Ymm, Beer

[devildeac]

New Glarus Raspberry Tart v. Founder's Rubeaus

Raspberry Tart - half inch pink head
Founder's Rubeaus - minimal head

RT nose - earthy, sweet fruit, sour
FR nose - sweet, fruity

RT taste - I've been anticipating trying this beer for some time. Tart raspberry soda. Label indicates Hallertauer hops, I don't get any bitterness. Wishing for vanilla ice cream as a side. Worth the wait and the hype.

FR taste - tasting Rubeaus side by side with NG Raspberry Tart makes me very, very sad. It tastes so thin, weak, watery- a pale version of a raspberry soda. What is interesting is whatever hops that are in Rubeaus come out at the finish as mildly bitter. I am a huge Rubeaus fan, it is remarkable how different my perception is side by side.

Switching back to Raspberry Tart reconfirms the difference. Fuller mouthfeel, thick raspberry taste with a subtle tart finish.

I went into the tasting thinking this would be a close contest.
I have no more Raspberry Tart, and I have three more Rubeaus. I know palate memory is supposed to be very short term, I'm almost afraid to figure out when to try the Rubeaus again to build it back up.

All I can say is I have no intention of giving up Rubeaus, and Raspberry Tart is going in the pantheon of remarkable beer experiences.
Devildeac is single handedly finding all my "white whale" beers- I may have to start referring to him as Captain Ahab ;-)

The only downside to both these beers is they are sweet and filling- as awesome as they both are, one serving is enough ( and my wife got the second half of the Raspberry Tart with no intention of giving it back).

Fantastic dessert beers. Raspberry Tart is an easy ten, dethroning Rubeaus as my favorite raspberry beer that is not a true Framboise lambic.

Wonderful note to end an evening.

Ahoy, matey, wait until you see what I have in the 'fridge/beer cellar for you.

[duketaylor]

It's another 30 days from moving forward quickly. That's about all I can say at this point-devildeac knows many of the details, not for public consumption, yet

[fuse]

Including a duketaylor BBQ beer, among others. Time to chill some things down- more to come as they are consumed!

Thanks devildeac!

[duketaylor]

fuse, really looking forward to the BBQ beer review. I find it has interesting notes.

[duketaylor]

Zeos (Zeus) pilsner, Zeos Brewing Co. in Greece

Anne and I had dinner at Stella's in Richmond tonight. One fine restaurant and we both had Pilsner Urquell and this wonderful Zeos pilsner, which I think is better than Urquell (yes, I know, hard to believe). It checks in at 5.0%ABV and probably a modest 20IBU. Very smooth and well-balanced. It's distributed out of Manassas by Dionysos Imports Inc. I'll try to secure some while in NOVA this week for a golf tourney to bring to a f-ball tailgate. It paired well with our tomato fritter app and my grilled rockfish over couscous. Damn fine beer. Label only lists: water, barley malts, wheat malts, hops and yeast. That certainly leaves it wide open

Label says if u have questions try www.greekbeer.com

[devildeac]

It's another 30 days from moving forward quickly. That's about all I can say at this point-devildeac knows many of the details, not for public consumption, yet

Wait, I thought that was not moving forward and you were looking at something in the Richmond area.

[devildeac]

Including a duketaylor BBQ beer, among others. Time to chill some things down- more to come as they are consumed!

Thanks devildeac!

You are most welcome. Guard some of those with your life.

[devildeac]

Hop Burglar (draft)-Wicked Weed Brewing

My first WW beer! Which was, of course, made better with friends like fuse at Bottle Revolution just before our beer for cash exchange. Pint "glass" (well, plastic) filled to the top with and orange-amber elixir. We both got fooled on this one. I sniffed and tasted pineapple and mango and fuse kinda/sorta agreed. Bzzzzttt!!!! This was created with the addition of blood orange puree and grapefruit zest to one of their IPA recipes. Ton of hops (varieties not known) with just enough grains to add a bit of sweetness. We both estimated about 70 IBUs for this IPA and it was on the chalkboard as 6.5% which is probably a shade low for the style. Would pair nicely with spicy grilled fare or curry.

[devildeac]

Yonder Bock-Beer Camp collaboration with Sierra Nevada and Cigar City

This was my first beer from this summer's Beer Camp 12 pack which was assembled with 6 beers from Chico, CA and 6 from their new brewery in Mills River, NC, about 20 mile south of Asheville. Named for Sierra Nevada's reference to their friends "down yonder" in Tampa, this is a variation of a traditional maibock. The hops, Calypso, Azacca and experimental 366 hops are varieties I've never heard of and used "as a nod to Cigar City's tropical locale." They lend tropical fruit aromas and tastes of mango, papaya, guava to the traditional flavors of caramel and toasted bread that are usually experienced with this style. This was almost a fusion style brew with IBUs of 45 which gave it the mild resin bitterness of a pale ale, along with the ABV of 7.7% which is most in line with a double bock. Poured a reddish-amber with a small head, this would accompany deli sammiches or mild grilled fare very nicely.

[devildeac]

Canfusion-Beer Camp collaboration with Sierra Nevada and their neighbors, Oskar Blues brewing in Buncombe County, NC.

I did not like this. I think the dry hopped rye component of this brew ruins the taste/style. It injects musty, barnyard aromas and tastes to a style beer that is usually one of my favorites. Poured a bit lighter than the Yonder Bock, the sweet caramel and toasted croissant flavors were masked and marred with the rye and, even a bit of wheat, which also does not belong in this style beer, doesn't help much either. The IBUs are too high at 45, making this bock taste like a pale ale. The ABV at 7.2% is in line but not much else is with this lager. Glad they only put one in the 12 pack as I would not re-visit this one. If you are adventurous, it's worth tasting/sharing with another beer knurd, but otherwise, it's not a creation I'd suggest they market on a regular basis.

[duketaylor]

Wait, I thought that was not moving forward and you were looking at something in the Richmond area.

Been on hold until the issue is resolved, which is not far away now.

Still looking at additional venues.

[CameronBornAndBred]

Happy to confirm that one bomber of my most recent homebrew will be making it to the Elon tailgate. It is a beer that I can tell will definitely appreciate some aging, but it also does not suffer by being enjoyed now. One of the fun things about homebrewing is sampling the beers along the way, from "way too early" to "older and wiser". I am going to wish I had more of it down the road, so I need to get my next batch of something going soon to divert my attention.

[devildeac]

Beer Camp brew #3

Yvan the Great-Sierra Nevada and Russian River

These two brewmasters took a typical recipe for a Belgian blonde ale and twisted it in a tribute to Yvan De Baets, a famous Belgian brewologist with an obsession with yeast, with their own humulus lupulus love and created a hoppy Belgian style blonde ale. Poured a pale straw color with a fizzy head that disappeared rather quickly. The nose is lemon juice and fresh cut flowers and the tastes are lemon zest, underripe peaches/nectarines and a bit herbal with a dry finish. The IBUs of 50 are quite high for this style but the ABV is in line at 6.3% and provide a nice balance. This would match well with grilled chicken with rosemary or sage, or lighter fish with a pineapple or mango salsa.

[mattman91]

Beer Camp brew #3

Yvan the Great-Sierra Nevada and Russian River

These two brewmasters took a typical recipe for a Belgian blonde ale and twisted it in a tribute to Yvan De Baets, a famous Belgian brewologist with an obsession with yeast, with their own humulus lupulus love and created a hoppy Belgian style blonde ale. Poured a pale straw color with a fizzy head that disappeared rather quickly. The nose is lemon juice and fresh cut flowers and the tastes are lemon zest, underripe peaches/nectarines and a bit herbal with a dry finish. The IBUs of 50 are quite high for this style but the ABV is in line at 6.3% and provide a nice balance. This would match well with grilled chicken with rosemary or sage, or lighter fish with a pineapple or mango salsa.

This sounds right up my alley. ..can you believe I live less than 20 minutes from Sierra Nevada and didn't get a hold of a beer camp 12 pack? Partly because they flew off the shelf, but mostly because I've been so busy with the move. The only one I tried was Tater Ridge on tap at Green Man, which I enjoyed.

[devildeac]

This sounds right up my alley. ..can you believe I live less than 20 minutes from Sierra Nevada and didn't get a hold of a beer camp 12 pack? Partly because they flew off the shelf, but mostly because I've been so busy with the move. The only one I tried was Tater Ridge on tap at Green Man, which I enjoyed.

The closest specialty shop to our house sold out quickly. I procured a 12 pack from Total Wine after calling and asking if they had any and then going to the store and asking an employee to retrieve one (their limit was one per customer) from their back room. Hopefully you attended their "grand opening" celebration on August 3 as they completed their US Beer Camp tour their with a beer fest...

[fuse]

From the brewer:

Description
This triple chocolate stout is a unique interpretation of the style, combining three different chocolate malts, cacao nibs and 63 percent semi-sweet chocolate, creating a sinfully delicious brew. The addition of blackstrap molasses produces an earthy, caramelized tone in an already complex flavor profile. It's creamy, milkshake-like mouthfeel earns this beer the reputation of being dessert in glass.

An actual trade with devildeac back when I had some interesting things to trade.

Mood struck me for a stout tonight.

Pretty thin head.

Smells like alcoholic chocolate.

This is good, maybe reminiscent of the (Godiva?) Sam Adams Chocolate beer from a few years ago.

Layers of chocolate, almost a chocolate carbonated soda.
Would be good to compare against Shake chocolate porter.

Would be a good craft beer introduction for someone who likes chocolate and not beer.

A good reminder that there is no such thing as "beer flavored"- such a broad spectrum of tastes.

I'm not sure this is something I would have chosen myself. I'm glad to have tried it and expanded my horizons.

Would go great with vanilla, chocolate, coffee or caramel desserts.

A rich treat!

[devildeac]

Hennepin, which has also been around since their early days, is a saison or farmhouse ale. This one also fooled me with the aromas, tastes and body. Pour was an orange-brown with a lighter, fizzier head. The orange and ginger are relatively easy culprits to detect but the coriander and grains of paradise hid from my senses again. Grains are simple with pilsner and pale malts but they are abundantly added to an ABV of 7.7%, a bit high for the style. The hops are Styrian Golding again and Spalter select and lend mild herbal and resin tastes with the IBUs at 24. This could be paired with some spicier dishes like curry or mildly hot Asian entrees.

Worth posting again. Sort of. I split a caged and corked 750 ml bottle of this with my daughter last PM and found it nearly as tasty as the draft version I sampled at the brewery and reviewed above. It was a buck off at Harris Teeter over the weekend so it cost $7, a reasonable price for a high gravity ale, considering the hop shortages that have been reported.

[devildeac]

Beer sampler from Trophy Brewing, a somewhat new nano brewery in the Boylan Heights are of downtown Raleigh.

#1

Rose Gose was a cloudy, light straw colored beer with an herbal nose from the generous amount of rosemary used in the brewing process, along with a seashore smell of salt water. Tastes of both were on the money with the aromas when sipped. I'll guess an IBU of 20 and the ABV is stated at 3.8%, making it a light bodied thirst quencher. Sort of. This is the second gose I've sipped this summer but the style is just not growing on me as a favorite.

[devildeac]

#2

Big Day IPA was listed on their blackboard as a "session" IPA and I think that is an apt description. Pour was an orange-yellow with a modest head, and flavors were light pine, resin with a drop or two of orange juice. I'll guess the IBUs about 50 and the ABV was approaching the regular n 7/5/2014.

[duketaylor]

Met my daughter for dinner at Heavy Seas Alehouse in Arlington Monday evening and tried their flight of four beverages.

http://heavyseasalehouse.com/

http://heavyseasalehouse.com/arlington/dinner-menu/

I tried their Cutlass Amber, Small Craft Warning, Gold Ale and Powder Monkey

All four were excellent and recommended. They brew no beer in the facility. By 6:30 they had an estimated 50 people in to drink and dine, including one party of about 25 which had plenty of kids; believe they were
celebrating either a birthday or anniversary. Very nice decor/atmosphere. Daughter had a veggie burger which she said was delicious; I took smoked short-rib tacos back to my room for an evening snack. The tacos were killer-good. They certainly know their way around the kitchen and brewery. Very impressed with their offerings. If you're in the DC area please stop in. Take a look at their "other" brewery offerings, very nice list from which to choose.