be paired with something bold--spicy thai, indian, mexican foods--or taken as an end of the night brew (it might actually go well with strong cheese as a dessert beer). If you start with this, it will ruin your palette.

[CameronBornAndBred]

The flavor attacks the taste buds--literally, you can feel it sear your tongue.

That's awesome, and that's what I look for first in a good IPA. If I'm not feeling my first sip as I lift my glass for my second, then it's lacking. I'm really looking forward to my Vegas trip in June, hopfully I can bring a decent amount back instead of having to taste everything there. New brews are a great side benefit of travel.

[devildeac]

The flavor attacks the taste buds--literally, you can feel it sear your tongue.

That's awesome, and that's what I look for first in a good IPA. If I'm not feeling my first sip as I lift my glass for my second, then it's lacking. I'm really looking forward to my Vegas trip in June, hopfully I can bring a decent amount back instead of having to taste everything there. New brews are a great side benefit of travel.

You'll need to search out some Russian River brews, too. They have a very limited distribution outside Cali. Same with Green Flash.

[bluebeer]

Goose Island Night Stalker---I'm a huge fan of Goose Island Bourbon County Stout as it could be my favorite stout..Night Stalker is another big imperial stout by them at just over 11% ABV. Pours dark brown to black with a light head. Very interesting taste with a surprising amount of piney hops for an imperial stout. Lots and lots of dark chocolate with hints of coffee. There is an almost fruity sweet note which reminds me a bit of some belgian strong darks..Just the right of booziness for a big stout. I wouldn't rate this as high as the Bourbon County but it is a very good stout. The high hop content makes for a nice change of pace for this style..definitely worth checking out..

[devildeac]

Goose Island Night Stalker---I'm a huge fan of Goose Island Bourbon County Stout as it could be my favorite stout..Night Stalker is another big imperial stout by them at just over 11% ABV. Pours dark brown to black with a light head. Very interesting taste with a surprising amount of piney hops for an imperial stout. Lots and lots of dark chocolate with hints of coffee. There is an almost fruity sweet note which reminds me a bit of some belgian strong darks..Just the right of booziness for a big stout. I wouldn't rate this as high as the Bourbon County but it is a very good stout. The high hop content makes for a nice change of pace for this style..definitely worth checking out..

ATTN: Lavabe

If you can find a 4 pack of this at Liquor Barn, please purchase and set aside in a dark, cool place for me when a portion of the DD family will journey to Lexington next month.

Thank you in advance,

devildeac

;)

[CameronBornAndBred]

I'm a huge fan of Goose Island Bourbon County Stout as it could be my favorite stout..

Ymmm..I do believe DD picked up one for me on his recent trip. I'll be sampling it this weekend.

[devildeac]

I'm a huge fan of Goose Island Bourbon County Stout as it could be my favorite stout..

Ymmm..I do believe DD picked up one for me on his recent trip. I'll be sampling it this weekend.

Be careful. Very careful with that one.

[bluebeer]

I'm a huge fan of Goose Island Bourbon County Stout as it could be my favorite stout..

Ymmm..I do believe DD picked up one for me on his recent trip. I'll be sampling it this weekend.

Be careful. Very careful with that one.

Yeah..it's a beast but so good..

[devildeac]

CB&B's Sweet Sixteen:

This brew is awesome. You got yerself a barleywine there, bro'. Or, if you want to debate, one fine English strong ale. Poured a clean, copper-brown. No haze/sediment. Nice 1-2 fingered head which lingered through most of the glass, unlike some high gravity brews which have little head. The aroma is brown sugar/caramel syrupy sweet, which I like. I gonna guess the IBU at about 60-70, pretty standard or a bit low for a barleywine but this brew is all about the massive amount of malty sweetness. I'd guess the ABV to be about 11%. A bit of smoke, dried apricots and figs and whiskey strike me throughout the glass. This is highly drinkable, even though it's only about 30 days old. Some barleywines are almost unpalatable at first but this, along with Old Horizontal, Old Boardhead, Monster and Old Foghorn are quite smooth, even from early after their release. Match this up with a plate of dark, dried fruits for dessert or in a snifter by itself as an after dinner drink as you might a fine sherry or port. Probably ranks as one of the 2 best home brews I have ever had, along with an imperial stout brewed by the former owner/brewmaster of the long defunct Tomcat Brewery in Raleigh from about a decade ago.

This is truly excellent and it will be difficult to save one for a late fall Bunchgate, let alone one for next year's final four ( ).

[cl15876]

CB&B's Sweet Sixteen:

This brew is awesome. You got yerself a barleywine there, bro'. Or, if you want to debate, one fine English strong ale. Poured a clean, copper-brown. No haze/sediment. Nice 1-2 fingered head which lingered through most of the glass, unlike some high gravity brews which have little head. The aroma is brown sugar/caramel syrupy sweet, which I like. I gonna guess the IBU at about 60-70, pretty standard or a bit low for a barleywine but this brew is all about the massive amount of malty sweetness. I'd guess the ABV to be about 11%. A bit of smoke, dried apricots and figs and whiskey strike me throughout the glass. This is highly drinkable, even though it's only about 30 days old. Some barleywines are almost unpalatable at first but this, along with Old Horizontal, Old Boardhead, Monster and Old Foghorn are quite smooth, even from early after their release. Match this up with a plate of dark, dried fruits for dessert or in a snifter by itself as an after dinner drink as you might a fine sherry or port. Probably ranks as one of the 2 best home brews I have ever had, along with an imperial stout brewed by the former owner/brewmaster of the long defunct Tomcat Brewery in Raleigh from about a decade ago.

This is truly excellent and it will be difficult to save one for a late fall Bunchgate, let alone one for next year's final four ( ).

I can ONLY imagine how good IT is! Sorry I am good with computers, or I'd be commenting also! Does it really compare to his amazing Oatmeal Stout! THAT WAS ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL!

[devildeac]

CB&B's Sweet Sixteen:

This brew is awesome. You got yerself a barleywine there, bro'. Or, if you want to debate, one fine English strong ale. Poured a clean, copper-brown. No haze/sediment. Nice 1-2 fingered head which lingered through most of the glass, unlike some high gravity brews which have little head. The aroma is brown sugar/caramel syrupy sweet, which I like. I gonna guess the IBU at about 60-70, pretty standard or a bit low for a barleywine but this brew is all about the massive amount of malty sweetness. I'd guess the ABV to be about 11%. A bit of smoke, dried apricots and figs and whiskey strike me throughout the glass. This is highly drinkable, even though it's only about 30 days old. Some barleywines are almost unpalatable at first but this, along with Old Horizontal, Old Boardhead, Monster and Old Foghorn are quite smooth, even from early after their release. Match this up with a plate of dark, dried fruits for dessert or in a snifter by itself as an after dinner drink as you might a fine sherry or port. Probably ranks as one of the 2 best home brews I have ever had, along with an imperial stout brewed by the former owner/brewmaster of the long defunct Tomcat Brewery in Raleigh from about a decade ago.

This is truly excellent and it will be difficult to save one for a late fall Bunchgate, let alone one for next year's final four ( ).

I can ONLY imagine how good IT is! Sorry I am good with computers, or I'd be commenting also! Does it really compare to his amazing Oatmeal Stout! THAT WAS ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL!

The Sweet Sixteen is better. Different style/brew. But better. And I liked the oatmeal stout. I liked the imperial porter just a bit better than the OS.

Wanna trade some brews next weekend?

[CameronBornAndBred]

Wanna trade some brews next weekend?

Bring the two Sweet Sixteens you have left, and I'll replace them when I see you next. I'm going to hide a 12 pack away for latter part of football season, and of course for basketball season (and we'll see how much longer). Happy to hear you enjoyed it, easily my favorite so far.

[devildeac]

Old Foghorn Barleywine Style Ale-Anchor Brewing-Delicious. One of the early, if not original, US barleywines. Lotsa floral hops in the nose and upfront taste but the cloying sweetness of massive amounts of malts rule the day here. Cascade hops are used exclusively in the process and are added twice, with the second dose being "dry-hopping." Pours a reddish-whiskey color with a moderately foamy head. I'd guess the IBU in the 80 range and the ABV is up from the last time I bought this several years ago. Old ABV were always about 8.9% and this year's is 9.4%. This would stand up to just about any fire/spice you'd like to put in an entree but is traditionally served as an after dinner/dessert drink in a wide-mouthed glass, just as you would a port or sherry. Many barleywines are "rough" when first released and will "smooth out" as they age for several years. They will take on different characteristics/tastes of smoke, whiskey, rum, dark fruits, tobacco and others as the initial hop "attack" mellows. This one is as smooth as a Bill Clinton apology (not original) from your first sip. I remember paying ~$15 for a 6er of 7 ounce bottles a decade or so ago when I first tried this. At that price, I didn't buy it very often either . The 6ers now are 12 ounce bottles and are about the same price. I like that. Almost twice as much ale for the same price as about a decade ago .

[devildeac]

Smuttynose Wheat Wine.
Buy it now...then drink it. It took me two nights and enjoyed them both. One night unc lost. One night Duke lost. And I ejoyed it both nights. Buy it now. Then drink it.

A rather unique or unusual brew. The floral hops, malt and booze of a barleywine with the tartness and citrus notes of a wheat ale. This is part of their Big Beer Series and it clocks in at 11.4% ABV with an estimated IBU of 50-60 or so. I am guessing lower here as the wheat is 53% of the grain used in the brewing process. Poured a light reddish-brown with a small, briefly retained head. This was a bomber enjoyed over 2 nights. A snifter of this with some smoked cheeses or nuts would make a nice evening/night time snack.

[CameronBornAndBred]

I'm reading reviews, since I can't taste any myself tonight. Stepson needs a ride home from work..hopefully he'll be calling soon. Getting out after midnight sucks.

[CameronBornAndBred]

Great Lakes' Burning River pale ale.
From devildeac, this is an interesting brew. Pretty high bitterness, and tart. I've had so many pale ales and IPA's lately that counter the hops with sweet malts, which the Burning River does not do. The bottle claims a "fruity assertiveness", but I'm not sure where they get that from. I don't detect much at all in the way of any fruit flavors, this is much more grassy and green to me, paired with that tartness that I get at first. It's a heavy bodied brew, and good for sessioning at only 6%, but I wouldn't drink more than one in any session becuase of the taste. It would be great to counter with a lager or a sweet stout. A good brew, but just not my thing. If you find it, buy a single and see if it's to your liking. This is one of those that really plays upon personal tastes. Very well crafted, just not for everyone.

[CameronBornAndBred]

Hefe-Weisse Dunkel-Arcobrau Brewing-This brew had 2 strikes against it before opening: green bottle and a best enjoyed by date of 8-30-2008. Upon opening, the umpire said, "Yer out." Think St. Pauli Girl/Lowenbrau/Heineken here: skunky. There was a faint remnant of caramel malt and toastiness but this one was long past its prime. One of CB&B's few misses in our traders in the last 18 months or so. I wanna refund on this one. Horse Piss Beer might be better.

I have no idea what I did with mine. I was looking for it after your post because I wanted to see what I thought. Maybe I drank it, but if it was like you described I'm sure I would have remembered. I was looking forward to this one, because I enjoyed the dunkel I brewed from a kit, and others did too at our first bruncghating year. I wish I had noticed that date on there...2008 does sound scary. Oh well...I'm gonna pick another one up, but after I check the date!

[devildeac]

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.

Brabant-Avery Brewing

I am not sure where to begin this review but I promise it will be short after searching out this review and re-reading it. I don't have much to add to this thorough description. One of the most unique brews I have ever tasted. Sour/tart-you bet. From the brett yeasts. Fruity-got that, too, with hints of dark berries and currants. It had a bit less body than a cab, more like the zin aroma and flavors from the aging in the wine barrels. This was a trader from rmd last month and, after reading about his protectionism of his remaining stash, I am highly honored to have received a bottle of this now 14 month old ale . Can't wait to hear what he thinks about it 6-12 months from now ;) . I gotta make more trips to Colorado . I am still in the celebratory mood almost 2 weeks later so this was another outstanding brew to enjoy in the process.

Many thanks again for sharing.

[rockymtn devil]

I am not sure where to begin this review but I promise it will be short after searching out this review and re-reading it. I don't have much to add to this thorough description. One of the most unique brews I have ever tasted. Sour/tart-you bet. From the brett yeasts. Fruity-got that, too, with hints of dark berries and currants. It had a bit less body than a cab, more like the zin aroma and flavors from the aging in the wine barrels. This was a trader from rmd last month and, after reading about his protectionism of his remaining stash, I am highly honored to have received a bottle of this now 14 month old ale . Can't wait to hear what he thinks about it 6-12 months from now ;) . I gotta make more trips to Colorado . I am still in the celebratory mood almost 2 weeks later so this was another outstanding brew to enjoy in the process.

Many thanks again for sharing.

Kind of weird that you posted this tonight. I found a shop this week with a large amount of Brabant for sale (owner told me he just put it back out this week.) After buying a few bottles, I figured I could have a bottle tonight, and so I did. I still have 3 remaining, and was able to pick up a few bottles of Avery's newest, Depuceleuse, a sour cherry wild ale.

The black pepper has backed off in the 14 months since bottling, but the rest is the same. it's still a musty, barnyardy, blackberry ale. Glad you enoyed it DD!