Ymm, Beer

[devildeac]

Head Hunter (draft)-Fat Head's Brewery

From Tripping William's link above to the best IPA by state in the USA. This was the winner in Ohio.

Pour was a light gold in a pint glass. Modest, fluffy head with citrusy aromas and piney, Juicyfruit tastes of grapefruit, orange, peach and mango with a bit of honey. It's toeing the line of IPA/IIPA with IBUs of 87 and ABV of 7.5%. Paired very well with a plate of Cajun chicken, dirty rice with sausage and bacon and a side of fire-roasted corn. I'd definitely buy a 4 pack of these for sipping, sharing and trading. Here's the ingredients:

HOPS: Columbus, Simcoe, Centennial
MALT: Pale, CaraMalt, C-15, Cara-Pils

It won some awards, too:

SILVER AWARD 2012 • 2014
WORLD BEER CUP® AMERICAN-STYLE IPA
SILVER MEDAL 2010 • BRONZE MEDAL 2011
GREAT AMERICAN BEER FESTIVAL®
AMERICAN STYLE IPA

Quite the IPA/IIPA night with dinner.

[Tripping William]

Really enjoying the Highland Southern Sixer IPA.

I think I like it a bit more than Devildeac

I'm aligned with mattman here. Good beer (even if Duke lost while I was drinking it).

[fuse]

Red Oak Hummingbird a good choice post soccer.

Following up with a Bombshell Black IPA (?) even better.

Cherry on the sundae? 2016 RBC Millers Toll.

[devildeac]

From March 1, 2014:

Sexual Chocolate (draft)-Foothills Brewing

Annual review here. Still love this beer. I wouldn't drive to Winston-Salem to stand in line for 10-12 hours to buy it at $15/bomber, but it made a marvelous beverage to pair with the Cuban sandwich and Moravian Slaw on a Sunday afternoon a couple weeks ago at the brewery with my wife, son and his wife. Poured an almost pitch black with a small head and served a bit too cold but they gotta keep if fresh. Much richer and more flavorful as it warmed over our 60 minute meal, so it was an appetizer, main course and dessert. Nose of dark, unsweetened chocolate with tastes to match, along with a splash of whiskey (not a barrel aged brew). Large quantities of heavily roasted dark malts impart a mild bitterness but the ABV wins here at about 10% with an estimated IBU rating of 50-60. This was a 10-12 ounce draft for $5 and it will have to keep me satisfied until early February, 2015.

Guess what? It's February 25, 2015.

Today's tasting was a 10 ounce draft at the brewpub for $6. I'm pretty sure if I purchased a mini-growler, I could finish it in 60-120 minutes and wake up on the floor the next AM. Pretty similar thoughts this year except, when allowed to warm to near room temperature, some black strap molasses and a few drops of espresso and a bit of dark, dried fruits came through. My hop detector last year was miscalibrated and the IBUs are indeed 85 as devil84 stated above. It drinks nowhere near this bitter as the ABV of 9.75% totally balanced the hop load. If I hear of any verticals this year, with or without barrel-aging, I might have to make the journey for that tasting.

Attachment 4755

(Today's beverage was not BBA.)

From last PM:

Sexual Chocolate-Foothills Brewing Company

Many thanks to Tripping William for securing 2 bombers of this recently, one of which made it to Ohio and was shared with our son last night.

Pour was slightly chilled and (almost) equally divided between 2 snifters. Nearly black appearance with a creamy, mocha head. Nose of dark chocolate (added) and heavily roasted grains. Very smooth mouthfeel with tastes of dark toffee and caramel, unsweetened chocolate, dark fruits and a splash of espresso. IBUs listed on the bottle at 75 and the ABV is 9.6%. Dessert beer. One bottle remains for next winter, at which time I'll likely have a vertical with the 2010 and 2013 versions, also credited to Tripping William.

[fuse]

Allagash Avance
Aged for a year in bourbon barrels, then 6 months with strawberries, and pediococcus and lactobacillus (no brett).

Mollasses and 4 yeast strains also noted on the bottle.

Bottle neck smelled like rich strawberries and balsamic vinagrette.

Really sharply sour at first sip, with no funk.
The nose is really delightful, so full of strawberry jam and lime(?).

Alcohol well hidden at 9.7%.
Tastes like a sour/spoiled strawberry soda.

Pretty unique. Wishing I had a soft cheese to pair it with.
The nose is better than the overall beer, which reminds me a bit of the Yazoo Duex Rouges I brought back from Nashville.
Have one other bottle in the fridge.

Allagash makes some incredible beer.

Cheers, hoping everyone is spending time with their loved ones tonight.

And the last bottle of Avance goes down.
Remarkably tasty.

The strawberry balsamic nose is delightful.

Sharply sour and sweet.

So glad my better half procured 2 bottles.

Cheers!

[devildeac]

Java the Stout-Jackie O's Pub and Brewery

A two by four coffee whack up side yo' head. Poured from a 12 ounce can into two snifters and shared with our son tonight. Almost black color with a cup of joe nose and heavy coffee presence from start to finish. There's some baker's cocoa and a bit of molasses on the palate, too. There are no IBUs listed on the can or website but I'l guess 50 and the ABV is 6.5% so a bit on the high end for a regular stout. Recommended as "better in the can than from the tap" from one of the beer guys after several years of sampling he said. Website does state "contains approximately a half a cup of coffee caffeine per pint," so I'm hoping I get some sleep tonight after the 50 point showing at Miami this afternoon . Better find another/different canned brew to share before lights out tonight .

(note to fuse: there are 5 of these left, so...)

[devildeac]

Rubus Cacao-Madtree Brewing Company

Dark chocolate covered raspberry jelly candy.

Finally got my Christmas presents from our son and this 6er was one of them. Poured slightly chilled from a 12 ounce can into a snifter. Dark, dark brown hue with ruby edges. Moderate tan head. Cocoa and darkly roasted grains on the nose with dark chocolate and raspberry jam tastes, finishing with a bit of espresso. IBUs surprisingly low for a stout at 12 and the ABV a bit potent at 7%. Another dessert beer. Five of these remain...

[devildeac]

Mystic Mama-Jackie O's Pub and Brewery

Another IPA that sits on the IPA/IIPA fence at 7% ABV and 80 IBUs. Poured from a 12 ounce can tonight into a pint glass. Appearance was gold-yellow with a generous meringue-like head. Moderate amount of pine/resin on the nose then a lot of tropical rind-y/zest-y flavors of grapefruit and tangerine from its 5 hop list with most of the flavors/aromas coming from the Citra and Simcoe varieties. There's also a fair amount of pine/resin. It'd pair well with come curry or a medium-hot Thai/Chinese entree. This was a remnant of a 6er I traded with our son over the weekend after he had consumed a couple so there are now 3 left and I think a couple will be included in a trader with fuse in a meet-up sometime soon.

[duketaylor]

Visited the daughter yesterday to celebrate her 24th b-day, we dined at Open City in Adams-Morgan. Food was excellent; mine was braised short ribs served on a bed of mashed pots. Wife and daughter had omelettes while one son had a huge cheeseburger. All enjoyed.
I washed mine down with said pilsner, which was good/not great. Reviews follow:

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/192/933/

[devildeac]

pi.jpg-Wolf's Ridge Brewing

Well, maybe it's really Pi .

A late Christmas bomber present from our son from our Ohio weekend so I divided this imperial pumpkin ale (Pi, pie ) over a couple nights. Pour was a dark amber with a thin, wispy head. Just about every imaginable Thanksgiving/Christmas gourd spice you can imagine up front. I think what brings this near the top of my pumpkin beer list is the combination they use: cinnamon, ginger root, nutmeg and vanilla along with Ancho chile peppers and finished off with pecan wood (all ingredients listed are "borrowed" from the label on the bottle )). They also used roasted and smoked pumpkins from a local farm. There's got to be a pinch of brown sugar in the brew, too, unless it's the 9.5% ABV lending a bit of syrup-y-ness to the mouthfeel. I'll guess about 20 IBUs. The peppers impart a very slight heat at the finish and it's not unpleasant at all. I'd serve this during and/or after a Thanksgiving and/or Christmas feast. Mama raised the boy right!

[devildeac]

A good source mentions that fuse is drinking a Sumner tonight from Hill Farmstead Brewery. Awaiting real world confirmation...

Did a VT brewery really name a beer after a DBR poster?

[devildeac]

Nobody thirsty but me last PM?

[Tripping William]

Nobody thirsty but me last PM?

I drank that VooDoo Ranger you dropped off with me. I was pleased that its IBU number was higher than Carolina's point-total.

[devildeac]

I drank that VooDoo Ranger you dropped off with me. I was pleased that its IBU number was higher than Carolina's point-total.

Hopefully, you enjoyed it. Probably not as much as the Victory at Sea or in the Sculpin/90 Minute IPA quality range but certainly a solid IIPA.

[Tripping William]

Hopefully, you enjoyed it. Probably not as much as the Victory at Sea or in the Sculpin/90 Minute IPA quality range but certainly a solid IIPA.

Yes, very much enjoyed. Really flavorful, with a good balance between citrus and pine. Thanks for bottle!

[devildeac]

Yes, very much enjoyed. Really flavorful, with a good balance between citrus and pine. Thanks for bottle!

You're most welcome. And, of course, thank you again for the double helping of Sexual Chocolate.

[fuse]

A good source mentions that fuse is drinking a Sumner tonight from Hill Farmstead Brewery. Awaiting real world confirmation...

Did a VT brewery really name a beer after a DBR poster?

I do admit I was thirsty enough not only to have the above noted Sumner as well as a Brooklyn Blast and some local beer that tasted like a mildly hopped orange vanilla lightly hopped soda.

No reviews- was too busy in thirst quenching

[thedukelamere]

IMG_0006.jpg
I spent a good amount of time today trying to figure out a meaningful beer to enjoy for Senior Night... I settled on a Valar Dohaeris by Brewery Ommegang (9% Belgian Tripel). If you're not a Game of Thrones fan, Valar Dohaeris means "All Men Must Serve" which, in my humble opinion, defines both Amile and Matt during their careers. Very thankful for everything they've given our program.

[Tripping William]

Haw River Regent's Rye Tripel. Gold as the Seminoles' trim. Tasty as a Luke Kennard bank-shot. Have beer, will travel.

[devildeac]

No beer tonight. On call.

Two tomorrow.