Ymm, Beer!

[devildeac]

Old Rasputin Imperial Stout-Draft-

Dee-licious. Compared to the bottled product which I really like, this is smoother, creamier, a bit more foamy and has stronger tastes of espresso and a bit less of the chocolate. The coffee strikes first in the aroma and the first taste and then the smoothness and slight sweetness of bittersweet dark chocolate in the middle and finishes with a moderate amount of hops. I'd guess the IBU to be in the 60-70 range and the ABV to be comparable to the bottle edition at about 9%. It paired well with the cheesesteak with peppers, onions and provolone and salad for lunch. It also was a nice prelude to an extended afternoon snooze .

[devildeac]

Here's the Liquor Barn haul from this trip:

6ers of the Great Lakes Commodore Perry IPA and Holy Moses White Ale, 4 packs of Jefferson County Bourbon Barrel Stout, Monster (it was $7-I couldn't resist ) and Goose Island Matilda and bombers of Old Ruffian and Stone's Semi-Righteous and 13th Anniversary Ales.

The first two start the spring/summer tastings, the next 2 were too good to resist and the Gooser is a Belgian style ale from their limited release series. The bombers are all new stuff to me. If agreeable with CB&B, this order will be divided equally for person consumption and/or future trading. Hey , are you paying attention, too? ;)

I also got 2 bottles each of 2007 World Wide Stout and Raison D'Extra. Those go in my cellar . No 120 IPA on the shelf. Passed on some boubon barrel aged Schlafly's imperial stout and barleywine and 2008 Old Stock . There's only so much room in our car and the house for subsequent storage . Also passed on bombers of Big Dick's Olde Ale. Neither Lavabe or CB&B said they had ever had a Big Dick before .

[OZZIE4DUKE]

Neither Lavabe or CB&B said they had ever had a Big Dick before .

So says the Endowed Professor...

[devildeac]

Burning River Pale Ale-Great Lakes

Ahh, summer beer time and what a way to start with a classic PA from a classic Ohio brewery. I have not had one of these in about 10 years and had almost forgotten how this exemplifies the style so well with the tastes of caramel for a solid malty backbone and a bit of citrus and a bit of piney hops for the bite. A clear, golden color and 1-2 finger foamy head that is retained well. IBU check in at 45 and the ABV is 6% so it makes a nice session beer and would be fine with burgers, chicken, ribs or fish from the grill. Probably one of the better PAs in the US.

[CameronBornAndBred]

Green Flash Trippel from DD...I'm painting, but wanted to pause quickly to say thank much and suggest buy if you see it. Very smooth, lotta fruitiness..brings a nice cider to mind in both color and flavor. Back to painting!

[Miles]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37230565/ns/health-aging/

[cl15876]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37230565/ns/health-aging/

Great read! I won't say which one of the following inspire me, but sounds like an endorsement to me! ;) Drink more beer, eat chicken, steak and fish! Veggies are good for endurance! It's all a state of mind and body!

"Researchers found that most of the health benefits in drinkers were not a direct result of the alcohol, but due to indirect links such as being less stressed, engaging in more physical activity and enjoying a better social status."

[devildeac]

Sam Adams Long Shot Old Ben's Ale--I love Old Ales and was excited to give this one a try. Pours a deep amber. True to the style, this is all malt with a lot of sweet caramel and brown sugar. Surprising amount of dark fruit. Despite liking sweeter Old Ales and Barleywines, this one was a bit too sugary and syrupy for me. The body is a bit light and it seems to lack the complexity of other old ales. My favorite old ales also seem to have a musty "old" characteristic to them which is also lacking here. Again, not bad and maybe would be better with a little bit of age. Better than the Lemon Pepper Saison and I still have a Mile High Barleywine to complete the Long Shot lineup...ABV-9%

Tried my bottle of Old Ben's Ale on Sunday and these are good observations. A nice one to sip and enjoy and yet have another to trade/sell to another hop head like CB&B. Wonder if he has enjoyed his yet?

[CameronBornAndBred]

Sam Adams Long Shot Old Ben's Ale--I love Old Ales and was excited to give this one a try. Pours a deep amber. True to the style, this is all malt with a lot of sweet caramel and brown sugar. Surprising amount of dark fruit. Despite liking sweeter Old Ales and Barleywines, this one was a bit too sugary and syrupy for me. The body is a bit light and it seems to lack the complexity of other old ales. My favorite old ales also seem to have a musty "old" characteristic to them which is also lacking here. Again, not bad and maybe would be better with a little bit of age. Better than the Lemon Pepper Saison and I still have a Mile High Barleywine to complete the Long Shot lineup...ABV-9%

Tried my bottle of Old Ben's Ale on Sunday and these are good observations. A nice one to sip and enjoy and yet have another to trade/sell to another hop head like CB&B. Wonder if he has enjoyed his yet?

Yup, I've had all three..neither the Old Ben's or the saison really stood out to me, but I was pretty impressed with the barley wine. I had that one last night while painting.

[devildeac]

Sam Adams Long Shot Mile High Barleywine..A very enjoyable barleywine, my favorite of the new long shot set..Pours a deep amber/brown. This is definitely more of an english barleywine as rich sweet malts dominate. Lots of caramel and a bit of dark fruit. There is some piney hop presence though its very subtle and only tones down the sweetness slightly. A bit more noticeable hop bitterness in the finish. Overall, this pushes the limits in terms of sweetness but I still found it very tasty. ABV of 9.8%

Hey, this guy's pretty darn good with his beer reviews. I'm glad I read them . I'll quibble just a bit and say that this reminds me quite a bit of some of my favorite west coast barleywines like Old Boardhead, Old Knucklehead, but a bit less sweet and syrupy than Old Foghorn. This is one I wish SA would make a regular part of their line-up. Then I could buy a 4 pack or 6er and trade 1 or 2 and stash the rest to enjoy over the next 3-4 years.

[devildeac]

I want one of these. Anyone going to the Pacific NW willing to be a "beer mule" for me?

http://www.slashfood.com/2010/05/17/bri ... he-week%2F

[bluebeer]

Sam Adams Long Shot Mile High Barleywine..A very enjoyable barleywine, my favorite of the new long shot set..Pours a deep amber/brown. This is definitely more of an english barleywine as rich sweet malts dominate. Lots of caramel and a bit of dark fruit. There is some piney hop presence though its very subtle and only tones down the sweetness slightly. A bit more noticeable hop bitterness in the finish. Overall, this pushes the limits in terms of sweetness but I still found it very tasty. ABV of 9.8%

Hey, this guy's pretty darn good with his beer reviews. I'm glad I read them . I'll quibble just a bit and say that this reminds me quite a bit of some of my favorite west coast barleywines like Old Boardhead, Old Knucklehead, but a bit less sweet and syrupy than Old Foghorn. This is one I wish SA would make a regular part of their line-up. Then I could buy a 4 pack or 6er and trade 1 or 2 and stash the rest to enjoy over the next 3-4 years.

Same goes for your reviews ...I haven't tried Boardhead or Knucklehead and I guess my opinion of west coast barleywines is a bit too skewed by Bigfoot (which I love but is on the hop extreme for a bw)..I guess I need to plan a west coast brewery tour so that I can make a more informed comparison ;) ...Agree completely about wishing SA would run with this one..I still have a bottle of it which I hope to keep at least until the winter..

[devildeac]

Sam Adams Long Shot Mile High Barleywine..A very enjoyable barleywine, my favorite of the new long shot set..Pours a deep amber/brown. This is definitely more of an english barleywine as rich sweet malts dominate. Lots of caramel and a bit of dark fruit. There is some piney hop presence though its very subtle and only tones down the sweetness slightly. A bit more noticeable hop bitterness in the finish. Overall, this pushes the limits in terms of sweetness but I still found it very tasty. ABV of 9.8%

Hey, this guy's pretty darn good with his beer reviews. I'm glad I read them . I'll quibble just a bit and say that this reminds me quite a bit of some of my favorite west coast barleywines like Old Boardhead, Old Knucklehead, but a bit less sweet and syrupy than Old Foghorn. This is one I wish SA would make a regular part of their line-up. Then I could buy a 4 pack or 6er and trade 1 or 2 and stash the rest to enjoy over the next 3-4 years.

Same goes for your reviews ...I haven't tried Boardhead or Knucklehead and I guess my opinion of west coast barleywines is a bit too skewed by Bigfoot (which I love but is on the hop extreme for a bw)..I guess I need to plan a west coast brewery tour so that I can make a more informed comparison ;) ...Agree completely about wishing SA would run with this one..I still have a bottle of it which I hope to keep at least until the winter..

Agreed with Bigfoot, though I learned to buy a 6er and have one a year for 5-6 years and, by the 2nd or 3rd year, the brutalness of the hops has softened and it takes on more of an aged scotch/whiskey-ish taste. I did not include Old Crusty either as I have not had one for 5 years or more since they introduced their high-priced swing top ceramic bottle .

[bluebeer]

Agreed with Bigfoot, though I learned to buy a 6er and have one a year for 5-6 years and, by the 2nd or 3rd year, the brutalness of the hops has softened and it takes on more of an aged scotch/whiskey-ish taste. I did not include Old Crusty either as I have not had one for 5 years or more since they introduced their high-priced swing top ceramic bottle .

Well, the good news is that they have apparently phased out the ceramic bottles..the bad news is that they have moved to 7oz bottles that are priced the same (per oz) as the ceramic bottles--around here its almost $5 for a 7oz bottle of one of their XS series..

[devildeac]

Agreed with Bigfoot, though I learned to buy a 6er and have one a year for 5-6 years and, by the 2nd or 3rd year, the brutalness of the hops has softened and it takes on more of an aged scotch/whiskey-ish taste. I did not include Old Crusty either as I have not had one for 5 years or more since they introduced their high-priced swing top ceramic bottle .

Well, the good news is that they have apparently phased out the ceramic bottles..the bad news is that they have moved to 7oz bottles that are priced the same (per oz) as the ceramic bottles--around here its almost $5 for a 7oz bottle of one of their XS series..

That's what they used to have about a decade or more ago as I remember "smuggling" many a "pony" or "nip" in my carry-on and packed luggage after a trip to Oregon visiting my family. If I bought a case of them, they usually ended up costing about $2 or $2.10 each for Old Crusty, the imperial stout, the smoke ale and McRogue Scotch ale. They did not brew an imperial pilsner or IIPA that many years ago.

[CameronBornAndBred]

Every Batch Diabolically Brewed To Decimate
Ordinary-Average-Run-Of-The-Mill Tasting Beer.....yeah, right.(far from it)

Founder's Nemesis...it also says maple bourbon barrel aged wheat wine.
DD pulled the trigger on this a few months back on one of shopping trips, I didn't realise it was a wheat until I read the label. I loved how thick it poured..you want a really cool parlor trick? Pour into a glass and hold it up to light, you will see all of the sediment held in suspension, roll the glass and watch nothing. It's almost gelatinous in it's behaviour..and by the way it's a great brew. Sold in pricey 4 packs, I've had this for longer than I keep most beers, but it's a Friday so what the hell. Classic barley wine qualities, but as stated very full bodied. Nice flavor, more taste than aroma, way up there on the alcohol notes. Not sure of the ABV but it has to be above 10%. The whiskey barrel is easily tasted, I gotta get myself one of those. At the very least some home brew shop should buy a few and turn them into chips. That would work for home brewing.
Really...go buy one and hold it to the light...it will remind you of being a kid playing with a science kit.

[devildeac]

Holy Moses White Ale-Great Lakes

It was about time for a session and this one started it very pleasantly. Classic style and flavor with a cloudy light yellow pour and lots of light, airy bubbles, also known as Belgian lace with about a 3 finger head sipped from a tall white ale glass. I believe there is a bit of wheat malt along with hints of coriander, orange peel/zest and some chamomille so there is a bit of spice, a bit of citrus and a faint floral aroma and taste. The fresh blueberries and blackberries made a nice dessert tonight before settling down to watch a movie for the evening. I'd guess the IBU to be around 20 and the ABV was 5.4% so this was a very easy one to sip and enjoy. CB&B and will see one of these in future traders. Hope they will be pleased.

[devildeac]

Sam Adams Long Shot Lemon Pepper Saison--I was very tentative in trying this as it made me think too much about lemon pepper chicken which is fine as chicken but not as beer...but having had both spicy and citrusy saisons, I hoped for the best. While not a bad beer, I was a little disappointed..Pours a hazy dark yellow. The taste is very light and crisp with a fairly strong but almost bitter lemon taste that didn't seem to blend well with the bready malt backbone. Some peppery spiciness in the finish though fairly subtle. Very little yeast or funk for a saison. Worth trying as part of the long shot 6 pack but not something i would buy on its own..

This was the key for me. It just didn't remind me of a saison. While I enjoyed the bit of zest from the lemon peel and the tiny bit of pepperiness from the grains of paradise, it was more of a light pale ale than a saison. I'd guess the IBU to be 20-30 and the ABV was 6.4%.

[devildeac]

Racer 5-Bear Republic-Healdsburg, California

New brew to me. I have seen several flavors around from this brewery but never sampled one until a drug rep gave me a bottle a couple weeks ago and I enjoyed the bomber over the last couple nights. Solid IPA with a slightly golden-yellow color with a nice, foamy head. Grapefruit aroma and hops all the way with Chinook, Cascade, Columbia and 0ne other variety I can't recall. Even Mrs. DD detected the pungent citrus aroma with a couple sniffs and she didn't even guess nutmeg or cinnamon as she usually does . I'd round up the usually spicy grilled chicken or fish suspects or even curry with this brew. Hefty IBU at 75+ (from the web site) and a fairly standard 7% ABV. I'd certainly try some other brews from these folks if offered or I see some over the summer.

[CameronBornAndBred]

Racer 5-Bear Republic-Healdsburg, California

New brew to me. I have seen several flavors around from this brewery but never sampled one until a drug rep gave me a bottle a couple weeks ago and I enjoyed the bomber over the last couple nights. Solid IPA with a slightly golden-yellow color with a nice, foamy head. Grapefruit aroma and hops all the way with Chinook, Cascade, Columbia and 0ne other variety I can't recall. Even Mrs. DD detected the pungent citrus aroma with a couple sniffs and she didn't even guess nutmeg or cinnamon as she usually does . I'd round up the usually spicy grilled chicken or fish suspects or even curry with this brew. Hefty IBU at 75+ (from the web site) and a fairly standard 7% ABV. I'd certainly try some other brews from these folks if offered or I see some over the summer.

On my San Fran trip I noticed this was everywhere...so I never bought it. Go figure,...I've seen in total wine and other stores since, good to hear that it's worth it. I'll be checking it out again on my Vegas trip.