Ymm, Beer

[fuse]

Second player to enter was:

Punkuccino-Elysian (part of AB-InBev's $100 billion hangover *) Brewing

Bomber graciously contributed by dpslaw. Thanks!

Pour was a dark brown with a tan, frothy head. Listed as an ale and it really resembled a porter or stout. Strong coffee aromas with a bit of spice. Very forward coffee flavors, but not overpowering. Dark roast, please. There's a bit of dryness from the pumpkin and nice, subtle spicing with cinnamon and nutmeg, both added. Estimated IBUs of 30-40 (roasty, not bitter) with ABV of 6%. Perfect pairing with some breakfast pastries.

No QB sack here.

(* thanks to fuse for the recent article he linked here that detailed this financial boondoggle)

I’m actually sincerely sorry I missed this one given all the post acquisition fuss about this particular beer

[fuse]

Seventh Son Goo Goo Muck Tart IPA

First, the artwork on the can is simply gorgeous.
If the can could be unrolled and framed, it would make a good conversation starter.
White can with a raven eating a grapefruit- something you might find as art in an Audobon Society book.

Super murky pour, minimal head.

Smells like peach juice with maybe a bit of wet grass.

Lemon warhead sour- seriously “Keystone bitter beer face” face puckering.
Literally like sucking on a lemon, no lemonade sweetness.
The sour transitions somewhat strangely to bitterness that lingers, then fades to an orange juicy citrus sweetness.

A really unusual beer.
I’m not sure how a tart IPA is different than a hoppy sour. I’d have been hard pressed to label this an IPA blindly.

Not sure about ABV or IBU.

A great find by my Ohio connection and beer concierge, devildeac.

If you have the opportunity, this is a palate expanding beer to try.

Cheers!

[devildeac]

I’m actually sincerely sorry I missed this one given all the post acquisition fuss about this particular beer

That's really interesting as I'd never heard of this before and was lukewarm about the one other Elysian beer I had this summer, Space Dust, apparently their flagship. Both beeradvocate and ratebeer have excellent reviews for Punkuccino. Sticker price was $7.99 on the cap of the bomber.

[devildeac]

Seventh Son Goo Goo Muck Tart IPA

First, the artwork on the can is simply gorgeous.
If the can could be unrolled and framed, it would make a good conversation starter.
White can with a raven eating a grapefruit- something you might find as art in an Audobon Society book.

Super murky pour, minimal head.

Smells like peach juice with maybe a bit of wet grass.

Lemon warhead sour- seriously “Keystone bitter beer face” face puckering.
Literally like sucking on a lemon, no lemonade sweetness.
The sour transitions somewhat strangely to bitterness that lingers, then fades to an orange juicy citrus sweetness.

A really unusual beer.
I’m not sure how a tart IPA is different than a hoppy sour. I’d have been hard pressed to label this an IPA blindly.

Not sure about ABV or IBU.

A great find by my Ohio connection and beer concierge, devildeac.

If you have the opportunity, this is a palate expanding beer to try.

Cheers!

I'm not sure I ever saw an IBU on the can or website. I was thinking about 50 but can't recall from my post last month. The ABV was 8.2%, IIRC.

This was the beer I thought you might like the most from our recent trading session. I hope the other IPAs are still fresh enough to enjoy. Now, about that imperial gose...

[devildeac]

The battle of the Allagash brews:

Curieux (Bottling: April, 19, 2013)-Allagash Brewing Company

Cases bottled: 750

Credit: August West

Poured from a corked and caged 750 ml bottle. Pour was a slightly hazy, golden-sunshine color with a modest, lacy, lingering head. Nose was orange, coconut, wet wood, white pepper and a faint wafting of bourbon. Tastes were coconut, vanilla, oak, orange with a warm boozy finish. As AW said, "Not much bite to this one." This was one frighteningly smooth bourbon barrel-aged Belgian-style tripel ale. I'll guess IBUs around 30. ABV was 11%. The alcohol perception comes mostly from the BBA but this one is dangerous. Pretty amazing to have this after 5.5 years of aging.

[fuse]

The battle of the Allagash brews:

Curieux (Bottling: April, 19, 2013)-Allagash Brewing Company

Cases bottled: 750

Credit: August West

Poured from a corked and caged 750 ml bottle. Pour was a slightly hazy, golden-sunshine color with a modest, lacy, lingering head. Nose was orange, coconut, wet wood, white pepper and a faint wafting of bourbon. Tastes were coconut, vanilla, oak, orange with a warm boozy finish. As AW said, "Not much bite to this one." This was one frighteningly smooth bourbon barrel-aged Belgian-style tripel ale. I'll guess IBUs around 30. ABV was 11%. The alcohol perception comes mostly from the BBA but this one is dangerous. Pretty amazing to have this after 5.5 years of aging.

First time I tried Curieaux, I knew it was special.
Not sure I could have told you why.
I definitely didn’t know much about Belgian style beer, or bourbon barrel aging.

I’d hold Curieaux as a Hall of Fame beer for sure.

[devildeac]

Curieux (Bottling: April 2, 2015)-Allagash Brewing Company

I'll take credit for this one. Yea, AW and I planned this mini-vertical .

Very similar appearance/pour from this 750 ml bottle to the 2013 version with subtle yet clearly noticeable differences with the aromas and tastes. All of us thought the booze was more prominent than the expected toasted coconut, vanilla and orange scents with bourbon being the first tasting impression, too, followed by the usual characteristics of the BBA with vanilla, wood, coconut and a pinch of white pepper. I doubt any difference in the IBUs and the ABV was the same at 11%. If you like a very smooth, BBA Belgian-style triple ale, then the 2013 would be the winner. If you prefer a bit more bourbon and heat/bite from the style, then the 2015 would have been your winner. Which one did I like best? I'll declare it a draw with all participants being the winners.

Special team coverage was excellent with these 2 players.

[devildeac]

First time I tried Curieaux, I knew it was special.
Not sure I could have told you why.
I definitely didn’t know much about Belgian style beer, or bourbon barrel aging.

I’d hold Curieaux as a Hall of Fame beer for sure.

I'm going to have to uncork one of my ($10) February, 2018 large format bottles soon for a late entry comparison.

As a sidecar, I saw this at Total Wine on Friday in 4 packs for about $16 or $17, a great price given that most bottle shops I've visited sell the 750 ml bottles for $17 or $18.

[devildeac]

An old Hardywood standard and a new Gingerbread Stout variant:

https://hardywood.com/event/copy-gin...cakes-release/

[devildeac]

Another new brewery in Raleigh?

http://thelocalicon.com/

I need to get out more. Never heard of this place.

[devildeac]

Yet another interesting beer name:

Love Gone Bad, an imperial stout from New Anthem Beer Project in Wilmington, NC.

[thedukelamere]

Started off my godson's 3rd bday party on Saturday with a new (and expensive) beer from Revo:

Code Switch - 14.5% Belgian Strong Dark Ale - Revolution Brewing Co ~ A four pack of 12 oz cans ran $30, but I talked myself into it by remembering all of the amazing Revo beers I've had and that they need financial support to create more tasty concoctions... This was a collab with Sun King Brewing in Indy, box read that it was brewed with maple sugar, dark candi syrup, and a blend of Belgian yeast, then aged with unfermented blackberries in Tennessee Whiskey barrels THEN SWITCHED to Kentucky Bourbon barrels midway through. Pour was a nice crimsony toffee color with little to no head, with the blackberry aroma that you'd expect. Taste was very unique; not as overpoweringly sweet as the smell would indicate, but still very jammy. As it warmed, you could taste the heat from the bourbon and the char from the whiskey depending on what you were concentrating on. I'm super interested to see how the other 3 cans age.

After chasing kids around in an inflatable T-Rex costume (the party theme was dinosaurs, but why my buddy's wife thought the 2-5 year olds in attendance wouldn't react in absolute terror being chased by one is beyond me), it was time to open the Handjee.

handjee.jpg

2018 Dark Lord - Marshmallow Handjee - 15% ABV BBA Russian Imperial - 3 Floyd's Brewing Company ~ When we took this out of the cooler, I was more careful with this bottle than I was with my friend's 4 month old daughter. We spent a healthy amount of time on Friday discussing the exact temperature to enjoy this at, ultimately deciding to remove it at 52^o and then allow it to warm as we sipped. The pour was jet black with a light head that disappeared almost immediately. Regarding the sweet vanilla/cherry/marshmallow aroma; If I could turn this into a cologne I'd wear it daily (although it would probably attract the attention of individuals that are unfortunately just not my type). First sip made my tastebuds explode for a solid 2 minutes, cycling from vanilla to bourbon to a slight cherry to toasted mallow back to bourbon. Throughout the 25 minutes I was enjoying my pour, my son bit 2 kids and tackled the birthday boy after he pushed him off of a toy bulldozer... I didn't hear or see anything but the Handjee. I took a thimbleful of water and swilled the glass after I was done just to get whatever remnants were stuck to the inside of the glass. TLDR: I enjoyed it very much and would agree with the assessment that it is a world-class beer.

[devildeac]

Started off my godson's 3rd bday party on Saturday with a new (and expensive) beer from Revo:

Code Switch - 14.5% Belgian Strong Dark Ale - Revolution Brewing Co ~ A four pack of 12 oz cans ran $30, but I talked myself into it by remembering all of the amazing Revo beers I've had and that they need financial support to create more tasty concoctions... This was a collab with Sun King Brewing in Indy, box read that it was brewed with maple sugar, dark candi syrup, and a blend of Belgian yeast, then aged with unfermented blackberries in Tennessee Whiskey barrels THEN SWITCHED to Kentucky Bourbon barrels midway through. Pour was a nice crimsony toffee color with little to no head, with the blackberry aroma that you'd expect. Taste was very unique; not as overpoweringly sweet as the smell would indicate, but still very jammy. As it warmed, you could taste the heat from the bourbon and the char from the whiskey depending on what you were concentrating on. I'm super interested to see how the other 3 cans age.

After chasing kids around in an inflatable T-Rex costume (the party theme was dinosaurs, but why my buddy's wife thought the 2-5 year olds in attendance wouldn't react in absolute terror being chased by one is beyond me), it was time to open the Handjee.

handjee.jpg

2018 Dark Lord - Marshmallow Handjee - 15% ABV BBA Russian Imperial - 3 Floyd's Brewing Company ~ When we took this out of the cooler, I was more careful with this bottle than I was with my friend's 4 month old daughter. We spent a healthy amount of time on Friday discussing the exact temperature to enjoy this at, ultimately deciding to remove it at 52^o and then allow it to warm as we sipped. The pour was jet black with a light head that disappeared almost immediately. Regarding the sweet vanilla/cherry/marshmallow aroma; If I could turn this into a cologne I'd wear it daily (although it would probably attract the attention of individuals that are unfortunately just not my type). First sip made my tastebuds explode for a solid 2 minutes, cycling from vanilla to bourbon to a slight cherry to toasted mallow back to bourbon. Throughout the 25 minutes I was enjoying my pour, my son bit 2 kids and tackled the birthday boy after he pushed him off of a toy bulldozer... I didn't hear or see anything but the Handjee. I took a thimbleful of water and swilled the glass after I was done just to get whatever remnants were stuck to the inside of the glass. TLDR: I enjoyed it very much and would agree with the assessment that it is a world-class beer.

Words fail me. This is great stuff, not only about the world class beers but the hilarious details about the birthday party. LMAO.

I have a 4 pack of Code Switch (along with some VSOJ) ordered from my Chicago delivery service but not actually found/bought yet. Time will tell.

Thanks for taking the time to post the above.

(Alas, I just checked and I'm unable to spork the above so could another kind soul from Ymm, Beer reward thedukelamere for me, please.)

[fuse]

Words fail me. This is great stuff, not only about the world class beers but the hilarious details about the birthday party. LMAO.

I have a 4 pack of Code Switch (along with some VSOJ) ordered from my Chicago delivery service but not actually found/bought yet. Time will tell.

Thanks for taking the time to post the above.

(Alas, I just checked and I'm unable to spork the above so could another kind soul from Ymm, Beer reward thedukelamere for me, please.)

Seconded- alas, I am out of sporks also.

Really like the Teku glass in the picture.

[Tripping William]

Words fail me. This is great stuff, not only about the world class beers but the hilarious details about the birthday party. LMAO.

I have a 4 pack of Code Switch (along with some VSOJ) ordered from my Chicago delivery service but not actually found/bought yet. Time will tell.

Thanks for taking the time to post the above.

(Alas, I just checked and I'm unable to spork the above so could another kind soul from Ymm, Beer reward thedukelamere for me, please.)

Seconded- alas, I am out of sporks also.

Really like the Teku glass in the picture.

Gotcha covered, fellas.

[devildeac]

Gotcha covered, fellas.

Thank you, kind sir.

[thedukelamere]

After doing a little research, I am currently unable to spork devildeac, Tripping William, or mattman, but I have spread enough comments around to hook fuse up when needed... I guess I could spend more quality time on different threads, but it's not my fault The Best (and Tastiest) Content Happens Here^TM

[devildeac]

After doing a little research, I am currently unable to spork devildeac, Tripping William, or mattman, but I have spread enough comments around to hook fuse up when needed... I guess I could spend more quality time on different threads, but it's not my fault The Best (and Tastiest) Content Happens Here^TM

Promiscuity is encouraged on DBR.

Plus, a hook up for fuse would likely need to be secretive as he already has his Love Ninja...

[fuse]

New Glarus Staghorn Octoberfest

Finally (sadly) a New Glarus beer isn’t “the best beer I have had in category X”.

Perhaps blasphemy, as much as I find Staghorn to be an excellent, excellent beer, I would choose Clawhammer.

No complaints as it is a great beer and enjoyable to drink.

Cheers!

[fuse]

Nowhere in Particular Batch 024
By Rivertown Brewing Company

Imperial Gose with Pink Himalayan Sea Salt and Coriander

Some impressive language on the can about this beer was brewed once, never again.

7% Gose?

Decent head, not long lasting.
A bit of a chunky pour.

In the right light you can convince yourself there is a slight pink hue to the beer.

Smells a little rummy, a little briney.

Tastes a bit like salted grapefruit soda with a splash of white rum.

Calling this beer strange is an oversimplification.

Its an easy sipper, while at the same time not a beer I think you’d drink more than one in a single session.

Another remarkable palate stretcher via the ever esteemed devildeac.

I’m really grateful to have tried this beer, and now I need to google what the prior 23 unique beers were. A new brewery to me, and one I would certainly try more.

Boundary pushing beer is polarizing. It’s also what keeps the craft beer industry interesting and growing.

A couple of fun links:

http://www.thegnarlygnome.com/2015/11/nowhere-in-particular-a-brewery-that-doesnt-exist/

https://www.nipbrewco.com/beer

Thanks devildeac!