Ymm, Beer

[devildeac]

Same! The name that popped into my head immediately was Four Peaks. Also maybe something from Arizona Wilderness. They used to have a couple that I liked.

Are you thinking of travelling there or looking for something for the VBP?

Might be very difficult to find any good AZ beers in NC, let alone *any* AZ beers.

[devildeac]

Planning a trip for April...maybe.

We need a vacation and can't go out of the States this year. Never been to Arizona but between Grand Canyon, Sedona and Saguaro and everything in between it seems like a nice place to have an outdoorsy/socially distanced vacation for hiking/biking etc

If I can find some Arizona beers for the VP here locally that would be bonus points!

Great place to visit. Look to see how far some of the other National Parks are from that area.

[devildeac]

Couple more from the archives. I never did find any Arizona Wilderness beers, though.

Excellent beer research where some old posts are actually worth looking for and re-posting.

[devildeac]

Yep.

Thinking about base camping in Flagstaff for a few days to see Grand Canyon and Sedona (the fun, pretty natural parts, not the town) and then driving through Phoenix and only stopping maybe for beer to the Tucson area for more hiking/biking and wine tasting.

It's been >20 years since we visited and I/we remember the trip/sites very fondly including the places mentioned already, a brief stay in Las Vegas and day trip to Death Valley. that was pretty much before Ymm, Beer times. Learned a lot since then.

[devildeac]

I didn't mention the Grand Canyon because I assumed it was a given. Every human should see it if possible.

Our trip was to the South Rim with our youngest about 9 years old at the time. She didn't hike too well then .

[devildeac]

And if you can sneak a day up to Zion National Park, it is definitely worth the trip!

Zion *always* worth a visit/view.

Oh, wait, you're referring to the NP. Sorry.

[devildeac]

Time to totally derail the beer thread. You reminded me of this pic that I took at the Hopi Canyon Lookout at the South Rim.

I waited until I could get a shot with no people and was so happy that I got one. Afterward, I look and there is this girl in the pic. I swear she wasn't there when I clicked. She's my "Ghost of the Lookout" I love the shot, though.

Attachment 12619

Great photo. Thanks for sharing.

[fuse]

Saturday virtual pub zoom details

4pm EST

Zoom Meeting ID : 987 5545 6140

Passcode next post

[fuse]

Passcode for February Virtual Pub is

Deeber123

[devildeac]

We were actually deciding between Yellowstone/Grand Teton, Zion/Bryce Canyon or AZ.

Leaning towards AZ because we are needing to go in Late April and Yellowstone may be too cold/frozen. We will probably save Zion for another time, but it is definitely high up on our list!

Some roads will still be closed in Yellowstone at that time. We visited twice in early May and some roads were still closed.

But, Moose Drool Brown Ale and a Snake River brew or two were readily available.

(Finally, I could work a beer recommendation into the discussion. Thread specific, not sloppy, polysyllabic, hopefully mostly grammatically correct and no inane topic.)

[devildeac]

Yeah, we will save that. Would love to do a Zion/Bryce Canyon trip at the same time.

You could visit quite a few NP in that 6 state area but it'd likely take a couple weeks.

[devildeac]

Yeah, unless you have between 2 and 3 weeks, "Southern Utah" is a trip all its own. Lots to do there!

I see TW beat me to this reference. That's what I get for working until 230ish today.

[devildeac]

I was going to say - a day in Zion does not come close to doing it justice. Especially if you are driving from Flagstaff.

And yes, if you plan to visit Yellowstone in April, bring your parka and snowshoes.

Edit: to add, I've been caught in BIG snow at the south rim in April as well. I'd definitely triple check which roads are likely to be open for this voyage.

Our family took a 3 hour guided float on the Snake River in early May a couple decades ago, IIRC. It was 45 degrees or less and it snowed/sleeted lightly for the entire trip. Memorable .

[devildeac]

Saturday virtual pub zoom details

4pm EST

Zoom Meeting ID : 987 5545 6140

Passcode next post

Thanks!

[devildeac]

Passcode for February Virtual Pub is

Deeber123

Another thanks!!

[devildeac]

Arrogant Bastard always works.

[fuse]

Hardywood Brian’s Barrel Blends
2020 Blend # 12

Chardonnay Barrel Aged Tripel
Tomcat Gin Barrel Aged Ryewine
Fresh NEIPA

Expecting a lot of complexity.

Pours was super muddy, settled into a burnished gold colour.

Definitely opaque, not sure its hazy.

Decent head upon the pour, largely gone by the time I let the beer warm up before the first sip.

The nose is sweet, sour, musty and juniper/gin, boozy and woody.

Mouthfeel is dense in a pleasant way.

Front and midpalate of the first sip were surprisingly nondescript.
Finish is an absolute explosion.

Layers of rye and gin are where Brian’s Blend 12 hit me, along with flashes of a smooth buttery and oaky chardonnay.

This is an ambitious beer. Individually, each of the three beers are likely outstanding in their own right.

I love the idea of blends and experiments like Brian’s Blend.

There’s a bit of memories evokes by the beer (accurate or not), including Sierra Nevada Ruthless Rye, Anchorage The Tide and its Takers, and Mother Earth Tripel Overhead.

Intellectually, I struggle with how the other beers compete against a bold flavour like gin barrel aged ryewine; chardonnay barrel aged tripel seems so subtle in comparison, and whatever the NEIPA contributes seems lost in the mix.

Regardless of the musings above, this is a challenging and superior beer.

Many thanks to accfanfrom1970 !

Skol! 🍻

[Tripping William]

Always a treat to see this one released. Grabbed a four-bagger from my favorite gal on Tuesday. To my The 2021 has less maple syrup on it, and more bitterness. Could be a recipe change. I got past the initial bitterness while working through the pint. It's still a very good beer, but tonight wasn't the "amazing" that I had remembered from before. Maybe paired with the right food? (I had this as an "appetizer.")

[OldPhiKap]

Saturday virtual pub zoom details

4pm EST

Zoom Meeting ID : 987 5545 6140

Passcode next post

Thanks, fuse!

Just picked up four beers for the VP. One is my holiday, the other three are really just DBR-related oddities as attendees will see.

(I have one special for ClemmonsDevil if he can make it, otherwise I’ll just have to post about it after the zoom).

[devildeac]

Hardywood Brian’s Barrel Blends
2020 Blend # 12

Chardonnay Barrel Aged Tripel
Tomcat Gin Barrel Aged Ryewine
Fresh NEIPA

Expecting a lot of complexity.

Pours was super muddy, settled into a burnished gold colour.

Definitely opaque, not sure its hazy.

Decent head upon the pour, largely gone by the time I let the beer warm up before the first sip.

The nose is sweet, sour, musty and juniper/gin, boozy and woody.

Mouthfeel is dense in a pleasant way.

Front and midpalate of the first sip were surprisingly nondescript.
Finish is an absolute explosion.

Layers of rye and gin are where Brian’s Blend 12 hit me, along with flashes of a smooth buttery and oaky chardonnay.

This is an ambitious beer. Individually, each of the three beers are likely outstanding in their own right.

I love the idea of blends and experiments like Brian’s Blend.

There’s a bit of memories evokes by the beer (accurate or not), including Sierra Nevada Ruthless Rye, Anchorage The Tide and its Takers, and Mother Earth Tripel Overhead.

Intellectually, I struggle with how the other beers compete against a bold flavour like gin barrel aged ryewine; chardonnay barrel aged tripel seems so subtle in comparison, and whatever the NEIPA contributes seems lost in the mix.

Regardless of the musings above, this is a challenging and superior beer.

Many thanks to accfanfrom1970 !

Skol! 🍻

I am never upset when someone beats me to a review of a beer. Well done. I'll try my review tonight or tomorrow but it'll likely pale (ale) in comparison to this one.