Saw some Starr Hill brews recently and it jostled the cherry wheat beer memory. I almost certain it was the cherry wheat beer from this brewery that I had at one of the early beer fests at the Durham Omni (?) hotel. Thought I was sipping Robitussin or some children's cough syrup. I may have to give one of CB&B's favorite, the Sam Adams Cherry Wheat, another try as my tastes have changed a lot.
ROTFLMAO. Only a real beer snob/hop head/nerd would think of something like this. Another alternative might be to limit their number to five and then make them all 16 seeds and make two of them participate in a drink-in, err, play-in game.
I may have to pause on my posting for a while as I think this one puts me on the brink...
And if so, choose a special ale tonight to celebrate a milestone.
Last edited by devildeac; 11-13-2008 at 10:49 AM. Reason: yep, milestone post tonight
Bell's Special Double Cream Stout
New beer to me, and I love it. Well roasted malts give off nice coffee tones. A very dark beer, with a dark head to match. Head fades quickly with fair retention on the walls of the glass. Smooth on the pallette, 6.1%ABV, a nice lasting sweetness to it, balances the roastiness well. The bottle says made with 10 different kinds of malt, not sure why so many but it works.
Ommegang Abbey Ale
Another Devildeac trade, it's billed as a "Belgian style Abbey dubbel, yeilding a rich, fruity, aromatic, burgundian brew". After a few tastings, it's hard to find any fault with the label, a pretty accurate description. It's a good one for a slow sipping during dinner or just lounging around, it invites laziness. Slightly tangy, the alcohol stands out pretty strong. No ABV on the bottle, but I'd be suprised if it was under 9%. Reminiscent of a burgundy wine...once again the label does not lie. A good brew, and a recommendation.
Q "Why do you like Duke, you didn't even go there." A "Because my art school didn't have a basketball team."
Salvation-Avery Brewing-A Belgian style golden ale and nicely done. I don't believe any additives but hints of fruitiness (apple?) and moderate maltiness for a slight sweetness to balance very mild hoppiness. No floral nose or bitterness here. IBU=25. ABV=9% and it is prominent. A bit of typical Belgian style spiciness and perhaps some coriander or allspice(?). Enjoyed this bomber SLOWLY over an hour or more last PM to celebrate #4000 (post, that is, not beer).
Winterbraun ale, Lost Coast Brewery
Wasn't sure what to expect of this one, it was in the bargain bin at my local specialty shop. (They call that bin the "Get out of here beer")
If I had known about it earlier, I would have gotten a 6, very tasty. I like beer labels that lay it on the line for you, so here's this one's.
"Brewed with American pale malt and a mixture of caramel and chocolate malts, with Saaz hops added to give a unique spicy flavor and aroma".
The chocolate stands out well, the hops are strong for a dark ale. The initial taste compares to a stout, it finishes with hoppiness of a pale ale. The roasted malts complement the hops well, I'm thinking of adding some more aroma hops to my next dark brew to capture some of this quality. Too bad I grabbed the last 2, I'd go back for more to get a couple extras as BG trades.
Q "Why do you like Duke, you didn't even go there." A "Because my art school didn't have a basketball team."
Starting my next brew in a few minutes..Belgian Red Ale
Interesting ingredients, only 6 lbs of NW gold syrub, no dry extract. The other fermentable sugar is a pound of Dark Candi Sugar. I opened the kit and thought the guy sent me a bag of rocks.
1lb Belgian blend of grains, 1 oz Northern hops, 1 oz Hallertau, liquid Trappist Ale yeast. Looking forward to seeing how the candi sugar works out, well see in a few weeks. Should be right on schedule to bottle the night before the last brunchgate.
Q "Why do you like Duke, you didn't even go there." A "Because my art school didn't have a basketball team."
I split a bottle of this with my dad a few weeks ago (it was a pre-dinner beer so, as you can imagine, it ended up being a late night beer after we moved on to bourbon and Golden Tee). My favorite of the Avery Holy Trinity by a long shot. Congrats on 4000! 1000 is creeping on me so I guess I need to find a special beer to review as that post